Anyone know of a dealer who can do a pre-purchase inspection for a 2002 U270 ...would like engine , drivetrain, & coach inspection. Considering purchasing a coach which already has a few disclosed deficiencies.....wanting a complete pre-purchase inspection & would like it done where repairs can be done before putting it on the road to come home. Any input appreciated!
Give James Holder, the service manager at Tennessee RV in Knoxville a call. That use to be a FT dealership. The owner owns 2 FT's and James has an amazing classic FT. A few of the techs in the shop started with FT and are still there.
I get my service done there and have been very pleased. James is an awesome guy and he has a wealth of FT knowledge and loves to share it.
(865) 933-7213
Thanks Jeff & Sandy.....much appreciated! I will follow up, the owner of teh U270 claims the seal on the slide was chaged recently, yet has not produced any documentation.....wanting to be certain there is no hidden damage.
After doing much research I have narrowed my search down to two.....a 2002 Foretravel U270 36' & a 2000 Country Coach Intrigue - Cook 32'.....both having each their own advantages. Appreciate any input at this point. Anyone with experience with either of these coaches please share.....Thanks!
Having worked on many Country Coaches and owning 3 Foretravels and working for Foretravel for 13 years would not even consider a Country Coach. Just my observation.
A 32' Country Coach has a very short wheel base and low ratio of length to wheelbase %. That "might" lead to issues with handling in winds and with semi truck wind blast. On the upside, it should have a very tight turning radius, and easy to back into tight sites. (probably has better wheel cut, probably a IFS front end).
The shorter Foretravel's (like the 34') overcome many of the issues with the length/WB issues with the 2 outboard air bags per wheel position.
In my opinion, a 36' FT U270 will have much better handling going down the road than a 32' Country Coach. Due to length to wheelbase ratio, and due to the outboard airbags on the FT.
I drove a new 32' cc intrigue as my driver to the Pomona rv show way back when. 1,000 miles in 10 days. Liked it a lot
Needed a sliding wall/door in the hallway in the front. Like a car.
"down to two.....a 2002 Foretravel U270 36' & a 2000 Country Coach Intrigue - Cook 32'.....both having each their own advantages" My take is you have got down to two very awe sum, high quality, feature laden, rvs. They both got to a similar very high level, by going down different paths. Both are built on custom proprietary chassis, the CC with Independent front suspension on the Dynomax chassis, the FT on its own high quality 8 bag chassis with a 30% bigger grey tank, still in business with support from a great forum and mfg. I would select the one after driving both, I've found two rvs of the same model and year, will drive different, these two will feel different to you (ie noise level, ease of driving, wind noise, etc). Also I agree that if you expect the CC to not drive correctly you might be surprised to find it drives exceptional well. #1 in my mind is floor plan between these two, which will include basement storage, I think the FT will win out with a better floor plan and storage. #2 is technology which might depend on original factory options that cannot be subtracted or added and upgrades completed. For instance I like AquaHot, on a 32' rv, would I be willing to give up a bay for that, probably not? #3 and could be a deal breaker over the above two is condition, history, etc. Another way I would look at it is, if the two were the same price, which one would I select. Inspections can be great to reveal things, but understand none give you a guaranty from future repairs. Still be prepared to spend $10,000 additional your first year. Emotion is hard to leave out of the formula, and so listen to the wife's opinion. Remember you are making this purchase to go have some fun. I've owned four diesel pushers of similar vintage at the time to what you are considering, all costing over $250,000 when new , I now own my FT because it has the best balance of the above criteria.
well said Jack
Also, are you doing much of the work yourself? If not, who and where will it be serviced? A good service facility can make a huge difference in the joy of owning an RV
Tim Fiedler
Sure Start Soft Start (http://www.gen-pro.biz)
TCER Direct (http://www.tcerdirect.com) generator-gas-prod (http://www.generatorgasproducts.com) 630 240-9139
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