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Topic: 1991 U300-- bought it! (Read 9363 times) previous topic - next topic

1991 U300-- bought it!

Long time lurker here.

I have been looking really hard for a foretravel bus.

Recently I have chance to buy a 1991 Grand Villa for $4000 or maybe lower
It has 130K miles
6V92T diesel engine
Air ride

It is sitting for about 4 years. The tire needs to be replaced for sure.

I am torn between buy it or not.

One side tell me that it is going to take too much effort to maintain or fix it.

The other side saying heck just $4000. If it doesn't work out, so what.

Is it worth it?  I am afraid it needs too much work to be road ready.
What could be the biggest item to fix for rig at this age.

Thanks in advance for any of your suggestion.




Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #1 –
Would this happen to be the coach that is in Tatum, TX?
If so I have looked at it some time ago.

Mike

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #2 –
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.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #3 –
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.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #4 –
Four-Grand or less?  If nothing else you could buy it and part it out, make some money and learn a lot while waiting for the right bus to come along.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #5 –
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.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #6 –
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.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #8 –
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

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #9 –
Motorcade numbers are blanked out. If we knew those, we might be able to give you some history on previous owners.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: trailertrashrick –
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.

Thanks for you detailed information.

This is not my ideal coach. I like a 2000is U320.  I think I am pretty good DIYer. Although most experience come from maintaining my car and issues around the house. So if I bought it, I plan to do most of the maintenance by myself. And like you, I am kind of looking forward to it :D .

The coaching was lived in full time by previous owner. So the functionality of the living space should be roughly working.

Buying a coach is never a sound financial decision. It is for fun.

Thanks again for you reply!
Quote from: Journey, Roam, Explore –
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

Thanks
Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie –
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.

Haven't look at inside yet. I don't expect it is better than you described. I will pay close attention to water damage.

Quote from: stump –
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.


Do you have any picture to point where the bulkheads is and what to check? Thanks

I don't expect pristine outcome. It would be financially impossible to bring this coach to pristine condition. A clean mechanically sound coach is what I expect.

Quote from: Johnstons –
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.

A lot people suggest to buy a Trailer, but just for this reason alone, trailer can't compare with Diesel RV.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #11 –
Be looking for this sort of thing: I missed it when I inspected the coach and it could have done some very serious (expensive!) damage.  :facepalm:  A good reason to run the on-board water pump every once in a while; that's how I found this!

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #12 –
If you search bulkheads on the forum and can see images of where to look for problems and there aren't any and from inside you don't see any signs of roof leakage, and it starts and builds air, my opinion would be buy it. If it were here in So. Cal. I would buy it myself.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #14 –
I have a 91 U300 40 footer.
This is definitely a a DIY project or you will have to spend $10,000's to have a shop do it all.  Aside from batteries, air bags, tires, upholstery, exterior cleanup, expect electrical connections that have corrosion resistance build up (especially ground connections) that will need to be redone.  The list of possible "needs" will seem endless but we all pick what is "necessary" and what we can "live with".  If your not excited about working on it then this is not for you.

What would kill the deal for me is if there was a roof or window leak with rusting, rotting wood and mold of the wood and steel structure.  This is different from condensation staining which I would expect in various places inside.  When water gets inside roof and walls delamination occurs and rusting steel swells causing bulging in the sidewalls - this kind of damage is very difficult to repair.  The roof framing is aluminum and the wall framing is steel.  I would expect rusting in the bulkhead area and a repair there would be needed but this is very do-able and well documented in the forum.  I went to the extreme in my repair but this gives you an idea of how it's put together: Bulkhead Repair (Partial Floor Replacement)

Another thing to check for is rodent damage.  If they chew up wiring it's very time consuming to repair.

This model year is very simple: no HWH electronics for leveling (it has a mechanical system that works well), no hydraulic radiator fans (old fashioned belt drive fan with a rear radiator) and of, course no slides to worry about.  In '92 they went to 102" wide body, 350hp (vs 300hp), side radiator with hydraulic fans, and a HWH leveling system.

The power train is likely to be just fine as long as it wasn't parked because of it (as in they overheated it or maintenance was so poor they damaged it).  It might need a new radiator and if the original fan has not been changed from fiberglass to plastic that should be done.  The suspensions on these units are rarely a problem but new shocks might be needed (but they are adjustable).  Fuel line replacements are talked about a lot but on in this vintage they rarely need it - mine are still original.


Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #15 –
Quote from: stump –
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.
Twig has it exactly. $4000 is nothing for a U300 and you could park it as a guest house in worst case. The 6V-92TA Detroit is my favorite engine but the little chassis stuff will keep you busy on any older RV. Yes, trailers are the least expensive way to go but as  posted above, there is nothing like looking down at the tallest trucks when you go by. We love our U300 and would buy this one in a second at the price. You can't expect a perfect coach for what they are asking. Batteries can cost a bunch but not as much as you might expect if you look on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. Be resourceful and it will be a lifetime of memories but if you have pull your credit card at every problem, you will be an unhappy camper.

If you can't do most of your own work, you have no business buying an RV if on a budget. Keep that in mind. If the oil is changed and radiator in good shape, the two-cycle will last forever and get good fuel economy. While the engine/trans package is the most important, the bulkhead, air bags, water leaks, etc, etc are going to keep you busy.

We bought a SOB for $500 with only 27K miles and had not been driven in over 20 years. It looked much, much worse than the one you are interested in. After a little elbow grease, we took it to Canada along with several trips to Baja and mainland Mexico as well as many trips to our favorite campsites in the Sierras. Lots of great memories.

I will say that in eleven plus years of U300 ownership, other than the upgrades and a couple of airbags, there has been NO $10,000 to get it into shape and not even one coach buck spent on failed components. The big expenses have been insurance and diesel fuel. Lots of miles and lots of fuel.

Pierce

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #16 –
If we had seen something like this a year ago we would have gone and looked at it in person.  We've dealt with antique vehicles all our lives so far and understand that you pay one way or another.  Our preference is to purchase something solid and do all of the necessary deferred maintenance ourselves that way whe know what has been done and are pretty sure the work was done correctly with good materials.
What we look for in a motorhome is water damage.  Water damage is a deal breaker.  Any more than the most minimal sign of water intrusion into the interior means a polite exit.  The framework under the cargo bays, well it's best if that part doesn't need work but is is simple enough to repair, but still runs into money.
If the engine isn't covered in oil it's probably okay.  But if it were my money I'm want to see or make it run before I stated counting out cash.  I want to make sure it can move under its own power and stop.  I want the suspension to raise the coach off the stops.  If it does all that, and I had another $10,000 in my left pocket, I'd reach into my right pocket and start counting out hundreds.  Force of habit would cause me to slow down at some point and switch to twenties.  Just because it never hurts to try.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #17 –
Depends on where this coach is located and have been for most all of it's life.  If up north, in the salt country, I would pass, but south or out west, what a nice rig to tinker with.  If we had a place with a garage to put coach in, would not be afraid to jump on this one!  The Detroit is a great engine and this coach doesn't look to bad.  Depends on how much you can do yourself and feel comfortable with.  All in the details!  Good luck with you choices!

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #18 –
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.

Re: Thinking of purchasing this 1991 Grand Villa, worth it?

Reply #19 –
Quote from: nitehawk –
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.
Since I've been working on mine I've pain  stakingly cleaned virtually all of underneath and sprayed with hammerite wax oil, excellent stuff protects brilliantly against the elements, oh by the way norm, my roof lights, found the hatch at that back where reversing camera is, no power, when I took the light cover off the other day I must have pulled one of the wires out, simple job all working thanks