Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 15, 2025 ...

Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

June 13, 2018, 07:52:44 pm

Hi all-

So I've been looking at the Airstream Classic Motorhomes and found a pristine one, 454 gas.  I thought I was going to go that direction until I discovered Foretravel a few days ago and read the history.  I'm in TX so I'm surprised I didn't know they were made just down the road.  I found an '88 Grand Villa that's in good shape, under 100K miles.  I like the classic older ones for some reason, less expensive is a good thing, much less in this case compared to the 1988 AS motorhome.  I'm looking for feedback from anyone who has a similar older model with CAT diesel perhaps in terms of experience, longevity, repairs, reliability etc.  This one has new Acs, new Fridge, new tires and the interior is in fantastic shape.  No damage to exterior just expected wear on the vinyl stripes.  The AS motorhomes hold value well the last few years, like collectors items.  Yet I find the prospect of a Grand Villa for 1/3 the price and a diesel pusher with similar interior class that I can really make my own may be the way to go? Chassis holds up after 30 yrs? The generator is LP..is that better? Has a huge LP tank.  Give me the good, the bad- and/or whatever opinions or experience you care to share.  I may live in this baby for a year, not on the road but in a warehouse I may buy and remodel.  Am I nuts?!  and many many thanks to all who share.  I'm having a tough time with this decision....

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Re: Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

Reply #1 – June 13, 2018, 10:44:16 pm

My friend has an 89.
Twice the power train the big block Chevy is.
Better chassis all around.
Absolutely beautiful walnut interior.

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Re: Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

Reply #2 – June 13, 2018, 11:19:07 pm

I have the 88 GV , just like you are looking at.  Love it and it is fairly simple .  The air bags were the hardest to renew. The air bag parts #s and shock part #are  In the parts # thread.
  The Cat and Allison  should just need a fluid change  and maybe a muffler delete.  The valve lash may need to be checked, but  I have not checked mine yet. If it starts skipping, check the lash. I have about 6K miles on since full service with zero issues at about 9MPG pulling a light race trailer , total miles are about 137K .
 I also went to a modern /(Duramax) fuel filter and air dryer, changed the shocks, set the alignment .
  The fuel lines, fuel filters and air system all need to work as designed or you are DOR , dead one road .  The OE Racor was problematic with 5 seal points and slow parts availability. Hence the change to a spin on deal . I carry a spare  filter, spare run solonoid, spare air compressor valve kit, spare air line repair kit , 110 V compressor along with the air fitting to charge the bus air at the tire hose point, long jumper wire to hot wire the fuel pump .  I have never needed any of these.
 
 The wedge brakes needed adjustment , the front hubs needed new oil.
My front brakes are cam style and easy to adjust.  The weakest point of this chassis are the brakes .  Mine are set to specs and will not tolerate dragging the pedal at all. Get on the brake pretty hard, slow down  to your needed speed in the least amount of time.  I gear down and just take my time . It has gear for 63MPH and brakes for 50MPH.
   
 The LP Gen set runs well and has very little  smell or noise.
  I had a little rust on the rear , poorly designed  DS body mount  that required jacking up and welding a steel tube  for proper support.   

 I was looking for a Class C to pull the race car and found this. Did a little search and found this forum with so many helpful  minds.  For the 16K in my bus so far it has been great.  I couldnt do it without the forum help.       

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Re: Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

Reply #3 – June 14, 2018, 04:57:38 am

Like Mike says, play special attention  to the fuel filters.
1. The coach you are looking at is in: Texas! What is Texas? Kind of hot in the summer!
2. Coach has low mileage. What does this mean? Add the "hot in Texas" to sitting because of low mileage and what do you get? Algae unless kept full and treated with an algae treatment.
We bought our '89 and had to change both first & secondary filters about six times. Finally drained all of 30 gallons of fuel out, gave it away (at $3.09/gal--sob) and put in new. Still fuel delivery bad. Ended up taking our coach in and found out the supply line and check valve had almost 4" of crud/algae holding the fuel back. Got it cleaned out, new check valve and now engine starts and runs great.

After all the above, do what Mike says!! And you will end up with a coach with "great bones" that will give you years of pleasure and much less trouble than some of the other brands.

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Re: Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

Reply #4 – June 14, 2018, 09:58:24 am

We've had two Airstreams and loved them, but they were diesels. The 454 does not have a good reputation (called 'The BBQ Special") , but they are beautiful coaches. When our's was wrecked, I looked around for the last 'classic' with the Cummins diesel, but most who have them, hang on to them. I'd never heard of Foretravels, either, but looking through RV Trader, found I liked them, a lot! Found this one after a year's search, and we're very pleased with her. The CAT/Allison is a perfect combo, gets great mileage. Be ready to sink some CBs ( 1 coach buck= $1,000.00) into it to get it up to traveling snuff, but, in the end you'll have one of the sweetest coaches ever made! Good luck, this forum is a HUGE plus! 

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Re: Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

Reply #5 – June 14, 2018, 11:37:41 am

Mike the issue on your brakes is that as you may have noticed is that below 60 psi application pressure the front brakes are not energized.

Under the dash is a LQ4 brass valve that was designed for a tractor cabs front wheels.

Possible steering loss on ice and to decrease the in reverse brake shoe/drum squeal were the reason for the valve.

Several customers deleted the valve and/or changed the air "cans" on the axles to larger ones to apply more pressure and/or the "pill" valve in air throttle itself.

Front wheels will be cold to the touch during riding the brakes.  Hard on,  then coast uses all four brakes..

If you replumb the brakes to allow full use you will get a shuddering in reverse from the leading/secondary brake shoes.

Beaver marquis Gillig chassis had no LQ4 valve and had a shuddering squeal in reverse.

No the brake shoes are not large.  The full use of both axles help in downgrades.

I have driven several trucker customer modded brakes  ORED's and the overall use of the brakes were improved IMO.

By replumbing the system you are extending into lower application pressure areas the all four wheels hard braking use allows.

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Re: Newbie-new buyer looking at 1988 Grand Villa 3600 ORED 250 Cat

Reply #6 – June 16, 2018, 09:25:07 pm

Bought my 89 last year. I like the relatively simple ORED systems and mechanicals. Strong foundation and good looks. Flew out to buy it and drove 1400 miles home in 3 days after spending a day replacing belts and radiator cap which the owner bought. One 15 minute electrical hiccup midway with dash gauges, and an intial 2 hours to figure out how to make my side radiator fan to run due to miswiring by a mobile rv tech. Cat engine ran great up cajon pass and across the Mojave in 112 heat all the way to Kansas. Ran the generator and the roof a/c all the way home since i had to cut the belt off of the dash a/c due to mangled bolts.

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