Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Topic: Foretravel maintenance and repairs. (Read 2453 times) previous topic - next topic

Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

July 03, 2018, 04:53:29 am

Where does everyone get their coach worked on? Trying to decide on an older Foretravel or more common brand like Winnebago or the like for our first RV. seems like it might be easier to find a place to get a more common brand worked on. We live in middle TN area east of Nashville. Thanks

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #1 – July 03, 2018, 09:12:52 am

Chuck
We are in Crossville, TN and have found a good diesel shop in Cookeville, TN (Walker Diesel). Tennessee RV east of Knoxville may be too far for you. I think buying the best motorhome takes priority over service. You will need service for every RV.

Bob
2000 U270

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #2 – July 03, 2018, 09:13:53 am

Chuck, when I was driving Foretravel's, there was a Foretravel dealer inKodak,just eastof Knoxville, a group of folks bought the business when Ray Fore closed all of the dealerships. Things evolved but some of the techs were still around fairly recently and the service manager owned aForetravel. I had excellent service there as recently as two years ago. It is now called Tennessee RV and is located at exit 398 on I 40 east of Knoxville.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #3 – July 03, 2018, 10:00:19 am

While it may seem inviting to purchase an older brand like a W, because of the build quality, owning one may cause a lot of headaches. Buying an older gasoline powered coach is really inviting trouble unless you are mechanically minded. Their engines were intended for cars, not coaches and are very light duty and many tend to overheat.

The price for older diesel coaches is not that far apart. Getting them worked on is going to be expensive no matter the brand. With a forum like ours, you can ask the questions before you buy and have a support team as close as you keyboard after you purchase your coach. After a day exploring a new city or hiking the mountains, there is nothing like stepping back into a Foretravel where you can relax for the evening in a coach with character and quality in the design. Gemütlichkeit for the lack of a better English word.

There are other quality coach brands out there but the majority don't have the Foretravel quality and support. That was the reason we chose our coach. Almost ten great years later now.

Pierce

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #4 – July 03, 2018, 10:01:01 am

Quote from: chuckwilliams – July 03, 2018, 04:53:29 am

Trying to decide on an older Foretravel or more common brand like Winnebago or the like for our first RV. seems like it might be easier to find a place to get a more common brand worked on.

You are probably right about that. Nationwide, there will be more dealers and shops familiar with common brands of motorhomes, and parts will be easier to come by. If you buy a brand new RV, it will come with a factory warrantee to cover (for a limited time) the inevitable problems. New or used, simple (front engine gasser) or complex (diesel pusher), all motorhomes will require service and repair work.

Some more than others...

One thing to consider, when contemplating the purchase of a motorhome, is your own capability. You need to be honest with yourself. Do you want to tackle doing all (or most) of the repair and service items that will inevitably arise, or would you rather let someone else do it? If you are a "Do It Yerself" person, then you will find most common RV service and maintenance items can be handled by a owner who is willing to get their hands dirty. Like Bob says, every RV will need work, but most of it is not rocket science.

With current shop rates running well over $100 per hour, paying someone else to do everything can get expensive real fast. Finding a local shop or a mechanic that you can trust to do things correctly can be a chore. When you are on the road, you are at the mercy of whatever is available whenever you have problems or need work.

No matter what brand/type of coach you choose, you will want to have a good "breakdown" insurance policy, and carry a high limit credit card.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #5 – July 03, 2018, 10:21:23 am

Any of the older RVs will cost some cash for repairs. The difference with the Foretravel is that when you get it "done" it will be really nice and still worth something. A main benefit of the PusherDiesel is the quiet drive and road manors. They operate within the chassis design limits without air bags stuffed in the front springs , the trans and engine are happy at the operating loads, etc.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #6 – July 03, 2018, 11:12:48 am

Quote

seems like it might be easier to find a place to get a more common brand worked on.

Foretravels are good, well built rigs but there's nothing special about most of their components. For a few Foretravel specific issues it's nice to have access to a shop familiar with the brand but for most stuff, any good diesel shop or good RV shop will do just fine.
jor

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #7 – July 03, 2018, 02:06:14 pm

Chuck, I along with other forum members have owned another brand. we had a 32 ft. gasser HR that we really liked and for short trips it was fine. There are substantial differences in a 40 ft. that comes in at close to 40,000 lbs and a 32 ft that comes in at under 19,000 lbs. I have driven both in fairly high cross winds and the 40 footer that is much heavier stays in the road without fighting it.
Whatever you decide to buy I would suggest try it out on a day with wind gusting 25 to 30 mph that will tell you how much effort you will encounter when driving.
When I went to look at the Foretravel we bought and drove it DW ask when I got home how it was "it was like getting out of a VW beetle and getting into a full size Mercedes" For me that comparison still sums it up
Just my thought
Good luck on your first MH
Chris
PS no matter the brand on a 15 to 20 year old coach you can plan to spend 10k to 15K, unless you luck out and find one that has been completely updated

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #8 – July 03, 2018, 04:37:22 pm

You are comparing apples with oranges. A Foretravel is a luxury motorhome. A Winnebago is a middle of the line motorhome. Think of Chevrolet and Mercedes. All require maintenance. Take a Chevrolet in for maintenance is not the same as taking a Mercedes in for maintenance. Same thing for Foretravel vs Winnebago. Winnebago does not have air leveling, eight air bags, pneumatic seals on slide outs, four wheel air disc brakes, air driven entry steps. In other words, they both require maintenance. But there will not be any comparison in the costs of that maintenance. Foretravels are great motorhomes. The very best. They drive better, ride better, have better quality everything. And, they are by far one of the most expensive motorhomes to maintain. And, you can purchase a lot newer Winnebago for the same money, probably five or more years newer.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #9 – July 03, 2018, 05:32:59 pm

I think most of us have found a good mechanic close by like Tenn. RV, that has good experience or stop by Nac during our travels for the repairs that we can not do. Depending on the problem there also many truck repair shops that are familiar with our drive components and suspensions. Many of us do our own minor/major maint and have also exchanged various components on our coaches. From fuses to lights to engine and tranny oil, refers, steering boxes, A/C units stuff like that many of us do ourselves. Some of us here on this forum are first rate mechanics, with years of experienc twisting wrenches, others like me gain experience when confronted with an opportunity to learn, also called a problem.

If you are interested in Foretravels, you are at the right place. The link below will take you to lots of information about Foretravels including equipment description by year and model for many years including floor plans.

Foretravel brochures, specifications and manuals Information Links

Carol and I have been RVing for a few years now and have owned travel trailers and now 2 FTs.

I think, for the money, you can not get a better piece of equipment in which to travel in comfort.

Many people purchase all kinds of RVs at all kinds of $$$. And that is OK. If everybody wanted a FT the price would rise and price some of us out of the market.

It sounds from your post that this RV might be your first RV experience.

General Statement: You are looking in the TOP category of diesel pushers with others players like Prevost and Newell. Under this comes Newmar, Tiffin, Monaco. Then the Winnies, Fleetwoods and the and you start to see the Class A, B and C diesel/gassers. These distinctions are usually based on engine/trans, chassis, brakes, interior comfort and a bunch of other stuff.

You really can ask any question(s) regarding The Foretravel brand here, but do not be surprised when you get a bunch of different answers back. We all have opinions and are kinda a feisty bunch at times and we all have something in common, and that is our Motorcoach. For the most part we also enjoy assisting others with their FT challenges.

Many of us here are active learners and are learning about our coaches every day, through our own experience and this forum.

Good luck in this adventure. We like it and the folks on this forum are mostly Top Drawer.

Grab a cool one put your feet up and try the Search Button. Pick a topic, any topic.

If I have misread your post and my comments are completely off-base, I apologize. Just sittn here in our 42, looking out over a lake at the mountains and spending a bit of time on the forum before my bride wakes up from her nap.

Have a great day.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #10 – July 03, 2018, 08:53:49 pm

Chuck, Tennessee RV used to be a Foretravel dealership. They still have quite an affinity for Foretravels. When you are home that would be a good place to check. Yes, they work on other brands, too, and have a pretty big shop. They installed the base plate on our MKT earlier this year.

Before you buy anything, take a factory tour of every brand you are considering. We did the Winnebago tour last year with a friend who has been thinking about getting an RV. After the tour I asked him if he remembered the emphasis they had on the steel around the cockpit area. He did. I asked him if he remembered seeing any steel on the walls when we were in that part of the tour. He didn't remember seeing any. Our coach was rather dirty at that time, so when we got back to it he could easily see the steel in our walls. He got the point.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #11 – July 04, 2018, 10:52:53 am

Be aware there is a vast difference in complexity along the Foretravel line. From the spring suspended earlier Grand Villa models with the little 6b Cummins engine that are extremely rugged, same great interiors and build quality, simple cheap and straightforward to maintain. You can probably re-engine one of these for $5K or so not that this should ever be needed. Grand Villas ratcheted up in complexity/amenities from this point.

Then you move into the flat nose bus type Foretravels. These have air suspension, leveling, ride control, 6 speed transmissions with retarders, larger engines. Big side mounted one source radiators with obsolete fan motors. The 320 models with the highest horsepower (which is almost universally the one folks with no experience say they have figured out they need), have aquahot, electronic engines as well, both of which can be pricey when broken. From there you go to single, multiple slide coaches, then onto Nimbus,Phoenix with holodecks inside.

Expecting to buy a 20 year motorhome and not have to work on it much because it's a premium brand is magical thinking. Somebody is going to twist those wrenches whether its the owner doing it for "free" or a shop at $120.00/hr that hopefully has some idea of what they're about. The more complex the coach the more $ in maintenance.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #12 – July 04, 2018, 05:57:55 pm

It would be dishonest for me to not admit that as much as I like the old Foretravel I own, I sometimes long for the old, unsophisticated days of a 34', NO air brake, NO air suspension, NO diesel, NO multitude of batteries, NO expensive tires to buy, Winnebago. Service almost anyplace or a GM or Ford dealership for drive line problems.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #13 – July 04, 2018, 06:02:47 pm

Quote from: Lon and Cheryl – July 04, 2018, 05:57:55 pm

It would be dishonest for me to not admit that as much as I like the old Foretravel I own, I sometimes long for the old, unsophisticated days of a 34', NO air brake, NO air suspension, NO diesel, NO multitude of batteries, NO expensive tires to buy, Winnebago. Service almost anyplace or a GM or Ford dealership for drive line problems.

Ahhh the creature comforts... Sounds like our old 1970 something Winnebago... Hot Hot Hot in the summer with the loud engine and wandering steering.. um nahhh Id rather stay home than be without my creature comforts now.. Spoiled you might say... I agree

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #14 – July 04, 2018, 06:13:23 pm

Quote from: Lon and Cheryl – July 04, 2018, 05:57:55 pm

GM or Ford dealership for drive line problems.

Nope, does not always work that way: With the Airstream, I had a noisy valve lifter, found a "Isuzu/GMC dealer. Pulled in, the mgr, gave me the 'crossed index finger' sign. I knew what that was, but asked him why. He said, "These coaches freak my guys out, they're afraid they'll screw something else up." I said, "You mean, if this rig (same chassis) said 'Wonder Bread' on the side, you'd work on it?" Yup.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #15 – July 04, 2018, 06:46:25 pm

Quote from: Lon and Cheryl – July 04, 2018, 05:57:55 pm

It would be dishonest for me to not admit that as much as I like the old Foretravel I own, I sometimes long for the old, unsophisticated days of a 34', NO air brake, NO air suspension, NO diesel, NO multitude of batteries, NO expensive tires to buy, Winnebago. Service almost anyplace or a GM or Ford dealership for drive line problems.

Agree with some of your wishes. With a coach this size (I would love something smaller) the big tires, disc brakes go with the territory as well as the HD driveline. It won't fail if lubed on a regular basis. I would get rid of the HWH leveling and just use a manual controller or even wood blocks. My old bus had air bags but never gave any trouble. The batteries have given zero trouble. I don't believe in the red/yellow top batteries as Autozone Duralasts have lasted just as long or longer and at almost exactly $300 for all three 31 series, the price and quality is right. This is the first automatic that I have driven behind a Detroit and I don't like it at all. Downshifts are rough, I'm never sure exactly what or when it's going to do something. Especially when heading down a steep hill from a stop. No fault codes on a stick either. I can't imagine starting the engine and the coach refusing to go into gear. Give me a 7 or 9 speed manual anytime. When is the last time engine coolant got into the ATF on a manual transmission? Most of the buses outside the U.S. are manual. Jake brakes are perfect.

But the worst thing is the incredibly complex hydraulic fan setup. It's not if but when is something going to fail or break. With all the space in the nose for radiators, they had to stick one in the rear where it takes advantage of nothing at all. No ram air, nothing. It just sits there stealing power and fuel mileage. Not easy to go down to NAPA and get a new pump or motor is it?

Next to last wish would to get rid of the heavy generator. With solar, I never use it. The coach could have a evap unit on the roof for cooling and the one 110V AC is OK for campgrounds with juice to run the conventional unit.

Why didn't they make a fold down front bumper like GM did on it's buses for the spare tire? Cell phone calls to the cavalry don't make it in many places in the west.

Pierce

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #16 – July 05, 2018, 10:36:16 pm

I like my ORED KISS, but haven't driven a uni so how can I compare ride. ORED front shocks are not very effective but I think with 2 day work I could see a 30% improvement. No slides, no sixpack, no computers, level system is ok except for soft sites or ones sloping downhill and will kick up if you can pull forward to get it to spring assisted travel mode. Ride height is simple valves and air ride system pretty simple. Tires have enough clearance to limp if air suspension fails, brakes not so much. No bulkheads and with a few pipe plugs and few spares my limp mode could be 100 miles. Side radiator is probably a mixed blessing. Weighs in at 22000 and fuel mileage is 10+ at 65 and moderate headwinds.
Cons other than those listed
Limited basement storage
Only 4 speed tranny
Exhaust brake performance is only adequate for 6% interstate grades so you have to kill speed with the service brakes like most of the other RVs
It's almost 30 years old so chassis/brake parts may be tough to find so I may have to stock up now for next 20 years as rubber is getting old. Stiffer less resilient polyurethane parts can be molded.
At some point replacement windshields and other consumables may disappear.but that can unfortunately be said about any vehicle past the age of 10 , just send it too the landfill and move on!

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #17 – July 12, 2018, 07:30:50 pm

Could someone help me with some information? 1985 V917 Cat V8 w/ Allison tranny. I changed the transmission fluid and filter. I need a dip stick/fill tube. Mine was so old it just twisted when I tried to remove it. Went to Allison for a replacement, they said I need to go to the Manufacturer.. Can I still get a fill tube for a 1985 Foretravel?

Thank you in advance

Philip

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #18 – July 12, 2018, 07:55:05 pm

FOT should have them. (Foretravel of texas)

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #19 – July 12, 2018, 11:48:10 pm

This is a great question that as a new, first time FT owner I have been faced with a number of times. Without a dealer network, my only options are to travel 570 miles to a FT recommended service center while in Denver or 380 miles while in Phoenix. Not good options. So, this has let me to rely heavily on a multitude of service center, The obvious is a Cummings service center for engine & transmission. They are for the most part VG specialist but they never venture into the rest of the chassis. For additional chassis work, it's a crap shoot unless you have a solid recommendation.
Above the chassis I rely on FT factory to point me in the right direction and go from there. They are extremely good with their diagnosis and solution. If your capable you might be able to handle it with the FT factory ready to charge Big Time for parts. But they usually have them. However, working on a FT is not always easy. Example: after purchasing my 2003 U295 it was only a few hundred miles before the steering box totally leaked. Not fun on a 1,500 my trip home. To get to the steering box you have to remove the generator which is not on a slide. Then you just started!! I didn't have a fork lift in my garage!!
However, with all that said, I believe it is the best RV I have ever owned after 13 various Airstreams. But the learning curve is much steeper that previous RVs. Another example is the air slide when gaskets leak. Not the usual fix I am acquainted with.
The best comment I read was the more higher end RV like a FT, the more expensive the repair. Would I buy another - - yes. The troubles are worth the end results - - safe fun in comfort.

My wish would be that FT would reach out across the country and establish, from existing service centers, a series of recommended RV techs knowledgeable about the FT. Of course, this would take some training. But a one million dollar + cost for a new FT, it seems like a good business practice that would benefit many owners, new or older.

Hope that helps a bit. Lou

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #20 – November 29, 2018, 01:51:55 pm

FYI... Buying a 2000 U320 in the "middle-0f-nowhere" New Mexico. I found a Freightliner Semi-tractor repair, and they had no issues servicing the Air Brakes, Cummings engine, etc. Take it to a Semi shop for chassie work, and an RV for electrical/interior and I think you will be fine. Other than the custom chassie it's nothing you would not find a large tractor.

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #21 – November 29, 2018, 02:38:08 pm

Quote from: Dr. Dee – July 12, 2018, 11:48:10 pm

380 miles while in Phoenix. I believe it is the best RV I have ever owned after 13 various Airstreams.

Curious, where and who are the FT service outlet you mention? Plenty of places in Phoenix that can handle FTs. One is Orangewood RV Center - Located in Surprise, AZ - Orangewood RV Center... Geez, you got me beat on Airstreams, I only had four!

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #22 – November 29, 2018, 07:17:20 pm

Philip,

I found a good source recently, John Rummel is a retired business owner that rebuilt CAT engines.

John has a number of 3208's and may be able to help you, his info below.

Office: 817-386-2341
Cell: 817-223-3208
Email: jr427ford@gmail.com
Address: 1415 East Hattie, Fort Worth,TX

Best of luck. Regards Bob

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #23 – November 29, 2018, 07:49:44 pm

Chuck, have you made a decision yet, or are you still researching. If the latter, what questions do you have?

Re: Foretravel maintenance and repairs.

Reply #24 – March 14, 2019, 05:18:47 pm

I recently purchased a 2000 U320. It was in nowhere NM, and I had a Freightliner shop look it over. They did an okay job and were able to service the chassis, put new airbags in, and replace some leaky valves. They did oil analysis and looked the Cumm450 over, all before I purchased it.

I would think any Semi-Repair or heavy truck dealer, that is familiar with the engines would be fine to work on the older Fortravels. On the way home I noticed the ride height was off, and took it to Danny's RV/KampFam in Dallas (recent name change). They found the front valve needed to be replaced, and did an aqua hot service for a decent price.. They specialize in Class A motorhomes and while not necessarily experts in Fortravels, many of them certified in Spartan/Workhorse chassis.

I've heard horror stories of old Workhorse chassis, that have complicated electronics tied to transmission and parking breaks on UFO;s. I have not seen any of that on my fortravel, its basically just Semi and RV parts bolted on an RV Chassis.

Affiliate Notice