2004-2007 Foretravel vs Monaco signature

The reason I am fixing up my Brave is because the closet doors fall off sometimes because the screws loosen just enough so the closet door gets caught in the slide as we are opening the bedroom. We have fixed it a couple of times, but now it doesn't work right. We had problems with one of the drawers just after we got it and it was torn off. We also had problems with the drawer slides in the kitchen breaking and it almost broke my toe (never happens to the DH and I wasn't pulling it out very far).

We have already changed the toilet to a taller one and our old knees like it a lot. There is room at the end of the bed to have a wider dresser as well as needing to get rid of the old TV's and install flat screens. I have also figured out how to do the kitchen to optimize storage and have just a convection cooktop with a microwave/convection oven. The different cooktop is for safety.

I am making these changes to enhance it, which if I were to sell it would benefit me, but really to fix the things that are old and worn. After 40 yrs of marriage, the DH is older than me, but I sure wouldn't want to change him for another one and he says the same about me. We like the basic skeleton and just want to enhance it, like my new knees to help me keep up with him in museums, walking, etc. He has had a few health issues, but right now we have him in pretty good shape, so we want to enjoy our travels better. We know how to operate the different valves, etc. and don't want to have to concentrate on learning something new when we want to have fun.

I'm still not crazy about diesel and all the special tests, etc. so I will stay with my oldie. It took me to Pontiac, IL where we saw the Land Yacht that was built from a 1966 school bus and the driver took it up and down Route 66. He drew a lot of signs on barns, etc. using first a VW van, then later the bus. I cannot remember his name now (it is in my notes in the RV and I'm in the sticks and brix) but one of his drawings was of his VW van with the flowers, etc. and they did the hippy van with George Carlin's voice in Cars like his. Now if I can figure out what type of wooden cane to have installed for a handle for getting into the coach. He used a twisted oak cane in place of the metal pole used to hold on to as you climbed in and out.

AH! What you saw, Dave, I believe was the frameless windows Navistar was intalling in the Vestas and HR. They supposedly won't leak and are an improvement, kinda..I think Navistar was the only mfg using them....Dennis

Foretravel has a advantage by being in the same location, employing the same workers for a long time, even though the Fore family sold the business (although at least one of the Fore's still work there). They build high-quality coaches, and they are about the only manufacturer where you can get less than 4 slides in a relatively new coach. We had our coach serviced there in December last year, and the service department get only the highest marks from us. Coaches tend to be higher priced, and the biggest issue for us is that it is very difficult to find a Foretravel with heated floors, unless you are willing to spend 3/4 million. Monaco built good motorhomes, but they moved production from Oregon to Indiana when the company was bought out. Unsure what that that did to the experience base for older coaches. Like any purchase of a used coach, it needs to be thoroughly checked out.

I did not see the physical installation of the window, the window was laying next to the cut out, waiting to be installed. The window frame was about 2 inches larger than the cut out. The coach was in the paint dept, so we could wonder through the coach and look at anything we wanted to. I don't know if they drop something in gap before the window was put in, so it could sandwich up against something or what, but it really seemed odd. There was nothing laying around to indicate any kind of insert.

As far as the actual frame goes, there is nothing wrong with aluminum. With the right alloy, it is every bit as strong as steel or stronger, depending on what steel you are talking about. My contention was with the thickness of the frame material, and its physical strength. The channel could be easily flexed by pushing on the edge. Not sure why they would not use I-beam, as it is more stable.

Daveinet wrote:
A few years ago, I took a tour of the Monaco factory and was not impressed, particularly with the way the windows were installed, relative to the wall frame location. Meaning the window cut out was not directly supported by framing. Secondly, in looking at the coach frame its self, it is relatively flimsy. Grabbing a piece and flexing it, I was surprised it does much to support the wall. The structural strength is derived from the end cap frames, but everything in between was thin and flimsy. While I have not seen the interior wall construction of an FT, I do know what a good quality wall should be made from, and Monaco is not it. (The wall frames on my coach are 3 times thicker)

I know the OP was asking about the Sig, which is an all steel semi-monoque chassis/frame, however I am surprised by this as even my lowly HR Neptune (monaco)has every window boxed it with frame. The frame is also 16 inch on center C-channel studs with hung fiberglass walls. It was asctually the structural build and hard roof that sold me on the HR while looking at other new coaches in my price range as that was one area I researched heavily. My hung walls appear to be about twice as thick as the comparable laminated bonded wall.

After thinking about this further, I do believe they changed the wall construction with the 2009 model and did away with the C-Channel construction in the aluminum frame models and went the more conventional laminated build like others (except Newmar), but the higher ups are still steel.

08-450dually wrote:
Awesome info! Thank you. So these two coaches are a apples to apples comparison. Guess the next step up would be the bus conversions and Newell, right?

thank you for all the info. Love this website


Jaime

Actually no, it would be the American Coach line Eagles and Heritages.

Foretravel every day of the week!!

x2 with Dennis. We bought a Dynasty even though would have liked the Exec too. But when doing homework at the Greensboro show in 2006, spoke to a lot of Exec and Sig owners that wanted to downsize to a Dynasty. They said same sq footage, just not the weight and fuel was spiking. Don't know, but for the mondy and the sales push that year vs used prices, we ordered. Good Luck!

Awesome info! Thank you. So these two coaches are a apples to apples comparison. Guess the next step up would be the bus conversions and Newell, right?

thank you for all the info. Love this website

Jaime

Dave...the Dynasty, Executive and Signature frames are STEEL. Lower down the food chain they are alloy. The OP is looking at a Signature....Dennis