History of Foretravel
The Fore family’s tradition for travel began in 1876 when CM. Fore’s grandparents first traveled from the East and settled in Nacogdoches, the Gateway to Texas. This tradition was carried on by James E. Fore (CM’s father), who began his travels around the turn of the century as a peddler, living and selling from a covered wagon.
CM Fore and his new bride, Marie, continued this family tradition of travel through numerous family vacations, and as their family grew, requirements for a suitable vehicle changed. They went from cars to station wagons and even used a small fold-out trailer during the early days of the RV industry in America. CM. and Marie finally decided that if they were ever going to own the perfect vehicle for family travel, they were going to have to build it themselves.
It began as a high school Distributive Education project for their son, Ray, and soon turned into a real family endeavor. They began working together to build the first Foretravel motorhome, a 21′ class “A”. It was built from lightweight aluminum on a Dodge chassis, which weighed less than 4000 pounds. Upon completion, they promptly drove their new creation to Washington state for a visit with their eldest son, Roy, who was stationed there in the military. The Fore’s “coach” generated so much interest along the way, that by the time they arrived back home, they had also concluded there was definitely a need for high-quality motorhomes such as theirs. So they decided to go into the business of building motorhomes under the “Foretravel” name. The Foretravel Super Luxura.
The original production facility was a small building located on the family property, and for the first five years, the company manufactured and sold units at a loss. However, in 1973, their firm commitment to quality and success led them to make their first major exterior design change. The Super Luxura boasted a fiberglass front cap, rear cap, and side panels, which sparked great interest across the country. Foretravel continued to grow during the 70s.
Learn more about Foretravel models here.
Foretravel has always recognized the importance of customer satisfaction and customer retention. As a result, Foretravel was one of the first in the industry to recognize the importance of an owners’ club. The Foretravel Motorcade Club was born with the merger of the Foretravel Travelers and the Travco Motorcade Club. The Travco club was one of the very first owners’ clubs in the nation and dates back to 1965. There are presently more than 2,000 families enjoying the fun and fellowship of membership in the club. Membership is exclusive to owners of Foretravel, Travco, or Avco motorhomes, and provides numerous benefits and travel opportunities.
Over the years, Foretravel and the Fore family have continued their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Since building that very first motorhome in 1967, Foretravel has grown to become a recognized industry leader in quality, innovation, and customer service.
Obituary: Clarence Mize “C.M” Fore
Clarence Mize “CM” Fore, 83, passed away surrounded by his family on August 5, 2011, in Nacogdoches, Texas. A funeral service will be at 10:30 am at the First Church of Nazarene in Nacogdoches, Rev. Wesley Anderson and Elmer Pitts will officiate the service. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.
Clarence was born on September 19, 1927, to parents James Eliphas Fore and Mary Demaris Rowell Fore in Nacogdoches. He was reared in the Douglass/Nacogdoches area and at the age of 17, married his true love Ruth Marie Garrett in June 1945 and they spent 66 years together. Mr. Fore worked for NIBCO for 25 years and worked himself up the ranks from the foundry department to leading the engineering department here in Nacogdoches. He earned the nickname “Speedy” that was hard to shake his entire life. His skills allowed him to develop several new products and patents for NIBCO, including the “Teflon seat ring gate valve & Teflon seat ball valve” that are used around the world. His second career began with his love for camping and spending time with his family traveling.
Clarence had a natural love of life that allowed him to admire God’s scenic creations. He was devoted to his family, church and his beliefs and was not afraid to express his love for Christ. Clarence did his best to live by the Golden Rule and wanted “A Better Way of Life for More People.” He founded the Foretravel Motorhome Company on this belief, where he constantly developed a better way to travel for thousands of people throughout the world. He loved designing, building and testing new designs, and then traveling to National Parks and taking in all the beauty along the way just to make sure they would measure up. CM owned and operated Foretravel for 40 years with a strong desire to provide better jobs, and high-quality motorhomes for customers.