My wife and I are looking at a 1998 U270 coach for sale in our area. We are new to Rving and also to Foretravel. We are planning a 6 month road trip across the country with our three small children in June. What are some of the things we should be aware of or considering when we look at this coach? The coach has 55k miles on it and seems to have been well cared for, serviced regularly, used regularly. The roof-top A/C units have been recently replaced. Everything seems to be in good working order. What are some big-ticket items that we may need to replace or fix during our ownership? We know the coach will need new tires and have factored that into our budget. We would certainly appreciate any input/advice you have to offer. Thank you!
Since you already know the tires need replacing...
Batteries, air bags (if original), check bulkheads and basement structure for corrosion issues, fuel lines (to both engine and generator).
55K miles on a 21 year old coach is around 2600 miles per year. The average RVer travels closer to 7000 miles per year (according to surveys). Don't fall into a "low mileage creampuff" fallacy with this one.
I would suggest getting a third party inspection from an expert if you can. Brett Wolfe or Keith Risch are probably the best but if you can't get them, get someone with experience to inspect for you. Look for issues like bulkhead separation, check the air system- braking and leveling, etc. Regular service is good and may have taken care of many things, but check if you can.
That being said, my wife and I have lived in our 2001 U270 for 12 years full time, no end in sight. Good bones............. ^.^d
Welcome! When we bought our foretravel 2 years ago it was our first ever Rv. It is a great machine. Some other things to factor in are fuel lines, air bags and shocks. Also have a knowledgeable to foretravels person inspect it prior to purchase. I didn't and wish I would of. (As mentioned above Keith relish or Brett Wolfe are great choices) Other than that enjoy it.
See ya down the road
Keith
Arrange an inspection from a Foretravel owner before you go any further. A lot of people didn't and wish they had.
The slow selling season has started so don't be in a hurry.
Pierce
Carry an extra 20K in your wallet, seriously. They are awesome machines, with good bones.
Look at it another way. Pay $200-$300K for a similar looking coach with all the razoo blue tooth junk, but less quality, have it sit at the RV store you bought it from, while they sort it out for 6 months to a year.
So say you pay $40-50$K (the market) on this coach, and spend another $20K, look what you will have. A quality coach you can add blue tooth to for $100.00. Just sayin'
That 98 coach was probably $275K new, 21 years ago
Chris
Parkers, are you mechanical inclined that includes some knowledge of 12 volt and 120/240 volt systems?
Good luck in your adventure.
Lot's of systems. Pick a topic mentioned above and use the Search function. Read, read and read some more,
7 years and two FTs later - still reading.
I didn't know how to start our first coach and learned along the way - with the help of a bunch of the FoFum members here. Couldn't have lasted this long without them.
Have you seen this: 1998 Foretravel U270 Specifications (http://www.beamalarm.com/foretravel-links/models/1998-foretravel_u270-specifications.html)
:D
+5 on all of the above, and I'm sure the same for comments to come.
The combined knowledge, friendly nature and desire to help found on this board is unmatched. Ask a question and be prepared for many answers.
Ask me how I know.
Welcome and good hunting.
To me. these coaches lend themselves well to 2 people with an occasional guest. Not sure I would want to use them with small kids. Just not set up well for that. Although some have done it, but I wouldn't. There are other types of RV's that have a better setup for that kind of travel.
As Michelle says, the low mileage might be a concern.
Have a chunk of cash set back to help through the rough stuff. These coaches are maintenance intensive.
But they are built well, and will take you a long way in comfort.
Where are you,always a forum member nearby.
Don't listen to John44, or the next thing you'll be doing is driving a Foretravel!! ;D
Please don't take any of the above comments as a negative. Just some advice on how to purchase a great Foretravel coach.
We bought ours 14 years ago, it was 11 years old and had only 30,000 miles on it. It had been meticulously maintained. The coach had been stored in an air conditioned garage. I replaced the belts, tires, and batteries and it was good to go. If the coach was not subjected to ice and snow covered roads or salt water air, corrosion shouldn't be a negative. Happy Trails. ^.^d
50 things to check before you buy your used foretravel (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=10866.0)
Thank you, all, for the quick and thorough responses. We live in Mechanicsburg, PA (outside of Harrisburg). The coach we are interested in is in Elverson, PA (outside of Morgantown). Any forum members close by?
In upper left of a page, hover over "Community".
Click on "Member Map".
Lots of great advice already posted. I like the 6-4-2 analogy.
6 for drinks
4 for dinner
2 for sleeping.
This set up may work for you.
1999 36' U320 Bunkhouse (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=37300.0)
Yup, same as a boat:
Drink 6
Feed 4
Sleep 2
When the salesman says it will sleep six remind him there's only one bathroom.
Not hijacking thread but a 95 for 20k on Facebook marketplace in magnolia Mississippi.
Road salt! Definitely have someone who understands Foretravel structure inspect the bulkheads and basement.
welcome to the group of Foretravel owners, we were in your position this spring and bought a 99 U270 no slide, 50,000 miles, in great condition, it had lived its life primarily in Louisiana and Texas, the PO had just put new tires belts and batteries in it and it was in great condition.
We have put about 10CB in necessary maintenance shocks, airbags, fuel lines, brakes (which looked perfect) transmission damper.
Brett Wolfe - on the forum does inspections if you find a coach in the Texas area, when we were at MOT recently we discovered that Keith Risch (936) 462-3764 who we knew does inspections will fly to where you have a coach that needs inspecting, well worth it.
I have no problem recommending Brett Wolfe for a pre-purchase survey. And you will find it to be money well spent given the purchase price and the potential for finding what I politely call deferred maintenance. These Foretravel models use a sophisticated air bag suspension, and the industry standard air brakes are more involved than you first think. Foretravel also lead the industry by building their own chassis in their search for lightness and rigidity. They achieved both but there is a possibility for a rust problem. The rust problem can be repaired, a Forum member recently repaired his all by himself since the materials used are standard and readily available and there is still factory support, as was with Rolls Royce products of old, you can send your Foretravel back to the factory for refreshing.
This being said, Foretravel coaches of this vintage bring an understated elegance to RV design and construction. We purchased ours this February past, it being our third RV, and are very satisfied with our decision.
I suppose bunking the children in the through bays isn't an option?
Yes for Brett, but he does not travel to Pennsylvania , that is unless it's a new service he is offering
Start the coach, air it up to the proper pressure, front & back. Fiddle around for an hour or so looking at other stuff. Check to see how much pressure has held in that time. There is an allowable leak down chart in this Forum, somewhere ... or hopefully, someone will pipe up. Low mileage is a concern, rather than high mileage. These things like to run! Definitely check the bulkheads for rust jacking. We moved from Elverson, PA to Thorndale, PA before we bought our first Foretravel. We used Cummins in Harrisburg for oil changes, etc. They always did a fine job of looking the rig over! Keith Risch is like Yoda for Foretravel's ... honestly. The man is amazing.
Sadly, we are now in Tucson, AZ. No more wet, dreary winters! The Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Foretravel group had quite a few members from the middle of the state, as I recall.
Nope. Way to many airline miles in my career.
Yes, our children are all under the age of five, so we are planning to create 2 or 3 (tiny) bunks in the cabinet space across from the bathroom. So, with all the things to check for that you all mentioned above and the potential costs involved, would you still recommend a Foretravel over other brands? (I feel like the answer to that question is probably yes or you wouldn't be on the forum). I should also mention that our plan is to purchase this vehicle specifically for our adventure (6 months of travel and 15-20K miles) and then sell it when we are finished. We will save the cabinetry that we modify to put back. We are really looking for something that is reliable and will get the job done for the period of time we need. At this point in our lives, we don't feel like the rv lifestyle is one we can sustain.
Assume you are planning to drive 2 vehicles so that the kiddos can be safely belted in?
The only forward-facing seats in a Foretravel (or really almost all motorhomes) are the driver and passenger seats.
While there are seat belts on the sofas, those are side facing, and lap belts only and are not suitable to prevent severe neck injury in an accident. (ETA, some bench dinettes do have seat belts, but again these are only lap belts and not ideal)
This is why most families with children opt for crew cab truck and trailer.
But, you can get SCRAPPLE!
You sure he's not interested in venison burgers and Dutch apple pie?
And:
Shoofly Pie?
Homemade Root Beer?
Corn Pie
Hot Bacon Dressing
Be advised though. That when you are done and try to sell it. Anything that you missed or didn't know to fix or just didn't feel like fixing. Will make it hard to sell, And will add to the cost of your adventure.
Our first RV is a 1998 U320 36' The repairs and maint. were coming at us fast and hard. We were nearly overwhelmed. It was a hard edged learning experience. Yet it looks to be much less a risk than even renting a class C camper. I looked that up in your area and for 180 days it was nearly $39K
That is ONLY true if the next buyer knows what they are doing/get a good mechanical inspection!
I do a lot of inspections for those who have already bought, so have reluctantly been the barer of bad news many times.
True Brett. Although I would think that what the OP is thinking of doing could result in a twilight zone scenario if things aren't done perfectly and nothing bad happens along the way.
Please don't misunderstand my statement.
I am certainly not suggesting that part of the equation for a fiscally reasonable decision on buying a coach depends on finding an unknowledgeable buyer when it comes time to sell.
I was just trying to make the point that there are a number of "less than knowledgeable" buyers out there.
Suspect that they number well more than knowledgeable buyers.
BTW, there are a lot of "less than knowledgeable" sellers out there as well-- ones who have no idea of the thousands of dollars worth of maintenance their coach needs to truly get them road-ready just from many components reaching the end of their useful life.
Am I still in time out?
Nothing wrong with your statement Brett. I agree.
My thought is that trying to do this sort of a trip on anything but a cash basis is a recipe for disaster. Such a trip is safer staying at nice hotels and maybe a few roadside motels.
RV travel is expensive if your RV is not also your primary residence.
I have to agree totally with Brett. While sellers post "wishing" prices, 99% of buyers have "wishing" knowledge of RVs. Even Foretravel owners switching to a different year or model would be smart to enlist the help of an owner of that particular model. So many pitfalls and unless you have a big budget, get an owner along side of you when you inspect the coach.
Got to hand it to women. If you ask them directions and they don't know, they will tell you that. Guys just can't stand not knowing so even if they have no idea, they will fake it.
Pierce
I wouldn't buy a coach (and didn't) until I decided this lifestyle was something I wanted to participate in long term.
I personally would not make financial investment and time commitment these classic coaches require for a planned, short term ownership. Too much downside for me.
You can buy a nice Foretravel without much of a financial investment for $10K to $20K. We did 11 years ago and it has long since paid for itself to a point that it could be parked and never used again without looking back. It's been ultra reliable and gets us to our destinations without much fuss year after year. Once there, it's secondary to exploring the town or countryside. We like to use other forms of transportation for destinations the coach can't get us to and if we had invested $50K-$100K or more, we would have to limit our travel to just coach destinations. Can't exactly take the coach down the Nile or the Galapagos.
If you don't have a house to come back to, then it's another story but we are not full timers by any means.
Pierce
If a person knows this is the hobby you want long term then at some point you have to pull the trigger to make it happen.. Pointers are provided and after due dillegence get on with it.. Me personally I have never financed a "toy" and paying cash makes one clutch the money bag a bit more snug.. Something different about the amt one will spend when it's $100.00 bills stacked up on the table vs a blank space for your signature.. I'm no Dave Ramsey but do have a clue. Works for this household.
What they said...... ^.^d
If I wanted to do as the OP and try to sell it after 6 months I'd look at other brands. It won't be the same quality but there will be a larger market for a newer motorhome that is more well known. Foretravels among a couple other brands while being much better quality won't appeal to nearly as many people as a newer Winnebago, Monaco, Thor, etc.
Other than that maybe consider a smaller class C or B in combination with monthly rentals in different areas. That way you could experience camping and be much more comfortable.
When we first wanted to try RVing we bought a 10 year old class C that was in pretty decent shape. Took some trips in it, learned a lot, had lots of fun , and sold it for $1,000 less than I paid for it the next year. We looked into renting but the long term costs were outrageous so we took a chance and it worked.
Our next coach was a Class A Gas coach from Winnebago. I chose gas because it was simpler, I knew more about maintenance on a gas engine and transmission, and it was easily stored for the winter. Used it well for 7 years until we went full time, then bought our Foretravel and have lived and traveled in it for 12 years now.
Lots of good advice here- mine is to really think about how you will use the RV and what you are willing or able to spend on this adventure. Good luck with your decision .
What Ted said + how much can you fix yourself? :D
I own a 1998 U270, purchased in 2016 and still a work in progress. You are new to RVs with three young children and plan on going on the road for 6 months. I've been RVing since 1964 starting in childhood. I've logged about 150,000 miles towing or piloting RVs. I recommend a one ton truck with fiberglass topper, a 30 foot trailer with bunk beds and the fewest slides possible. Buy used, get an extended warranty on truck if necessary and pay for a thorough inspection of your used trailer. If camping in cold weather get a trailer made by Northwood in Oregon. They make one of the best at a fair price. After six months the trailer will be easy to sell and so will the truck. The Foretravel learning curve is too steep unless you are incredibly lucky and very good with diesel, air, and electronics with a solid bank account for repairs. I really like my Foretravel and the Forum helps me keep it alive.
The learning curve is steep but we've able to survive and enjoy the journey. ;D
Previous post makes lots of sense, realistically the Foretravel was built for two, with two forward facing seats, as Michelle pointed out your kids seats must be forward facing which would involve modifications which may not be department of transport approved seating unless installed by Foretravel at the factory.
Sleeping arrangements etc, reselling, seriously suggest buying a trailer or 5th wheel with the set up you need, which is kid friendly and safe.
Then do the trip dreaming about the Foretravel you could have had.
More now than at first Scott- but I also have learned more about the systems so I can get them maintained properly. ^.^d
We bought our 2001 U270 40' from MOT three years ago. Researched the maintenance records and preformed an inspection. It had very adequate care and was a solid coach with nice updates including the flooring, television and headlights. Coach had over 108,000 miles showing. We have run that milage to 122,000. We have replaced the starting batteries and the refrigerator removed the hydraulic cooling fan to have it's hydraulic motor rebuilt. Cleaned the electrical connectors in the engine compartment and replaced the starter solenoid. We are just completing our oil change, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter changes on both the drive engine and the generator. We have replaced the belts and the airconditioner compressor. We travel to Hot Springs, AR, Gulf Shores, AL, Galveston, Fredericksburg and Big Bend Park in Texas. Our toad is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. We plan to replace the house batteries next spring and the tires in about 18 months. We love the Fortravel. Great to drive with a very comfortable ride. We do not have slides. I did not want slides to maintain. We are very comfortable when living in the coach. I hope this hleps you make your decision. Have some one with MH experience make a prebuy inspection. Good Luck
I gave advise the man wasn't asking for concerning finance.. That's a personal choice that I should keep my opinion to myself except for my kids of which I have none.. To the op.. I enjoy the search for one to an extent and maybe you can as well. When you find it go have a large time for that's the joy in a toy.. Good hunting... Dub