one of a kind. needs new home

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one of a kind. needs new home

March 19, 2019, 01:26:32 pm

I received this email today and wanted to share.

I enjoyed your 2010 article "Keep Those Classics Rolling" in the FMCA magazine. Being that it's 8 years on, I don't know that this message will reach anyone, but here we go...

You asked folks to write you about their vintage Foretravels. My mom traveled full-time for her business for years, in Big Bertha: a 1983 Foretravel FTX 40' Diesel pusher. Mom was 5 feet tall on a good day, yet drove that thing everywhere---with a 20' cargo trailer behind!

Originally built for a Texas oilman, Big Bertha was over the top in every way. Inside, the usual walnut cabinetry was complemented by brass bar rails and cowboy hat racks, fake brick and an electric fireplace. Outside, Big Bertha featured THREE bumpers stacked front and rear, for this was a basement-style coach, built on a custom Hendrickson chassis with a Detroit 6V92TA engine (and tall gearing, capable of pegging the speedometer).

Mom eventually parked Big Bertha in a desert storage yard, and there Bertha sat for 15-20 years, without so much as an annual startup or tire check. Eventually the yard deemed Bertha not to be in running condition and demanded she be removed. Mom went down there on the first of this month, saw Bertha, had a heart attack and passed away.

Which brings me to this point. The yard still wants Bertha gone. I've seen her and she could be worse---the frame rails are as pristine and rust-free as the day she left the factory, but there's water intrusion around the front roof AC, a thick coating of dust on the interior, repairable sun damage to some of the wood, and no telling what else. I've seen videos of 2-cycle Detroit Diesel engines starting right back up after decades, but then what? She'd need all new tires and batteries at the very least. I could see that, the roof, and unanticipated repairs (air bags? leveling jacks? frozen brakes? tanks and hoses?) getting us to twenty grand lickety-split, and I imagine she's only worth 10-20 in perfect condition.

Interested in adopting Bertha? Or parting her out? Know anyone else who might be interested in doing either? Here's a link to a photo album of Bertha as I found her earlier this month: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1duZoaKFB39F5vAXZUMHIr9QvTzPodVHh

She is in a Las Vegas NV yard and they want her gone ASAP. I don't have the room or money to take on a restoration. The nearest RV junkyard anyone there knows of is in Phoenix AZ. What would you advise?

Thank you,
Dennis.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #1 – March 19, 2019, 02:35:11 pm

Sad to see a proud old coach reduced to that state. I'm sure we have members on this Forum with the skills and knowledge required to undertake a full restoration. The big problem, of course, is finding someone with the $money$ and the time. As stated, just getting the coach back safely on the road would be expensive. Then it would have to be moved to a shop where the work can be done. Many more dollars needed for reviving the interior and exterior systems, mechanicals and cosmetics. Any cash poured into the project would have to be for fun or love, not potential profit. How likely is it that some brave soul will volunteer to take on the challenge?

I have no advice, except to keep on using every available means to get word about this coach out there, and hope for the best.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #2 – March 19, 2019, 02:47:00 pm

They DO have a certain coolness to them: saw this in Payson, AZ waiting for wiper parts:

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #3 – March 20, 2019, 02:14:09 am

Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie – March 19, 2019, 02:35:11 pm

Any cash poured into the project would have to be for fun or love, not potential profit.

I'm guessing the potential profit thing is very rare beast indeed!

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #4 – March 20, 2019, 07:27:15 am

Never saw a Brinks Armored truck in a funeral procession to the cemetery.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #5 – March 20, 2019, 09:57:25 am

Too bad it would cost so much to move it to my yard. The two items that are better than my '81 40' FTX are the air suspension and the 6v92 engine. My '81 is under a canopy and is not rotting away and as I have posted it was a custom built one also. Add to the fireplace a tiled in tub shower encloser with doors going to the bath and bedroom, pop up 4' skylight in the living room, all electric with diesel heaters and much more. I would love to have that air ride on it.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #6 – March 20, 2019, 10:43:22 am

Just does not look that bad to me. Bit of a clean up and vacuuming, three engine batteries and I would drive it home. Our SOB sat a lot longer and was fine. Wish I had the time and inclination. Our roof ACs were older that this one and worked fine until we junked it.

Pierce

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #7 – March 20, 2019, 10:59:52 am

It would be like me buying this poor dear, that's been sitting in the desert waaay too long. One thing leads to another with these, and we all know CBs can be 'eaten for lunch'. However, I'm going to meet with owner this week (who's a good friend, now) and see what's what these days. I've been jousting with him for three years, and the coach is not getting any better! Who knows?, could be just tires, batteries, air bags, fluids. Or, it could be.......$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #8 – March 20, 2019, 11:13:12 am

Mike is that a 40ft

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #9 – March 20, 2019, 11:13:51 am

You look at a glass half empty. Assuming you can buy it cheap, engine batteries, Chinese tires at about $220/ea and away you go to do a little DIY work. As I said before, our first big RV had been sitting for 27 years. New batteries, (he died, his sister bought all new batteries, fueled it) air in the tires and we drove it home. ACs worked for years until we cut it up. Lots of great trips here plus Canada and Mexico.

Pierce

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #10 – March 20, 2019, 05:26:40 pm

Quote from: Jimmy Freytag – March 20, 2019, 11:13:12 am

Mike is that a 40ft

Yup, and I'm told it's RARE! (Hope the owner doesn't know that

) I still don't know what year/engine/4 speed or 6.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #11 – March 20, 2019, 09:43:32 pm

Update on "Big Bertha " I've been sending email to keep the owner updated to progress being made to find her a new home. As of this evening I've not gotten a reply. I will keep trying and post updates as I get them. Thank you!
I would love to tackle this one myself but its too far away.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #12 – March 20, 2019, 10:40:19 pm

jaholder76 I have tried each of the ways you have suggested to contact the owner. So far no response.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #13 – March 22, 2019, 01:42:34 am

JStewart
I just forwarded information via email.
Keep us posted how this all works out

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #14 – March 27, 2019, 09:31:21 pm

I saw on FB that this coach has found a new home. It was too tight in the storage yard to load it on a trailer, so they bought a couple of batteries and the old 6V92 started right up and drove out to where it could be loaded!
Don

Quote from: jaholder76 – March 22, 2019, 01:42:34 am

JStewart
I just forwarded information via email.
Keep us posted how this all works out

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #15 – March 27, 2019, 09:41:19 pm

It's always neat to see a classic come to life again. I personally don't have what it takes to do that--but it's exciting to watch!

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #16 – March 28, 2019, 10:08:08 am

Quote from: Don & Tys – March 27, 2019, 09:31:21 pm

I saw on FB that this coach has found a new home. It was too tight in the storage yard to load it on a trailer, so they bought a couple of batteries and the old 6V92 started right up and drove out to where it could be loaded!

Nice to see a sweet old dear heading to a good home!

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #17 – March 28, 2019, 10:37:06 am

Sure looks a lot like mine.

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #18 – March 28, 2019, 10:58:44 am

Absolutely great to see it head to a new home. Got to love the 92s. Hey, I would have put air in the tires, driven to a car wash, used the vacuum cleaner and headed out on vacation.

Congratulations to the new owner.

Pierce

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one of a kind. needs new home

March 19, 2019, 01:26:32 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #1 – March 19, 2019, 02:35:11 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #2 – March 19, 2019, 02:47:00 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #3 – March 20, 2019, 02:14:09 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #4 – March 20, 2019, 07:27:15 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #5 – March 20, 2019, 09:57:25 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #6 – March 20, 2019, 10:43:22 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #7 – March 20, 2019, 10:59:52 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #8 – March 20, 2019, 11:13:12 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #9 – March 20, 2019, 11:13:51 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #10 – March 20, 2019, 05:26:40 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #11 – March 20, 2019, 09:43:32 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #12 – March 20, 2019, 10:40:19 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #13 – March 22, 2019, 01:42:34 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #14 – March 27, 2019, 09:31:21 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #15 – March 27, 2019, 09:41:19 pm

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #16 – March 28, 2019, 10:08:08 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #17 – March 28, 2019, 10:37:06 am

Re: one of a kind. needs new home

Reply #18 – March 28, 2019, 10:58:44 am

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