Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

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Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

February 04, 2014, 01:12:50 am

Hi Y'all. I'm a newbee here looking to take the final step from our second 30' Class C rig to a more road worthy and capable comfortable rig... I'm looking any/all suggestion for a new coach and believe that a 34' coach would best for my young family as we love and frequent the National Park campgrounds that cap the coach length at 35'. I believe I want to go all the way and buy the best rig that I can afford. I've located two possible coaches online and I'm curious if anyone has knowledge of these two coaches or knows of any FT U270 3410's for sale? I'm hopeful that I can find a 3410 for (much) less than $130k, but that seems to be the market price. Here are the coaches I've found:

2005 Foretravel U270 34 Priced at $ 139500

2004 Foretravel U270 34 Foot Single Slide! | Platinum Coach & RV

Any knowledge of either of these units or suggestion/advice that you may be able to offer would be much appreciated... We spend 6-8 weeks on the road annually and drag a jeep full of bicycles with us.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #1 – February 04, 2014, 10:00:48 am

don't be afraid of a 36' coach - I have been in many NP with my 40' and if you search the posts on the forum, lots of discussion of 36' in NP's

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #2 – February 04, 2014, 10:01:46 am

Platinum's "inventory" seems to be just a re-list of FOT's, and not as up to date. Platinum has a "dealership" arrangement with FOT which is probably why. That said, the coach you're asking about has "sold" on FOT's copy of the listing (it's at the bottom of the pre-owned list) so you might want to give one of the guys there a call to verify availability.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #3 – February 04, 2014, 02:22:23 pm

Tim is right there is little difference in a 36 and 34 in fitting. I owned both for many years and could fit both of them in tight spots. You get a bit more underway storage in the 36 though. You can say you are 35 and get in anywhere the 34 would fit unless there is a tall tree at. The exact rear. It is easier backing in then pulling on a tight spot too. I would not rule out a 36.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #4 – February 04, 2014, 03:13:32 pm

The only thing I can add being a 34' coach owner that camps in state and national parks 95% of the time is that the 34' coach will level in campgrounds that a 36' coach will not because of the shorter wheelbase. Both coaches have the same air bags and min - max 7" height adjustment from the HWH leveling system. The galley is shorter than the 36' coach by 2'. All else is the same as the 36' coach.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #5 – February 04, 2014, 03:14:20 pm

Also, the 36' coach is a lot easier to find than the 34' coach.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #6 – February 04, 2014, 04:18:16 pm

You mention you have a young family. Foretravels are geared to towards couples when it comes to sleeping spaces. You might think a bigger motorhome would have plenty of space for sleeping compared to your 30 foot class C, but it's not so. Some with kids make it work and others are left disappointed. I would suggest (if you haven't already considered this) where everyone will sleep. Ask questions about what pieces of furniture convert in to a bed for each coach your are considering. Many Foretravels are unique so verifying is important. Here's a relevant thread on the subject: Pre owned FT for a young family I found this by using the search feature and searched for "kids"

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #7 – February 04, 2014, 04:30:59 pm

amen and the 36 will level in more places than the 40 I own!

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #8 – February 04, 2014, 04:41:37 pm

Have you looked at Motorhomes of Texas? They had a 99 34' on their website. Don't know if it would work but can't hurt to look.

Larry

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #9 – February 04, 2014, 04:45:34 pm

Quote from: Tim Fiedler – February 04, 2014, 04:30:59 pm

amen and the 36 will level in more places than the 40 I own!

We love our now second FT, both just 36'. Also not mentioned, but our U225 was only 10'3" tall, and fit under lots of treed camping spaces. Our U295 is still not tall by current coach standards at just 11'8". I see the new generations of coaches being sometime almost another foot taller. Taller is harder to get into places, and as mentioned the longer the coach and wheelbase the more difficult it is to level.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #10 – February 04, 2014, 04:49:05 pm

I don't have a knowledge of those particular coaches.

I have a non slide 36 and am pretty happy with same. I do like the idea of the 34 with a slide though. I can't say that I did not think about one of those when I got mine. I don't think there is a lot of difference in the length though and I can usually get where I want with my 36. Agree that you should consider a 36 if you want to bring down the cost especially if you decide to forgo the slide. Again, I do like the FT 34 with a slide. You are making the right choice moving from a 30ft Class C to a FT. Sometimes you can get a 36 with a slide for less than those that you have shown. That was my main point.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #11 – February 04, 2014, 05:14:12 pm

I also would not rule out a 36. I don't think you will find the 35 limit strictly enforced. You might also really appreciate the extra storage space of the 36 compared to the 34.

We decided to get a 40, because we will really use the additional storage space later when we travel extensively after retirement. (In many respects the 40 appears to have roughly twice the useful storage space of a 36.) We haven't found any significant problems fitting the 40 into various spaces.

Most of all, if your experience is like ours, you will really be thankful you purchased a Foretravel!

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #12 – February 04, 2014, 05:36:09 pm

Just one more note: A room slide takes away significant storage space in both the basement storage (HWH slide systems and pump) as well as living room upper cabinet storage. But you get more square feet to walk on and increased shoulder room.

Also as mentioned in the other thread, Foretravels are not kid friendly.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #13 – February 04, 2014, 06:42:53 pm

Thank you all for the valuable insight. I will broaden the search to include a 36' coach as they do seem easier to locate and are priced similarly. I'm having a difficult time picturing a 36' coach trying to "fit in" up in the Tuolumne Meadows campground in Yosemite or the Madison Campground in Yellowstone. Is a 36' coach truly 36' long?

I do understand the lack of sleeping options for my two boys, but this is just one of the sacrifices we are contemplating. They are boy and cub scouts so they should be in a tent anyways!! I've done some research and thought I may be able to install vertical bunk beds in place of the recliner similar to this picture attached and thus the slide would be necessary.

A few new coaches available today offer a nice feature of a drop down bunk above the pilot seats, but those units seem to be overweight day one from the manufacturer's door nor do they offer more towing capacity than we get with a v-10 gas... If there was a 36' coach with a mid door maybe one of the new bunks could be retrofitted above the pilot seats, but that would not be cheap or easy.

The search continues and I thank you all again for your input!

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #14 – February 04, 2014, 07:10:00 pm

I see you are willing to consider a 36'. I just returned from FOT and MOT in Nacogdoches, and saw a 2004 36" U-270 at FOT priced at $113,000, IIRC. It is not yet on the web site.

Glen

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #15 – February 04, 2014, 07:14:02 pm

A 34' or a 36' Foretravel as each those same lengths excluding the front mirrors and rear ladder.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #16 – February 04, 2014, 07:26:29 pm

You mentioned mid doors designs. All the Grand Villa's body style, either the older Unihomes, or a very few newer rare Unicoaches are mid doors. There were also some very few, mid door Unicoaches. I have a 98, U295, 36' and Bob (Calflashbob) has a 97, U320 40'. FT custom built some mid doors along the way. The floor plans are shown on Barry Beams links for 1998's.

I measured our floor space when I thought both my mom and my sister were going to be with us for some weeks over Christmas. Mom was happy on the couch folded flat. We could have easily put a Thermorest or inflated twin on the floor between the passenger seat and the moveable recliner, against the wall, and still had walking room.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #17 – February 04, 2014, 07:46:33 pm

I took my 34 and 36 to Yellowstone and fit with no issues. I use grizzly with my 42 but can fit in a number of the campgrounds too but decided I wanted hookups more than being in the park that night. I do landscape photography so I get up before O dark thirty to get set up while it is still dark being out of the park is not a big deal.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #18 – February 04, 2014, 07:50:08 pm

My 36' Grand VIlla is really 35'7" from tip-to-tail. I know because it just misses fitting into my 35' long shop!

Craig

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #19 – February 04, 2014, 08:25:41 pm

We camped at Madison last summer, in our 36' GV. Easily. All depends if One can drive...

Backing in is always best for mine, and with jacks, I can level where a shorter airbag bus cannot.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #20 – February 04, 2014, 09:05:28 pm

Welcome!

My GV is 36'3" from the ladder to the front point of the nose...gives me 2" to spare when parked in my parents pole barn for the winter....we used a few state parks this past summer that were tight but still no problems.

Happy searching!!
Jeff

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #21 – February 04, 2014, 09:08:59 pm

Oh and I bought a couple of those pastil blocks for the grands house. I have to put two of them under the front wheels and you can level in a pretty big slope.

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #22 – February 04, 2014, 09:31:02 pm

We spent a lot of time looking for a 34' without much luck. You can get bigger engines in a 36' and many say the ride is better. We found a very nice and quite comfortable 36'. We have squeezed into some pretty tight spots and have been able to get level. Look closely. Compare everything. Get what you like with minimum compromises. Good hunting.

Roger

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #23 – February 05, 2014, 05:05:31 pm

Our 36' U300 sleeps fewer than our old 26' SOB. Like mentioned in above posts, Foretravels are oriented more toward couples. Have not been to a NP or State Park that we could not find a space for our 36 footer. Was originally looking for something shorter but now love the size.

Pierce

Re: Advice needed, looking for 34' Coach

Reply #24 – February 05, 2014, 05:16:28 pm

Hey;

FOT just listed a 2005 coach with bunk beds, only problem is it a 42'er, really nice though.

Norm

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