Hello, new to the forum

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Hello, new to the forum

October 10, 2011, 01:59:41 pm

Hello everybody,

My wife and I (Rita and David) are new to the forum and hopefully we'll be Foretravel owner's soon. I wanted to take this opportunity to make an introduction, and see how my thinking lines up with the experiences of the Foretravel community.

Quick history; We live in Arizona and have owned a 28' travel trailer that we have towed with a 2008 Tahoe. Here in Phoenix we tend to get hot in the summer and we love to spend the weekends in the cool, higher elevations that are a short drive away. That has meant towing a heavy trailer up and up and up. As we have been towing up mountain roads we are often passed by people driving diesel pushers, so we have for some time thought that is the way to go. We sold our trailer yesterday, yeah!

In searching for the perfect (used) Motorhome we decided the things that are important to us are; Big motor, quality build, size (we don't want to go ever 40') and as high end as we can afford. We like creature comforts. The other consideration is our budget. I won't get too specific on that as we are trying to swing a deal at this time. Without getting into all the SOB's we've looked at you can see by list of things that are important to us why we believe Foretravel is the coach for us.

Now on to what I'm looking at today. I can find about 10 coaches for sale right now that I think would work for us, but I have narrowed things down to 3 that I think would be the best match. First is a 2004 U320 40' with a tandem rear axel and a 450 ISM Cummins, there are two of these models that I know of that are available now. Next is a 2005 U295 38' with a single rear axel and a 400 ISL Cummins. I should add that we will be towing a car, right now we have a 1999 Chevy Blazer and I hope to upgrade to a nice Jeep Wrangler as soon as Rita lets me, but thats another story. We will be weekend warriors with occasional jaunts to neighboring states, and will be doing a mix of dry camping and full hook ups. Our plan is to get something that we can enjoy for a good 15 years until we are both ready to retire. And one other thing, I have not ever set foot in a Foretravel, we plan to travel to Texas this weekend and give them a good going over.

So the questions I have are; Is there big difference in the way these two coaches will drive? I have not been able to find the specification for such things as tank sizes, is there a link to theses spec's? This is important to me because of the dry camping we will be doing.

I have also seen that there are some later model 40' Nimbus's with the 500 motor, 4 slides and all the modern gee gaws that have recently sold that are about 20 to 30% higher priced. This would be a stretch for our budget, but if one these would be much better, I would consider it depending on availability. Mostly I feel that this would be over kill for the weekend warrior's that we are. So any thoughts on this subject are welcome.

So I just wanted to say hello, and solicit any advice or suggestions on the subject at hand.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #1 – October 10, 2011, 02:38:07 pm

Rita and David,

Take your time shopping around. You did not say how many of you there are. When we started looking, we checked out all the RVs with slides first and did not consider a non-slider. As we did more research and a lot of walk-throughs, we found the 102" U300 to be a perfect match for the three of us (huge dog). We are almost 100% dry campers. A lot of slide outs can make access to parts of the coach difficult while under way. Also is a maintenance factor as they can fail at the worst times. On the other hand, having kids onboard makes the extra space really nice and lowers the stress factor. Would not neglect the 36 footers as they can get into a lot of National Parks and campsites that don't do 40 footers, especially important here in the west.

This is a buyer's market and will continue to be that way for a long time (my opinion). DeMartini RV is located here in town and has a lot of fly-in customers. They specialize in late repossessions and out of business manufactures. As you see, they have acres of repo units at their facility. Good to check their website at : DeMartini RV Sales, Recreational vehicles (RVs), Holiday Rambler, Holiday Gives you an idea of prices. Lately, their lot is even fuller than the photos and business is slow. Used Foretravels should be in this price range but are a step above most of these quality wise. Plus, they don't have a great support forum like we do!

If you intend to keep it for 15 years, I would want to store it indoors in the Phoenix climate.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #2 – October 10, 2011, 03:18:38 pm

Quote from: surfndav – October 10, 2011, 01:59:41 pm

My wife and I (Rita and David) are new to the forum and hopefully we'll be Foretravel owner's soon

Without getting into all the SOB's we've looked at you can see by list of things that are important to us why we believe Foretravel is the coach for us.

Welcome to ForeForums and congrats on being so wise in your choice of motorhome!

Quote

So the questions I have are; Is there big difference in the way these two coaches will drive? I have not been able to find the specification for such things as tank sizes, is there a link to theses spec's? This is important to me because of the dry camping we will be doing.

Barry Brideau's fantastic website should have the answers on specs, etc. : Foretravel Specifications, Floor Plans, Photos & Brochures

Do take the time to look at all coaches, not just the few you are currently interested in. You may find in person that something completely different fits your style (we thought we wanted a private bath, absolutely loved the space of our walk-through one (which is private anyway if you close the pocket doors).

A couple of things to consider on tag vs. non tag axle. Non tag means 2 fewer tires you have to pay for. It also can mean less CCC (the tag will give you several thousand extra pounds of capacity). If the coach has a rear slide, I would strongly recommend a tag (one of our members checked out a 40' 2 slide all tile coach without a tag and found the remaining CCC was less that would work for his camping needs. Tag axle may make the engine batteries less accessible and you may have less basement storage, but both those depend on the specific coach.

If your weekend trip is to Nacogdoches (aka a pilgrimage to Mecca), keep in mind FOT and MOT are not open on weekends (unless perhaps by special appointment), so if you want to see inside coaches there, you might want to have at least one weekday in your trip plans. Also, around 10 AM a couple of days a week, FT gives factory tours through the sales department.

And be sure to visit with any forum members who might be at Camp FT while you're there - you can get the "inside scoop" from real owners and put faces with names.

Michelle

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #3 – October 10, 2011, 03:32:32 pm

Dave,

Check your Private Messages. I know of a beautiful 2002 now on the market. If you don't know how to retrieve your Private Messages, send me a note here.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #4 – October 10, 2011, 05:16:30 pm

And be advised there is a third Dealer on the Loop in Nacodoches, Encore Motorhomes, owned by Robert and Jeannie McGrath. Smaller dealer than FOT or MOT, but be sure and look!

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #5 – October 10, 2011, 05:46:23 pm

Quote from: surfndav – October 10, 2011, 01:59:41 pm

I have also seen that there are some later model 40' Nimbus's with the 500 motor, 4 slides and all the modern gee gaws that have recently sold that are about 20 to 30% higher priced.

If the 500hp is a factor in your consideration, keep in mind that most of the newer coaches also are much heavier, particularly those with multiple slides. Many of our members divide the GVW or Curb Weight by the horsepower (lbs/horsepower) to get a perspective on how the coach will perform.

As you can see from the age of my coach, many of us prefer the simplicity and economy of the older coaches even for full time use.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #6 – October 10, 2011, 07:03:51 pm

Towing/carrying capacity is significantly improved with a tag. Under storage is reduced, which can be a concern for full timers. I think someone already passed up that 38 because of low CCC. with a slide or two, things get skinny fast.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #7 – October 10, 2011, 08:16:11 pm

Dave,
Everyone has the better idea, for me, I purchased a 36' 2001 U320, It has the Cummins ISM 450hp @ 1450 ft lb. So I removed the large restrictive muffler and installed a Walker Resonator 5" straight thru, then took to Cummins, had had the ISM raised to the 500 hp @ 1550 ft lb with their blessing, took new bypass turbo and new ECM programming plus had to add device to intake manifold so the ECM could control the turbo pressure. End result, feels like 100 hp for sure, but now drive it like a car or pickup, never need WOT or WFO, it just gets with the program the way I hoped it would.
Tow rating 10 K. 4500 lb pickup is not there until you look in mirror.
If you like power, this combo & weight make all other coaches feel like tied to a stump.
Last coach, I had a 12V-71TT in it for awhile.

Small note: The ISM is the smallest engine Cummins calls Heavy Duty, the B, C, ISB, ISC, ISL are called medium duty.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #8 – October 10, 2011, 08:35:34 pm

I think he meant to say raised, but RAIDED does sound better...

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #9 – October 10, 2011, 08:49:30 pm

Tnx, I needed that, English / spelling was not my best subject.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #10 – October 11, 2011, 12:31:48 am

Thanks for all the responses, I now have even more to think about. And that's a good thing.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #11 – October 11, 2011, 12:39:45 am

I do have one question for Kent Speers about the horse power to weight ratio. What is a good number? A simple number would be if you had a 40,000lb coach and 400 horse power, you would have 1 hp per 100lb. Am I getting that right? I know the torque comes into play also, but just to keep it simple lets stick to hp/lb's.
Thanks again.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #12 – October 11, 2011, 04:18:15 am

I have had three FT one a 34 foot with 350 ISC and then a 36foot none slide 450 and now a 42 foot double slide with a450 Ism too. They all were or are fine and will pull your tow great. I have putwell over 300k miles on the three coaches travling in everything from sand blown across the road to water to snow to mountains. I will say one thing I live on the 42 foot is three ac units. Makes cooling down in tne hot summer a breeze. Get the tag,more ccc and better directional stability in high winds of the midwest.

And welcome to the forum. It is a wonderful place where you will meet great people and then see them face to face on the road or in service or at rallies.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #13 – October 11, 2011, 09:08:25 am

Dave, I am no expert on power requirements. There was a recent discussion of power to weight ratio on the forum so I think you will get responses from members more knowledgeable than me.

However, based on my limited experience, my coach has a 350hp engine and a GVW of 30,000 lbs. Based on your description of your desire for hill climbing power I don't think you would want anything less than what I have. I have driven a 40 foot, 1997 U320 with the Cummins M11 450hp and it felt more than adequate.

Let's see what other members say.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #14 – October 11, 2011, 09:21:09 am

Welcome! Please search the archives for the importance of complete service records, periods of time in storage and storage prep, age of batteries and tires, etc. Frequently we find that the condition of a coach trumps the lack of a specific feature.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #15 – October 11, 2011, 09:58:10 pm

Quote from: surfndav – October 11, 2011, 12:39:45 am

I do have one question for Kent Speers about the horse power to weight ratio. What is a good number? A simple number would be if you had a 40,000lb coach and 400 horse power, you would have 1 hp per 100lb. Am I getting that right? I know the torque comes into play also, but just to keep it simple lets stick to hp/lb's.
Thanks again.

I threw out some weight/horsepower ratios a few days ago. They were very rough estimates based on published horsepower for an engine and measured weight of a combination including a loaded coach and towed vehicle. Less than 100#/HP seems adequate. Our rig is somewhere around 92-99#/hp. It is adequate. Most Foretravels will be fine with a reasonable load and towed vehicle. If you plan to tow something more than 5,000#, you should pay close attention to capacities for hitch, gross combination weight, and measured weights of all your vehicles.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #16 – October 12, 2011, 11:29:28 am

We have weighted, and know our old U-225 has 93#/hp, and runs down the road just fine after 18 years, and three owners. Towing a small bike trailer and one bike that number goes up to 97#/hp, not a problem. We have towed the Avalanche 800 miles for work, and know it is too heavy, and are looking for another solution. With that load we jump up to 119#/hp. Not so good, but doable in flat TX. Not something we would attempt do in the mountains where we will just disconnect and each drive one vehicle. Kent towed his Subaru many a mile with the coach before us, we do need a downsized toad, or just enjoy the bike on a trailer.

Interesting to see how much the weight of the coaches has climbed, and how the horse power as well, not sure which came first, power or weight?

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #17 – October 12, 2011, 11:51:09 am

Quote from: Dave and Dolly Cobb – October 12, 2011, 11:29:28 am

... Towing a small bike trailer and one bike ... or just enjoy the bike on a trailer.

Are you able to fit two adults AND a border collie on the R1200?

I have towed my motorcycles in a trailer behind the FT when going to a motorcycle training session, but it leaves no option for taking our 65# black mouth cur with us on local jaunts. The Jeep has served us well as a towed vehicle.

Your experience with different wt/hp ratios provides a great values for comparison.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #18 – October 12, 2011, 03:17:13 pm

Dave, Assuming you are interested in performance, A picture of my setup
2001 U320, ISM was a 450hp@1450 ftlb, now 500hp@1550 ftlb. Point is the weight to power is 70 lb per hp and 22.54 lb per ftlb. The coach is right at 30K pickup with ATV under 5k.
This gets it done correctly.
Everything else is less in get up and go including the 45' Phenix and IH45 with the 650 hp @ 1950 ftlb due to the weight. Check it out.
Cheers and good luck at the drag racing, been there also with a A/G in mid sixties.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #19 – October 12, 2011, 06:47:43 pm

Well, the wife and I really fit well on the bike, Clair, not so well, might need a behind the bike dog trailer next. And it may pain us more than her when we leave her in the coach. She naps and we can often find a nice warm space where she was napping when we return. She favors the queen bed, and it's high vantage point, or we find her sitting in the driver's seat ready to head out.

As to having more power, wow, who would not want more. Know I would. But in talking to several much more experienced owners, most suggest the power just gets you to the campsite 30 minutes sooner each day. Have the info about a Banks system, would boost us from 230 to 300hp. Then I have to wonder what the next weakest link in the coach might be. Seems very expensive to up the hp. and start fixing the things we can over power.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #20 – October 12, 2011, 07:13:49 pm

Quote from: Dave and Dolly Cobb – October 12, 2011, 06:47:43 pm

... And it may pain us more than her when we leave her in the coach. She naps and we can often find a nice warm space where she was napping when we return. ...

... Have the info about a Banks system, would boost us from 230 to 300hp. Then I have to wonder what the next weakest link in the coach might be. ...

We put iCam on our MacBooks and iPhones. Sometimes we leave the MacBooks placed to monitor the coach while we are gone. Our dog spends most of her time sleeping in her crate or on the floor near the sofa. She moves about some, but is not a climber or "furniture dog." She would rather go with us, but seems to do well by herself. We generally try not to leave her alone in the coach more than four hours. She seems to enjoy traveling because she has us very close by for long periods of time. She also gets to explore smells and sights in lots of new places.

The Banks Stinger was on our coach when we bought it. I generally stick with stock configurations. That's a safe and conservative approach.

Dave M implemented a big HP boost on his coach, but only with the help of Cummins. My understanding is that he also verified that all other components were robust enough to handle the power.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #21 – October 12, 2011, 07:28:57 pm

Stock engine will work for us, and it has pushed the coach over 106,000 miles so far for others. Do wish I had a photo of us passing a Prevost last week on I-20 in east TX, us towing the bike. He must have been trying for better mileage, and just running slow. Dolly looked up and was surprise we were actually passing something!

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #22 – October 12, 2011, 07:49:34 pm

Not trying to bore everyone on dumb stuff that makes me smile. I am currently headed to Nac/Xtreme/MOT, currently at Wally World Cleveland Tn.

Info update, On Afton Mtn, I-64 Va, standard ISM450 not towing, would run up at 62 mph max.
On this trip towing the F150 Ford p/u, set cruise at 70, started up the step part, dropped to 68 and 5th gear, after about a mile the grade gets slightly less, went back to 70 and 6th gear. That Mtn is like my chassis dyno. Tells me a lot, of course the resonator helped about 3" boost alone, stock 26" this climb was mostly at 31" but backed down to 28 after got back in 6th at 70, Torque up to 1540 ft lb. per VMSpc.
Yup, I do like it. Oh, also getting 8.2 mpg so far at 75 mph after 470.6 miles.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #23 – October 12, 2011, 11:38:35 pm

Dave M, that set up you have sounds good. If I end up with a 450 ISM, I'll have to look into upping the power. The truth of the matter is, Rita is the power hog. She grew up on a flat piece of desert land in Apache Junction AZ, where her family lived in a mobile home while her dad built a batch plant and ran a small trucking company from the home stead. But that trucker blood runs deep, and she say's she needs the power. I probably wont get to drive much....that's fine for me though. (even when I drive I have to do it her way anyway)

So, we got good news from the bank today. The Foretravel dream is getting closer.

Re: Hello, new to the forum

Reply #24 – October 15, 2011, 01:03:35 pm

We just purchased a 2001 U320 from Texas and drove it back home to British Columbia, Canada in 6 days... The coach drove like a car. We went through every imaginable terrain, mountains, prairie, wasteland, heat, cold. We had a Newmar before but this rig handles like a dream. Look at coach with Independent Front Suspension, you won't regret it. Good luck in your hunt.

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