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Topic: Maiden voyage (Read 725 times) previous topic - next topic

Maiden voyage

Leaving for my first trip tomorrow morning to Talladega for the spring race. Since getting this beast home I have been tinkering with all the amazing features and think I have most figured out ..... at least enough to enjoy this upcoming week. At the track campsite I have  50amp service and water. I've kept the coach pretty much plugged in since I bought it and need to spend some time to see how long I can run off of the house batteries and see how the solar panels (3) charge the batteries. This will be a neat trip with 2 buddies who both have SOB's that I've traveled with for years.

Staying on the hill at C&C campground just outside the track. Hopefully I will see other Foretravels at Talladega.

See is all cleaned up and ready to go. 
Jeff & Christie
2008 Phenix Build# 6471

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #1 –
Congrats on your new to you rig!  Enjoy the race!
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #2 –
Quote from: JeffW –
This will be a neat trip with 2 buddies who both have SOB's that I've traveled with for years.

Staying on the hill at C&C campground just outside the track. Hopefully I will see other Foretravels at Talladega.

See is all cleaned up and ready to go. 
Congratulations on your new ride.  Is the 2008 Phœnix a UniCoach or is it a Spartan chassis?
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Old Toolmaker –
Congratulations on your new ride.  Is the 2008 Phœnix a UniCoach or is it a Spartan chassis?
It would be a Foretravel Chassis.    Foretravel did not go to Spartan until 2018 model year.  There are some (maybe only 1) that was still build with the Foretravel Chassis and the rest were the Spartan.  Foretravel was calling the IH45 Spartan Chassis TravelrRide III which was special build by Spartan to equal the Foretravel build TravelRide II.  The Realm Presidential which they say is the equal to the IH45 is only using the  Spartan K4 which is a step (or multi steps) down. In my opinion all of the newer coaches will not ride anywhere as good as the IH45 does with either the Foretravel or Spartan TravelRide chassis with HWH Active Air.
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #4 –
Quote from: turbojack –
It would be a Foretravel Chassis.    Foretravel did not go to Spartan until 2018 model year. 
Thanks Turbojack.  Where I was heading with this is that a Foretravel UniCoach chassis is an appropriate ride for the track.  People who have never driven a bare chassis have no idea how much the body is relied upon for stiffness in the finished vehicle.
JeffW and his friends are probably unaware that his Phœnix is built with truss bridge construction and that the load bearing is in the side walls, not underneath the floor.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Old Toolmaker –
Thanks Turbojack.  Where I was heading with this is that a Foretravel UniCoach chassis is an appropriate ride for the track.  People who have never driven a bare chassis have no idea how much the body is relied upon for stiffness in the finished vehicle.
JeffW and his friends are probably unaware that his Phœnix is built with truss bridge construction and that the load bearing is in the side walls, not underneath the floor.
Don't know about the late coaches but our 36 foot U300 coach has only about 13 feet of the truss bridge construction in the middle with 9 feet of conventional frame rail construction in the front and 14 feet in the back with no steel above the rails. That's why they creak, break windshields and as one member found out, twist the front suspension when off road enough so they needed a tow.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #6 –
Turbojack knows it, it has a foretravel chassis. Had a great ride down towing a F150 with a golf cart. The only issue so far is when hooked to the city water supply the fresh water tank slowly filled and over filled. Running off of house water pump with no problems. Not sure  if I had a switch off. See pic of water fill bypass switch, LED's are off, sun was bright.
Jeff & Christie
2008 Phenix Build# 6471

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Don't know about the late coaches but our 36 foot U300 coach has only about 13 feet of the truss bridge construction in the middle with 9 feet of conventional frame rail construction in the front and 14 feet in the back with no steel above the rails.

Somewhat recent (2017) factory tour photos that show some of the Foretravel chassis construction: Foretravel Coach Plant Tour – Nacogdoches, TX – RV'ing with Herb & Kathy

Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Don't know about the late coaches but our 36 foot U300 coach has only about 13 feet of the truss bridge construction in the middle with 9 feet of conventional frame rail construction in the front and 14 feet in the back with no steel above the rails. That's why they creak, break windshields and as one member found out, twist the front suspension when off road enough so they needed a tow.

Pierce
I think of the front and rear steel extensions as footings for the bridge.  As far as I can see on mine, the the trusses run between the bulkheads.  Plus with the Torsionaire suspension I don't have that giant steel mattress the air bag models have for the front suspension.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Maiden voyage

Reply #9 –
Congrats, enjoy both the coach and the race.
Gary and Darlene
2008 Nimbus SE 4030 Tahoe
Build #6463