2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

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2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

April 11, 2012, 05:48:55 pm

Hello Everybody,

I have been searching for a used FT for a long time and I found there is one at Motor Home Specialists, Texas. It is a green 2003 U295 3820 w/2 slides. It seems that this unit has been there for couple of years and it sounds strange to me for a FT being for sale for so long.

Does anybody know whether this is somehow a troubled unit? Is it priced too much for actual market or else or it did not find a new owner, just as simple as that?

I had a look of the pics and seems to be apparently well maintained, not so many miles, equipped with Aqua-hot, etc.

Thanks for any help.

Steve

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #1 – April 11, 2012, 06:00:40 pm

Does it have tag axle? At 38 ft. and two slides, it would be a good idea. If it does not have a tag, there's your answer.
Peter

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #2 – April 11, 2012, 06:09:29 pm

It does not need a tag on the 295 or the 270 the M11 is significantly heavier than the ISL and ISC.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #3 – April 11, 2012, 06:10:43 pm

Well, no tag axle. Frankly speaking I do not get the point. If it has to do with riding and stability on the road there are many 40 footer with no tag axle, otherwise I'd be grateful if you could explain a bit more in deep.

Steve

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #4 – April 11, 2012, 06:18:03 pm

The ISM is 2260 and the ISL is 1695 and these are dry weights they are heavier wet and the ISX is 2964. Also the smaller engines use the allison 3000 vs the 4000. the 3000 is 615lbs and the 4000 is 906lbs so you have the need for a tag if you start putting all that extra weight behind the axle and add a slide room. They are making a 38 foot double slide with no tag right now still. That should not sway you if you like everything else. That being said, I like my tag and want one on my next coach as well.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #5 – April 11, 2012, 06:19:36 pm

The tag adds some directional stability and it cost more to replace tires, brakes and the rest. It is a benefit in some coaches but it is determined by weight rather than length whether you have one.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #6 – April 11, 2012, 06:20:02 pm

Steve,
To be fair, you need to check out the details such as CCC of the coach. Weighing is recommended. Test driving is a must remembering that you'll be driving an unloaded coach. Your personal situation takes care of the storage requirements based on the CCC.

Peter

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #7 – April 11, 2012, 06:50:03 pm

John, Peter,

Thank you, then if I well understand the whole point is that the coach might need a tag axle because of weight issues. Then why Foretravel offered and still offers 38 footer double slide if this can turn to stability problem while driving?

Steve

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #8 – April 11, 2012, 07:02:00 pm

My coach is a single slide sister of the one you are looking at. It is also 2003 38' and a U295 with no tag axle. I consider the handling and stability to be as good as it gets, however, I have never driven a tag axle coach. A tag axle will buy you more weight carrying capacity, but at a cost of storage bay capacity. With a tag you can carry less volume and more weight, great for lugging gold bars, not so great for ping pong balls.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #9 – April 11, 2012, 07:18:05 pm

See sig. Only have 6k miles on mine in 6 months so far, but I have no complaints from a weight/handling perspective. Previous Owner must not have had too many issues either as they rang up 50k in less than 6 yrs.

I did see the coach listed in the first post 2 years ago at MOT. It was priced over comparables on the market at that time so that may be one reason it has been for sale for so long.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #10 – April 11, 2012, 07:30:37 pm

Quote from: Tom Lang – April 11, 2012, 07:02:00 pm

My coach is a single slide sister of the one you are looking at. It is also 2003 38' and a U295 with no tag axle. I consider the handling and stability to be as good as it gets, however, I have never driven a tag axle coach. A tag axle will buy you more weight carrying capacity, but at a cost of storage bay capacity. With a tag you can carry less volume and more weight, great for lugging gold bars, not so great for ping pong balls.

Tom said it all. As for me, I don't have to worry about the gold bars...

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #11 – April 11, 2012, 07:41:26 pm

Setting on A dealers lot for several years ? There has to be A problem . Most likly ,[over-priced] If it has other problems they should show up to where you could notice them . Just A brain rattle------Brad Metzger

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #12 – April 11, 2012, 08:57:44 pm

It also could be the floor plan, if it is the one I am thinking of it has a mid entry door and a bath tub which my wife really liked, but I did not want a mid entry due to in the future of trying to resell it as most people do not want a mid entry. Good luck with your hunt.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #13 – April 11, 2012, 08:59:38 pm

This is an unusual coach for a several reasons. First, the color (green) is not common. Second, it has a mid-entry. Third, a 38 foot coach is a bit unusual. I think we saw this coach at MOT when we were looking for our coach back in fall of 2009. It was priced at about $168K, but I could be wrong on that. Whatever the price, I do remember it was overpriced and the seller would not come down at that time. I think it sat on the MOT lot for quite awhile. Maybe they can shed some light on it. As I recall, it seemed to be a good clean coach. Since it was out of our price range, we didn't look at it in detail.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #14 – April 11, 2012, 09:35:53 pm

Quote from: George Hatfield – April 11, 2012, 08:59:38 pm

... I think we saw this coach at MOT when we were looking for our coach back in fall of 2009. ...

I think we saw the same coach at MOT. It was there a long time. My recollection is that it had a small bathtub, wooden window blinds, and probably a few other "special" items. It was beyond our price range as well.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #15 – April 11, 2012, 10:52:13 pm

Donna and I looked at this coach when it was in Houston at PPL in late 2010. I had been watching the coach when it was at MHS and it was listed at for some where around $161,000.
We were impressed with the craftsmanship, as it was our first look at a FT.
I was leery of the coach because it had not sold at MHS and was now at PPL. I do remember a fuel leak in the Aqua-Hot area and was just not comfortable with the way the coach looked as far as mechanical upkeep. Unsure mainly due to the fact that I had been watching the coach for a long time, at two places. We did not know quite what to look for then, or where to go for help, as we do now! (Thanks to this Forum)
Not long after we saw it at PPL it was back at MHS, and the price had been dropped.
I am glad you asked this question because I have wondered for a long time! (What and Why)
I do wonder if the reason for it not selling is that it is a consignment coach? It has been out there a long time.

Hope you can get the answers you need!

Barry & Donna

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #16 – April 11, 2012, 10:57:11 pm

Quote from: George Hatfield – April 11, 2012, 08:59:38 pm

This is an unusual coach for a several reasons. First, the color (green) is not common. Second, it has a mid-entry. Third, a 38 foot coach is a bit unusual. I think we saw this coach at MOT when we were looking for our coach back in fall of 2009. It was priced at about $168K, but I could be wrong on that. Whatever the price, I do remember it was overpriced and the seller would not come down at that time. I think it sat on the MOT lot for quite awhile. Maybe they can shed some light on it. As I recall, it seemed to be a good clean coach. Since it was out of our price range, we didn't look at it in detail.

For the record, green is the most common color of the coaches. It was Marie Fore's favorite color and when they were making a stock coach, CM would make it green. They are mostly older coaches now and you are correct that the painted coaches have very few green ones.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #17 – April 11, 2012, 10:58:24 pm

Oh as the coach and the condition.
I would not be afraid of a coach if you got it for the right price. You can fix or replace anything that needs it and still have a great structure to work with. You have to get it at the right price though to make it work out.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #18 – April 13, 2012, 08:07:01 am

I noticed the coach is priced $ 138,000 right now at Motorhome Specialists. I am rather a beginner from this point of view. If we assume that the coach is basically all right (then apart from the comments of Barry and Donna with regard to fuel leakage in Aqua hot area which I do not have an idea what the price to fix it is), what could be a good market price for this specific unit?

Steve

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #19 – April 13, 2012, 09:14:45 am

That is indeed the coach I looked at over two years ago at Motorhomes of Texas. It is distinctive in many ways. It is the only Foretravel I have seen with wooden window blinds and a bathtub. It is also unusual for a U295 to have an AquaHot.

It was beyond our price range. The unit could have been bought and sold since I saw it over two years ago.

Steve, before you buy ANY coach, get an experienced, knowledgeable person to help you survey the coach. Search on this forum for PDI (pre delivery inspection). You will find lists of items to check. If you post a request for someone to help you perform a PDI, some folk will probably respond privately or via the forum.

I did not hire a person to help with a PDI on either of the two coaches I bought. Fortunately, both of them were priced fairly and we had no ugly surprises. The first coach was cheap enough that our risk was low. When we bought the Foretravel, we had enough experience to have some ideas of what to look for. My wife frequently comments that we would not appreciate the quality of the Foretravel nearly so much if we had not owned the popular brand SOB first.

Best wishes for a successful search.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #20 – April 13, 2012, 10:15:15 am

Hi Steve
I sent you an e-mail with information on how we calculated the recent purchase of our 2008 Nimbus from a dealer and the private sale of our 2001 U320...I thought it was too lengthy for this thread, so check out your "my messages" box.
Claire

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #21 – April 13, 2012, 10:33:04 am

I can't really comment on the price as that's a bit over what I'm able to afford at this time so haven't done any comps. I would suggest getting on 3-4 large sites such as RV Oodle, RV Trader, and using something like Search Tempest to try and find comparable units to see what they're priced at. If you decide the price is right, I would incorporate all fixes into the purchase price, therefore no need to worry about how much the Aqua Hot issue might cost if the problem still exists.

Quote from: inter_65 – April 13, 2012, 08:07:01 am

I noticed the coach is priced $ 138,000 right now at Motorhome Specialists. I am rather a beginner from this point of view. If we assume that the coach is basically all right (then apart from the comments of Barry and Donna with regard to fuel leakage in Aqua hot area which I do not have an idea what the price to fix it is), what could be a good market price for this specific unit?

Steve

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #22 – May 02, 2012, 08:11:07 am

looks like this U295 has made the rounds and is now back at it's birth place, FOT!

FOT sure has done a great job of cleaning her up. (Looking at pictures) She looks much better than when I saw her at PPL. We might need to make a trip for a second look!!

IMO the clean up alone will make this coach sell as well as the fact that she is at FOT and anything that needs to be tweaked can be done!
Hope she sells this go round, nice looking coach with lots of options.

Barry & Donna

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #23 – May 02, 2012, 08:54:50 am

I went to FOT website and checked out the photos and it does look nice. Agree that the mid entry is a put off for some but really should not be. I guess some just want the "bus" feel.

Re: 2003 U295 3820 at Motorhome Specialists

Reply #24 – May 02, 2012, 09:04:23 am

Mid entry has a huge benefit. No super high first step when you are on a site that is not perfectly level and you have to raise the front end to get it level. The mid door should be closer to the standard height on most sights. Also the kitchen is closer when carrying in bags.

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