What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

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What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

September 21, 2017, 08:29:49 am

My wife and I are looking to purchase a used MH. We are new to Class A and started out looking at 2011-15 Tiffin and similar. But then we discovered Foretravel. I really like the (engine/chassis specs on the) U320 and found a couple of older ones (2000-2002) in our price range. I like the fact that these years are pre-emissions diesel engines too.

So when we go to look at a 2000 or 2001 model year - are they any specific problems (common to Foretravel) that I should look for? Reading through the posts, I see some had issues with generator radiator, so I'll look closely at that. Anything else?

Thanks.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #1 – September 21, 2017, 09:05:45 am

Check the front and rear bulkheads. Type in bulkhead in the search much has been posted about inspections and repairs.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #2 – September 21, 2017, 09:10:12 am

are the ones you found, slide or no slide. With a slide you need to see when was the bladder replaced or if it even works. Single slide 1 bladder and double slide is 2 bladders. Each bladder replaced will need a new manifold to go with it. 2002 models I understand the slides can be pushed inward and for the bladder repair. Older ones will need the slide (room ) removed completely.

Test the Gen, Aquahot for smoke and how they run.

Test the AC with microwave wit the genset for a load test. Ball joints( mine were worn out) .

Tires for date codes (tread might look good) We never wear a tire tread out they seem to rot from UV rays before.

Maintenance on the motor and trans

The Bones on these coaches are the best. as long as it runs and drives down the road.. the rest can be repaired or updated.

Bulkhead is another area of concern. that is the basement support frame which if you read up it is possible to inspect yourself or find someone that is knowledgeable about foretravels and those issues.

Roof to see if previous owner painted or patched

Others will Chime in but like I said if she runs and drives and you get her cheap enough... its a great start

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #3 – September 21, 2017, 09:48:36 am

When considering budget take purchase price plus 30%. The 30% for budget may seem high but it should cover both problems worth fixing and the inevitable "upgrades" over first few years of ownership. Doesn't mean you'll spend that much, simply that you will allow that much in your budget.

No matter what you spend on the coach, plus this theoretical 30%, you'll start out, and end up with a better coach than any new brand of comparable total investment.

Just my opinion, everyone gets one.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #4 – September 21, 2017, 10:06:53 am

You won't have the generator radiator issue with those models, The radiator is mounted separately.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #5 – September 21, 2017, 10:09:57 am

I would say that in addition to specific issues posted above, evidence of the maintenance history and the original documentation that came with the coach. There are certainly good coaches available without that, but signs of previous caring ownership is a huge plus in the peace of mind department.
Don

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #6 – September 21, 2017, 11:21:06 am

Thanks for the advice and help.
This is an example of one that I like, but have not actually seen it yet. 2000 Foretravel U320 36' Priced at $ 82500 This one has one slide. I also found a couple of others under $100K that would be good contenders.
When a MH goes to a dealer, I think the "history" and "care of owner" gets lost, so I won't have much to go on there. I think I would mostly be relying on a good inspection.

So I'll look at bulkhead posts/problems to see what you mean.

I was just over at iRV2.com forum reading about a guy's renovation of a 2000 Holiday Rambler 2000 Holiday Rambler Endeavor Remodel - iRV2 Forums - and that thread really has me thinking about whether buying an "almost 20 year old" RV is wise. That poor guy found so much water and rodent damage that he had to gut the entire thing. It seems that a lot of water damage can easily remain hidden for years until it becomes obvious - at which time the damage is very extensive.
Maybe I'd be better off with a newer (i.e. 2012 or 13) Tiffin or such, where any hidden damages would most likely be lower.
But I really like Foretravel.
Randy - your comment provides some comfort,
Thanks.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #7 – September 21, 2017, 11:38:00 am

Some would say you have chosen the best quality years that FT every produced.

Lots of posts available on this topic - try searching Pre-Pruchase inspection on the search function of the forum

there is a PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) checklist on Barry Beudreu's excellent we site

Foretravel Motorhome technical help and information links

Short List

Full Maintenance History available No time used on salt covered roads

Tire age less than 5 years ($4K)
Battery Age less than 3 years ($2K) Refrigerator - is it original - if so getting close to end of useful life ($2k - 4K) Air Bag age ($2K)

Have fuel lines been replaced? ($2-3K) Rear Bulkhead ($2-$6K)

Drive at night? Headlights not upgraded? ($3.5K) Age of slide bladder (these are almost all single slide units) - ($3K) to replace

Repairs are estimates on the high side, done at a quality shop like Motorhomes of Texas - anything you can do yourself is far cheaper...

Do you like the floorplan? If not, wait for one you like, lots of coaches produced in these years.
What upgrades do you think you would need to make the coach

Plan on paying more for a good coach with these items known or addressed - rather than trying to find a bargain, way cheaper in the long run. Budget $80 - $110K to buy the coach and about $10K in the first year for "stuff" on top of the above if you need any of those items addressed - upgrades could drive that higher if you go overboard.

Upside - very high quality coach, minimal depreciation, factory still can provide technical support and parts, huge ecosystem of experts centered in Nacogdoches TX, and most of all this impressive and amazing Forum.

Good luck in your search!

Tim Fiedler

Sure Start Soft Start

TCER Direct generator-gas-prod 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #8 – September 21, 2017, 12:49:30 pm

Quote from: Tim Fiedler – September 21, 2017, 11:38:00 am

Some would say you have chosen the best quality years that FT every produced.

Short List

Full Maintenance History available No time used on salt covered roads

Tire age less than 5 years ($4K)
Battery Age less than 3 years ($2K)
Refrigerator - is it original - if so getting close to end of useful life ($2k - 4K)

Is the common fix to install a "residential" refrigerator? If so, does it just plug into the existing 120V outlet or are other electrical mods needed to?

Quote

Air Bag age ($2K)

Tim, are you saying the airbags need to be replaced after 15+/- years (due to rubber age. Like a tire)?

Quote

Have fuel lines been replaced? ($2-3K)

What is the reason for such a large expense? Is it mainly the labor? Is the fuel line all flexible hose from tank to filters/engine?

Quote

Rear Bulkhead ($2-$6K)

This is something I have been reading about.

Quote

Drive at night? Headlights not upgraded? ($3.5K)

Another big expense - what does this consist of? Obviously more than switching to halogen bulbs.

Quote

Age of slide bladder (these are almost all single slide units) - ($3K) to replace

I'll need to research this.
Is the "bladder" the seal that goes around the slider?
Is this a DIY job for mechanically competent person?
Is the design good - meaning does it work well when it works?

Quote

What upgrades do you think you would need to make the coach

Well, I not thinking there are any upgrades I will need - except maybe adding a modern LCD TV, BD/DVD player, TPMS, and similar electronics. For what I've seen/read, these MH have everything one would want.
Am I being naive?

Quote

Plan on paying more for a good coach with these items known or addressed - rather than trying to find a bargain, way cheaper in the long run. Budget $80 - $110K to buy the coach and about $10K in the first year for "stuff" on top of the above if you need any of those items addressed - upgrades could drive that higher if you go overboard.

Upside - very high quality coach, minimal depreciation, factory still can provide technical support and parts, huge ecosystem of experts centered in Nacogdoches TX, and most of all this impressive and amazing Forum.

Good luck in your search!

Tim Fiedler

Sure Start Soft Start

TCER Direct generator-gas-prod 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro

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Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #9 – September 21, 2017, 01:12:23 pm

Yup to all comments X2! What sold me after looking for a year for a U-240 were these: The binders listed all of the work done (including fluid changes) since 1996.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #10 – September 21, 2017, 02:04:56 pm

I would not buy a used coach without full maintenance documentation. No reputable dealer would lose this. He knows how valuable it is to the sales process.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #11 – September 21, 2017, 02:11:09 pm

BTW, I think the coach you referenced at MOT has too few miles and hours on it to not be very cautious. An average usage of 2,800 miles a year means it spent a lot of time just sitting. Just monthly checking of the generator with no actual use would accumulate the hours shown.

For comparison, my 1999 coach has 185,000 miles and 1,400 hours on the genny.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #12 – September 21, 2017, 02:26:13 pm

Quote from: amos.harrison – September 21, 2017, 02:11:09 pm

BTW, I think the coach you referenced at MOT has too few miles and hours on it to not be very cautious. An average usage of 2,800 miles a year means it spent a lot of time just sitting. Just monthly checking of the generator with no actual use would accumulate the hours shown.

For comparison, my 1999 coach has 185,000 miles and 1,400 hours on the genny.

Mileage does seem low - but I have seen other MHs for sale in same year range with similarly low miles, so there are some out there.

But I recognize that someone could have rolled back (or replaced) the odometer. If the previous owner's service records are available, that should validate the mileage. If the records are not available (like mentioned in post above) I'm going to have to assume everything needs to be replaced (air bags, refrigerator, etc.) unless I can tell from an inspection otherwise.

BTW I have a 35 year old truck (that I bought new) that only has 59,000 miles on it. So it is possible that last owner(s) just didn't use it much.

Thanks for the tip - I'll be sure to verify whatever is told to me or walk away from deal.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #13 – September 21, 2017, 02:51:57 pm

Quote from: amos.harrison – September 21, 2017, 02:11:09 pm

BTW, I think the coach you referenced at MOT has too few miles and hours on it to not be very cautious. An average usage of 2,800 miles a year means it spent a lot of time just sitting. Just monthly checking of the generator with no actual use would accumulate the hours shown.

For comparison, my 1999 coach has 185,000 miles and 1,400 hours on the genny.

I Must Say, it IS totally possible that any RV can just sit in storage for most of it's life. Go by any storage lot near you, and watch those poor RV's not being used....sometimes years go by without use! My last RV sat for the past two years without use because of our physical issues, preventing it's use! It was a Slide - In Truck Camper and the overhead bunk was no longer accessible to either of us! I've owned 5th wheels with similar circumstances! The FT I just got already has several thousands of miles of smiles in in less than two months, with 10's of thousands of miles of planned use in the near future. It's ALL relative!

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #14 – September 21, 2017, 03:37:13 pm

Mine is a 2002 with 220k for miles.. purrs like a kitten.. Its living up to its name ForwardTRAVEL!!

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #15 – September 21, 2017, 04:40:15 pm

Some very good advice provided above. If you can, take your time and the right one will come along. If you can find one owned by someone active on this forum (look through their old posts and see what they have been fixing), I think the odds of good maintenance are higher (might be me just dreaming though). When I look at an "older" coach for only a couple hours, I like to think of the problems I find as icebergs, you are probably only going to see/catch a small number of things that are wrong and will find more after you own the coach for awhile. If you see quite a few things you don't like in your short look at it, be very careful.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #16 – September 21, 2017, 04:59:04 pm

Quote from: CountryB – September 21, 2017, 11:21:06 am

Maybe I'd be better off with a newer (i.e. 2012 or 13) Tiffin or such, where any hidden damages would most likely be lower. But I really like Foretravel.

The guys who wrote above are seasoned owners while I'm a newbie; but I can add that we also started with plans on another brand including Tiffin. We finally settled on a Newmar and had the search down to about 6 used ones in our price range. Then we came across Foretravel and I recalled my Dad taking me to the FT factory. He was in Rotary or Kiwanis with some Foretravel guys in Nacogdoches.

The more we looked at FT the more differences we saw in build quality. We bought ours in May and haven't looked back. Best of luck in your search. As Kurt said, be patient, and as others said, records, records, records. Let that me your mantra!

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #17 – September 21, 2017, 05:38:45 pm

I would do 2 things.

1. Shop at Motorhomes of Texas - ask for Mel
2. Get a third party PDI. Give Brett Wolfe a call (he is on the forum)

You'l save lots of time and headaches this way. That was my experience and mine is almost 25 years old.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #18 – September 21, 2017, 05:51:51 pm

The years of coaches you are looking at have ecm's that log the mileage. The inexpensive scanners can read mileage, hours, fuel consumption etc. It would be hard for someone do anything other than change the speedometer to alter mileage. My current coach is an example, when I bought the coach the odometer was dead and I changed the speedometer. I left it at 0 but have the VMPC to show the actual mileage. I wanted a simple number to start my ownership and since I changed all fluids, all filters, airbags and fuel lines. I now know the exact mileage on all of my service without doing any math.
Also my '99 has under 100,000 actual miles and has none of problem issues mentioned above.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #19 – September 21, 2017, 05:57:33 pm

When we were looking for our second Airstream coach, I was rooting around and found THE FILES! The dealer looked at them. and said, "Those are Gold!"

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #20 – September 21, 2017, 06:25:17 pm

When we bought our coach it was 24 yrs old/new that was in 2012 the gen-pac had 53 hrs and the odometer had 72k on it. Now we are at 110k and 438 hrs so I'm not sure about the age/mileage rational, like Mike says Records Records Records and oil sample. Look at the state from where you are buying ......on the coasts humidity/rust,above 4500' we have virtually NO Humidity. IMHO.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #21 – September 21, 2017, 07:21:55 pm

Quote from: CountryB – September 21, 2017, 11:21:06 am

Maybe I'd be better off with a newer (i.e. 2012 or 13) Tiffin

It may not be a consideration if you're a DIYer, but I don't think Tiffin in Red Bay, Alabama is working on any of their motorhomes that are older than 4 years. They have so much warranty work to do that they can't provide any services for their older rigs.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #22 – September 21, 2017, 11:54:18 pm

We are slowly restoring a '95 coach and looked at hundreds of rigs. I sure agree with Tim (#7) and others, about value, build and safety. When we are done driving, some lucky folks will get a coach that got the treatment: FBP, RanceLites, MCD's and a bunch of loving care.

Consider this for a second: Will we want a taller/wider/faster/etc. than this house on wheels?

We are planning to keep ours. When we get done, she should run as designed, or better...and still a relative bargain compared to the rest of the coaches in this very special market.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #23 – September 22, 2017, 07:20:56 am

My rig was kept outside, and of the hidden regions of this 20 year old rig have no signs of rodents or bugs. Foretravel professionally sealed ALL entrances to the coach, not only for varmint protection, but also for insulation.

This was not the case in my old Southwind, which was home to chip monks and mice.

Re: What to look for when buying a 18 year old MH?

Reply #24 – September 22, 2017, 09:33:19 am

I think the reason, if a private seller, for selling their coach might have a little bit of bearing/interest for a buyer to consider a particular coach.
Health, financial, or changed marital status (loss of the loved one that was only driver), decision to buy newer, etc.

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