Re: FT Chassis
Reply #12 –
All Foretravels I know of are unique as they are built up out of previously vacuum bonded sub assemblies made with steel 1 1/2 inch 16 gauge(?) tubing.
Then the sub assemblies are bolted together. You can see the row of bolts across the coaches bottom where the compartment dividers meet the bottom panel.
All the surfaces are insulated that way. Floor, dividers, bottom floor and sidewalls are similar.
Roof only is aluminum.
Walk the roof of any Rv you are considering. Instantly noticeable how much stronger the Foretravel is.
The SOB's sidewalls normally are not vacuum bonded assemblies.
Watched a tv program on a expensive coach being constructed and that coach had loose aluminum bars set in an already vertical sidewall structure and the thin skin was run through a glue roller setup to apply adhesive to its back side then stuck on the foam and small aluminum framed sidewall. My DW got irritated as I laughed out loud while watching this.
Or maybe the skin was aluminum. Not what I would own.
My 97 u320 was heavily vacuum bonded during construction as you can see the outlines of the steel framing in the skins. Which is a good thing.
Poly urethane adhesive and a high pressure vacuum bond table setup left under pressure long enough to completely cure is arguably the superior side wall construction you can get.
Add in welded steel framing with closer centers and the non heat absorbing white thick gel coated skin to not add heat to expand the skin and its hard to wear this out.
I bet the 2008 nimbus was painted black and is being used in a high heat area. Wanna' bet?
Only the country coach coaches held up similarly with painted walls. Predominantly lighter colors were used by them. No one painted anything dark like the new coaches I see.
Too many failures. Too hot inside.
Only beaver fixed the sidewalls and paint issue. Their skin was a loose hung vacuum bonded sidewall that was totally separate from the sidewalls structure. Fiberglass, end grain balsa and then luan. Screwed onto the sidewall at the top and bottom and the window frames and the ends.
Seen their walls increase in length in summer desert conditions 1/2 inch in total.
Any painted coach puts a load on the adhesives in the structure.
Notice all the less expensive trailers are white fiberglass construction? Sides won't come off as easily.
All the normal non yacht boats in the harbor are white gel coat. Period.
Reflects heat. Does not delaminate easily.
These really are land yachts. Almost killed Foretravel not to sell painted coaches. They knew better what lasted versus sold. Wrong. Customers assumed that if the other companies painted their coaches then it must be ok. Not. Especially the black new ones I see.
Let's see how long they last? New FMCA magazine shows a $200 k new coach with a 17 cu ft residential refer with a 2k inverter and four group 31 batteries to run it. 420 amp hours maybe? May last overnight without the gen self starting.
Needs double the batteries minimum IMO. But by that time the customer owns it.
Needs to sell twice. Once to the dealer. (Fabrics and floor plans and paint jobs) then to the customer.
Then they notice the limited capacities and the noises from the coach body and the body roll on cornering and the coach one side drops more in rolling bumps because of left to right weight differences and they steering wander and heavy feedback from cross ruts in the secondary rods construction and smells from the construction adhesives in hot areas and the sawdust behind the cabinets.
Sorry. My normal rant as an x Foretravel factory store sales manager.
Been there. Learned every brands good and bad points as that governed their resale value.
Almost bought a used rough condition country coach intrigue. But it was $20k to redo the worn stored out of doors sikkens pained exterior. Then do the inside stuff and fuel lines.
For free was not worth it. I know better. Told the seller I sold that exact coach brand new.
Well worth restoring my 97 as the coaches basic construction is bulletproof. Will easily go another 20-30 years if I do not paint the outside dark colors IMO.
Topic: FT Chassis