My Next New Motor Coach AFTER I Win the Lottery!

[tomevansfl]

On 8/31/2021 at 10:04 AM, David Pratt said:

Foretravel introduced the ih-45 in 2012, The coach is a custom built coach. When you spec'd out the coach to be built you had a choice of either a lifting tag axle or a steerable tag axle. All the ih-45 coaches are built with the HWH Active AIr Suspension system and IFS. The HWH Active Air System is quite the system and make driving the coach a very comfortable amazing driving experience. Foretravel discontinued the lifting tag axle in 2018 and now only the steerable tag axle is available.

The REALM that is built on the new SPARTAN GT Chassis has the steerable tag and active air system. The Entegra Cornerstone and the NEWMAR Essex and King air that are built on the SPARTAN GT chassis also have the Steerable Tag axle and active air system.

Do these coaches have Active Tag Steering?  By that I mean do they just follow the drive axle passively (driver doesn't have any control over their turning) or when the coach is not moving and the driver turns the steering wheel, does the tag axle turn with the front wheels (opposite direction) where the driver controls their turning through the steering wheel?  I believe each of these you mention have the passive steering.  If I'm wrong, their have been changes within the last year.

[David Pratt]

All are Active Tag Steering or Passive.

[tomevansfl]

8 hours ago, David Pratt said:

All are Active Tag Steering or Passive.

As I’m not as knowledgeable about the Foretravel, King Air, Essex and Cornerstone I had to looked them up.

Each is built on a Spartan K3 or K4 chassis and all have passive steering tag axles. This means that the wheels on the tag follows the path of the drive axle and the driver doesn’t direct them with the steering wheel. Passive steering is just that, passive. They “float” left or right as they follow along behind the drive axle.

With active steering the direction of the tag wheels is controlled by steering the front wheels. In other words you turn the front wheels with the steering wheel and the tag axle wheels turn at about 50% of the angle the front wheels turn. This eliminates tire scuffing while leaving the tag axle in full contact while carrying their normal load 100% of the time, including when the transmission is in reverse gear. Passive steering doesn’t do this.

While both prevent tag axle tire scuffing when traveling forward at low speeds, passive doesn’t function in reverse and does not eliminate tag axle tire scuffing. 

The thing that confounds me is that when you put the transmission in reverse, the passive tag is brought to straight and allows tire scuffing when backing into a campsite. So I’m confounded why Spartan mechanically forces the wheels straight when backing but doesn’t have an active forward steering. Newell’s tags  are active in both directions when going slow. It’s not needed at highway speeds.

Active air suspension means the ride height of the coach is adjusted multiple times per second to compensate for road irregularities and to keep the coach level. Not the same thing as active steering tag axle.

[6Wheels]

I am looking for a coach with steel frame, active steering, IFS, active air suspension, stainless steel countertops and backsplash, induction cooktop, convection microwave, dishwasher, residential 3-door refrigerator, 15k A/C w/heat pump (3), freezer in the basement, stacked washer-dryer, vinyl plank flooring throughout, seamless slides, dual-pane windows, generator of course, and run flat tires.

All this for under $300k!  I'll buy it.

[RustyTools]

Someone commented to me one time that "You must be pretty rich to be able to afford such a fancy motorhome like that".  My response is that I've found you can only be one or the other, not both.  😁

Edited September 5, 2021 by RustyTools
typos (as usual)

[6Wheels]

Heard from kids at the playground: "That guy must be rich", watching a 30 foot Class A go by.

Reply from parent sitting on the bench:  "Used to be".

[Mel S - '96 Safari]

2 hours ago, 6Wheels said:

Heard from kids at the playground: "That guy must be rich", watching a 30 foot Class A go by.

Reply from parent sitting on the bench:  "Used to be".

Heard from a kid in the multi family campsite in a Michigan campground: "Look the rich lady is sweeping off the picnic table".

Reply from many adults: "SHUSH".

[David Pratt]

3 hours ago, 6Wheels said:

I am looking for a coach with steel frame, active steering, IFS, active air suspension, stainless steel countertops and backsplash, induction cooktop, convection microwave, dishwasher, residential 3-door refrigerator, 15k A/C w/heat pump (3), freezer in the basement, stacked washer-dryer, vinyl plank flooring throughout, seamless slides, dual-pane windows, generator of course, and run flat tires.

All this for under $300k!  I'll buy it.

GOOD LUCK ON YOU SEARCH!!!!

[Bob Jones]

Every time I see some nice new unit that costs $$ I ask myself what it would cost me to completely redo the interior of my 2000 Diplomat. I bet I would be hard pressed to spend $10k to completely redo it soup to nuts with nothing but high-end stuff. To me, if the layout works and I'm happy with the chassis then it's just a matter of making it the way you want. I'm thinking gorgeous heated tile floor, new couch etc. The small square footage, to me, means you could buy some pretty extravagant stuff. Gold fixtures? All new lights? 

I recently got my Dad a new Coachmen Pursuit (29 foot gasser). We then put residential solar on it, vent covers, tracking sat system and things like that. In short, we twiddled it up to get it to what he wanted. This made it very economical (in the grand scheme of things) and it's now just about perfect. I've seen some threads from people that did remarkable work on redoing their interiors. On mine, the frame and ride are incredible. The drivetrain seems to be million-mile quality. So if the box and the chassis works then to me it's just the interior. 

[birdshill123]

Bob. Sorry to burst your Balloon.  I am sure your Dad is happy with that unit. However it is not a million mile chassis. Even many of the entry level DP's are not million mile vehicles. Today's rv's are not up to the standards of even units from 10 years ago. Your Diplomat  has a build quality  that is rare  in newer DP's. 

[Bob Jones]

Sorry, I should have been more clear, when I was referring to the million mile chassis it was my old DP not Dad's new gasser 🙂 

[JDCrow]

32 minutes ago, Bob Jones said:

Every time I see some nice new unit that costs $$ I ask myself what it would cost me to completely redo the interior of my 2000 Diplomat. I bet I would be hard pressed to spend $10k to completely redo it soup to nuts with nothing but high-end stuff. To me, if the layout works and I'm happy with the chassis then it's just a matter of making it the way you want. I'm thinking gorgeous heated tile floor, new couch etc. The small square footage, to me, means you could buy some pretty extravagant stuff. Gold fixtures? All new lights? 

I recently got my Dad a new Coachmen Pursuit (29 foot gasser). We then put residential solar on it, vent covers, tracking sat system and things like that. In short, we twiddled it up to get it to what he wanted. This made it very economical (in the grand scheme of things) and it's now just about perfect. I've seen some threads from people that did remarkable work on redoing their interiors. On mine, the frame and ride are incredible. The drivetrain seems to be million-mile quality. So if the box and the chassis works then to me it's just the interior. 

Same thoughts here. We went through some used Seneca MH super C and I loved the chaissis, but the interior has so much not going for it. Just cheap and weak.

We have spent a little over $10K remodeling our little Dip. That includes all the suspension, inverter/battery, Headlights, infotainment etc. Love it. Rock solid engine/trans and drive train. To me the older coaches are just a better investmetn. 

[birdshill123]

One of the problems is there is not a lot of completion.when the huge conglomerates buy up some of the old names all the coaches become similar. Because the assembly lines require speed quality goes down hill. Construction methods are not designed for durability.  Just for fast assembly. Look at what happened to Entegra or Isata/ Dynamax.  Has Newmar and Winnie gone downhill? More and more an older high end unit is not only superior to today's junk they are less expensive.  However  Bob's $10,000 upgrade cost would only work if  the owner was handy and did all the work

[bpperk]

Last April Fools day I sold My 2004 Signature to Camping World for a ridiculous high price and on the next day took delivery of A Foretravel iH-45.  Both tranactions in Nashville. The Sig was nice and in fair shape, but the iH-45 is a whole next level. So I have been enjoying reading this post. Keep it going! 

[Bob Jones]

5 hours ago, JDCrow said:

Same thoughts here. We went through some used Seneca MH super C and I loved the chaissis, but the interior has so much not going for it. Just cheap and weak.

We have spent a little over $10K remodeling our little Dip. That includes all the suspension, inverter/battery, Headlights, infotainment etc. Love it. Rock solid engine/trans and drive train. To me the older coaches are just a better investmetn. 

Yours is identical to mine except mine 36. One day I'll probably do the interior but for now, it's stock. Most of my efforts have gone into infrastructure. Water, Internet, TV's etc. That and maintenance. The last thing I will do is the inside.