The good and the bad

Topic: The good and the bad (Read 1060 times) previous topic - next topic

The good and the bad

November 10, 2015, 02:21:40 pm

Hey Gang.

I joined this forum as a way to learn about Foretravel motor homes.

So far it has been an interesting experience. LOTS of information on here.

Lots of very positive input on how great these units are. And I would expect that from a dedicated forum.

What I would like to know is the bad associated with a Foretravel.

I know about the Bulkheads, but are there other things, some other common problem that should be looked at.
Are there issues with leaky roofs or walls, any issues with delamination of the walls, rot in the plywood or floors.
Is there anyplace that water can enter and cause a problem say around the front cap.

I'm not worried or interested in any mechanical issues or componets like fridges or heating. If I were to buy a late 90's to early 2000's I know that there will be issues with them.

I'm more worried about the bones.

One of the things that I really like about Foretravel is the fact that you can still get stuff from the factory for an older MH not like some of the other manufactures.

Looking forward to your replies

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #1 – November 10, 2015, 02:25:03 pm

The bulkheads are the main unique issue to check on Foretravels.

Yes, if a slide, their system was somewhat unique, particularly the air bladder and some delam issues with early slides.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #2 – November 10, 2015, 02:34:56 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – November 10, 2015, 02:25:03 pm

The bulkheads are the main unique issue to check on Foretravels.

Hello Brett, "bulkheads" are a new one to me, is there a thread or could you (briefly) explain where and what they do & fail? M

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #3 – November 10, 2015, 02:39:09 pm

Look at the top of the Tech forum, and you'll see Brett's white paper on bulkhead repair.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #4 – November 10, 2015, 03:25:14 pm

Search the forum for: "has this happened to anyone". You will find a thread on the total front bulkhead failure that I had on our coach including the repair of same.

Roland

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #5 – November 10, 2015, 03:34:50 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – November 10, 2015, 02:25:03 pm

The bulkheads are the main unique issue to check on Foretravels.

Yes, if a slide, their system was somewhat unique, particularly the air bladder and some delam issues with early slides.

Thanks Brett

What years constitutes and "early slide"

As far as the air bladder goes, to me it looks like an excellent system to seal the slide to the coach and keep the elements outside where they belong. Other than air leaks and operator abuse what goes wrong with them.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #6 – November 10, 2015, 03:53:58 pm

I have this thread bookmarked:

Repairs, Replacements and Upgrades for older U270,U295 and 320's

Toward the bottom of this page Barry says, "Late 1999 introduced a slideout."

Foretravel History

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #7 – November 10, 2015, 03:59:57 pm

Slide Experience
My experience with my 2001 36' in 8 years with slide has been:
1-Pressure switch that has to see 3100 psi to start the electric cycle to unlock, from there all has been good.
2-The electric motor on pump got wacky, installed new motor. Had to beat on the motor to make it go.
3-Did remove all quick disconnect cables, sprayed electronic cleaner, reconnect, been great.
No other issues, no air seal issues, works great.
I let the air seal deflate fully after the light comes on, I wait another 20-30 seconds, can see the seal/air gap, when fully retracted is when I start the in or out move.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #8 – November 10, 2015, 04:04:17 pm

The forum also has an excellent search utility. Hover over "community", click "search", type in your search terms.

You can even do advanced searching by looking for just certain members posts, sorting by most recent, narrowing the look back time frame, searching only certain boards, etc. E.g. you could search for slide problem and see what problems folks might have had and more importantly how they fixed the problem.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #9 – November 10, 2015, 07:18:21 pm

Not sure what years but they tried to attach the rear cap differently and after time it caused a zipper looking crack from the roof all the way down.
I believe the one we looked at was a 02. We also had a member here look at one for us at mot and at one time or another their was a water leak in the slide and under the window was delamed it was stained on the inside.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #10 – November 10, 2015, 07:26:32 pm

Quote from: Mike Brez – November 10, 2015, 07:18:21 pm

Not sure what years but they tried to attach the rear cap differently and after time it caused a zipper looking crack

'02 and '03. maybe a few early '04s but they all should have been fixed by now since they were early life fails. It's not an issue lurking to show up later at this point.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #11 – November 10, 2015, 07:43:06 pm

Just my take, but compared to other coach brands I think you will not find a lot of "Bad" out there on the Foretravels other than bulkhead issues which are readily repairable.
Having a factory still in business that treats owners of the "old" coaches like current customer is a great asset and being able to buy parts for a 26 year old coach and have the factory say " in stock" is an amazing experience! We love ours.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #12 – November 10, 2015, 07:50:01 pm

Mostly good, some bad, but what happened to the UGLY? Have a great day ---- Fritz

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #13 – November 10, 2015, 08:56:39 pm

Rusty... We purchased our 95 U300 sort of blindly meaning uninformed...Huge learning curve but all is good. I had 2 issues with water leaks. 1)the clearance light on the roof separated from its mounting and allowed water to come . 2) the front heater unit had separated from the sidewall and allowed water to accumulate behind the drivers seat and couch area, naturally a little water when soaked into a carpet looks BAD. Other than that the coach has been water free. The usual household stuff has come up , shower valve, toilet valve, fridge..but really for the last 3 years our coach has been a NO problem child...The Cat 350 gets us down the road with 9-10 mpg towing our Prius on a Kar Kaddy dolly.

Love It

Hans

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #14 – November 10, 2015, 09:16:32 pm

Quote from: Rusty Socket – November 10, 2015, 02:21:40 pm

Are there issues with leaky roofs or walls, any issues with delamination of the walls, rot in the plywood or floors.
Is there anyplace that water can enter and cause a problem say around the front cap?

I'm more worried about the bones.

Hi, Rusty Socket. I think this is a very, very good question, and one that is fair to ask. I chuckle at the same time, because - *purely speaking for late 90's models since that is what we researched and purchased* - these puppies are so well built. Beyond the bulkhead issue, there is really no design flaw or manufacturing problem that would cause problems with the coach.

I think that major water leaks/damage is more an issue of negligent ownership, instead of a Foretravel issue. If you don't do regular maintenance to keep your roof and windows sealed, they may leak. I think that leaky roofs, walls, delam, etc. can be avoided, and or caught before they turn into big problems, and that is due to the sturdy build of the Foretravels. With a fiberglass roof, it is much easier to care for than a motorhome with a rubber roof.

Rance at Xtreme walked us around our coach and told me/pointed out all the preventative things that we could do to make sure we don't end up in his shop with problems. He considers this saving us money, and him time.

One of the biggest tips he gave was to keep our roof sealed.

I made two posts, including pictures, about this here: (page 3 of the "What did you do to your coach today IV")
What did you do to your coach today IV

It feels good to be proactive in keeping your coach in tip top shape. Once you notice a little water leak, it is the owners responsibility to take action quickly. I honestly think that Foretravels were built better than most coaches, therefore making the bulkheads the one issue that is unique to Foretravels.

____________________
SIDE NOTE: This is my 100th post!!! WHOO HOOOO! I get another golden Foretravel Flag under my profile picture!! I have been holding off posting until I found the perfect thread to post my 100th -- this is the one because my 50th was the roof sealing post referenced above. hehehe.....how fun!

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #15 – November 10, 2015, 10:00:49 pm

Quote from: Kemahjohn – November 10, 2015, 07:43:06 pm

Just my take, but compared to other coach brands I think you will not find a lot of "Bad" out there on the Foretravels other than bulkhead issues which are readily repairable.
Having a factory still in business that treats owners of the "old" coaches like current customer is a great asset and being able to buy parts for a 26 year old coach and have the factory say " in stock" is an amazing experience! We love ours.

One of the things that makes these coaches attractive to me.
Being able to get a part or to be able to talk to someone who knows what you are talking about is a major plus.

Many thanks to all the replies so far.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #16 – November 11, 2015, 12:15:45 am

I am hoping that reading this topic may have solved a nagging problem I have in our 1994 U240, there is a damp area behind the drivers seat, it is in the area where the couch frame meets the wall. John and I have both sealed and caulked the entire exterior of the coach, including window areas but when the rains come, the damp spot arrives. Reading thread 13 by Hans has given me hope that it could be the front furnace panel that is causing the problem, the GV is stored a mile away and last Sunday I put the RV cover on because the next few days are calling for heavy rain and high winds.Because of reading the thread by Hans I will remove the furnace cover to check if the leak originates from that area.

Wish me luck,
GeoffH

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #17 – November 11, 2015, 12:22:08 am

The old Foretravels were built like tanks. I have a 1981 40 ft. all electric from the factory If I knew how to add images I would but when I try the forum asks for the url of the image. We have owned this motorhome since 1994 and the only reason I bought a later one is the early suspension rode like a dump truck. It has the Cummins triple nickel (555 cu. in.) and an Alison 4 speed. I don't have the heart to sell it so it sits in the yard all plugged in and except for needing tires would drive right out the gate and drive anywhere. The bad is Foretravel sold all the old specs and parts to an outside vendor so getting lights or lenses is out of the question. The rest of the coach never needs parts. The gen set is a Yanmar 12.5 kw used in marine as is the all electric water heater with heat exchanger from engine coolant.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #18 – November 11, 2015, 12:26:29 am

I have driven similar spring coaches with the 555 in them both front and rear.p

Never heard of a 40' although. Not in the literature.

Hendrickson chassis?

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #19 – November 11, 2015, 06:56:26 am

Quote from: craneman – November 11, 2015, 12:22:08 am

The old Foretravels were built like tanks. I have a 1981 40 ft. all electric from the factory If I knew how to add images I would but when I try the forum asks for the url of the image. We have owned this motorhome since 1994 and the only reason I bought a later one is the early suspension rode like a dump truck. It has the Cummins triple nickel (555 cu. in.) and an Alison 4 speed. I don't have the heart to sell it so it sits in the yard all plugged in and except for needing tires would drive right out the gate and drive anywhere. The bad is Foretravel sold all the old specs and parts to an outside vendor so getting lights or lenses is out of the question. The rest of the coach never needs parts. The gen set is a Yanmar 12.5 kw used in marine as is the all electric water heater with heat exchanger from engine coolant.

Call Mike in parts at Foretravel he has the name and number of the guy that bought all those parts I can't find it right now.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #20 – November 11, 2015, 09:52:10 am

Quote from: Geoffh – November 11, 2015, 12:15:45 am

I am hoping that reading this topic may have solved a nagging problem I have in our 1994 U240, there is a damp area behind the drivers seat, it is in the area where the couch frame meets the wall. John and I have both sealed and caulked the entire exterior of the coach, including window areas but when the rains come, the damp spot arrives. Reading thread 13 by Hans has given me hope that it could be the front furnace panel that is causing the problem, the GV is stored a mile away and last Sunday I put the RV cover on because the next few days are calling for heavy rain and high winds.Because of reading the thread by Hans I will remove the furnace cover to check if the leak originates from that area.

Wish me luck,

Geoff...My leak was actually in 2 places on the front heater unit, carefully look at the heat shield cladding that sits inside the heater box lower left corner is where the water would enter and then drain back on the cladding leaking into box and subsequently the carpet..etc.

I also resealed the exterior bezel around the heater.

Good Luck

Hans
GeoffH

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #21 – November 11, 2015, 10:02:44 am

Quote from: Michelle – November 10, 2015, 07:26:32 pm

'02 and '03. maybe a few early '04s but they all should have been fixed by now since they were early life fails. It's not an issue lurking to show up later at this point.

He wanted to know the good and bad. The one I looked at just last year had it and not repaired.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #22 – November 11, 2015, 10:30:07 am

The 81 Foretravel I have is a one off I believe. I have all the pics of it being built, it does have the Hendrickson Chassis but has Mor-Ryde rubber biscuits for rear springs. About no mention of it in the literature, the insurance company would not believe I had a 1981 40ft diesel either. The Vin # is FTX81150040red 33,800 GVWR 12,600 ft 22,000 rear. At the NASCAR tracks I got tired of all the what is it questions so have personalized plate 81 4trvl

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #23 – November 11, 2015, 10:59:40 am

Quote from: craneman – November 11, 2015, 10:30:07 am

The 81 Foretravel I have is a one off I believe. I have all the pics of it being built, it does have the Hendrickson Chassis but has Mor-Ryde rubber biscuits for rear springs. About no mention of it in the literature, the insurance company would not believe I had a 1981 40ft diesel either. The Vin # is FTX81150040red 33,800 GVWR 12,600 ft 22,000 rear. At the NASCAR tracks I got tired of all the what is it questions so have personalized plate 81 4trvl

Looks like jack Carlistos old coach.

Large roof spot light? I built in a pressure washer and tanks under the coach if it is.

Re: The good and the bad

Reply #24 – November 11, 2015, 01:52:39 pm

Craneman, that's a nice ride.
Raymond

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