Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 20, 2025 ...

Nothing is wrong, just dated looking. The wife likes lighter colors. The coach has not been used for awhile, so it smells musky.

Robhatric,

Let's start with the Vin and Model number on the metal plate next to the wall next to the driver.  Easily obtained by the previous owner and will tell much of what everyone needs to know.  When I was inquiring about one that is the first information I wanted to know.  It gives a lot of the specs and takes most of the guess work out of the coach on when it was built, etc. as I learned from Barry Beam's incredible website.

Jerry

Robhatric,
If the deal goes through here are some ideas on lightning up the wood interior.  The attached pictures were taken when we first bought our coach in 2001.  I was told that our coach spent its first few years owned by Foretravel where they would take it to Motorcade events to get a feel on how existing customers responded to new interior design.  The finish is called Pickled Walnut and only 3 coaches were made with it.  It's any easy finish to achieve:  white stain is applied and immediately removed with a rag then after the stain has dried a polyurethane coat is applied over it. It's my understanding that most coaches have just an oil rub over the walnut.  You would probably have to experiment to see if a pretreatment (like applying a rub down with paint thinner) is necessary before applying the finish.  Apparently Foretravel listened to their salesmen (like Bob) and gave this lighter finish a try but obviously it just didn't take with customers.  I personally think the dark wood is something that grows on you so if you just delay the project for a while your wife might later say "Oh, it's fine"

Another difference is wallpaper.  They used wallpaper on the exterior walls only.

When we would look at coaches, Jo Ann often commented that a particular coach was "too dark." When we first saw ours, I thought she would want to stay only a bit, just to be polite, and then head home because it is quite dark. Instead we visited, eventually went for a drive, and then went home. On the way she commented that she was very unhappy. I asked why, and she said that she really liked the coach, and she didn't want to. I asked about the dark wood and drapes, and she said the drapes can be replaced and she doesn't mind the dark wood!

My 93 U280 came with a pecan interior. It was beautiful.

Nor am I. Oak along with gold fixtures and shag wall to wall was the big thing in home furnishing in the '70s and 80's and carried over into motorhomes. A great super strong wood but a little goes a long ways. Agree about the "Las Vegas" interiors in a lot of new coaches. Hey, granite looks great on a kitchen countertop at home but it's really heavy stuff. No wonder some of the newer 40+ footers drop down to 4 mpg range in hilly terrain. With four slides, they need every one of the 500hp.

Some of the newer coaches are using some very tasteful lighter woods. Still, with the right carpet (OEM is great stuff), fabric colors and patterns, the walnut interiors in the older Foretravels have an understated class missing in so many today.

Pierce

Don,

Looks as if I put my foot in it! I just never like the shiny surface that most have like a Discovery. Will have to check yours out. Red Oak if cut right looks good. I can see I'm going to need a lot of atta boys to make up for it.

Pierce