Foretravel Owner's Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches April 19, 2024 ...

97 u320 40 ft/

December 27, 2018, 04:05:36 pm

Hello everyone  we are total newbies here. new to the forum and hope to be new to the rv lifestyle soon.  on 12/26 we looked at  a 1997 u 320  40ft.  with Cummins m11 and an Allison transmission, 161,000 miles.  super clean inside and only couple small blemishes outside. I know that the M11 with an Allison is a good combo but thought I would check the combined knowledge here before pursuing.  The asking price is $59,900.  Any info, advice, and guidance would be greatly appreciated.       

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Re: 97 u320 40 ft/

Reply #1 – December 27, 2018, 06:13:13 pm

Anything specific? Great engine Trans combo.. cant go wrong .. Does it have any maintenance records? Any paperwork? That would be a starting point for me. I think the price might be a little high but I havnt seen it.. Batteries, tires will and or might be the first initial costs in replacing. For starters!

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Re: 97 u320 40 ft/

Reply #2 – December 27, 2018, 07:00:16 pm

Is this the coach at Olympia in TN?

If so it appears to have a Heart inverter/charger that would be a candidate for replacement to a pure sine or at least a modified sine inverter to support the newer electronics or a residential refrigerator upgrade if you go that route.

Again, assuming this is the Olympia coach, review the maintenance records mentioned in the ad.  Areas for close inspection, as mentioned above, are tires, air bags, fuel lines, air system, generator and bulkhead.

As most everyone will suggest, see if you can find a Foretravel experienced inspector.

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Reply #3 – December 27, 2018, 07:35:53 pm

Glen, I have a 96 320 with the M-11 and Allison Tranny. Wouldn't have it any other way, especially with the retarder. Mine has 107,000 miles and loves to run down the highway at speed limit. Set the cruise and let her breathe. Smooth ride, quiet, and did I mention she loves to run down the highway.

Won't comment on the price, since don't know what has been done maintenance and modifications.

Larry

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Reply #4 – December 27, 2018, 08:04:22 pm

Bulkheads Bulkheads Bulkheads, get someone that knows how to professionally inspect the bulkhead. Trust me you will not regret it.

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Reply #5 – December 27, 2018, 08:34:06 pm

Price is fair depending how much of the  needed servicing/replacements have been done. 

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Reply #6 – December 27, 2018, 08:45:33 pm

Lots to check on that coach;  Aqua Hot, does it work?  Service?  Generator? Hours, maintenance?  Don't be afraid of miles or hours as that is normally a good thing as the rig has not sat for extended amounts of time.  As others have mentioned, bulkheads!
Year of batteries, both coach and start?  Inverter, does it work?  Plug coach in and check all accessories and then unplug and check again with inverter on and then the generator running .  Condition of the black and grey tanks?  Books and service records?  Year of tires?
Since you mentioned you didn't know much about these coaches, I would pay for an inspection from someone very familiar with Foretravels!  Awesome combo for sure with engine and tranny and wonderful coach to drive, having owned a '98 U320.
Good luck in your purchase, welcome to the forum and ask plenty of questions.  There are many on here with lots of knowledge and willingness to help!

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Re: 97 u320 40 ft/

Reply #7 – December 27, 2018, 10:23:15 pm

PDI

Learning curve is steep - Best get started.

Grab your favorite beverage......

Pick a topic and use our SEARCH function.

If you must purchase this coach put down a small down-payment to purchase contingent upon a satisfactory PDI.

Welcome - all questions are fair.  You will get a bunch of answers and some might be right. 

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Reply #8 – December 27, 2018, 10:27:51 pm

Welcome to the forum and best of luck with your search.  Others have already given you good advice regarding inspection, tire and battery dates , bulkheads etc.. The mileage is fine but one idea I would suggest is before you make an offer get the oil , coolant and transmission fluid analysis done.  This will give you a baseline of how the insides are doing and possibly information about issues that are not visible to the naked eye.

We bought our coach 11 years ago, live in it full time, have just about 160,000 miles on it and no end in sight.  Great coaches, but with any machine, they require maintenance  along the way.

Cya down the road..........................

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Re: 97 u320 40 ft/

Reply #9 – December 29, 2018, 07:39:44 pm

Thanks for the welcome and all the great info.  Salesman said previous owner traded this coach in for a Prevost.    I did notice during the first look that the tires were from 2010  so  probably should be replaced soon.  Sorry it took me so long to get back.

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Re: 97 u320 40 ft/

Reply #10 – December 30, 2018, 04:09:30 pm

Listen carefully to those wise ones who have commented on what to check out. With 8 year old tires, they would definitely be on the early list. That being said, mine had 13 year old Bridgestones on them. Put new Toyo's with centramatics on this spring. Not only safer (with new tread), but with the centramatics, it rides smoother than my 2 Buick's. At this age, you can count on needing things fixed/replaced/upgraded. It's part of the fun

Larry

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