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Lessons learned (long)

It has been suggested that I share our experiences in one condensed post in hopes that it will help someone else. That seems reasonable, and since I have been the beneficiary of the wisdom of many of you, I'll share what I've learned. Let me start out by saying that we did a TON of research before we even started looking at specific coaches and we are still convinced that a U300 is the right coach for us.

History: we purchased this coach in the spring of 2012 from a private party. They are an older couple with some health issues and simply weren't using the coach. I believe that in the two years prior to the time we bought it they had driven it only a couple thousand miles. We got advice from several forum members both as to this specific coach and what was a reasonable price. We did NOT have a specific inspection by an expert, but I did look over the information the seller provided as well as look over the coach itself. The price we paid reflected that.

Specific issues: The first issue was four elderly drive tires. I was able to see the DOT dates on the front tires but not the rear ones when I checked the coach. After I got it home I was better able to check and discovered how old they really were, so new tires were installed. At that time the tire people pointed out a leaking hub. I had asked about it, but the PO didn't know why the wheel was discolored. It turned out that both hubs were missing proper gaskets. Some other stuff had been used.

The refrigerator died between the time we checked out the coach and the time we picked it up. Since we had already decided that we would replace the standard RV refrigerator with a residential unit when the RV one died that wasn't a big deal. We couldn't really shop for a new refrigerator until we bought the coach and knew what would fit.

Air leaks have been an ongoing issue. HWH took care of some of the problems last spring, a new D2 helped some, too, and a new compressor and air dryer have done a lot to make things work better. As I write this it has been about two hours since I parked the coach and the white needle is at 70 pounds while the red is at 100. Both were at 120 when I parked.

I had an annoying 12V electrical issue that didn't cost any money, just a lot of time. It turned out to be a loose connection which was easily repaired. Again, forum members helped me track that one down.

A mysterious water leak was easily solved when the leak became a gusher and became obvious. A new hot water heater is planned. I may not really need one now, but I'm thinking that it, too, is over 20 years old and will fail sooner or later.

The current issue is the hydraulic fans for the radiator have died, and parts are NLA. New fans, solenoid, and maybe a pump are on the way from Nac. I don't know if new hoses will be part of the picture or not, but I think so.

Lessons learned: Things wear out, either from use or from non-use. Anyone who expects a 20-year-old coach to run like a brand-new one is in for a rude awakening. Coaches that have been driven and used frequently are more likely to be able to be driven and used frequently by their new owners than coaches that have been sitting. Prices should reflect that. Preventive maintenance/repairs are usually cheaper than emergency ones.

Many years ago I bought an 11-year-old car that had only 33,000 miles on it. I thought I was getting a bargain. Over the next couple of years that car visited several mechanics as various seals, gaskets, and hoses were replaced. Unfortunately, the old man who had been the family mechanic had died by then and I was left at the mercy of others. The old man probably would have told me to leave the car with him for a few days and he would have done it all at once. The cost would have been high then, but overall it would have been cheaper than doing things piecemeal.

Concerns: What's next? I'm suspicious of all of the hydraulic lines, as they are all of the same age as the ones for the fans. Will they fail, too? I don't know. Should I replace them? Maybe. I'm going to at least look at what I can see and try to figure out what, if anything, I can do myself. Several people have replaced air bags. Mine look okay, at least what I can see. Again, maybe I should start a program of replacing them before one blows out. I'll have to read up on that topic.

Suggestions: for those of you who are considering Foretravels please keep them on your list IF they fit your needs. Don't buy a brand because someone else has one, and don't avoid one because someone else had some sort of problem with his. I don't know if my problems are any worse than what others have experienced, or even if my specific issues are typical. Ask questions on this forum, get an inspector if possible, and be prepared for issues that pop up. We were told to allow $10,000 the first year for repairs and upgrades and then budget several hundred dollars per month for maintenance and repairs. That's probably a reasonable figure, unless you buy Brett Wolfe's coach, and then you will pay it all up front. <grin>

The point is that no coach will be free of problems - unless you just buy it, park it, and then ignore it; and if you do that, then why did you buy it in the first place? Any motor home is a complex collection of machinery, and something WILL break. Regular maintenance helps, but won't completely prevent problems. Learn about known issues and ask questions. ASSUME that whatever coach you buy will have some hidden problems. Don't be in a hurry to get somewhere in the coach. If time is that much of an issue then take the airlines.

We left our place in Urbana, MO on 3 December, headed for Stillwater, OK, about six hours away. We're currently about two hours from our destination, so we're traveling at about 100 miles per week. That's about what the pioneers did back 150 years ago. During these two weeks we've had comfortable living quarters, with running water, heat, electricity, and lots of good food. We've met several interesting people and seen things that we wouldn't have otherwise gotten to see.

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #1 –
Yep. Even a 20-year-old house needs a new roof. and you have to watch out for termites.
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #2 –
This post makes feel a little better about missing my opportunity to buy the '92 U300 that was on Ebay a few days ago. It went for $12,800 but had very low miles. 25k I think that it was. I almost had enough cash on hand to do it, but I forgot about necessity of having $10,000 in reserve once the title was passed. Your post seems to reinforce the $10K rule.

Thanks for the interesting read.

One of these days I'll be able to do the upgrade to a Fortravel, but it won't be this year, so I'll enjoy what I have:)
Bob and Pam Brumbaugh
Ernie (English Bulldog)
2000 U320 WTFE 40' Build # 5740 (former)
Xtreme "Lights and Paintjob"
Motorcade# 18659
Souderton, PA
Towd: 2021 Ford Ranger
Quickee Mini Golf Cart (former)

We Are....Penn State!

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #3 –
Bob B I bought my 91 U300 on craigslist  in October I never heard it run till after I paid for it. Best damn decision I think I have ever made. Well maby not the best but it sure has been a good one Paid 9 grand have 12 in it now ,runs like a top,hell I'm ready to get rid of the house and live in the foretravel! Just don't have enough diesel reserves,yet!lol
91 GV U300 Unihome 40' Build 3811
6V92TA Detroit

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #4 –
Have owned our $20K U300 for almost 5 years now and like you, I never heard it run until the day we picked it up. One air bag (bought 3 in case), batteries when we picked it up, a relay, windshield wiper blades, oil and lots of diesel were about it for mandatory expenses in the years of ownership. The solar system, LED lighting, HDTVs, satellite, etc were discretionary items that have been nice but we could have done fine without.

There are some terrific deals out there today as a couple of members and ebay sales have found. The most important factor here is owner education from our forum. This can make the difference between buying trouble in River City and acquiring a relatively easy to maintain motorhome. Most of the time, you make your own luck.

Pierce

Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #5 –
Boy, am I dumb or just plain lucky!! I bought our 1989 GV without driving it, without having anyone inspect it, and not having $10,000 socked away just for repairs. In the first four years we have owned it we have bought the guts for our taillights ($65), one 30 Amp circuit breaker ($5.65), one new rear tire ($565.00), alternator repair ($125), new drive belts, filters, oil (XXX), and a new dash radio ($145).

Optional: tile flooring ($200), LED lights ($100), engine insulation ($125). Replaced kitchen table with harvest counter.

New tires due this year!! New battery.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #6 –
For every lucky story of....there usually are 5 bad stories that are not shared.
1998 U270 34'

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #7 –
For Pierce and nitehawk,

I'm guessing that previous owners had replaced a number of things that should have gone bad at the age of your MHs such as water heaters, refrigerators, water pumps, etc?

I guess a lot depends on the amount of use that you MH gets also.  I'm a full-timer so my systems see much more use than someone who only uses their MH occasionally.  My list of things that needed to be replaced in the 3-4 years I've owned mine is much larger than either of yours.
Robert
Build # 5304
1998 34' U270 Cummins 6CTA8.3

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #8 –
My repair bills will never equal the cost of a new DP; even if I could find a new DP that I liked half as much.

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: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #9 –
Quote from: rsihnhold –
For Pierce and nitehawk,

I'm guessing that previous owners had replaced a number of things that should have gone bad at the age of your MHs such as water heaters, refrigerators, water pumps, etc?

I forgot to say that the fridge was out but I just happened to have a new Norcold on my garage floor that I had traded for. Was just the right size.

Coach had been lived in while they built shopping centers but no records as to any upgrades and not much maintenance done that I could see. It was as original as could be. Unless driven in a salty environment, all Foretravels have commercial engines/trans so didn't expect trouble and have had none.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #10 –
Robert, we are the fourth owners of our coach. It had 63,000 miles on it, sat in storage for nine years. When taken out of storage a previous owner had a new frig, new microwave, custom paint job, new tires, batteries, gen rebuild, and complete checkup. Everything works, even the ice maker.
The owner before us didn't even know there was a built in vacuum until he was cleaning for the tradein. He had thrown away all the hoses and attachments because he thought they were for a vacuum sweeper another owner kept.
Someone, somewhere along the line installed two large electric fans on the rear radiator for the engine, two large electric fans on the front AC condenser radiator, and one on the trans radiator cooler.
I have read about others considering adding a radiator and fans up front to cool the engine, but since I cleaned the rear radiator the temp gage stays below 200. Seeing as how the engine AC doesn't work I thought about converting the front hardware to engine cooling duties.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD
 

Re: Lessons learned (long)

Reply #11 –
I fall into the same group as rsihnhold.  I have had way more repairs done than most of you have mentioned here.  Part of it had to to do with knowing nothing about what to look for - (shame on me) and then, once getting it, being very proactive on servicing and replacing potential issues.  I will be much smarter on the next one, except there probably will not be a next one.  At this point I have to agree with Craig, the cost of repairs will never equal the cost of a new DP.

Howard
Howard & Rose
92 U225 GV - 36'  - Build # 3989
2003 Honda Civic
95 Jeep Wrangler
2018 Winnebago Travato 59K
4 Chihuahuas