Hi
We just drove 11 hours to see a 1999 and have many ?s now after looking at it. we are checked in a hotel for now.
Would love to be able to call someone that is a Foretravel owner that knows a lot about them and ask some ? and talk with.
Inside looks good, No real water leaks, outside body decals look very good not much fading.
Microwave was removed and a small one is sitting in its place. No a big deal.
Back passenger side has some damage to the fiberglass that should fix up easy.
Things i am not sure about.
Muffler is broke off just at the very back so it is shooting right onto the fiberglass i would need to add on a chrome muffler extenion so it sticks out
Motor seems to run good we drove it. Petal to the floor and it shifts good picks up speed good. Brakes work no problem.
Has not has a oil change in some time.. so we would get one before hitting the road if we buy it and new front tires.
Strange leak i do not know what this would be to fix????
Looking in from the back at the motor it has two large fans that blow on the radiator the first one closest to the back i can see some fluid that has or is leaking out of what looks like the center of the fan shaft.
Anyone know anything about this.. dose the fan have a place to add oil to and if this is leaking from the center of the shaft how big of a problem is this ? what would i be looking at to get this fixed it looks like it would be very hard just to get to the fan motor unless it is more easy from in the bedroom down..... If it is leaking would it be safe to drive it around 600 miles home like that?
Thanks
As buyer, assume that the fan motor (hydraulic) will need to be replaced. It could just need a seal, but often with the volume of leak you are describing, the motor will need to be replaced.
Monday, check with Foretravel for $$-- have VIN handy.
After reading almost all of your post for the last few days I have some unsolicited advice. Take a few weeks or months break. Then go to MOT or wait for a forum member to sale a decent, well maintained older Foretravel. It seems from your post is all you are looking at are someone's problems they are trying to get rid of.
Larry
All under it was very wet with fluid on the metal parts and it looks like it is coming from the shaft area .. but it is not leaking out dripping just all wet like it has leaking not seeing any fresh drops coming out the other side is dry.
Yes, it is common for a fan motor to only leak when under high PSI-- that IS how they start. No PSI, no leak.
And, if exhaust is "aimed" at fiberglass, the fiberglass will blister it. Need to be inspected for current damage. If none, fix before driving.
The inside is very nice good shape,, both ACs work so dose the generator we drove with both ACs on. Fridge works text with thermometer;s.. Has service paper work on it from 2014 and all the back to original owner. New own has owned it for two years and done nothing to it put on around 7000 miles on it.
Newer air bags, new fuel pump and dryer and other custom things done in TX plus full service back in 2014.
Dose have retarder with stick, Ice maker, Even has extra belts and filters,
Has been under cover all the time when not being used so looks like a 5 year old coach on the out side.
It all comes down to the bucks.
Sounds like it could be a good find IF the price is right. However just the exhaust, fan motor, and fiberglass damage could get to 10k or more. Then tires, house batteries, full service chassis trans engine cooling system could be that much again! Then you have bulkheads, and you mentioned minor water leaks. In short a good inspection by a qualified inspector could save you way more than it costs. I didn't do that with mine but hey I got lucky and got a good one.
Bruce has it correct.
If you tell the forum where the coach is, there may be a member in the area that can help you.
Hydraulic fan motors are a complicated subject. The original motors were built by several different companies. Two same-model coaches built in the same month can have completely different fan motors. Some fan motors can be rebuilt, or resealed - some can't because parts are no longer available. A fan motor can
seep oil for a long time before it becomes a problem...the original motors on our coach have 180,000 miles on them. They seep a little, but don't drip oil, and still work fine. I watch them, but will not
worry about them unless they get much worse. It is up to the
coach owner, or his mechanic, to decide when a fan motor must be rebuilt or replaced. Replacement can be expensive. $$$$
Here is a thread that may give you a better idea what you might have to deal with, if a fan motor becomes a "problem".
hydraulic fan motor (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=27326.msg223491#msg223491)
Just spend a good time talking with a guy at Foretravle in TX .. he says the back fan gets the most use and it is normal to have some oil leaking as long as it is not dripping out and over time that area i see will be wet with oil and is not a problem unless it starts spraying out but that may never happen ever. So feeling a lot better about that now.
He also explained how to use the retarder and many other things including checking filters.
Wow what great service.
He told me i could drive that coach from New York to Florida with that motor will all the belts cut off as they only run exturnal items that do not effect the motor running. And turn the generator on to run the headlights keeping the batterys charged.
Since we don't even know what model/engine you are looking at, can't comment on driving without belt. Some you would burn up quickly......
3.8L
Tell me who you talked to at Foretravel, so I can make sure I don't ever talk to him. Buy it cut the belts off and see how fare you get.
Spoke to someone at FT on a Saturday? That's pretty unusual. Normally only the emergency phone would be answered.
I am done with this one........................................................................ :-X
Go ahead and cut the belts off and give it a good old hard run see how it works for ya.
You need the belt to run the water pump and the hyd pumps to cool engine,without that belt engine would overheat fast.
Depends on the engine, on my present coach, only things belt driven are the ac compressor and the alternator. I have driven many miles with no belts. of course. no dash ac and you must run generator with the boost switch on to supply 12v to engine electrics.
The inverter/charger will charge house batteries, and with boost switch on, start batteries.
Jim
It was a weekend support line they have emergency line.. He told me if i can any more ?s about it he would be working all this week end.
Phone number is 888 627-2952 Clyde..
Yes that is what he was telling me using the boost switch to supply the 12 volt power.
Sounds like the Cummins ISC 8.3 liter? There is a remote hydraulic tank that feeds that fan. Check the dipstick for level.
That takes care of no alternator on the belt (running gen to charge batteries, depending on how chargers are wired, and/or with boost switch. On my 1994 Cummins 8.3, the water pump is belt driven.. No belt - cooked motor.
It would save a lot of confusion if you were more specific about the coach you are looking at. A 1999 what? To answer your questions accurately ...... members need specifics. Model and engine type.........
A 99 u320 will drive without any belts on the engine. The Hyd. motor, fuel pump and water pump are all gear driven. Like posted above only alt. and air cond comp. are belt driven. The person he talked to at FT probably asked his model number and gave the correct information.
1999 U270 with 3.8L
No such animal. It will be the Cummins ISC 8.3 liter engine with 350 HP. And do NOT, repeat NOT drive without a belt. The water pump is belt driven.
Brett is absolutely right. 8.3 is very different from ism engine and needs a belt for the water pump. 320's had different engine
than 270/295. Best to be very sure on model.
Jim
I think I talked to the same guy at FT emergency line 2 winters ago when I was stuck on I 10 with a non responsive throttle pedal. I called and was told 3 times that I must have a sticking throttle cable ?? He stuck to that answer even after I told him the model and year and that I have the throttle sensor that relays position etc. He said I still have a cable??? Hung up and wondered why they charge $25 extra for that false info.
Real story.
JohnH
Feel your pain John. Appears a lot of emergency tech support is handed off to the least knowledgeable, youngest members, and the information you receive is not always accurate or complete.
Jim
Ed,
I've been where you seem to be now, You are in love with the coach and the lower price, I suspect it is priced well
below market. You are being so secretive about it, but I have never known anyone on here to run under another member
on a purchase. In fact most on here, that know much more than you seem to do about coaches would stay away from
this deal. I have been an owner of over many coaches over 40+ years. Probably, the best coach for you would be one
from someone that has taken better care of their coach than this one sounds and looks to be in. Not trying to pour cold
water on your parade but unless you have some deep pockets to fix many problems known and unknown I'd do some
hard thinking before I bought my first coach that has problems from the start. I am older now and the fear of being broken
down on the side of the road scares me. A wrecker, out of Tyler, Texas quoted a friend 350.00 an hour and a two hour
minimum three days ago to get a coach moved out of the roadway after a fuel filter stopped up on them. If you buy this coach get some towing insurance for sure.
If you do buy this I wish you the very best of luck and all the happiness RV'ing can be. Also, be sure to check under it
for rust since it has been a northern coach and check for the bulk head separation, also.
Again, good luck,
Carter Langford
Nac
Just spent an hour chatting with Ed about the coach, his experience and what he and his wife's future plans are. They wish to fulltime in the near future and like the FT brand. He seems to be a good and smart guy.
He does not feel comfortable with the coach or with the 2 guys that were showing it to him. Diesel pushers are new to him so his learning curve is great and is under the gun to purchase this coach. The asking price is astounding but he admits that there are many unanswered questions he has about the motorhome and many questions that I asked that he did not know the answer to or even that the question(s) existed.
Bottom line: I suggested he find a qualified inspector to inspect the coach before he buys it to identify what must be fixed and what should be fixed. If he can not get it inspected and is not sure about the purchase I advised that he walk away. So many questions to be answered to list here.
I further advised him, should he pass on this deal to schedule a trip to MOT & FOT and continue to learn as much as he can about DP and FT's.
Nice guy - He may have a diamond in the ruff?????
I believe Gary Omel has also pointed out there is at least one well-maintained coach listed here in the classifieds which has service records and a known history. These will have a narrower band/more predictable first year/make ready expense and are basically ready to hit the road from day one.
Michelle
OK guys and gals, here is something to think about, the number he posted for the emergency at Foretravel belongs to Camping World at Jackson Ms.
He probably just was tired after dring all day and got number mixed up.
..........and there ya have it.
And Clyde was the Monkey in Any Which But Loose. LOL
Fortunatly, Digital, you are looking at one of the best brands of diesel pusher motorhomes that you could buy - so fr, great job!,
Unfortunaly, you seem to have need to purchase relatively quickly and are coming at this without the benefit of significant experience with diesel pushers or Foretravels. That is a bad combination, since even in a Foretravel, VERY expensive mistakes can be made. And the likelihood of expensive mistakes goes up when you focus on coaches that are selling significantly below market price. More often than not (but not always), it means that the coach has a problem that more experienced buyers recognize, so the coach does not get purchased even at below market price.
A very experienced buyer, armed with knowledge and time can find bargains in the marketplace that are good, solid coaches that are selling significantly below market value. But they are rare, and usually take a lot of time, effort and travel to secure. Other, "rougher" coaches or coaches with significant issues (damage, water issues caused generally by neglect or negligence, mechanical concerns can be a good deal IF you know going in what is wrong, who will fix, and what it will cost to fix. If a coach had issues witch are not fixed it is simply because to pay someone to fix the coach would cost more than the coach is worth.
There are literally thousands of good, solid Foretravel coaches on the road, and many of them for sale at any given time. Pretty much they trade at or near the market, adjusted for cosmetics, tire age, battery condition and upgrades. If you find a coach that is selling in the market generally for $50,000 and it is for sale for $30,000 there is probably a good reason no one has "snapped" it up.
The suggestion (if your time and budget allow) to go to Nacogdoches and visit Motorhomes of Texas and Foretravel to look at their inventory is a great one. You can not get a faster education than via this route, plus form relationships that will significantly enhance your Foretravel ownership experience.
Also, PM me if you would like to discuss 40 vs 36 feet. I have had two 36' and now am in a 40" as I type this. By adding the coaches up to 40' into your consideration, your potential target pool of coaches will obviously increase. Happy to discuss pros and cons, there are also quite a few threads here on the foam you can access using the search function.
Good luck we surely want to be able to welcome you to the family with your new to you Foretravel
Another idea that helped us,once you get back home look at other diesel pushers,Monaco,Safari,Holiday Rambler,that are near you
then you will have something to compare the Foretravel to.We did that and found the Foretravel to be way above the rest.
+ 1 on the coach that is listed on the forum in Polk City, Fl. It has had great care and gently used. Another plus would be to look at it and talk with Gary Omel, he can give you some real great advice about Foretravel coaches. He has had a Foretravel of one model or another for a very long time.
I think this is the best advice in this thread.
DigitalEd if you live in Florida, would not consider buying that coach in New York, if it has seen salty roads up there. There are several coaches for sale in Florida.
Just TT Ed. He did not buy the coach. He got an email from the owner this morning and said that he was going to fix-up and sell for more money. Ed is on his way back to FL. Will probably check in here on Tues. some time.
just checking in
i post the wrong number my wife told me that was us calling around looking for a muffler pipe .. the other number is .. 936 462-3996
the seller changed the deal so we never went back to see it more it seems that he did not want me to inspect it more and find more wrong with it.. says hr id going to fix it up and sell it for more.. but he also told us he has another person coming to see it Tuesday everything he says keeps changing. he wasted our time and money.
was upsetting as he told us to check into a hotel so we could come back and look at it more Sunday.. so he cost us even more money and time...
got to go batterys low
Ed, that sucks so I suggest that you play his game and tell us who he is and the info on coach so that no one on forum will go thru this and if our help is requested by future possible buyers we can inform that person about his tactics.
Two can play that one.
JohnH
1999 Foretravel U270, Jackson MS - - RVtrader.com (http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/1999-Foretravel-U270-119485076)
He had lowered the price all the way down to 30k
Going back to driving we stopped in Biloxi MS for the night and stayed with my wife's son for a visit
Like the kitchen on the drivers side. All non slides were this way
Sorry Flash, 1998 U270 CSGI has the kitchen on Passenger side 8)
The 99 digital ed posted has the galley on the street side as pictured.
The dinette is then under the awning looking out at your campsite,
Would not own a coach without the dinette on the curb side. Just me.
I don't care what ed posted you said.like kitchen on driver side,all no slide coach's made this way, and you are still wrong.
Where is Dave M when you need him.
Just got back home a little bit a go.
Here is all the info i know on this coach after looking at it.
First may things changes that he told me the more we talked and then more change after we got their.
Back passenger side has damage hole smashed in it he told me he hit a car when making a turn.
The muffler on other side is broke off from sticking out i think that must of happen at the same time it is rusted by the end so i think it would need to be cut off back past the rust and a new pipe welded on and then the chrome end pipe added on.
First he told me the tires are only around 3 years old but that changed to Tires that are all over 7 years old after i had asked for tire date codes.
W/D he told me worked great that he used it a lot.. that changed to he never used it but his friend tested it and it seems to wash but will not dry.. it looks to be in very used old shape.
Some of the double pane windows have the rubber moving up in them.
I had asked if it has any cracks or dings in the front windshield he told me no its is perfect shape but after i looked it has a good size ding in the glass.
Never told me till we got their that the speedometer had been changed out so he is looking at the miles when it was changes and adding the new miles on the new one to get the miles for the coach... But we have no idea how many miles got put on it before the last owner got it changed out and fixed it could have 60k more miles on it.
The rv microwave was taken out he told me it was broke and they did not buy a new one as it cost over $1000 so rigged in a small one.
One of roof ACs has some of the plastic damaged on it but they both worked after shaking the fuse on the generator.
He has owned it around two years and done nothing to it no oil change or anything except before i drove over to see it.
One of the AC remotes dose not work so he called a guy to come over before i got their and he went on the roof they say and tied two wires together so it will come on by turning on the breaker. He says it needs a new remote and wall controller that will cost $150 but who knows.
The generator was on and running when we got their and they left it runnning as we did a test drive i had asked to shut it off and that never got done so i never got to test any of the other systems.
After the test drive he wanted to know right away if was going to buy it right then and started telling us he had to take his wife out to dinner for her birthday and could not hang out all day with me looking at it.
I could see the radiator fan had been leaking fluid and i want to find out what that was before i could make any dission and look more at it.
His friend called Loves truck stop down the road and he was told just over $1000 for two front tires and next do they do oil changes and got quoted around $200 for that as if i was going to buy it i want new front tires and a oil change.
The generator had a new hose clamped in it his friend says he did and he says he just changed the oil and filter on it. But it looks like it has some oil that had leaked out of it in the center.
He told us the rug inside was like brand new.. it is not and by the front passenger seat it has what looks like bleach stains on it turned white.
Many of the plastic window locks are broke off
They just put in a Duracell large battery for starting.
The house battery was interstate two large gray ones and none of the dates have been punched on them so you have no idea how old they are. Not even sure it was the right kind of battery or if they even worked.
Testing the hot water they had to play with the wire to get it going and it never got to the point of being hot it only got a little warm it may of stopped working. They kept rushing us.
Air bags looked ok
Never got to test the heat
Never got to test the Inverter
No place to plug it in to test any of that
No water to hook up to test for leaks and functions
Never got to test the toilet
Never got to test any of the dumping and lines.
Never got to test the shower
Never got to test the cooking burners
After he kept saying he had to got am i going to buy it i told him if he dose not have the time to let me look at it more and find out what the motor fan leak was we would just go as i am not going to buy it. we got in our car and as i started backing out he stopped us and says he would drop it to 30k if i take it now...
I told him i would still need to find out what that leak is and would want to test more things out as this could be many thousand to fix things.
So he tells us we can go check into a hotel and think about it and come back the next day to see it more and we can talk more about it.
Next day he tex messages us saying the 30k offer was a one time offer and that has passed now and he feel this is not a good fit for us and that he is going to fix it up more and sell it for a higher price.
So we never got to see it any more or talk with him any more..
Over all bad experience and wast of our time and money..
He seems to want to sell this to someone that dose not want to test everything as he dose not want to hear about anything that is wrong with it.
Maybe for the right person that is ready to fix a lot of things and put a lot of money into it this might be a good deal.
The inside was in very good shape all the wood and counter tops, Fridge worked and got cold as it should we tested with thermostats, Shower looked good could not see any leaks, Outside of coach looks great for its age except for the back fiberglass damage. It has the retarder, Has ICE Maker we never got to test..lol
I think you could have driven to Nac and had a much better time, learned more, and gone home with your head spinning - like many of us did. Whether you buy a coach in Nacogdoches Texas, or not, it's THE place to find out if a Foretravel is right for you.
I am happy for you to get far away from that coach and that seller.
You will find a much better rig.
Good idea going to Nac. Lots of foretravels there. Go to MOT and speak to Mel. No pressure and you will learn alot.
Sorry meant to say that until 2005 models as far as I have seen Foretravel made no galley slides.
I am not aware of a non slide coach with the galley on the curb side stock.
Not even sure that a SAI had the galley on the curb side although someone mentioned seeing one of three made reverse side aisles.
Flexing plumbing has lots of service issues and a flexing propane line ,while done, is scary.
Would normally require an electric cook top which lets me out also
Was not the poster looking at less expensive coaches?
At a hospice for my mother in law 1,700 miles from home so if I am in error please excuse me.
You are on your own as .Dave M. seems to be not here much.