Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

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Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

November 11, 2013, 02:27:00 pm

Do any of you fine people know anything about this 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Special Edition?
It looks like a pretty good deal to me. I'm in Southern California so I'm hoping to get some inside information before taking a trip to Dallas.

1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome, Arlington TX - 110532993 - RVTrader.com

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #1 – November 11, 2013, 03:39:34 pm

Greg,

Just from looking at the photos, it looks to be in good shape. Generally, if it is from a northern state, it will have some telltale light rust or corrosion you can see in the generator and propane tank areas that may indicate problems underneath. Nothing showing here. Have the owner shoot you some hi-res photos of the bulkheads front and back and from both sides. Engine shot from above and the back would be good A photo of the isolator panel is also a good indication of condition as it gets a lot of moisture in it's exposed location.

Interior looks good but would want to have better photos of the driver and passenger seats, especially the arm rests. They go first. The seats are NOT leather as Foretravel uses a add-on name in front of leather like so many others do.

A '94 is a good rig with lots of nice things like the headliner compared to earlier models. 102" is also nice. Good to have a roof shot and ask about storage, cracks, leaks (can usually spot discolored headliner in the upper compartments).

Fridge is probably getting near the end of it's life. How about photos of the airbags at the bottom where they face the tires? Roof AC is getting up there too. Tire age info?

Love ours. Would hop on the next plane and make a lower offer if photos are good. Bought ours over the phone with lots of photos sent. And a lot further away than this one.

Photos make anything look better than it is so make sure they are high resolution.

Pierce

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #2 – November 11, 2013, 04:04:40 pm

Always ck the age of the tires and the batteries as they are expensive to replace. Tv up grades and antenna for Sat is important. See if they have some history on this coach.
DAN

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #3 – November 11, 2013, 11:19:32 pm

Pierce & Dan,

Thank you for your reply's. I will ask the owner for more pictures, tire and battery ages and the like.
Thanks again

Greg

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #4 – November 12, 2013, 08:03:52 am

It's not a currently-active MC number (9333). Being in Arlington, I wonder if either the Cobbs or Bill Chaplin have ever come across the coach/owner?

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #5 – November 12, 2013, 09:05:54 am

Looked at this coach 3 weeks ago.
Inside stored since they bought it in 2003. Nose faces west, barn a little short, tarp dropped from roof to cover. Nose decals aged, but sides looked really good, simple fix.

Tires that I could read, 2003.

Fridge was on, cold and colder.

Interior in very nice condition fabrics, woods, seats not sticky.

Some options very special, like drawer dishwasher.

Service records since new, 3-4" of them in files. FOT service as coach was in LA, or TX. I don't think money was ever an issue.

Engine, hoses and belts looked good, ages?
Rear bulkhead not jacked open, coach was on gravel and only could see passenger side.
Coach was close to driver wall, but I squeezed along side to see what I could.
Aqua Hot on, shore power on, did not run AC's. No smoke or odors.

Widow wants it gone. Good memories of the past. A good starter coach at today's market for such size, quality, and conditions. Tires a huge expense day one, beyond that, might be a solid platform, surely worth a look.

If I were still in my U225, I would upgrade to it today, if I wanted a 40, and it fit in Bill's warehouse. But I have my dream 36'er mid door now since April.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #6 – November 12, 2013, 02:42:17 pm

Some might consider it a starter coach but if we had a million bucks to spend on a coach, we would keep the one we have. That's how much we like it.

Dave mentions the tires are at 10 years. Expense for 6 new from $1700 to $4000 depending on what you think you need. Air bags $150+ each. We are heading into winter and the market is even slower than it has been. To me, it's about a $20,000 coach and cash is king. The fading, age of tires, lack of financing, etc. are all negotiating items. Lots of people will view the ads but few can actually write a check.

My point of view.

Pierce

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #7 – November 12, 2013, 04:10:29 pm

I have almost the identical coach and LOVE IT!

You can't buy much for $ 37,000. dollars today. As with any machinery it will need to be maintained and upgraded, but the foundation is there. In my opinion $ 30,000. to $ 34,000. would be a fair price to offer, These "GRANDVILLA's" are head turners and rock solid.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #8 – November 12, 2013, 05:31:35 pm

It looks very much like our coach, too. We had to replace four tires since they were 10 years older than what the seller thought they were. The refrigerator was working when we looked at it, or so it seemed, but it had died by the time we bought it. We're in the process of replacing it with a residential unit. The rear furnace also died, and we replaced it. The front one seems to be going, too, so that's coming. Twenty-year-old coaches need things replaced, and we knew that going in.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #9 – November 13, 2013, 02:05:15 am

Dave,
Wow, how great that you have already looked at this coach. Thank you for the updates on its condition.

Pierce,
I know how you love your coach and really you are one of the main reason I'm looking at this vintage.

Gerry,
Thank you for your input also. These "GRANDVILLA's" sure are head turners.

David,
Thank you also for your input. I'm budgeting an extra 10K to 20K for must haves like tires and batteries, and upgrades such as Flat screen TV's and such. Of course this will affect the initial price of the coach!

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #10 – November 13, 2013, 06:37:22 am

Greg, Grandvillas sure do turn heads. This one sounds like it has been well taken care of, sounds like the 10-20k you have budgeted for repairs/upgrades should more than take care of any issues. Just remember 20 year old motorhomes turn into hobbies fairly quickly (I have one that I am just starting the upgrade process on), but Foretravels are a solid foundation, and we still have factory support. Also you need to see if the factory manuals are still with the coach, it sure helps when trying to figure things out. Good luck

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #11 – November 13, 2013, 08:08:00 am

Good point about the factory manuals, and they are all there! The drawer under the driver was full of the service tickets from the two owners. Everything I opened, or tried worked. As I said I did not try the AC units.

But my thoughts are, some things on these classics are what I call one day dollar events.
Such as AC units are in stock, easy labor, same with tires, batteries, TV upgrades, and refer. You shop the price and get it done, pay the bill and drive away. Service can be caught up, and is an ongoing project that you might never complete.

What can cost is interior fabrics, and exterior paint projects. Those are many coach bucks and weeks or more of lost time that you could be enjoying your coach. My two coaches were both outside coaches with faded decals, and expensive to restore, from $4K to $20K. The metal on the ZeeDee awnings can be shiny new to dulled by the elements and just beyond any logical cost to bring back to new.

It is hard to begin to really understand how these coaches that were over $300,000 new can be selling for $ .10 to .15 cents on the dollar are not a great valve today. For the asking price of almost 30,000# of coach you could not buy a new Surburban. Have your reserve $10K in your old shoe box to put into the safe, go buy you dream, and get going down the road to all the adventures that await.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #12 – November 13, 2013, 11:12:58 am

Well Put Dave, Well put!!

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #13 – November 13, 2013, 01:15:48 pm

Dave,

From an excellent Mercedes to a Foretravel, a 1994 model is going to fetch only about $0.06 on the dollar if you are a savvy shopper. Some more, some less. They are very sophisticated vehicles and if taken to the dealer, a $10,000 reserve can be gone in a day. For some, the highest cost will be insurance and fuel, for others, that's just the start. Anyone buying a vehicle this old should have DIY capability in order to get the benefits of a great vehicle without breaking the bank. While my business for years was Mercedes, I have to constantly search MBZ forums in order to keep our instrument panel from looking like Apollo 13 each time I start it. The same for our Foretravels. With our forum, even someone of moderate means can enjoy a great RV with just a little reading and mechanical ability. A bit of resourcefulness as well as thinking outside the box helps too. For others, security is only a Visa card away. Not making any judgements here!

Having someone like Dave Cobb take a look at an advertised rig can lessen the chances of a big surprise but never totally eliminate it. So, for a first time Foretravel buyer, a checklist is in order starting with a RV show and ending with verification of title with a thousand items between. When some items are missing or not as they seem, the risk goes up a little but is always there no matter how careful you are. As many have experienced, even a new coach is no guarantee of smooth sailing ahead.

Loosely quoting Dave M. " the cost of fuel is the cheapest item in RV ownership." Sorry Dave, very loosely quoted.

Pierce

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #14 – November 13, 2013, 03:01:49 pm

And to add what another RV friend say one day, "Dave, you don't have a budget, you have a motorhome". He was so right, and I moved on with the repair needed of course, the cost did not mater.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #15 – November 13, 2013, 07:00:36 pm

Quote from: Bill Chaplin – November 13, 2013, 11:12:58 am

Well Put Dave, Well put!!

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #16 – November 13, 2013, 07:09:09 pm

Expensive hobby....

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #17 – November 13, 2013, 07:44:51 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – November 12, 2013, 02:42:17 pm

Some might consider it a starter coach but if we had a million bucks to spend on a coach, we would keep the one we have. That's how much we like it.

Dave mentions the tires are at 10 years. Expense for 6 new from $1700 to $4000 depending on what you think you need. Air bags $150+ each. We are heading into winter and the market is even slower than it has been. To me, it's about a $20,000 coach and cash is king. The fading, age of tires, lack of financing, etc. are all negotiating items. Lots of people will view the ads but few can actually write a check.

My point of view.

Pierce

Pierce, we usually agree on most subjects but I think the value of this coach is quite a bit higher. My best guest is $30,000 plus. The interior looks like it needs no updates so if everything else is OK its pricing looks pretty reasonable to me. If I didn't have the one I have I would probably take a go at it.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #18 – November 13, 2013, 08:11:15 pm

I agree on $30k plus... or minus... depending upon the needs of the seller. It's a beautiful RV and since we paid just under $20k for our U225 at what was almost the bottom of the market, this coach should be quite a bit more.

Craig

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #19 – November 13, 2013, 10:24:20 pm

Having had a 300D, and a 450SL mercedes, my experience was just the opposite with my Foretravel. Pierce, you and I are both pilots, and yes a new Baron is over $1M and you can buy a used one for $75K, but the maintenance costs are the same or more on the older one. Ouch. Same with my Mercedes, I couldn't drive by the dealership for $500 it seemed, and pulling onto the lot was at least $1,000 and that was ten years ago.

Yes, a Foretravel has some very expensive bits in the engine and transmission, but searching the archives would suggest very few catastrophic expensive failures in the great majority of the ForFums members.

Take an older coach. Check out the bulkheads well, assume windshields are fine, look for records to prove routine maintenance was taken care of.

$$$ Items if and when needed

Tires - $3,600?
Refrigerator when needed - $2,0000 - $3,500 (if switching to residential)
Batteries Chassis - 3 x $150
Batteries House - 2 or 3 x $450

If the rest of the stuff is working when purchased, it will probably work for a while, especially if no slide and propane heat vs. aqua-hot (although I would never be without either right now)

Big dollar items after above
Air conditioners if they go out
TV's if not upgraded
Inverter/charger if it dies

If you did all the above it wouldn't be $10,000 at MOT

then you are down to interior and exterior cosmetics, and from the looks of the coach the interior is pretty nice.

$30,000 would be a good deal, with $10,000 in the bank for almost any buyer.

As for booats, airplanes and Mercedes, a whole lot different. FT's aren't for the meek of heart, but I would rather maintain a 20 year old FT, than a 20 year old airplane or Mercedes any day.

Your mileage may vary.....

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #20 – November 14, 2013, 12:41:46 am

From what I know now, and when I comparing to other brands "10 years and younger", although few may not agree, my 94/U225 for 20K+upgrades/updates @ about 27K now and by Christmas 29K or so is worth every penny; I would not sell it for less than 30K, just as long as health and prosperity provides good days. Now it may not have buyers at 30K then again it is not for sale

In my opinion decent looking, running DP Foretravel with some history like this 94 should start @ 30K+ But then again I have seen one too many times folks do give it away when their circumstances change especial with unfortunate health issues. It makes me very sad when I come to know this kind of situations, always hope everyone can enjoy this toy and a long term home for many, in good health and when time comes they find good homes for their next owners to enjoy.
I sure hope our economy will get stronger and our FT's will even worth more as they should. There are few good ones, IMO including this one and Gary's in the mid 30K and they are worth more than that. If you ask me if you really want one and ready for it, get one of these while they are available and very reasonable priced. To be honest I am surprised Gary's (with so much known history) is still for sale. I suppose it is the end of the year and holidays are coming. Probably more FT's will change hands at the end or around first quarter of next year.
Good luck. enjoy the process it is fun especially when you have this many supporters and help on your side :-)

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #21 – November 14, 2013, 02:25:20 am

I want to thank you all for taking time to help me in this journey. All of your inputs are appreciated. I really appreciate the estimates of upgrade cost along with the must haves. I am pretty handy with tools and electronics so I should be able to save some money there. I don't own the really big wrenches that look necessary for this kind of operation but I will enjoy purchasing them. More tools More Fun!! Please continue your inputs and I will listen to all of them.

Thanks again
Greg Kemper

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #22 – November 14, 2013, 08:17:46 am

Greg, Don't worry about the BIG WRENCHES if you own a FT. Most of the jobs that require those will also require a shop that can do the work. Mine has been shopped for few things, rear brakes, fuel injection pump and lift pump, windshield replacement, other than those I had all the tools that I needed. What I lack is physical ability now. I see no reason why the average owner cannot get by with just the normal set of hand tools plus a VOM, wire stripper and a trouble light.
Gary B

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #23 – November 14, 2013, 09:55:36 am

If you cannot justify buying this Foretravel, then there are very few that you can.

Re: Looking at 1994 Foretravel Grand Villa Unihome

Reply #24 – November 14, 2013, 10:48:21 am

Tim,

Exactly my point about the Mercedes, Beech Baron, Foretravel ownership. I remember replacing a Lear 24 windshield back in 1980. Just the right side part was $22K (FBO cost) not including UPS. Got to be a DIYer and even then, there can be surprises.

Kent and Craig, I always look at the vehicle price from a buyer's point of view. In one of my careers, I had a partner who was the king of schmooze. He could go into someone's house or office, make small talk for a few minutes while checking photos, body language and when it was time to talk price, he had them completely on his side. In Europe, it's considered bad form to meet a client and immediately get to the price without socializing a bit. I learned a few tips but was never able to master the art. In the early years, dealing with Gypsies, Israelis, Arabs and Persians always left me with my tail between my legs. The Germans were a piece of cake in comparison. The big lesson here was to NEVER pay list/asking price for anything if possible.

Anyway, a buyer has to have a feel for the market, have a good knowledge of the product and once you are confident in that, you have to know how badly the seller wants or more importantly, needs to sell. When making the deal means putting food on the table, "Mr. Nice Guy" goes out the window.

After searching for some time, we found a U300 that was exactly what we wanted at $30K. We offered $10K less, threw in a little bit to make the deal and have been happy ever since. Sure, it's a lot easier to write a check but the deals are always out there. You just have to do your homework and really work to get them.

An RV dealer works the same way. He may smile and offer donuts but everytime you shake hands, check for missing fingers.

Only when the check has cleared the bank, do you know exactly what your house, car, Foretravel is worth. Anything before is speculation.

Dave, if the U300 is as nice as Bill's coach, then may be worth more. Bill's was ultra low mileage, always slept inside and really like new.

Pierce

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