Currently ensconced at Keith's for a little preventative steering box R&R while we are in Chalk's territory (boy, has Nac changed in 8 years!), we are the proud new owners of a 2000 U320 36' no slide coach.
Let the projects begin!
Pictures?
great news Michelle! Tim Fiedler
Congrats! You'll leave my 2000 U320 40' slide in the dust going up the hills.
That is a great choice.... Excited for you.
No slides- no headaches
Welcome HOME!
I won't go that far. How about
No slides - less headaches
Congratulations!
Good choice....... The story on how you found it might be interesting.
Steve & Michelle,
What a surprise. You guys must have too much time on your hands. . .
We share in your joy, and interesting you are at Keith's place, as Keith is the expert on your coach.
You can now travel far & wide for months and years. See The USA In Your (Chevrolet) Foretravel
If you need help, we all recommend reading Foreforums. . .
You made our day, Barry & Cindy
Congrats!!
Steve and Michelle,
Welcome back! But to me you have never really left us, you just changed coaches!
It will be exciting to see what up grades you do with your new coach.
Happy trails, again.
Congratulations.
That Vidor, Tx coach was a real nice coach. Many nice upgrades. Welcome back.
Michelle, congrats. I'm curious if you have already sourced a spare hydraulic pump for it or if it came with one. You're the first "regular" I know of that purchased a coach recently and I have to imagine that was one of your considerations. I assume that eventually the availability of spare pumps will be a serious point of negotiation for these coaches.
;D
Ah - you've figured it out ;-) We saw the ad minutes after it was posted - it was absolutely pure luck that I checked a site I don't normally visit, and had only started doing so a few days earlier specifically because of our search. The coach is exactly our taste, with the upgrades we would have done and nothing we dislike or would need to re-do, and is the 36' non-slide U320 we were hoping to find (and really had just started to look for.) Some of the longtime Foretravel owners will also recognize it as having originally been Paul and Marlene Wildenstein's coach. We didn't know them, but their name is familiar.
Mad scramble to rearrange some things to get to deep southeast TX on a timely basis, plus coordinate with Keith Risch for an inspection. The sellers (Lonnie and Sherri) were amazing, and we didn't just gain a Foretravel, we made new friends.
I can't believe we're in Nacogdoches in the middle of August - something we said we'd never do again :D
Very happy to hear the news! Looks like a REALLY nice coach. Be sure you keep those mirrors on the closet doors clean! :thumbsup:
Great news, congratulations!
Yay!! Welcome back!
Great news, and congratulations on your find.
I'm SO jealous.
¡Viaja seguro y feliz!
Well congratulations!!! I personally really like what you have chosen.
My only concern for all of us is the future of the price of fuel to use. Fuel is forecasted to either double plus or be halved in price.
Congratulations, I still remember the time we met you out there in August and we had our 03 and you had your 03. Now we have a 97 and no slide. It certainly makes for a lot less stress.
I don't know what part of this is best! Getting the coach that you really want or keeping a classic in service. Best of luck and enjoy!
Dennis
Awesome!!!!
Wanna trade?
Not a chance! This is our first night truly RV-ing in it (vs. sleeping in it at night and vacating in the day so techs could work on it) and it fits like a glove.
Huge shout out to Keith Risch and his crew for fitting us in for the things noted on inspection and a couple of unanticipated things. Those guys and gal went above and beyond this week. Note for others - stuffed crust and don't forget the sliced jalapenos like I did. A very special thank you to Virginia for her exemplary efforts getting back from Chalk's in crazy traffic.
Also a thank-you to Eric Barnes at MOT and especially the tech whose name I didn't get who did a "lot call" to help us properly adjust the SMI Stay-n-Play Duo tow brake in our toad. That was an unanticipated bump in the road discovered after we'd left Keith's in separate vehicles and then went to hook up to tow after getting a quote from MOT for a Splendide installation. Sensitivity for an LTV as the tow vehicle was apparently much different than for a Foretravel (and yes, we have our prior AF1 that we expect to swap back in for the Stay-n-Play).
Got ourselves penciled on the schedule at Xtreme for some enhancements early next year.
Wow! You tow really hit the ground running on this one! KUDOS to you.
When do we see some pictures?
Yup, AIN'T their first rodeo!
Thanks - we try to be efficient in all of our shopping trips ^.^d
I'll try to upload some of the sellers' interior photos next week after we get home. As for exterior, picture a decal-free all-white 2000 U320 with one of the very early Xtreme headlight conversions. Seller removed the decals and had the exterior gel coat polished. We're going to have the headlights redone in the most current version as well as fogs, tail lights, etc.
(https://i.makeagif.com/media/7-28-2016/_hHDKJ.gif) (https://www.foreforums.com/gif/seinfeld-george-costanza-im-back-baby-im-back-_hHDKJ)
What took you so long :-) Congratulations!
Yes, welcome back. Very happy you have returned, never thought of you as other than A Foretraveler. Remenber meeting you at MOT in the early years of the twenty first century. Believe it was when we were outfitting our 38 footer..Have always enjoyed yours and Steve's expertise, here.
Horace
Oh my gosh, this is the best news of the day!! So happy for you to have found something so perfect. Can't wait to see all the projects!!
Our 270 is badged on the front as Xtreme U270. It has headlight conversion, painted on stripes and the lift up engine door has been replaced with the double opening doors. No more heavy lifting that engine door. I think I like that the best.
Wow that is great news. I loved my 36 foot non slide.
in fact if I had not traded I probably would still have it.
I would love to see some pictures of the engine door :-)
We spoke with Greg about the engine door conversion - they no longer do the full-height split version. Their current offering has the upper piece hinged to lift up, lower piece is pinned and can be lifted out if needed.
See Conversions Gallery | Xtreme Paint & Graphics (https://www.xtremegraphics.net/conversions-gallery#BackDoorConversionsGallery)
I really like ours and I will try to send a picture. We don't have very good internet now. We are in a COE campground for a few more days.
Welcome to the 36 ft non slide club. Safe travels.
Michelle, I knew you and Steve would be sucked back into the Foretravel black hole! :D And you got the hot rod 320 too!
jor
You are up next, Jor!
Current list of project items is at 94, but that doesn't include several we added earlier today (and one line item is simply called "crimp-a-palooza").
We did replace all of the cabinet struts already :)
Congrats! A 36/450 no slide is the sports car model :D Enjoy your travels!
Looking forward to pics of it!!
Keith
It definitely had no problem accelerating up the hill from Cookeville on I40, even towing the CR-V. :D
I'm in the process of re-decorating the bedroom, but here are some of the sellers' photos of the interior.
Exterior will have to wait until next spring after Xtreme "has their way with it" ;)
I was never a floorplan guy as a sales manager long ago but all these years later I remember conversations with various owners and now i understand the comments back then. Non slide coaches have the galley on the drivers side. Dinette is on the curb side looking out at your campsite. Like the burgundy. Pretty coach.
We have cabinet envy with your full size cabinets. Good looking coach
Thanks - the salsa red Ultraleather Brisa is the same as we used for the couch in our '03. I believe the piping and D/P seat light color is Chamois Brisa distressed.
Which side the dinette was on wasn't a concern, but having the hutch/buffet/pantry was. The 36' slide coaches don't have that.
We'll be giving up 1/4 of the closet for a Splendide, but those 4 side cabinets in the bedroom (that we didn't have in our '03) easily make up for it. We'll see if our collection of bins from the LTV fit the bill or if I need to place a Container Store order ;)
Curious - has anyone done their own rectangular headboard to replace the "Grandmillenial" curvy one? I'd love to have the measurements that have already worked well. I'm leaning towards biscuit tufting (and performance fabric like Crypton).
Living full time in our 36' non slide U270 we still don't envy other coaches because we love the storage inside, the big windows, and campsite view from our dining table and chairs. We spend a lot of time in all kinds of weather and we don't feel closed in. It's easy to get distracted by "gee haws" on new coaches but our coach excels in long term livability for us. Another 125hp would be nice....
Nice interior. The upholstery look like it has been redone. I was lucky that it was done in my coach also.
Nice blinds. Mine had been done in the bedroom also and they black out the room. I love the none slide.
Jan had wanted a Splendide for a long time but I couldn't see the tradeoff in giving up half of MY hanging closet. I must say that installing the washer/dryer three plus years ago was a game changer. We should have done it years ago when we sold our house and moved aboard. And I have managed just fine with my remaining closet space.
Now at 111. 4 of those are done. Today's adventure was lining all the drawers and shelves with new Easy Liner and what started for Steve as vacuuming the bay with the Joey bed turned into pulling all the bearings for the tray, cleaning the 24 year old grease and dirt, and repacking the bearings. The ultrasonic parts cleaner is getting a workout.
2 gallons of Simple Green Extreme should arrive tomorrow for other bay cleanup, including the engine bay. New LP and CO detectors arrived today (they were the original 1999 units :o ) as well as 5 or 6 boxes from Cummins parts (did I mention we're zero-ing out everything we can?).
Let me know when you are ready to sell it please. 😂
They had quite the gunk on them !
Since you are now Foretravel owners again, are you coming to the Grandvention in Kanas this year?
Finally got around to some photos (and why we laugh when anyone asks if we have any trips planned).
WAIT. That looks like what Dianne and I do with a coach.
Come on over if you're needing to keep your skills current ;) There are plenty of projects in the queue to go around :D
Sorry, Tom Sawyer/white washing fence is NOT going to translate to Foretravel work.
Darn it, I forgot to use Kent Speers' tale of a bad shoulder
Ready to install new water pump (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=12326.msg64229#msg64229)
Looks like a lot of projects going on.
I see lots of trips in store for you! To the store! 🤣🤣
It's the beauty of a Foretravel. You've got great bones to work with, so you can replace quite a few of the original systems with better, more current technology and end up with something superior to any new non-FT coach on the market.
Michele,
I would love to know the brand and type of tile you have in your new coach. Love it, and would like to do the same!
Peter
I'll look and see if it's mentioned in the original owner's receipts (I've been meaning to do so). It's not ceramic or porcelain, and it's not vinyl. It's really nice under foot and very safe for the pups (no sliding). I think it might be DuraCeramic, which FOT remodeling was installing in the timeframe this coach was remodeled (2014).
It also looks like the PO installed extensions to the air duct system to bring AC air further forward. The extension on the sides with the small round AC ducts is a brilliant idea! It also shows some nice drops in the ceiling for estetics!
Below pic is my ducts and where they end with the vent just forward of the kitchen dining area.
I also installed a residential fridge as yours has since I took those photos.
It appears the PO did alot of work and upgrades on your new coach.! Congrats!
Per Keith Risch, this was done at/by Foretravel and at the time the cost was $4K. It does work well, and I'm not sure who came up with the concept. I need to do some digging in the Yahoo Archive because I recall it being discussed many years ago.
When we bought our coach I thought the air ducts to the front were factory. Mine has the same ceiling material between the ducts and no wood shows.
David Flanagan added to my coach at FT when he was there. Later models had ducts forward in this position. Improves cooling for driver/passenger when going down the road on a hot day with roof units going.
I closed off bedroom vents and some kitchen vents if needed as well while in this mode. Was a great upgrade.
Tim Fiedler
Gen-Pro.biz
630 240-9139
Mine faces forward with ceiling material facing front also and I'm sure it's factory.
Peter,
From your reply 70 some thoughts for you if you are going to DIY these ducts.
I don't know about this coach of Steve & Michell's but if you leave that wood trim strip (for what reason I don't know) you need to at least take it down and enlarge the openings to match the actual duct size. Then remount it. I would just leave it off and put just the center section in for looks to help with the plenum size. While at it remove the A/C cover and install some air directors to push air down the plenum rather than straight down. There is a couple of post about this mod of you hunt around.
Mike
Whatever FT did, it works well and moves a good amount of air up front. No I'm not going to take this down to look, although I could run my borescope back there.
Attached is another view of what ours looks like.
That's the exact mod that David Flanigan did for us at FT
Were these AC vent modes done recently? Or in other words does anyone know if FT still does that.? I need to get more air to front of coach while driving. Dash AC not good...
FT and MOT (last I heard) still
Had remodel shops. Give them a call and ask
Tim Fiedler
Gen-Pro.biz
630 240-9139
@Peter - I discovered a brochure for the flooring in our owner's box today. It's a Mannington Adura product, so it actually is vinyl with a solid core.
Ours is a 16" square tile, which I don't see offered these days, but I think the color is still available in a 12x24. It looks like Athena in Maiden's Veil to me.
I put Mannington Adura in our coach seven years ago. It is 4 mil thick and has held up very well to full time use in National Forests, state parks, Quartzsite and other demanding environments. I used the adhesive recommended by Mannington.
Michele
The brochure on the vinyl didn't say who installed it did it?
No, but I'm pretty sure it would have been FOT's remodeling shop since I think it was done at the same time as the upholstery, valances, and MCD blinds.
FYI to all...Greg, at Extreme in Nacogdoches, has the phone number of a guy that used to work at Foretravel that does the ceiling AC vent modifications. He is semi retired but still does them on the side...
I wanted to come back and add that I searched the forum for Adura, and found a number of folks had it installed. Some at FOT, some at MOT, a couple of DIY (including floridarandy), and a couple had it done by Ernie.
Nice coach, that's exactly what I'm looking for!