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Topic: The best year  (Read 883 times) previous topic - next topic

The best year

Hello friends,
If I was going to upgrade my unit, what year and model is the best( drivability, and overall performance). It would be good to keep it shorter? I now have a 1999 320 36'. Or would it be a liberty Prevost?
Your thoughts?
James and Suzi
1999 U320  36, Cummins M11
Build 5544  Motorcade #17268
Ronan, Montana
2020 Jeep gladiator

Re: The best year

Reply #1 –
Moved from Classified to allow discussion.

Brett/moderator
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: The best year

Reply #2 –
James, call me Rudy Legett. 7 on 3. 8 one 8. 3234
Rudy Legett
2003 U320 4010 ISM 450 hp
2001 U320 4220 ISM 450 hp
1995 U320 M11 400 hp
1990 Granvilla 300 hp 3208T
Aqua Hot Service Houston and Southeast Texas

Re: The best year

Reply #3 –
So you have a 1999 U320. What are the reasons that are important to you in regards to what you want? I would assume you want a slide? 2003-2005 You want a higher tow capacity? 2005. You probably have one of the lower stress coaches ever made. No def, good power to weight ratio, good brakes, reliable engine and transmission. 10k towing. I get it if you just want to change, but your 99 is a great coach. No slide!!! No slide issues too. Very likely you wont be as satisfied once you get into a more complex coach/Foretravel.

Re: The best year

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Gold Nugget finder –
If I was going to upgrade my unit, what year and model is the best( drivability, and overall performance).

Define drivability - is this easy of making turns, quick pickup on an entrance ramp, smooth ride going town the highway?

Shorter and IFS with good wheel cut are good for turns.

Higher HP-to-weight ratio good for quick acceleration.  Light coach, big engine.

Longer wheelbase, heavier are good for smooth ride.

Prevost will get you the last, and folks who have them love the ride, but they're definitely not known their 0-60 times.
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: The best year

Reply #5 –
The coaches stability when parked and in use is directly proportional to the needed air pressure in the air bags to maintain the coaches set height. I appreciate my non tag 40' u320 32k weight when parked. No noticeable movement when walking around inside the coach. Up to medium winds outside cause little coach movement. Bothers some people. Others do not notice it at all. Heavy Prevost has no movement air leveled. 5mpg. Just something to consider. I walked into hundreds of coaches and always noted whether they moved much walking up the steps. Less stable in crosswinds. Had forgotten about this.
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: The best year

Reply #6 –
Prevost Liberty- had one for 5 years. Got the T- shirts and all the horrendous bills. Been there, never looking to get rid of our 2000-320-42. Your mileage will vary.

Re: The best year

Reply #7 –
I don't think you can compare a Prevost vs a Foretravel. I have been looking for a late 90s to early 2000 Foretravel as well. Made the mistake to test drive a XL Royale. Well I would say it's day and night in crusing down the road plus the acceleration was pretty impressive. Plus the computer from the D60 showed 7.3 mpg. 
Pedal to the metal

Sold 1990 U280 36' Build 3630

Re: The best year

Reply #8 –
Quote from: cuure –
Made the mistake to test drive a XL Royale.
Lots to figure into this. Cost per mile of ownership. Go out and test drive a 1999-2003 36 u320. I think the performance will be expensive to keep up with. Then figure the total cost divided by the miles operated annually and I think you will agree the U320 is hard to beat. I figure my cost at about a dollar a mile. This puts monies into reserve for all the other things that come up. What would a XL Royal be? I figured one will loose 15% every year of ownership.

Re: The best year

Reply #9 –
The worst part of Prevost- whatever conversion you have, Prevost will only work on their original coach, not the conversion part. I learned this the hard way owning our Liberty. Prevost said I could take the coach to either Illinois or Florida at the Liberty dealer.

Re: The best year

Reply #10 –
Quote from: erniee –
Prevost Liberty- had one for 5 years. Got the T- shirts and all the horrendous bills. Been there, never looking to get rid of our 2000-320-42. Your mileage will vary.


I was talking to a person I met at a Motorcade rally. He said he had a Foretravel and bought a new Provost.  He said that coach cost him around 10 times more every time he  put it in the shop. Said he sold it and now has a new Foretravel.
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: The best year

Reply #11 –
Quote from: erniee –
The worst part of Prevost- whatever conversion you have, Prevost will only work on their original coach, not the conversion part. I learned this the hard way owning our Liberty. Prevost said I could take the coach to either Illinois or Florida at the Liberty dealer.

 And that is a big reason why if I was to upgrade to a different brand it would be to Prevost /Marathon Coach.  Marathon conversion is about 70 miles down the road.  Way closer than Foretravel, unfortunately.
  Probably a good thing?? If FT was 70m away I'd be going way more often $$
Robert and Susan
 1995 36' 280 WTBI 8.3 3060r
 1200 watts on the roof, 720 Ah of lithium's
 Build # 4637. Motorcade # 17599
        FMCA  # 451505
        18  Wrangler JLUR

Re: The best year

Reply #12 –
Prevost are aluminum from the compartments up. Dent in hailstorms.  Metal box. Hot in sun. Cold in winter. Never turn off the HVAC. Low ground clearance.  Made for the super slab. 5mpg was the old 8v92's
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: The best year

Reply #13 –
Quote from: cuure –
I don't think you can compare a Prevost vs a Foretravel. I have been looking for a late 90s to early 2000 Foretravel as well. Made the mistake to test drive a XL Royale.

Monaco was the converter for the Royale.

Country Coach did a number of conversions as well.  Many of those had proprietary control systems (ask James Stallings about his experience with that).
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: The best year

Reply #14 –
I worked on many Country Coaches and it wasn't only the conversions they did, but also many of the other systems in all their coaches that they added their own spin to. They were a real challenge and their methods of connecting the wire harnesses together with the red terminal blocks sliding together were a real nightmare.
previous 1984 35 ft ORED 250 HP 3208 Cat       
previous 1998 40 ft U295 CAI 325 hp Cummins
previous 2003 40 Ft u320 build #6140 450 Cummins M11.                                                         
1999 Mazda Miata
Ron, Nancy, Tipper the cat, Max The dog
1997 U 270 36 ft build number 5174 8.3 Cummins

Re: The best year

Reply #15 –
In the end scheme of things it all boils down to how many nugguts you find.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.