May 9, 2006 - Thackerville, OK
For those of you who've never been to the Foretravel factory in Nacogdoches, this is what it's like, or at least what it was like when we were there last.
Can you say "PARTY!" Yup, one of the couples had traded in their 198? coach for that nice looking 1998 U320 in the background, and that was reason enough to have a party. Most of us didn't know each other prior to this, but some of us had met sitting in the waiting room. I'd start naming names, but then I'd forget some and embarrass myself, so I'll not even try. That couple with the little table holding the wine glasses between them are the folks that had upgraded their coach. Since the factory is out of the retail sales business, they'd gone down the street to Motorhomes of Texas to do the deal. Carol was the woman who sort of "did it" as far as the party went. She hung balloons, a "The Party's Here" sign, and then knocked on doors to make sure everyone felt welcome. Her husband was the official MC for the party, and really got things going by asking each couple and one single woman what their most embarrassing RV incident had been. Great stories!
A couple of shots of the honored couple (Sharon & Dan).
The fellow pointing at me was our MC and his wife next to him was the instigator and balloon hanger. The lady next to her is from Germany originally, and after loosing her husband decided to keep traveling. She has a home in CA, but loves to travel. She's always smiling and isn't a bit afraid to ask for help when she needs it. Now, that's a trait that I admire. It makes me feel totally comfortable as I sit and watch her do stuff with her coach. I know that if she's needing something, she'll ask and that's really quite relaxing for me.
The fellow in the necktie is Lyle Reed, President and principal owner of Foretravel. He bought the company in February 2005, and most of us are real glad he and his group did. It was about to close its doors and that would have been a shame. It was his turn to tell a story on himself, and he willingly did so. Neat guy. See that brown coach in the background? Well, the coach to the left of that one is his, and he lives on the property during the week, going home on weekends. Hard working, dedicated guy, and deserves all the credit we can give him.
That's not a very flattering picture of Lyle, but it's the only close-up we got. He was carefully considering the answer to a question somebody had asked him. While he was standing there, he was called away by somebody and he went over to his coach. I thought that was the end of it for him, but he surprised me by coming right back as soon as he was finished. He hung around chatting with us for some time. And here's the kicker. Only one couple in the group had just bought a new coach. All the rest of us (I think) had coaches that were bought before he took over the company.
And there's Barb with James Triana. If any of us ever has a question about anything on our coach, James either has the answer off the top of his head or will find it in one of the many books that line his office. And if he can't find it there he'll get in touch with the guys in the factory and call you back. What a wonderful resource that guy is. They're standing in what used to be the sales floor, when the factory had a retail sales department. That's where we bought our coach.
Ever seen a real early Foretravel? Well, here's one. Sitting on a Dodge chassis. Paint could use some work. For the life of me, I can't remember the year it was built. As I looked at it, I could see evidence of the care and quality of this old boxy looking motorhome. The trim around the outside fit perfectly. The interior (from what we could see peaking through the windows) was a little rough from age, but even there things seemed to be well put together.
There are two waiting rooms for those of us who have already toured the town, had breakfast or lunch, and are just waiting to go "home" again. The typical routine is (for those of us waiting for the work to be done, rather than dropping the coach off to pick it up at a later date) that we have the coach parked in front of whatever bay we've been assigned to by 7:20 AM or so. And then shortly after 4 we drive it back to our "site" and plug in the electricity (solid dependable 50A)and water. Then get a couple of chairs and park yourself next to the coach and pretty soon someone will join you and the party begins. Sometimes you may have to take your chair over to somebody else's coach, and that's OK too.
I guess that's the first copy of the Motorcader that was published. February 1981, Volume 1, Number 1. Those coaches lined up were open to us to go into and drool, as they wait to be delivered. And if you're a NASCAR fan, there's plenty of information at www.mlracing.com about the Foretravel sponsored car.
The shop has bays that open on both sides, and you can see the doors on this side way down there. That bank in the background is the area some of us like to park, and others prefer the fence line over there. $20 per night for the casual traveler (Foretravel) passing through, and a laundry room is available as well. During service, the parking is free.
I should comment some on what meeting other owners here is like. Some people go around with their glass half empty and others have one that is half full, and both can be found here. We've met people here who would complain if you hung them with a new rope, and others realize that life isn't perfect, and certainly something as complicated as a motorhome isn't perfect either. We've all got stories to tell, and the folks we enjoy the most are those who can complain with a smile and a shrug and then go on to tell other stories. It's our strong opinion that everybody working here is trying their best to do a good job, and most of them manage to do that most of the time. But stuff happens! Even the most careful of us has spilled their drink at one time or another. We enjoy having the routine maintenance done here, even though we know there are other competent shops elsewhere, because we like the people here. From Lyle on down, they're a helpful friendly bunch, and they'll listen to your situation and do the best they can to fix it. We're proud to be the owners of one of their coaches.