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1985 Foretravel

January 10, 2014, 01:09:51 pm

Found an old Foretravel advertised not to far from here(about 4 1/2 hrs) . Apparently has a 3208 Caterpillar.
Not much info on the ad itself. From the picture it looked like it is sitting fairly low. Did they come with air ride in this year? What do you guys think of a Foretravel in this year, if it is clean ? Any Advice?

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #1 – January 10, 2014, 01:44:50 pm

no link posted, no pictures attached, no year of manufacture mentioned.

You need to give us a little more to work with!!!

:-)

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #2 – January 10, 2014, 02:02:03 pm

sorry about the link.. forgot it :-)

1985 FORETRAVEL MOTORHOME

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #3 – January 10, 2014, 02:12:54 pm

First question is "how long has it sat.  OR when was it last fueled up.

You really don't want one that has been parked for a long time.

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #4 – January 10, 2014, 02:58:50 pm

Devin W recently looked at this one around Nov 23rd. You could PM him and ask what he saw when he looked at it.

Anybody familiar with this coach?

Mark

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #5 – January 10, 2014, 03:29:49 pm

From the previous post on this coach it appears to be overpriced. Seems it will likely need tires and a lot of resuscitating TLC to get all system "GO". Estimate a total budget before you jump in.

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #6 – January 10, 2014, 04:33:50 pm

Probably an ORED, similar to the 85 I had.  Good coach if maintained.  good looking paint.
Gary B

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #7 – January 10, 2014, 05:06:25 pm

Well, I hope Davin can give some more info.. This coach does look interesting, but it is hard to say with only one picture though

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #8 – January 10, 2014, 07:42:11 pm

Will probably sell for half asking. Lot of owners swear by their 3208s. RV use is very light duty so it should last forever if maintained. Diesel engines and also the fuel (if no algae) can sit a long time and still run OK. Big factor will be whether or not it was stored out of the weather. Ez for the roof to develop a leak outside and damage the interior. There will be a lot of little bugs to be ironed out if it has been sitting. Engine thermostat, sticking brakes, damage from freezing weather, etc. are possibilities so you want to be able to drive it, not have any surprises heading home. At least, not too many surprises.

Pierce

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #9 – January 11, 2014, 09:23:31 am

The flat roof models are prone to roof leaks as the water tends to pool and not run off.  Inspect the roof very closely for cracks and loose fasteners especially around cutouts for AC's. vent, etc.
Gary B

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Re: 1985 Foretravel

Reply #10 – January 18, 2014, 08:58:45 pm

Hi Stefan -

Just saw your PM but figured I'd post here.  I spent the money to fly out and check it out in person and decided to walk away even though I'd negotiated a significantly lower pice (he won't take half, though).

I believe he wasn't maliciously misrepresenting the coach, but it was very misrepresented.

A few key points-
1) I asked if all glass was good.  He said yes.  When I got there the driver's side windshield had a large crack in the line of sight

2) I asked how old the tires are (not when tires were put on).  He said 1 year old.  When I got there the tires were obviously dry-rotted and in need of immediate replacement.  It turns out he had tires from a salvage coach installed 1 year ago.

3) the roof supposedly had a leak due to an improperly installed forward AC unit.  When I got there I found a large roof patch about 4ft long and as wide as the roof.  It turns out a large tree branch fell on the roof damaging the roof and leading to the poorly executed repair.

4) pics show a main awning.  There is no main awning.

5) I asked the age of the coach batteries, he said 1 year.  This appears to be true, however I'd say they are the wrong battery for the application.

The list goes on with lesser items.  Depending on your time, ability, budget and tolerance for repairs it might be a possibility but I'd estimate about $6-$7k in repairs before it would be usable.  I feel like I had realistic expectations, but the tires were a huge disappointment.  I'd rather pay more initially and have a higher integrity platform to invest in.

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