Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Rocky1down on February 22, 2020, 05:27:12 pm

Title: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Rocky1down on February 22, 2020, 05:27:12 pm
On both the foretravels we've owned, we have trouble with the panel in front of the passengers seat falling towards passengers seat when we hit a bump.
Has anyone come up with a solution for this?

Thanks. susan
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on February 22, 2020, 05:42:00 pm
We have a U280 and I don't know what panel you are talking about.  Can you be a little more precise in your description?

Do you mean the panel where the heater return air grill is mounted?

Or the carpeted area below the black dash and glove box area?
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Rocky1down on February 22, 2020, 05:53:54 pm
It's right in front of your knees when you're sitting in the passenger seat. There are all kinds of electrical connections behind it. The hoses for the engine heat and air also connect to it.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Travelin' Man (RIP) on February 22, 2020, 05:56:40 pm
Velcro holds mine.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Dave Larsen on February 22, 2020, 06:07:59 pm
Ours falls back occasionally.  Make sure all the little "catches" that hold it are working and screwed in tightly.  We recently did a quick trip to AZ and CA and the panel didn't move.  One of the few trips in 7 years that it didn't.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on February 22, 2020, 06:09:23 pm
It's right in front of your knees when you're sitting in the passenger seat. There are all kinds of electrical connections behind it. The hoses for the engine heat and air also connect to it.
OK, that clears up my question.  Your '95 GV must have the same dash area as the later bus style coaches.  Completely different than our '93 GV.

Since I can't help you with this question, I'll fade back into the crowd.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: FourTravelers on February 22, 2020, 09:32:29 pm
OK, that clears up my question.  Your '95 GV must have the same dash area as the later bus style coaches.  Completely different than our '93 GV.

Since I can't help you with this question, I'll fade back into the crowd.
Yes......... Chuck the 95 is different than yours. I'm not sure of the difference between the unicoach panel and our 95 GV but I believe it is similar and maybe a little shorter because of the elevated Driver and passenger seating.

It clips in place with two brass clips at the bottom, I push ours in and up at the top and then push in at the bottom until I hear the "clicks" of the bottom clips. To be honest I would have to go examine the panel to describe it more accurately because it has never given us a problem or "fell out" while driving.

AND.... yes we have driven on those infamous California Highways............Mississippi is a close second IMO



Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: jor on February 23, 2020, 10:06:25 am
On our 95 300 I had to raise the bottom latches to get a good fit. I think that dash moves a bit over the years.
jor

Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Rocky1down on February 23, 2020, 10:53:57 am
Right now we have a piece of wood, a patio block and a small piece of hose propping it up.
I think our major problem is we live in OH and the roads arare horrible here.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: craneman on February 23, 2020, 11:03:14 am
Show a pic of the latches with the panel off, maybe something is not right. Our panel is hard to get off and never falls off and here in Cal. we deal with roads that knock off awnings and a/c's.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Pamela & Mike on February 23, 2020, 02:50:29 pm
Susan/Bob,

If you have the latches that "jor" posted in the pic.  you may just need to adjust the spring tension on yours to keep them from popping loose.  If you look at one end or the other of the latch you will see a flat headed plug that you can tighten up. This plug adjust the spring tension that is applying pressure to the ball that holds the latch in place.

Mike
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: jor on February 23, 2020, 04:33:42 pm
Quote
If you have the latches that "jor" posted in the pic.  you may just need to adjust the spring tension on yours

You can also buy new latches on the interweb (latches (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SN9RJJK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)). I've replaced a number of mine that have weakened over the years.
jor
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: amos.harrison on February 24, 2020, 08:33:29 am
The springs and balls don't wear, but the brass part of the latch wears with use.  Adjusting the spring can compensate for this, but only up to a point.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on February 24, 2020, 09:47:20 am
Had a different problem with some of those same type latches on our coach, where they were used on some of the interior cabinet doors.  The small adjustment screw at some point in time apparently backed itself completely out, allowing the spring and ball to fall out.  I actually located some of the missing pieces laying in the bottom of the cabinets.  Had to replace several latches with new from Amazon.
Title: Re: Panel in front of passenger seat on U300 and U280
Post by: Keith and Joyce on February 24, 2020, 01:14:24 pm
Had same problem.  Panel warps slightly over time.  Make sure the little balls on the catch are going all the way into the other part of the catch.  There is a screw at the side of the balls to tighten them to increase their holding power.  Just a matter of adjustment.

Keith