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Topic: Entegra Again (Read 602 times) previous topic - next topic

Entegra Again

Well, I want to relay a meeting I had with a long time FT owner.  I have known him for years and he had a 01 36 foot mid entry no less.  He got it full body paint job on it too. Had it for many years and we loved to camp next to them.  Well, he called the other day as he was heading south in his new coach and it was winterized so he was staying in a local hotel. We went over to meet him and his son who was traveling with him.  I saw the coach in the parking lot and it was a one year old, well last model year Entegra coach.  I got a tour of it and we had a conversation about the differences.  I will say that a 45 foot quad slide was well appointed and very comfy in set up.  He said it drove as well as his FT too and in fact he thought it might be better.

I asked him if he looked at FT and he said he did not want an IH as it is too big and they want way too much money for them.

So, this is the third FT owner now that I know who have moved up model years and updated their coach choices and chose a different brand.  I think FT might want to think about their options. I think the Realm might be more important to them then they realize.  Oh his coach was also on the spartan chassis and was very nice.  I was surprised by how much I liked it.  I have had three FTs in my time and I know many have had more but it is a new occurrence to me to see people stray from FT or is it FT straying from their base.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Entegra Again

Reply #1 –
Quote from: John S –
He said it drove as well as his FT too and in fact he thought it might be better.

Well, I am happy for Entegra that they have been able to make their 45 foot tag axle coach drive as well as a fourteen year old 36 foot Foretravel. I wonder if it drives as well as my eleven year old 36 foot  coach?

Larry
Larry and Terry
Ex 2004 U270 36'

Re: Entegra Again

Reply #2 –
If anything, there are more Entegras to choose from than Foretravels.  Don't know a thing how they are built.  It's hard to believe that a Spartan chassis rides as well as a Foretravel custom chassis,
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: Entegra Again

Reply #3 –
I guess we will see as FT is using the same chassis on what seems to be a similar number of coaches this year.  Time will tell how it comes about. The issue is that they chose another brand and not FT after being owners for a long time. I have not seen this happen with this many people in my 12 years of ownership.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Entegra Again

Reply #4 –
We're camped not too far from Miami, OK so we took the opportunity to tour the Newell factory. The man who took us on the tour, Bill (?) sold Foretravels back in the early 90's, leaving Foretravel sales shortly after the founding of MOT. Anyway, the structure and construction looked good, but I didn't care for the laminate in place of real wood. Yes, the plywood they use is plenty strong, but I have real wood in my 20-year-old coach. I didn't ask if that would be an option on a new Newell since there is no way I'll ever be in that position. Neither Jo Ann nor I like the mirrors on the ceiling and the rest of the glitz, but I suppose that that is a personal taste question. One coach, for example, didn't appear to have a kitchen, until I spotted the faucet. The cooktop cover folds to the side, so that when it is closed there is just a flat countertop. The refrigerator door looked like any other cabinet. Strange.

I've always wondered how one could have a flat floor with a slide, and I finally got my question answered. More complexity, but it does make for a nice floor in the salon area.

Re: Entegra Again

Reply #5 –
Quote from: John S –
He said it drove as well as his FT too and in fact he thought it might be better.

I asked him if he looked at FT and he said he did not want an IH as it is too big and they want way too much money for them.

So, this is the third FT owner now that I know who have moved up model years and updated their coach choices and chose a different brand.

This is a big marketing problem in that FT does not offer new models that are in line with their older models. This is an example of somebody that likely would've been a repeat FT buyer, but the modern FT line has very little in common with past Unicoaches that FT sold many many of.

Many people with money to spend WANT a new coach in the 36' range (and you don't realize how many people like the 34' and shorter ones). Not everybody wants the monstrosity of current model FT.
1998 U270 34'

Re: Entegra Again

Reply #6 –
Quote from: John S –
So, this is the third FT owner now that I know who have moved up model years and updated their coach choices and chose a different brand.

it is a new occurrence to me to see people stray from FT or is it FT straying from their base.

I will say that Country Coach's return to coach building, even though right now it is just a "small batch run", is very intriguing (no pun intended).

Quote from: kb0zke –
I've always wondered how one could have a flat floor with a slide, and I finally got my question answered. More complexity, but it does make for a nice floor in the salon area.

There seem to be a couple of different ways this is done.  Some we have seen look like an accident or repair issue waiting to happen with the gap needed in the floor between the slide and the fixed portion of the floor - great place for a pet toe nail to catch or dirt/debris to collect and cause a jam/damage to the mechanism.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320