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Topic: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300 (Read 1256 times) previous topic - next topic

Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

We are thinking of this coach.

1992 Silver Anniverrsary Foretravel U300 - eBay (item 290542112950 end time

I have researched floor plans and most everything I can think of so now it's over to the experts.

Any insights would be appreciated.

Keith & Joyce
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #1 –
Keith,

Check with Motor Homes of Texas in Nacogdoches.  They have a 1996 U295 listed for $47K which is so close to the asking of this coach as to be a no brainer if you can afford the $7K stretch.  I'll bet it can be purchased for even less.

That also tends to say the U300 is price pretty high.

Dave Head is pretty much up on what is the real value of the various Foretravel coaches.  Hopefully he will chime in with some good feedback for you.
Rudy Legett
2003 U320 4010 ISM 450 hp
2001 U320 4220 ISM 450 hp
1995 U320 M11 400 hp
1990 Granvilla 300 hp 3208T
Aqua Hot Service Houston and Southeast Texas

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #2 –
Keith Quoted: "We are thinking of this coach. 1992 Silver Anniverrsary Foretravel U300 "
Keith, in your research did you find out what transmission was in this coach? Also, does it have an exhaust brake, Jake brake, or possibly, a transmission retarder? Those are important things to know. The fact that it had to have a new Detroit diesel engine points toward the particular Detroit model that has issues. I don't remember the model number; Dave Head or Brett Wolfe will be able to provide that.

If it had a CAT engine, a price of $35K might be in the ball park. The interior quality is definitely there in a '92 U-300. The 40' length is an advantage, but without a transmission retarder, seller will be hard-pressed to justify/get $40K.
We have a '92 U-280, which has many (but not all) of the features present in that U-300., but with a Cummins C8.3, 300 hp; 146,000 miles and no issues. I would be surprised if that coach will sell for $10,000 more than would ours.
Don Hay
'92 Grandvilla, U-280
The Hayfever Express
Build #4055
'97 GEO Tracker
Life is like licking honey off a thorn.

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #3 –
I would check that VIN with the factory. All the Silver Anniversary models I know of had custom angled window frames. Good looking coach. I would say $30K max
The selected media item is not currently available. Dave Head & Megan Westbrook
Titusville, FL - The Great Outdoors
'98 270 buying this month
Toad is a 2018 F150 XLT

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #4 –
Any rear facing radiator is a large disadvantage, Hard to clean, can not get to engine, all engine work is up from underside or down under the bed.  Makes for difficult maintance on engine.
I am a DDA lover, but worry why this engine would need replaced so soon.
Not a warm fuzzy feeling, and frankly $20.000.00 would be too much for my taste.
FWIW

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #5 –
That same coach was for sale last Feb 2011 when I first started looking.  Know nothing about it, and can't remember what price was being asked.

It has the DD 6-92, aka "Silver 92".  Good, strong engine, but you can't baby them.  And you have to watch the oil and antifreeze.  I have only driven them with the 10 speed Roadranger transmission, and know nothing about them when mated with the Allison.  I doubt it is a brand new engine in it.  More likely a rebuild.  The "Silver 92" was a much better engine than the ordinary 92, did not leak oil like the older model.  Great torque pulling hills.  A lot of hills I would pull in 5th gear with the older 92s, I could pull in 7th gear with the Silver 92, and was grossing right at 80,000.  Company I worked for had a lot of them on the road pulling various petroleum tankers.
1994 U225
build #4514

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #6 –
Some of the rear radiator models have a side access panel.  SO you can get in and not have to go in from up top. Still harder than side radiator.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #7 –
I have a 93, U300 Silver 6V92 engine and I love it but I don't love the mileage, 6.7 mpg average. I also like the U300 very much and consider it one of the best Foretravels ever built. However, I would be very cautious since they are saying it has only 10,000 miles on the engine and a rebuilt tranny. There must be a reason why this very reliable engine/transmission combo had to be replace. My fear would be that either the coach sat for way too long which can ruin many of the systems or it was neglected which also would call into question many of the other systems.

Without many of these answers I agree with Dave's suggestion that the $20M range is more appropriate. With that said, I would not sell mine for $100K, but I know what I have.
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: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #8 –
Thank you for all the advice.  Great forum this is.

The owner said that the engine was rebuilt as the fan malfunctioned as he was going through a long single lane tunnel.  Rather than stop he kept going to the end.  Result one overheated engine.  He had the engine completely rebuilt at a shop that rebuilds the Detroit's for the Denver transit buses.

The transmission is an Allison HT 746 with push button control, 4 speed.

Unit has a Jake brake

I looked up the slanted windows and they were an option on the 25th anniversary model only.

The owner put a lot of money into the unit and I don't think he will want to come down much on the price but I will only offer what it's worth to me of course.
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #9 –
Keith and Joyce,

I have not driven in all of the mountainous states, but I've never encountered a long single lane tunnel.  Hmmmmmmm. 
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #10 –
TUNNEL=whitter,Ak
Gary & Sharon Karnes
1999 295 WTFE 3600

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #11 –
I meant a 2 lane.  I am English and where I am from we go by each side.  A one lane road is a single track.  A 4 lane divided highway is a dual carriage way.

Perhaps I should learn the language as my American wife suggests!

Keith

England and America are two countries separated by a common language.
--George Bernard Shaw
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Rudy –
Keith,

Check with Motor Homes of Texas in Nacogdoches.  They have a 1996 U295 listed for $47K which is so close to the asking of this coach as to be a no brainer if you can afford the $7K stretch.  I'll bet it can be purchased for even less.

That also tends to say the U300 is price pretty high.

Dave Head is pretty much up on what is the real value of the various Foretravel coaches.  Hopefully he will chime in with some good feedback for you.

We highly agree with Rudy. . .we bought ours from MoT; and, not only was she immaculate, the price was right for us; and "The Burrow" had everything working perfectly when we drove her away.  Nice folks at MoT, and Service Manager Mike Rogers will give you 10% off service on coaches bought from MoT.

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #13 –
Have almost the same model, a 93' U300 but 36 feet. My radiator is side mount. The 6V-92TA is a bullet proof engine. The computer shuts it down when it gets hot, looses oil pressure, etc. and with the Allison auto (not that I like automatics) it is hard for even an idiot to abuse. Super easy to prime if you run it out of fuel. The first 92 series did have some problems but that was cured long before your 92 model. Millions of busses around the world use this engine with great success. They don't leak a drop of oil unlike what you may hear. These stories are for the older 71 series mounted at an angle in GM busses and with tin valve covers (that leaked everywhere). Might want to know more about the "Tunnel" story. The computer should have shut it down long before any engine damage UNLESS the driver pushed the override switch. I have been driving Detroits since 1967 in the fire service. Instant start (w/o engine heat) and petal to the metal (cold start, middle of the night stuff)  after a couple of seconds out to the 2400 rpm redline in each gear responding to emergencies without a complaint or failure in all those years. If Detroits were human, they would love S&M.

Ours gets from 6 to almost 13 mpg depending on speed, terrain, urban or rural. Heading to San Francisco from the foothills of the Sierras at 55 mph and 110 lbs. cold in the tires, the fuel gauge barely moves in the the 120 miles. City driving really knocks it down though. Drop Bill Chaplin a note and he can send you his Excel file that goes into great detail about fuel mileage under all conditions and speeds. His fuel mileage is about what we get under the same conditions. We are 4 feet shorter and travel light most of the time. His documentation is super well done.

Detroit Jake brakes work really well at all speeds. Nice in 4th gear on long downgrades. We used second gear heading down a long 10 percent grade (with RAV4 behind) into Jackson, WY using mostly Jake brake without heating our service brakes and not holding up traffic. You don't really need a transmission retarder. Again, get a second opinion from Bill.

I have talked to owners of the big block, 40+ thousand pound 450 hp motorhomes. They are looking at 6 mpg with city driving dropping it into the 3+ range.

Value: Low mileage, good shape should be able to buy for low $20Ks. If you find one like Bill Chaplin's that has always been inside and is in new condition, naturally it would be worth more.

Good luck,

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

Re: Advice Needed on a 1992 Silver Anniversaru U300

Reply #14 –
     Walk away , you can do much better . Price too much . Mechanicals don't add up .
Brad Metzger
2010 Phenix 45'