Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 11, 2025 ...

Annual maintenance costs - ’03-'05 U320

August 10, 2013, 09:28:43 pm

Without accounting for upgrades or repairs, what can I expect to pay for annual maintenance? Just trying to plan carefully for FT ownership.

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Re: Annual maintenance costs - ’03-'05 U320

Reply #1 – August 10, 2013, 09:49:12 pm

That depends on how much and how far you drive.  If you only cover 10K or so it is one oil change a year and new tires every six or so years depending on tag wear.  Repairs and upgrades and the rest is more.  You will also need to replace the air filter and the air dryer every year or so on the air dryer canister and the air filter by the minder but I do it every year with my mileage.

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Re: Annual maintenance costs - ’03-'05 U320

Reply #2 – August 10, 2013, 09:49:52 pm

Fuel will be your biggest expense not annual maintenance and if your coach is a 320 you will have an aquahot to service too and that is about 300 bucks or so.  Annual maintenance is not something I really worry about. Repairs and upgrades are the biggies.  The fuel is still your biggest expense

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Re: Annual maintenance costs - ’03-'05 U320

Reply #3 – August 10, 2013, 11:05:01 pm

I pay to have most everything done. Figure 1,500 a year for annual required service. Figure about that for tires, batteries, stuff as well, but will come in chunks. Then figure some more for upgrades, $0 up $ lots. I have probably averaged $3000 per year in upgrades ( roof paint, led tailights, residential fridge, etc.), YMWV.

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Re: Annual maintenance costs - ’03-'05 U320

Reply #4 – August 10, 2013, 11:11:56 pm

I think I will respond here to something that has been on my mind rather than starting a new thread.

Bret Wolfe and I were talking recently and I will narrow it to this....my words...."annual service is not maintenance"

Bret was talking about a bearing that needs to be lubricated on a fan and that many people overlook it.  In a prior post I noted that at one major service center, if you ask for annual service, it does not mean that they will look at all things that you probably should do on some periodic basis.

I think I recall that Michelle and Steve had a spreadsheet that may have covered those for them.  Which leads me to say to you, Bret and I discussed that this may not be a universal list.  Coaches have differences.  I know that I asked MOT to look at my wheel slide pins due to the problems I had seen recently with some coaches, and that is not something done in annual service.  It was good that I did, I had a problem beginning.  So one option in annual or biannual maintenance might be to lubricate this or that part.  It might be to change some filter.  I know a fellow that his annual maintenance is to change the oil!  That is it.

Maybe others can give you a list of things to cover in maintenance that might not be so evident.  Such as check the brake slacker adjusters.  No in annual service but you should do.

just thinking.....hope someone has specific list for you

mike

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Re: Annual maintenance costs - ’03-'05 U320

Reply #5 – August 11, 2013, 12:12:29 am

Royce,

My "guessestimate" for annual maintenance would be a minimum of $1,000 if you have someone else change the engine and generator filters (oil, fuel, and air) and oil. Perhaps less if you do your own annual maintenance. However, don't forget that you will have to set aside funds to pay for tires ($3600-$4000) every 6 years and new batteries (about $2000) every 6-9 years (for gels or AGMs). My average (including repairs) for the past 10 years is between $3000 and $5000.

I would suggest that you set aside close to $10,000 for repairs/upgrades during the first year of ownership of a pre-owned Foretravel. Personal experience.

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