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Topic: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45 (Read 1626 times) previous topic - next topic

Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Hi All. We are currently looking to purchase either a Foretravel Realm or IH-45. preferably year 2013-2015. Would like Info from current owners of what to expect as far as Product, Quality, Factory service and support and any known issues or problems.

We currently own a 2005 Monaco Executive 45CAQ that we purchased new in 2005. I am finding that the Realm or IH-45 are the only coaches that come close to what I have in the Exec. The Exec has been a great coach with few or little problems, but Monaco doesn't exist anymore and the crap that REV is producing doesn't cut the Mustard.

I am currently one of the Co-Owners/Moderators and Tech Advisor of the Monacoers Group of which we have 5300 current members.

I truly will appreciate any forthcoming info.

Regards
Dave
David Pratt

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #1 –
I do not own one but I had a lengthy conversation with a person that had bought a 2015 new and he was at FOT to get items repaired from his 1 year of owning it last September when I had stopped in on a Saturday.

Short answer was he loved his coach and was very pleased as to how FOT was taking care of his list. He said he was very picky and he had all kinds of little thing that most people would never even notice and was getting them fixed. There was one or two items and I do not remember what they were that he did not like how they worked and FOT just replaced them with new items. I remember being surprised that they did  not try to get the items fixed but opted to just replace them.  He walked me thru the used IH45's they had there and gave me the run down of what he liked or did not like about things in them.  He keep telling me that I needed to purchase the used 2015 they had there.  He was a hell of a salesman.

When we were there we were headed home from Michigan and from taking a tour of the Entregra &  Newmar factorys. My wife had made mention that she thought the Newmar and Entregra coaches looked great until she compared to the IH45's
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #2 –
Quote from: turbojack –
  FOT just replaced them with new items. I remember being surprised that they did  not try to get the items fixed but opted to just replace them.
That sounds like good advice, for a couple of reasons: Parts are cheaper than labor, the tech may have never seen it before, so there is a learning curve ($$$). The other is, warranty, which counts, big. That being said, we blew a trans in Idaho, got into a ho-de-doe transmission shop, father & son. They pulled it and told me  they could have a re-man next day. I made that "do I have an option"  shrug. He looked at me like only a few people in my life have ever done, and said, "Or, we can build you a bad boy." I told him "do it". To my knowledge, that transmission is still cooking, got to look people in the eyes, they are not all b.s.  ^.^d
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #3 –
We have a 2015 IH and we have had it for 2 1'2 years. This is our 4th Foretravel. My wife designed the coach as she wanted and we love it. The service department has always done a superb job and they do it with a smile. I will not lie about the coach as for items failing, we have had them and I say if it is made by man it will fail, the difference in Foretravel and some others is Foretravel stands by theirs. Again if we can help please contact us. JIm Busby
Jim Busby
2015 IH

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #4 –
Jim maybe you should change the info below your name as it shows you own a 2009 Phenix
JohnH
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Jim Busby –
We have a 2015 IH and we have had it for 2 1'2 years. This is our 4th Foretravel. My wife designed the coach as she wanted and we love it.

Jim, had no idea when we got "the grand tour" of your coach (in Sarasota) that Dee had designed it, the lady has great taste, lots of attention to detail, and it's gorgeous. It's so nice that on the new ones, the factory allows you to start from scratch & create your own custom coach.....if I could, I'd go that route....very also impressed that Dee loves spending time behind the wheel too....I loved driving the IH-45, like a dream it was, though very large, it was oh-so-smooth. 

After fifty years of building these beautiful critters, FOT pretty much has got it down to a science, and an art!   

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #6 –
My expectation is that you will find the quality you are looking for, while I have not taken delivery of my IH yet many hours of research and climbing in around and through were spent prior to my ordering. As we all know, there are at least two vendors that manufacture each component. In my opinion foretravel chooses  to use the better suppliers not the cheapest. This will be our forth coach and while I do expect an early mortality of a few electrical components I don't think it will take long to get the bugs out and enjoy it for years to come.
Ahall
2018 ih 45

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #7 –
Dave,
I am a former owner of a 2012 IH 45. For the money that you are going to spend there are better options. Newell Coach and a Prevost convertor is a better choice then the IH 45. With those two options you will get a better manufactured and engineered coach. Also, you will receive better customer service and a 24 hour emergency contact. Even some of the Prevost convertors have their own 24 emergency contact number.
We sold our IH 45 because of poor customer service and marginal mechanical repairs at the factory. The Foretravel service department either missed items or they did not repair them to our satisfaction.
In early January I had the opportunity to test drive the 07 Newell Coach at MOT. This is the best driving/handling coach that I have had the opportunity to drive. The coach was quiet, rode and handle well. This Newell was a better driving coach then our IH 45 and it was 6 years older. I have test driven some Prevosts and they drive and ride better than the IH 45.
If your heart is set on a IH 45 take at least two test drives in the same coach. Make sure that one of the drives is at least 25 miles and goes over different terrain than the first drive. The front end on an IH 45 is heavy. If you buy a a 2012 - 2014 IH 45 be prepared to replace the front shocks around 50000 miles. Do not replace with Konis, but with Road King Shocks. Road Kings will improve the handling of the IH 45. Good Luck!

Reese
 

Re: Newbee Purchase of a Realm or IH-45

Reply #8 –
We also sold our U270 because of poor customer service and marginal mechanical repairs at the factory. We are now the proud owners of a 2005 Chinook Glacier 2500.
Larry
Larry and Terry
Ex 2004 U270 36'