Hi All. We are currently looking to purchase either a Foretravel Realm or IH-45. preferably year 2013-2015. Would like Info from current owners of what to expect as far as Product, Quality, Factory service and support and any known issues or problems.
We currently own a 2005 Monaco Executive 45CAQ that we purchased new in 2005. I am finding that the Realm or IH-45 are the only coaches that come close to what I have in the Exec. The Exec has been a great coach with few or little problems, but Monaco doesn't exist anymore and the crap that REV is producing doesn't cut the Mustard.
I am currently one of the Co-Owners/Moderators and Tech Advisor of the Monacoers Group of which we have 5300 current members.
I truly will appreciate any forthcoming info.
Regards
Dave
I do not own one but I had a lengthy conversation with a person that had bought a 2015 new and he was at FOT to get items repaired from his 1 year of owning it last September when I had stopped in on a Saturday.
Short answer was he loved his coach and was very pleased as to how FOT was taking care of his list. He said he was very picky and he had all kinds of little thing that most people would never even notice and was getting them fixed. There was one or two items and I do not remember what they were that he did not like how they worked and FOT just replaced them with new items. I remember being surprised that they did not try to get the items fixed but opted to just replace them. He walked me thru the used IH45's they had there and gave me the run down of what he liked or did not like about things in them. He keep telling me that I needed to purchase the used 2015 they had there. He was a hell of a salesman.
When we were there we were headed home from Michigan and from taking a tour of the Entregra & Newmar factorys. My wife had made mention that she thought the Newmar and Entregra coaches looked great until she compared to the IH45's
That sounds like good advice, for a couple of reasons: Parts are cheaper than labor, the tech may have never seen it before, so there is a learning curve ($$$). The other is, warranty, which counts, big. That being said, we blew a trans in Idaho, got into a ho-de-doe transmission shop, father & son. They pulled it and told me they could have a re-man next day. I made that "do I have an option" shrug. He looked at me like only a few people in my life have ever done, and said, "Or, we can build you a bad boy." I told him "do it". To my knowledge, that transmission is still cooking, got to look people in the eyes, they are not all b.s. ^.^d
We have a 2015 IH and we have had it for 2 1'2 years. This is our 4th Foretravel. My wife designed the coach as she wanted and we love it. The service department has always done a superb job and they do it with a smile. I will not lie about the coach as for items failing, we have had them and I say if it is made by man it will fail, the difference in Foretravel and some others is Foretravel stands by theirs. Again if we can help please contact us. JIm Busby
Jim maybe you should change the info below your name as it shows you own a 2009 Phenix
JohnH
Jim, had no idea when we got "the grand tour" of your coach (in Sarasota) that Dee had designed it, the lady has great taste, lots of attention to detail, and it's gorgeous. It's so nice that on the new ones, the factory allows you to start from scratch & create your own custom coach.....if I could, I'd go that route....very also impressed that Dee loves spending time behind the wheel too....I loved driving the IH-45, like a dream it was, though very large, it was oh-so-smooth.
After fifty years of building these beautiful critters, FOT pretty much has got it down to a science, and an art!
My expectation is that you will find the quality you are looking for, while I have not taken delivery of my IH yet many hours of research and climbing in around and through were spent prior to my ordering. As we all know, there are at least two vendors that manufacture each component. In my opinion foretravel chooses to use the better suppliers not the cheapest. This will be our forth coach and while I do expect an early mortality of a few electrical components I don't think it will take long to get the bugs out and enjoy it for years to come.
Dave,
I am a former owner of a 2012 IH 45. For the money that you are going to spend there are better options. Newell Coach and a Prevost convertor is a better choice then the IH 45. With those two options you will get a better manufactured and engineered coach. Also, you will receive better customer service and a 24 hour emergency contact. Even some of the Prevost convertors have their own 24 emergency contact number.
We sold our IH 45 because of poor customer service and marginal mechanical repairs at the factory. The Foretravel service department either missed items or they did not repair them to our satisfaction.
In early January I had the opportunity to test drive the 07 Newell Coach at MOT. This is the best driving/handling coach that I have had the opportunity to drive. The coach was quiet, rode and handle well. This Newell was a better driving coach then our IH 45 and it was 6 years older. I have test driven some Prevosts and they drive and ride better than the IH 45.
If your heart is set on a IH 45 take at least two test drives in the same coach. Make sure that one of the drives is at least 25 miles and goes over different terrain than the first drive. The front end on an IH 45 is heavy. If you buy a a 2012 - 2014 IH 45 be prepared to replace the front shocks around 50000 miles. Do not replace with Konis, but with Road King Shocks. Road Kings will improve the handling of the IH 45. Good Luck!
Reese
We also sold our U270 because of poor customer service and marginal mechanical repairs at the factory. We are now the proud owners of a 2005 Chinook Glacier 2500.
Larry