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Topic: which would you choose? Help a newbie please! (Read 1394 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #25 –
If budget allows hold out for a unihome (8 airbag) chassis
Tim Fiedler    2025 LTV Unity MBL on Order
2000 Chevy Tracker 2 Door Convertible 4WD Now lifted 4.5"
1985 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston
Murphy Rebel on wheels with 175HP Titan
Cessna P337
1980 48' Westport MY (!/4 Share)

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #26 –
As a newbie I can say I am very very happy however, I do wish my GV was a Unihome. The basement storage is not as abundant as I originally thought. After a couple trips that is the only thing I have found that I would do different. I was lucky and found a great PO that took care of her for the the last 21 years. The 3208T CAT did great in the Anirondack Mountains this past week. Be patient in your search...it took us 5 month to find the right MH to fit our family.

Good luck and welcome
Jeff & Carrie
2023 Geneva 31VA
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED "The Button Pusher" - GONE 🥺

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #27 –
The first FT that I looked at was an 86 ORED. I didn't know what from where, but with the help of this forum I know more what to look for, for our likings. I loved the mid door, the interior, engine purred like a kitten, etc . But when I opened the bay doors and discovered their size, I knew I wanted something else. I had just bought a Smokey Joe Weber grill (small, for 2 people) and when it didn't look like it would fit, well I had already bought the grill, so the motorhome had to change:))))

Thanks to all the comments from this forum which I came across about the same time, I have an abundance of knowledge on what to look for, what I do and don't want, and what to expect, generally speaking. With that said, the DW and I are still looking. Patience is a virtue they tell me. But "they" weren't trying to find a Foretravel.

Larry
Larry Warren
1996  U320 36' SBID "Lola" sold 2020
Build #4970
Motorcade #18318

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #28 –
I don't think you'll find the tall "basement" unless you get into the U280 and U300 Unihomes. Both the U225 and the U240 have shorter storage areas. But both of those are also shorter motor homes overall leading to better fuel efficiency.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #29 –
Basement differences:

ORED's have frame rail chassis, so no through coach basement storage compartments.

U225 and U240's are unibody construction and have two full width basement storage compartments. They are shorter than U280/U300 basements.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #30 –
The short basement models have an LP gas generator instead of a diesel generator. I don't know if anyone has mentioned that yet but it could be a factor in your decision.

The airbags aren't that difficult to change if you find a U280 or U300 with old cracked airbags. Most coaches in your price range will have old airbags still on them. I bought a U300 with old airbags over a year ago, drove it all over the country on the old airbags, and just blew the first one a couple of weeks ago. I've been carrying a spare airbag around with me everywhere I go. I changed it in the campground in about three hours and it was one of the 2 most difficult airbag to change of the 8. The other 6 airbags are much easier and probably take less than half an hour I would guess. You can get the airbags for a little over $150 each on the internet and you don't have to change all 8 at once if you don't have the money right now. Just carry a spare airbag and a low profile 12 ton bottle jack and some wrenches with you at all times... so just don't let the airbag suspension intimidate you, even if they're old and cracked. I remember that the old cracked airbags frightened me to the point that I nearly passed up buying this coach, which turned out to be a really good buy. The Torsilac suspension parts are unavailable unless you can find used parts somewhere, so you really should hold out for a model with airbags, which are easily available.

If you buy a rear radiator model definitely change out the fiberglass radiator fan for a nylon radiator fan immediately. The fiberglass fans always ALWAYS explode and almost always take out the radiator when they do. It happened to the manufacturer of the fiberglass fan on their company coach. It happened to the parts guy at Foretravel (ask him). It happened to me (sigh). It happened to a gazillion truck drivers including a couple of them that were towed in while I was sitting there replacing my $2,000 radiator myself in some little town where the diesel mechanics refused to work on any diesel pusher. I cannot overemphasize the importance of changing out the fiberglass radiator fan with a nylon fan immediately. The side radiator models have their own set of annoying problems with the failure prone hydraulic motors, hoses, and pump. A lot of those hydraulic parts aren't available anymore and you can end up stranded somewhere waiting for your pump or motor to be rebuilt. Your wisest course of action is to get a rear radiator model and immediately replace the fiberglass fan with a nylon fan. After you replace the fan about the only thing left that's likely to fail is the fan belts and there are three of them. The belts are easily checked before you start the engine each time and they're available at any small town auto parts store. You don't really need to get to the back of the engine for maintenance so don't let that influence you into buying a side radiator model. The side radiator models are probably out of your price range anyway, costing almost twice as much as rear radiator models in the case of the U300 I bought a little over a year ago. The side radiator U300 is 6 inches wider in the hallway, not the bathroom where the 6 inches would matter, and the chassis isn't any wider, so the body hangs out past the wheels on the side radiator models, which looks ridiculous to me. The 6 inch wider body is definitely not worth an additional $10,000 - $20,000. The rear radiator models have an advantage over the side radiator models in that you can add side radiators to the coach later if you ever need to, and keep your rear radiator of course. My coach has enough room for an additional radiator on either side of the engine. I don't need additional radiators but it's nice to know I can add them if I need them later. Radiator capacity has been a problem for some people in hot climates, which I try to avoid... not the people but the climates ;)

My advice is to ignore the minor stuff and base your decision solely on the major drivetrain and chassis parts that will leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. Be sure to get a model that is well designed and has all of its important parts still easily and inexpensively available. If you decide that way you'll end up with a rear radiator U300 with a 6V92TA. The Caterpillar still has parts available but they're expensive and difficult to locate in rural areas. The Cummins engine usually raises the price of the coach a lot and might put it out of your price range unless it's the little 5.9 engine. Buyers are influenced by the fact that new coaches only have Cummins engines which tends to raise the prices. Cummins parts are usually less expensive than Caterpillar parts and they should be much easier to find in rural areas. I have yet to find a part that isn't easily and inexpensively available for my 6V92TA coach... except the radiator (ouch!)... so replace that fiberglass fan with a nylon fan immediately.
Scott Cook
1991 U300 36' 6V92TA
Old Town Penobscot 16
1984 Honda VF1100C (V65 Magna)

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #31 –
One correction on the generator comment.  When I was looking for my first Foretravel, I looked at the 1990 U280 with a diesel generator that I bought, but I also found a 1991 U280 with a propane generator.  So I don't think it was a given that just because it is a U280, it will have a diesel generator.  The Cat 3208T I had was a great motor and gave me 50,000 trouble-free miles except for a leaky exhause gasket that wasn't expensive but sounded like a thrown rod!

I second the encouragement to hold out for a U280 or U300 with the airbag suspension....with a diesel generator for ease of maintaining the fuel supply, altho the coaches had a HUGE propane supply.  I wouldn't pass one up just because of the generator's power supply.
The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #32 –
Hi,

Another vote for U280 or U300.  You will want the storage.  40' would be a plus over a 36 if you are going to live in it.

I have an 89 U280  Cat 3208 4sp Allison.  propane generator (with tall storage!)

you asked about the transmission, 4spd is a reliable tranny, 6 spd would be a plus.  Cat 3208 is ok if you have good service records.  mine has 157K on it and going strong.  Just had the valve lash adjusted and tranny serviced at Allison dealer.

As said already, don't look at the miles on these units.  Look at the TLC they've had and the service records.  I'd rather have a 200k unit that has had meticulous service and condition than a 75K unit that has sat or been neglected.

As also mentioned, check the bulkheads.  I had to do major repair last winter on my rear bulkhead and some minor on the front.

Tires are important.  $2700-3000k expense if they aren't fairly new.

With small children, you will be ok with a family of 5.  There are six of us and we just got back from a 16 day trip and did ok (six months might be another story) :)
Dan 1989 U280 40'

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #33 –
I too don't worry about the number of miles on a diesel. I worry much more about inappropriate low miles. A coach that sets for long periods of time will give be much more expensive to own than one with miles appropriate to its age. I figure 6,000 miles per year of age and up is pretty good and with the appearance of good maintenance and good records. 

As mentioned batteries and tires are a hidden cost that many new owners are surprised by. On a U280 or U300 you can pay up to  $5,000 for tires and $2,000 for batteries.

My 93, U300 has the Detroit Diesel 6V92 Silver engine. I had always heard to stay away from Detoits but now after three years of ownership I am very glad I have the Detroit. We too are on a limited budget. If ever necessary we can overhaul our Detroit for about $5,000 vs as much as $20,000 for a Cummins.

As far as a family coach, I don't think Foretravels were designed for family living but with a couple of alterations, they certainly could accommodate a family of five and they will be much more reliable and the best value than other brands. First, you need a 40 foot Grand Villa, Unihome and not a coach with a steel frame like the Oshkosh. I very much prefer the air bag chassis and you need the room of a 102" wide coach. That means 1993 or newer. If you have a couple of the children that are small, I would remove the dinning table and build in bunk beds. I think theoretically you could put bunks in that area so it could easily sleep five.

I really hate to say it but with your budget and family size I think I would be looking for a Class C, or a travel trailer and reliable pickup truck. They are designed for family use. However if your going to get a Class A Diesel, its a Foretravel or nothing for me. 

It sounds like you have a very exciting adventure ahead for you and your family. I wish you luck and my opinions may be worth exactly what they cost you, but they are mine and based on some experience so maybe they will be of help.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #34 –
Our first RV was a Class C Mini Winnie. At that time the kids were 7th and 8th grade, so I think our kids were a little older than the OP's kids. The girls slept in the bunk over the cab. The sofa and dinette made into one large bed, so I slept in the middle, Jo Ann on one side and son on the other. Getting up or going to bed was an exercise in coordination.

The big problem that I've seen with many Class C rigs is that they are at or near GW when empty, and few of them can really handle a toad. They might be okay for weekends or even a couple of weeks if the kids are small enough, but not for much more than that.

A pickup and an Airstream might be a better solution. I got the impression from the OP that money is an issue (true for most of us, I guess) and that buying a truck and trailer might be more than they want to bite off. Personally I'd like to see them get a U280 or U300 40' but that may take them some time to find the right one. If someone knows of one for sale I'd suggest passing the information on to him. He may also need someone to help check out a coach that is some distance away. With three smaller children (again, I don't know their ages) traveling all over the country to look at coaches might be difficult. Let's help them out as much as we can.

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #35 –
Quote from: kb0zke –
... Let's help them out as much as we can.
Absolutely.

One thought might be for them to alert the folks at Motorhomes Of Texas to call them if what they are looking for comes in as a trade-in.  I'm sure MOT probably have a customer waiting list for most all prices and years of coaches.  Anyone here with a likely coach has probably already sent them a PM.   
The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)
 

Re: which would you choose? Help a newbie please!

Reply #36 –
Quote
The first FT that I looked at was an 86 ORED. I didn't know what from where, but with the help of this forum I know more what to look for, for our likings. I loved the mid door, the interior, engine purred like a kitten, etc . But when I opened the bay doors and discovered their size, I knew I wanted something else. I had just bought a Smokey Joe Weber grill (small, for 2 people) and when it didn't look like it would fit, well I had already bought the grill, so the motorhome had to change:))))

Thanks to all the comments from this forum which I came across about the same time, I have an abundance of knowledge on what to look for, what I do and don't want, and what to expect, generally speaking. With that said, the DW and I are still looking. Patience is a virtue they tell me. But "they" weren't trying to find a Foretravel.

Well Larry, I have recently had a very similar experience, and If I quote you wrong, my apologies, its the first time I tried that option^:)
It does seem that the 93+ years run a lot more and that is really too much for our eventual plans.
I think we would be ok in an older model less wide, but so much to learn! Honestly the people on this site are awesome and immensely helpful, with tons of info.
Thanks for your post!

Chris