Hello,
I am a Foretravel wannabe who has been doing some research and am zeroing in on a 1998 U270 34' or 36' because of its mechanical C8.3 engine, no slides, solid front axle, no aqua hot, but still has a lot of nice features like dual pane windows, ducted air, and potentially 34' length. I have a young family, and I want a motorhome that is high quality without too many extra features to worry about maintaining.
I wont be in the market for a few years, but I am starting some research now because I enjoy it and I know it can take awhile to find the coach you want. While I enjoy the specs from manuals and brochures (engineer), my wife (art/psychology) is a much more experiential person who wants to see the coach for herself and feel what its like inside. I could also probably use a reality check and see one in the flesh....
Is anyone with a 1997-2000 U270 34 or 36 passing through New England this Summer or Fall that is willing to show your coach to me and my wife, and my very cute 1 year old? I live very close to Minuteman National Park - Old North Bridge, which is a great sight seeing opportunity and has RV parking. :D
Thanks,
Wade
Wade,
Welcome to the ForeForum.
Go to the member map and perhaps "send message" to some of them in your area:
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=GoogleMap
Looking at when they were "last active" will help in seeing who has recently been on the forum.
I would stress the usefulness and enjoyement of the 36 and the aquahot.
Unless you will always be in non furnace use areas?
Our experience is that the temp swings and noise from the propane furnace and the dry air that results versus the potential cost of operation and maintenance of the aqua hot was a good trade off
The aqua hot adds bay heating and multiple zones and quieter operation and much smaller temp swings.
Non aqua hot 34's are single furnace coaches. 36' are dual furnaces. Aquahot are 4 zones.
A non aqua hot coach is less of a true four season coach in my experience.
With a aquahot coach we are able to turn any direction any season with no prep or concerns.
Yes it's more money but the features/benefits outweigh the costs for all the top end units.
Buy the last coach first.
We own a 40' u320.
Only possible change to us would be a coach like Sven and christy have which is a 36' version of ours.
Or a swap for a few years to a 36' for a long term east coast exploration.
Hate to give up the non tag 40' as it has the most inside and outside storage available up to and including 45' with tags and slides
Bob,
Slight correction: 36' U270's of the vintage asked about are single furnace coaches. The 36' U295's without AquaHot have two furnaces.
Don
I looked on the map, but there are not many Foretravels in New England. If no one is passing through, I will have to wait until I visit my mother in Tampa Bay, where there seem to be many more around.
I do admire the features of the Aqua-Hot, but I have come to accept its absence in the name of simplicity and frugality. I have seen enough repair discussions on the forum to take it of my "must have" list. I intend to use this coach mostly in the Spring/Summer/Fall when the temperatures are milder and the roads are un-salted, so I think we can manage without the improved heating performance.
I had not considered the single furnace vs two furnace difference. Do people find that a single furnace on a 36' coach is insufficient for 3 season use?
Wade
All the older 33'-35' ftx's/gvf had two furnaces. The bedroom one was the one that short cycled the most. Mounted cross wise in the hall way. Blew against the opposite hallway wall.
Don't pass on a coach with an Aquahot too quickly. The U320 has a bigger engine and bigger transmission. The AH on electric alone is good for us down to 40° and it provides virtually unlimited hot water. With diesel we have been OK to way below zero. And the AH will preheat your engine. Use the diesel side once a month just like your generator and the "annual" service can easily stretch to 3 years or more. Quieter, more uniform and more comfortable heat in my opinion.
We are in VA and may make a short trip to Maine but our schedule is very uncertain at this time. Would be happy to make the coach available for orientation and what mods were done. Ours was a barn find on Craigslist in Waco and was inspected by Brett. We put 20k on it in the first two years.
The 97 270 should probably also be on your list. We have the single heater and for our original purposes it was fine. We had no intention of staying in a cold area. However, we unexpectedly laid over for the winter in VA and the Aquahot would have been a very nice feature. We hit the rare, for our area, low teens. The coach was comfortable but we did a number of things to make it so. Long story short, we were fine without it for our two snowbird winters.
The only regret I have with the 270 is not having the bus doors on the bays. Put together a spreadsheet of things you are looking for or are comparing. You can then learn to adjust your offer comparing apples to apples. A quick example, our fridge was still in plastic and hadn't been used, new tires, cheap but new batteries etc. Then a moment of Zen. Consider whether to spend and roll or wait for a better deal. Tempus Fugit.
Good luck
Hi George and Steph, thanks so much for your willingness to show your coach. Please PM me when you get closer to your travel date, and we can work out the details.
Yes, I think a 97 and 98 are very similar besides the 98 having a 34' model. I think the bus doors on the U295 would be really useful if you keep the coach in a garage with tight clearance. Are there other big advantages to the bus style doors?
I have heard good things about the C8.3, but not much about the M11. What is Celect Plus? Does it have the same reputation for reliability and durability? What is the difference between the Allison 3060R and the 4060R? I suppose the combo in the U320 are both considered "Heavy Duty." Does this designation increase the cost of maintenance?
Living in Massachusetts, there are not too many big mountain grades to deal with, so the extra power may not be very necessary. I don't intend to tow very big. Maybe a small crossover SUV or small boat.
Wade
I'd suggest you start looking now, as what you've narrowed your search down to doesn't become available very often.
But as luck would have it;
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=34325.msg315501#new
Wade the bus doors avoid the extended stoop and lift or squat and duck shuffle. Easier on the back. However, the 270 doors are excellent DNA collectors.
I will drop you a note.
George
Hi Wade
Welcome to the forum. I was looking for a 36' when we found our 40'. I wanted a u270 for the light oak interior, and non AH. The price was right on the 40' so we bought it. We've been full time in it for the last 2 years, just Leslie and myself. L is running her sewing business from it, so the extra space has been great. We live in nw Washington and winter in the sw. Our weather is milder than yours so the dual propane furnaces have been fine for us. You get use to ducking under the bay doors or consider wearing a hardhat. ;D
We love this coach and wouldn't really change anything. Other than adding solar panels. It's on the list.
This is a great community. Good luck with your search. See you down the road.
Cheers Ric 8)
We have 1998 36' U270. Single propane furnace with two cool/heat units on roof. In cold weather furnace also heats bays. Runs a lot, noisy. Below freezing we run furnace and wear ear plugs on some nights. Something to be said about Aqua Hot. However, I already feel overwhelmed taking care of my slightly simpler unit. Long, long learning curve. I love the layout and way it drives. Owned and operated rvs for 40 years. Diesel pusher is a logarithmic advance in complexity from anything I've owned. If we weren't planning to fulltime I would go simpler. And I built a street rod with rear end swap, trans swap, fuel infected engine swap, converted to disk brakes, addded 3 point seat belts, complete re-wire, and built new custom seat bases. Owned for two years, could not survive without this forum.
3060R: 3000 Series, 6 speed + retarder, used with "small" engines, less horsepower & torque capacity, holds less fluid (lower maintenance cost).
4060R: 4000 Series, 6 speed + retarder, used with "big" engines, more horsepower & torque capacity, holds more fluid (higher maintenance cost).
http://allisonproduction.cloudapp.net/docs/default-source/specification-sheets/int3000_sa5341(201306)blk.pdf?sfvrsn=2
http://allisonproduction.cloudapp.net/docs/default-source/specification-sheets/int4000_sa5344(201306)blk.pdf?sfvrsn=2