Foretravel Owners' Forum

Craneman, I did question that but the son thought it was the N14.  Did they not use that engine back then?

Jason,

If you are looking for a non slide coach that is a good year. Just because it may have a little lot rot from setting if you are a tinkering kind of person things can be fixed for a reasonable amount. Now if you hire all your work done you will need a set of DEEP pockets as labor at $140+ an hour can run cost up a bunch.

The fuel problem is most likely a fuel line leak or a leak in a fuel filter. If the engine cranks when primed then these are the top of the suspect list. By the way a '98 has an M-11 not a N-14 they are close but 2 different hogs in the wallow.

Some will walk away if they see a little trouble with the basement floor and bulkhead interface but this is a fixable thing. There is a couple of members that have DIY this job. The basement floor is just a bolt on piece and can be changed out. Now to have a DIFY (do it for you) then there goes the $ flying out of the pocket syndrome.

The advantage to this coach is if it fits your needs and your wife like the interior this site is your best friend. If I was in your shoes looking for a coach I would sure get someone that is familiar with the FT brand to look it over with me and show me some of what I don't know.

You will sure need to budget for new tires, batteries, oil, filters, and things like this to get it back in good road ready shape.

Mike

If you are going to do some aesthetic rehab, change floor coverings, valences, upholstery work in addition to zero out the maintenance items I would think a post budget of +$20,000 would be the minimum. That would be you doing the maintenance and floors, valences and sending upholstery work out to a local shop with you delivering the couch, etc. to them and installing them yourself. MCD shades all around about $3,000. Upgrade  to solar and lithium, sort through generator issues, and a couple issues like fridge or steering gear, then +$30,000 with a few things farmed out. It will become your new hobby and concubine for the next two years minimum. There will be a lot of satisfaction in the end and less than half of the cost of a new, mid range gasser. There will be regular maintenance and you will learn something about air systems you don't know.

The Wynn fuel filter has a pump in it and that should prime your engine. There is a
prime button in the rear of the engine. Not getting any prime could be it needs new
fuel lines. It been parked inside is a good thing. There will be things that need to be
fixed and replaced. Sounds like a good find. Good luck.

Thanks, Is that prime button located under the bed toward the bottom right? Or are you talking about the one beside the start button on the back? They didn't think it had a prime button.  I'll definitely know after this weekend.  It just seems like I read somewhere where a guy uses a handle and has one under the bed somewhere.

  It just seems like I read somewhere where a guy uses a handle and has one under the bed somewhere.

That fellow has a coach with an 8.3 Cummins, but you are correct in your memory. I have watched him prime it that way in the past.

Mike

My prime button is in the rear passenger side compartment next to the engine batteries(3).

I bought my 95U320 after a refrigerator fire. I was able to buy it for a substantial price reduction. I knew I would eventually NOT save any money but I could use the saved money (compared to a solid U320) to update EVERYTHING.
You can expect that ALL the appliances probably need replacement. They may work but have timed out as far as expected use available.
My floors have all been replaced, and the window treatments updated, new faucets, new washer and dryer, new residential refrig, a dishwasher, and interior lights upgraded to LED, new front TV (48"), new head liner, new mattress.
As far as mechanical; New airbags, new steering box, bulkheads cleaned and through bolted front and rear, Air dryer rebuilt, Primary filter housing and priming pump replaced, Both A/C units replaced, Rear air chambers (cans) replaced, new Victron isolator, two Victron charge controllers, Victron Multi 3000 inverter/charger/, (10) L-16 Lifeline batteries, 2000 watts of solar, 3 new engine batteries, 6 new Michelin tires, endless odds and ends.
I probably have at least the same amount of money invested now than if I had found a coach in fantastic condition to start with,but I have this coach EXACTLY how I want it.
I still have a long list to go, Brakes, fuel lines, radiator and fans, rebuild my Primus heating boilers, fiberglass conditioning.
Coach Bucks ($1000) seems the way we evaluate what we spend. I apply 1 or 2 coach bucks to EVERY project.
I do ALL the labor myself. If I had to pay to have the labor done I would at least double my expenses, If that were the case I would be WAY over what the coach is worth. Even now, If I had a major breakdown (engine or transmission) I would have to consider selling the coach for parts.
Be very realistic when evaluating the actual cost of buying a RV.

I don't know what your mindset is but every time I walk away from something, I have second thoughts and go back and get it or wish I had....... Bad philosophy but I'm stuck with it.

Interesting to see that I'm not alone!

I have a horrible disease..it's called (I Can Fix That). Everytime it flares up costs me
Larry

Okay so you will be doing your own work. Id be all in if it has a 10k tow capacity. If i can do it, so can you. I think the thinking is over. Go see what it is👍👍
Scott

Outside of what what said, any engine that has not been started on a semi-regular cadence would concern me. Seals/gaskets will dry out and cause leaks. I talked to a guy who had a 20 year old Porsche with very low miles (30K or so) that had not been started in numerous years, he said it needed all the the seals/gaskets replaced because it was not started regularly. That was an engine out job, very expensive.

A 12YO engine would fall in this category IMO. It may be fine and not leak, but then again, it may.

Jason here's where I'm at after my first year of ownership. My guess is this coach will need much of the same. Mine was in pretty good shape when I bought it and some of the work listed here had cheaper alternatives or was simply preventative.

And, some of us who do all our work do it out of a regular commercial storage facility with our own lockable stall and far fewer tools.  Works just fine if you have the desire.

Some of us were lucky enough to already have land, shop and tools before coaches came into our lives. Without that advantage might not even have a coach.

Jason here's where I'm at after my first year of ownership. My guess is this coach will need much of the same. Mine was in pretty good shape when I bought it and some of the work listed here had cheaper alternatives or was simply preventative.

Did you skip the shocks or were they already done ?  just bags and shocks I bought to DIy are half your expenditure . Lucky I had new tires already, Plan to pull the wheels and do brakes, bags , shocks , wheel seals  soon, also the dryer .

Ok, tomorrow is the big day!  Say a prayer for us that all goes well!  I'm going in thinking the worst but lord, just know by now I know nothing is free and I've definitely payed my dues over the years! For almost a 50 year old cut me a break!!  I know things are going to have to be fixed but please let this be the one!