Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: dans96u295ft on November 05, 2022, 09:58:10 pm

Title: Older FT's
Post by: dans96u295ft on November 05, 2022, 09:58:10 pm
After being a member of this forum for over 3 years, I gotta say, my 96 is just fine. Nothing complicated. the two furnaces work. the hot water  heater works, Simple seems to be better for this old guy. Not to take away from the newer coaches, but for me, I'm happy with less. No slides to malfunction. No aqua hot to stop working, just sayin!
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: nitehawk on November 05, 2022, 11:49:00 pm
Yup! Know the feeling. Let it set all summer and then get in it and take off--after checking tire pressures and oil, of course.
Just like an old faithful reliable John Deere tractor. :))  :))
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: MarkC on November 06, 2022, 12:25:07 am
I hear what you're saying Dan, but I have to say, at this point I don't think I could give up our slide. 
We just returned from an 8 week trip, staying in some place 7 to 10 days.  The extra space that the slide gives, is for us, well worth the extra work to maintain it in full operational mode.
I realize that the slide has many more moving parts, but I accept the trade off.
I get it that everyone has their own limits, just gotta do what makes you (and the DW) happy!
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: kpbowser on November 06, 2022, 07:49:43 am
Each to his own. The wife and I love our kiss bus and the simplicity of it. Yes there are always something's that a person might like but realize that what they have is just fine.

Ken
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: erniee on November 06, 2022, 08:13:19 am
Our aqua hot that Roger Berke installed is the bomb.
No slides, other than the Joey bed- greater bomb.
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: Elliott on November 06, 2022, 08:42:45 am
The beauty of the unicoaches is that you can find one that has the right amount of complexity for you. Love my slide and AH
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on November 06, 2022, 10:03:15 am
Our U300 gets a B-. Wish it had the manual leveling, no HWH, a Roadmaster trans and as good as the DDEC is, a mechanical 92. Lots of minor stuff I could write a book on but it's been really good to us. Sort of like an old Jaguar, it's always love/hate or at least I feel that way about the factory guys. Love the guys that designed the outside, interior, hate the guys that went cheap on the fittings, flammability of the insulation, undercarriage paint and used FG mat. Now, if Toyota had only built it.

Pierce
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: Barry & Cindy on November 06, 2022, 10:29:30 am
These are machines with complicated parts, and keeping it simple is always a good thing, especially when you have to maintain them for 20+ years. That is how the 1996-1997 U270 & U295 have some advantages over U320 and computerized engines. Simple engine, hot water, heat, weight and if 34 or 36 foot shorter is better.

The only electrical part of those engines are fuel shutoff and intake manifold heater. Both of which are easy to bypass if malfunctioning. These engines never have to see a shop.
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: Dakota Slim on November 06, 2022, 01:48:21 pm
I liked my 81 Foretravel. Full timed in it for 10 years and sold it for more than I paid. I love my 93 U225. 
I can see why people like slides but I'm very comfortable without any.
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: oldguy on November 06, 2022, 01:59:32 pm
When I was looking for my coach I wanted a U320 with no slide.
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: kb0zke on November 06, 2022, 02:01:20 pm
We prefer no slides, but are resigned to the fact that the next coach will probably have a slide. You don't get to specify what you want when you buy used. You have to take the one that checks the most boxes and deal with the rest.
Title: Re: Older FT's
Post by: oldguy on November 06, 2022, 02:54:08 pm
I find buying new you don't get what you want but when I was shopping, U320, 36 ft. and no slide
was only coach that I would look at. I was lucky with this coach as it had that and other things, like floors
retiled, new blinds, new front seats and the rest of the appolstry redone except the dinning room
chairs which I threw out as I built a dinette. The Silver Leaf, and the solar panels, control and the
inverter which I installed, both which I don't know if I would have gotten them I wouldn't want to be
without. I have done a lot of other up grades and now have it the way I want if.