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Foretravel 200,000 miles

November 28, 2013, 04:02:17 pm

I am looking for a Foretravel and want opinion on any red flags with what we need to be aware of if one has 200,000 miles on cummins 450 and 8000 hours on generator. thanks for response.

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #1 – November 28, 2013, 09:49:06 pm

I have sent you some initial ideas via PM

I bought one with 135000, have looked recently at one in Nac with close to 190000 as I recall the miles.  That about limit my experience but will share with you what I found over time as we went from 135000 to 150000

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #2 – November 28, 2013, 11:23:42 pm

I don't know which model Cummins is a 450 is, but most any Cummins diesels other than a 5.9 you can remove the wet sleeve and rebuild at 400,000 to 500,000 miles  and continue to run it that distance again.  But it is all about how well they are maintained.  And as with anything else, s%$@ can happen.

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #3 – November 29, 2013, 02:06:35 am

Hardly broken in. Better a high mileage coach that was well used and well maintained than a low mileage one that mostly sat around unused.

More information would be useful. Are you talking about a ten year old U320 with an ISM engine? 20000 miles a year is more than average for an RV, but probably a good sign.

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #4 – November 29, 2013, 08:31:08 am

Gen is a 10,000 hour piece from what I have been told and a m11 cummins in a 80,000 pound rated truck are known to be 1 million mile engines.  Not sure if new mains need rolling in at 500k or not but probably.

Bob

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #5 – November 29, 2013, 08:46:32 am

I certainly would not worry about an engine with 200K on it.  If it is still running at 200K it will probably still be running at 500K.
Gary B

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #6 – November 29, 2013, 10:16:57 am

This is probably the 2002 U320 42' tag at MOT.  The pictures and video make it look like a beautiful coach, extremely clean.  Then have an almost identical one there as well for comparison, around 60K miles for $~$140k.  The videos make the high milage one look better, IMO. I asked and they said they didn't know much about the coach's past.  MOT says The current owner bought it from FOT a years or so ago where it was a trade it.

The milage on the engine wouldn't concern me if there ere service records or you could get a complete fluids analysis.  The genset time surprised me.  I am not sure I have seen that high time before.  Even still if it has been maintained there are several years left for most users.

At $99k it is very inviting.  Make sure you get everything serviced before you drive it out the door so you know exactly where you are.

Roger

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #7 – November 29, 2013, 10:28:44 am

Change oil in Genny. Run 24 under as much load as possible. Check oil level. Did it burn/leak oil? Have oil analysis performed on Genny and Cummins. One data point less valuable than multiple over time, but if no alarming results, and everything runs well you will probably be fine. 20 coach bucks buys a lot of maintenance @$99k!

Check end caps and bulkheads

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #8 – November 29, 2013, 10:39:02 am

I know of one FT still in daily use with above 12K on genny, regular service and no problems at all.
Gary B

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #9 – November 29, 2013, 12:45:40 pm

Generally speaking, a transportation type older style diesels were no broken in until it had 40,000  to 50,000 miles on it.  I'm hearing that the newer diesel engines have much tighter tolerances and are breaking in sooner, like half the time I had stated in the beginning of this paragraph.  The miles per gallon should start to settle out to optimum  mileage at about 15,000 to 20,000 miles.  The smaller Cummins ISB is rated up to 52,000 lbs. GVW with a projected life-to-overhaul of 400,000 miles.  The little bit bigger ISC is is rated up to 80,000 lbs. GVW with a projected life-to-overhaul of 500,000 miles.  The ISM and ISX should have expected life-to-overhaul of close to 600,000 miles or more.

 As to the rated GVWs, I have pulled 130,000 pounds, 8 axles on the ground, with a little Cummins 6C 8.3 330hp engine.  It was in a old wore out Boss Linco day cab Mack that Boss had pulled 40 foot double trailers on the NYS thruway.  I hauled steel coils with it between Lackawanna (a burb of Buffalo, NY), across Ontario, to Michigan, for about a year, 3 round trips a week for a year.  Usually only loaded one way.  So their rated specs are much down rated for what they can actually do.  She had well over a million miles on her.

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #10 – November 29, 2013, 12:49:36 pm

I have/had a customer with a u280 40' SAI 1993 that the last I heard long ago had 309k on the speedo.  Original cummins 8.3.  Cleo....

Said was going to give it to his daughter as it ran fine.


Bob

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #11 – December 01, 2013, 01:27:24 pm

You guys are doing nothing at all to dispel the notion I have that Foretravels age much more slowly than SOB's...

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #12 – December 01, 2013, 05:03:48 pm

Agree on no problem with either the 200,000 m on engine nor the 8,000 on the Kubota, would love to look at the genset end bearing.
My larger concerns wpuld be the bulkheads, suspension bushings, body cacks (f an issue), leaks if a slide, how the slides are for wear.  All the electric box's correctly mounted and not ragged looking from repeated mechanics.
Engine, transmission & Kubota, way down the concern list.
Would expect need for the air system gov, dryer etc and general servicing, both engines and the Allison oil sample and servicing.  Valve adjustment on both engines, air filters etc.
Dave M

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Re: Foretravel 200,000 miles

Reply #13 – December 01, 2013, 07:41:45 pm

No issues with the Genny or the engine or the tranny.  I hope to have 200K on mine in the next year. The genet runs in the oil fields over 30,000 hours.

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