Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 10, 2025 ...

Would this happen to be the coach that is in Tatum, TX?
If so I have looked at it some time ago.

Mike

This will be fun.  You'll get lots of opinions here and none of us will agree.  We're all wrong, because we're not you.  It's a very personal decision based on what you want out of it:

• a mostly static camping platform or a road warrior?
• a beginner Foretravel that you can craft to be your own or a cheap RV?
• is it close to being what you already want?
• are you an obsessive and innovative DIYer who stays up into the night working on projects or do you need to take everything to a mechanic?

Having sat for four years, $4K is just your entry point and it's probably the least interesting of your costs to make it travel.  It will immediately cost you another $2-4K for fluids and filters all around -- less if you do it yourself -- and probably $4K for tires.  Engine and transmission are your two big ticket items, but are usually the most long lasting.  It's the 1000 $15 to $100 items that you need to be prepared for in an old coach.  If you want to hit the road, bring an experienced Foretravel inspector with you.

If you just need to move it out to some land where it becomes your cabin, it's probably not too much more than the initial $4K.  You can fix things as you get to them.

Either way, you'll likely need to change out the fridge, or at least the cooling unit, as they become a fire hazard late in life.

It could be sitting because of a life change (death, illness, job change, etc.) or because it's basically totaled due to some fatal flaw and not worth fixing.

I LOVE old RVs and love working on them.  My $33K Foretravel was probably financially foolish, but I've never spent better money on  anything that I can remember.  I'm planning to replace my coolant, transmission fluid, and four rear shocks next week.  I'm actually looking forward to it.

Agreed. An inspection by a current or former  owner would be strongly advised. this could either be an incredible deal or an incredible blunder. The asking price is minimal compared to the total price that you will pay out. you have to go over the systems and see what's repairable, what works great, and what doesn't. Only you can decide if this is something you're willing to take on or not. It could be a gem just sitting there waiting to be plucked.
One thing is for sure. Foretravel makes a great coach. If well maintain it can last a long time.
You just need to decide now whether or not this one is maintained enough.
Good luck

I've seen lots worse exterior condition on coaches that are being used every day by full-timers.  Other than faded decals, it looks pretty decent!

Have you been inside the coach?  The interior condition would be of more interest to me.  That's where you live.  Look for signs of water leaks in the ceiling and walls.  Water intrusion anywhere is bad - leads to rot and mold.

How does it smell inside?  Looks to be stored where it's kinda humid, so a musty rotting smell inside would be bad.

Condition of furniture and appliances?  If you can live with the original stuff, at least for a while, that is good.  Completely replacing everything is very expensive, but you can do it a little at a time to spread out the cost.

Do you know anything about RV electric and plumbing systems?  Electrical problems, if any, can be difficult to track down and fix.  Plumbing problems not so hard, but like I said, water leakage inside the coach MUST be avoided.

A complete inspection by a knowledgeable Foretravel owner would be strongly advised.

Check the bulkheads before going any further. Check under battery box and under water tanks and along rear. Check front bulkhead . If the hidden chassis potential issues look good. It might make you a real nice camper.
Are you a hands on guy or a don't have a clue leave it to you sort?
Are you expecting pristine outcome or can you overlook the fluff.

If you ever sit in that drivers seat and look DOWN at the truckers you pass, nothing else will ever be quite the same. They are so much fun to drive.

Did you buy that GV?

Check the bulkheads before going any further. Check under battery box and under water tanks and along rear. Check front bulkhead . If the hidden chassis potential issues look good. It might make you a real nice camper.
Are you a hands on guy or a don't have a clue leave it to you sort?
Are you expecting pristine outcome or can you overlook the fluff.

We live up here in "salt country" but I will put our coach frame up against anyone else's frame. Our coach either goes in to storage around Halloween (long before snow and salt weather) or we head south for the winter.
Lon at HWH said our coach undercarriage looked like it just came new from the Foretravel Plant.
I would think there are more coaches that have gone the same route, so just because a coach is up in "salt country" doesn't mean that it is a wreck because of salt. It may never have seen salted roads.

Whoever bought this bus, hope he can come back to the forum and report back on the restoration.

It sounds like the $4K Detroit powered FT, he was looking at, already sold to someone else.  Sounds like someone may have gotten a good buy, or maybe not. Take this as a learning experience, there will be others.

I don't know if it is sold or not.

You are right, there will be others. I will keep my eye on a little bit later model with proper maintenance. Maybe just from MOT