I have the opportunity to purchase a 2004 U320 that have "been in the family" for over 10 years. I had the opportunity to personally drive the coach (for several thousand miles while the owner was alive) and it drove strong and everything worked in fine order. It is 40' model with two sliders, 10K generator, 500hp Cummins and about 90000 miles on the clock.
The relative who owned and valued the coach took great pride in it and gave it excellent care and maintenance. It was stored inside in a heated garage during summer in the east and spent the winters out west where it was lived in by the owner. The owner passed away about a year and a half ago and the coach has been part of the "estate". It has now been made available for my purchase.
I looked at the coach recently, and after a thorough inspection as to condition, fluids, etc., we started it up and it ran fine. It has been plugged into shore power with the boost switch on so the batteries were well charged. The generator fired right up and I ran the A/C units and sliders. No problems. Even though the coach was stored in a heated garage during this time it was also winterized as a precaution so I could not run the water systems, washer/dryer , etc. I also noticed that the overflow bottle on the Aquahot was empty. I know the Aquahot was serviced about two years ago just prior to the owners death, but I did not fire it up until we can certain it is topped off and ready to go.
The exterior is excellent with no dings or damage, just some checking around the front where the clear plastic "mask" was installed (at the factory I believe).
My questions are this... 1. What else should I check on the coach ? 2. Is it normal for the Aquahot overflow bottle to be empty after a long storage ( I can see no signs of leakage or puddles on the floor)? 3. I know this is an open ended question, but can anyone guess what a thorough inspection and service by the factory might cost ? I know there will be items found that need to be fixed and that will cost more, so there is no way to know for certain, but what does a full service (if there is that sort of thing) normally cost ? I would have the motor serviced locally by Cummins before making the trip to TX. (This might be one of those "if you have to ask, then you can't afford it" kind of questions.)
Sorry for the long post. I just want to go into this purchase with my eyes open. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
Probably the best response can come from Brett Wolfe, who frequently posts here. If he can inspect it, then that would be ideal.
If you can take it to a Cummins shop and have them perform their normal maintenance (probably a few hundred dollars) then (unless the tires are over perhaps seven years old) it should be safe to drive.
I personally would simply top off the Aqua-Hot with the appropriate coolant and check its operation.
The tag tires are about two years old, the drives are about 4 years old and the steers are about 3 years old, all quality Michelins.
Kick the tires and light the fires! This sounds like a good one.
My "average" bill at FT or MOT is about "three coach bucks" ($3,000) - theta is service everything and usually a few punch list items. Â Your mileage may vary.
We usually say put aside 10% of the coach cost for first year maintenance and upgrades. Â Probably conservative on an indoor coach that has been pampered, but that is the advice that you will hear on this forum.
Check the age of the tires - 6 or 8 will set your pocketbook back, and lots of folks on the forum suggest changing when the tires are five years old. Â (Especially steering tires) Â If they are Michelins, the factory recommends that you can go to 10 years with inspections, but not everyone on the forum agrees that is a good idea.
Diesel will coast you right at $.50 a mile, and insurance, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance will probably add another .50 a mile. Â So figure a $1 a mile to operate and you won't be surprised. Â Less if you can do some work yourself.
It is a great lifestyle, priceless in my mind. Â But the bills still need to be understood and paid.
Thank you so much. This is good information. It makes sense.
I believe this is a "good one". I just like to understand what I am dealing with. This coach is more complicated than my house when it comes to heating/cooling, power, sliders, invertors, satellite dishes, tire pressures, etc. etc.. I have been around old cars and tools all my life, but this coach boggles my mind. I just want to learn all I can before I write the (for me) big check...
John S. wrote up a good list for a thorough pre delivery inspection. 50 things to check before you buy your used foretravel (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=10866.0)
You say the PO "gave it great care and maintenance". Are there any service records you can get a hold of? This will help you save a lot of money so you don't service things that don't need it. Did you look to see if dates or mileage are written on the oil filter or elsewhere? Do you know where he may have had it serviced? If at Foretravel (in Nac) they keep records by the unique build number of each coach and can help you fill in any service gaps.
My understanding of service is it's "a la carte": the owner typically tells the service writer exactly what he wants done. If you tell them you want "everything serviced" you are leaving it up to the service write down everything he can think of at the time (and he/she might still forget something). This could possibly mean days of labor at $100+/hr then add on parts too. There are a lot of "systems" on these coaches: an initial inspection by Foretravel would be a good start after the initial local engine/tranny service. You will want the Aquahot working before your trip to Foretravel: I would try to get a AH specialist to do a checkout and service (I understand it's something that should be done annually).
Sounds like a great opportunity assuming it has been taken care of so well. Many buyers here on the forum would love to be in your position. If I were you I would buy the coach, bring it home and pour through the owners manuals. There is a ton of information and all of it is applicable to your coach and will have all the required servicing listed therein. I think many new owners don't trust themselves initially to do any service and then after a while they start to do more and more as they get more familiar with it. Even if you elect to do no service on your own I hope you realize you are picking up a new hobby and it will require some of your time - I hope you have it to spare and are willing.
I purchased our coach when it was 10 years old too - but I had not records or history whatsoever. I took it into the engine dealer for oil change, radiator flush, new coolant, new belts, and a new air cleaner. I also had them put it on their dynamometer to check for the right horsepower and also check for any trouble codes on the computer. I took it to Allison for a transmission oil change, inspection and functional test drive to verify it was shifting correctly and to verify no codes were present. I was also close to a Foretravel store (FT closed all stores later) and had them service the chassis and check the steering and brakes. Then my wife and I took off and full-timed for almost 3 years on a sabbatical.
"I just want to learn all I can before I write the (for me) big check..." jbucking, you are a man after my own heart! When we started researching I asked a LOT of questions. I have often said that I'd rather ask a thousand questions before writing a large check than ask one question a thousand times afterward.
BTW, our coach was from a couple who simply couldn't continue traveling. They had done a pretty good job of maintaining it, but, like any mechanical thing, there were a few items that needed attention, and there were (and still are) some things that we will change just to suit us. We've only had it for about a year and a half, but we're ready to go full-timing.
Thank you. More great advise. Because my relative was 90 years old (but still traveling with me driving) I took it for service every year, but our trips were always to a Cummins dealer for oil, oil filter, fuel filters and anything that they could find to inspect or grease. It went every fall before we left regardless of miles... It has not been to a "Foretravel establishment" for several years, that I know of. I know that the Aquahot was "serviced" 2 or 3 years ago out west (from what I was told) and we used it and it worked great in the spring of 2013. I think the motor and drive train is solid. It is all the other "coach specific" systems that concern me. Like the "Haldex" air drier (I assume for brakes, systems, etc). I can take it apart, but I am not sure what's in there... Plus it has an interesting "air purge" and "HO2" Purge buttons in the engine compartment. I assume to purge air from the fuel system when a new filter is installed ?
No, but given a couple of things that are simple - replace the radiator cap and the overflow hose for the AquaHot. Could be the cap wasn't sealing well or the hose had deteriorated or both (we discovered those issues on ours. Good time to do the genset rad cap and overflow hose as well (yup, same thing).
Definitely agree on having Brett Wolfe do the inspection if you can.
Where is Brett Wolfe located ?
Lots of discussion on the forum about the air dryer; they need to be maintained regularly. Might be worth just doing a swap out with a remanufactured unit so you have a known-good starting point going forward. Jim McNeece has a good write-up on the forum Desiccant powder in air system - anybody else with this experience? (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=18448.msg126969#msg126969)
I am in League City, Texas just south of Houston.
The only uniquely Foretravel issue is Bulkhead Repair-- A Comprehensive Look (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=8645.0)
But, on any coach of that age, a good inspection is a good idea.
Is the bulkhead repair an issue with a 2004 model ? How do I Identify a problem ?
and from Barry's own web site
PDI (http://www.beamalarm.com/Documents/pdi.html)
If you take it to MOT, in NAC, they have a list you go over with the service writer to specify which of the service interval related items you do on each visit. Â If you have maintenance records, you can decide which needs looked after the first visit, but when in doubt, thinks like Haldex, transmission oil, and aqua hot need to be serviced.
Make sure you don't take it to a commercial truck shop (or even a Cummins dealer) and let them lube the chassis. Â Invariably they lube the merit or air disk brakes with the WRONG lube and then a costly tear down and cleaning is needed. Â Lots of posts here on that subject....
Jump In, the water's fine!  Good luck  and welcome again.
Or post "for sale" in classifieds....
Yes, that's right. That's the control head. The rest of the unit is contained in the housing that holds the fuel filter (primary). It a complicated looking thing that has a pump and valves. These are known to have many O-rings and seals that if cracked (due to age) can make starting difficult due to allowing in some air. I believe on that coach there will also be a secondary fuel filter on the engine.
lots of info on those posts - including how to identify. Â Yes, the bulkhead design is similar, so coach should be checked - 98% have no problem found or a small repair (less than a coach buck)
Read the post, and PM Acousticart - he is our expert - but he might scare you with his work on his coach - Brett Wolfe might be good to talk to love. Â Usually a non issue - read the posts and you will get a feeling for it
Foretravel has a recommended service schedule that they can send you. You can then compare it to the service records you have and make up an action list. We recommend running the coach and all systems for at least a 20 mile drive monthly. It sounds as if this coach has spent a lot of time sitting between long trips. Look especially at recommended service time intervals rather than just miles.
You can make sure the Aqua Hot tank is full of coolant and then run it on diesel to tell if it requires service. If it starts up with only the briefest of visible exhaust and then runs and shuts down smoothly, it should be fine. If the owner had the A-H serviced while in the West, then Roger Berke probably did it or knows who did and what they did.
Thank again for everyone's help. This forum has been great and I have learned a great deal. I hope to contact FT and MOT early next week for any info I can get my hands on. Thanks again. John
I too bought my coach from family and very surprised at the things that where over looked as he aged. The biggest thing that gets people is size. When working on anything only look the problem. And not at the monster picture. It makes everything easer for me.
I replaced my halides with a turbo 2000 unit. The filters are very easy to change. And the don't break down. Make sure you buy the kit it will have everything in it wet tank also. Mine used the same bolt pattern. Good luck after a year now full timing we still love it.
A buck a mile is reasonable. I'm more like .65 but I do all of my work. Sent my aqua hot head to Roger great job.
Have fun!!!!
Let us all know where you are, even if you are not near a Brett Wolfe type there are members scattered everywhere and I am sure that many of them would be glad to TAKE A LOOK and tell you what they can readily see even if it does not qualify as a detailed PDI. These things are complicated but owners soon learn the little quirks and are glad to pass along there experiences both good and bad.
Good luck, sounds like you are on to a keeper.
Gary B