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How do you use your coach?
In November of 1990 we bought our first Prevost and the intent was clear on how we would use it. We were slaves to our businesses and never took enough time to relax and enjoy what we had worked for. Our coach changed all that. The first couple of years we had our coach we took about 13 to 16 weeks each year to visit the country. We learned to relax, we learned to stop and visit places we never would have without the coach.
But then I reverted back to my previous self and because of the coach started creating the line of RV Park and campground equipment now sold through Jamestown Advanced. From the early 90’s until I sold the business in 1999 the coach became my trade show vehicle taking us to about 30 trade shows a year, and also was used to put on seminars at one of our customer’s warehouses around the country. While the coach becamse a work tool, it was also our weekend haven used to explore whatever city or portion of the country we were in at the time.
Today the coach is all recreation. No more business use, no more traveling to a schedule, just relaxation and enjoyment.
When we are not on the road, I use the coach as a hobby often working on it, maintaining it, because it is just 15 paces from our door in its garage sitting over a pit. I cannot imagine not having our coach.
Jon
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24 Replies
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I have built 8 coaches before this became my passion.
This one has a definite purpose; it is to be of service to disabled persons, particularly military, to get them to their medical and other military-related appointments.
When I heard of a man who was not able to get to the ceremony where he was to be given his medal, I added the appointments thing to our mission statement.
It is a motor home, not a vehicle to do scheduled runs. It has been built to accomodate up to five wheelchairs, plus caregivers.
It has been built to meet the ADA specifications as required in a commercial building, as well as the electrical, plumbing and heat/cool system specifications.
To see the look on the faces of those who have been unable to get to important events due to lack of an appropriate vehicle makes it all the work worthwhile.
We operate by donation, not government funding, and I am thrilled to know just how I will always use this coach.
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I never cease to be amazed at how generous and giving Prevost owners are. Good for you .
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It is such an honor to be of service to others.
This site is a service, and I am anticipating building friendships with those I meet here.
We are affiliated with Angel-Bus.com, an organization that brings recreational vehicles (many of them coach owners and FMCA members) to offer to assist with the transportation of needy persons.
We are also building a database of contractors/handymen to assist disabled military persons with minor repairs that they are no longer able to do.
Keith
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Kudo’s Keith… I added Angel – Bus to our links section.
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Done.
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For me the Prevost has been a Lifestyle change that I never saw coming. I thought it would be like all the other boy toy’s, the boats, airplanes and motorcycles that numbered many over the years, but it turned out to be much more. Even the years with Motorhomes don’t compare to Prevost ownership and the Lifestyle.
This is my 4th bus, all of them XL’s and each one has provided various forms of therapy, frustration, pride, expense, physical fittness (just hand wash, wax and dry one) and there is usually a work in progress. The bus keeps me active and doing things all the time. Even when it’s in the garage, the attention to detail never ends and I always have that “to do” list.
The best part of bus ownership is the people we now call friends and there are many of them. The Prevost Community is a small one when compared to the various Motorhome groups, but nothing brings people together like bus ownership. When you see or meet another Prevost owner, there is a common bond that is unparelleled when compared to general Motorhome ownership.
You don’t have to be rich to own a Prevost. That is one of the biggest misconseptions among the Motorhome crowd. How may times have you been parked next to a late model Motorhome that cost north of 300K and the guy says “I couldn’t afford one of those.” When you tell him the value of your 15 year old Prevost, he just about has a stroke. Expecially when you point out the resale value compared to a Motorhome.
So now my bus is still our pleasure machine, but since December, it has become an office and work place. Kicking off Prevost Community with Jon has almost become a full time job, but I love going to work each day, you can’t beat the office! When we get back home in March, moving back into the regular office won’t be as much fun….
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I am 66 retired for 6 yrs do to back problems that are a inconvience at least. The coach building keeps me active. I am a home builder. I can still get around and travel. Can lift and do the work. Must work smart but must be able to walk away or stay where we are when I have a flare up.. We have a finished 89 XL we travel in and a 98 project coach. 80 per cent finished. Judy and I work together on the coaches. Been married 43yrs and built 5 coaches together. So the answer is: for therapy and fellowship. Bob & Judy
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Following up with what PCC has posted is another example of how Prevost owners are giving, caring people. Pilots N Paws is an organization of volunteer pilots and animal rescue folks who rescue animals that would have been euthanized and which are flown to areas of the country by the volunteer pilots so they can be adopted. The reason this relates to this thread is the Pilots N Paws organization was started by Debi Boies and yours truly (I’m no longer active) and it was kick started financially by members of the Prevost Owners Group whose charity auctions gave PNP two significant financial contributions. Today, according to Debi PNP has over 2400 volunteer pilots from across the country. Thanks Prevost owners.
At every POG rally a charity auction is held and the amount of money raised is donated to a local charity or deserving individual. At the last POG rally in Austin TX about 50 coaches raised over $20,000 which was given to the widow of a police officer who died while assisting others during the horrible fires in TX this past spring / summer.
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Our bus has become a life style. We have had it for about 7 years now and we continue to find new ways to enjoy it.
At first, it was just weekend trips with FMCA chapters for rallies. Then we sold our house in Maryland and lived in the bus for a year before we moved to Florida. Now we use it as a mobile office, we work from home or the bus, where ever we have internet and cell phone connections. We did manage to travel 10,000 miles and stay on the road for 7 months in 2010. We worked, traveled and did a lot of sight seeing during that time. I hope to do that agin ion the next few years.
The best thing that the bus has done for us, is to meet and make friends with so many POG members. The POG rallies have been great and the people we have meet have been even better then great.
I hope that this group grows and becomes just as much fun as POG has been. Looks like we are getting a more diverse group here, so things are looking promising.
I also treat the bus as my hobby. Wash, wax, modify and normal maintenance are fun for me. It gives me something to do that takes me away from the stress of work.
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I maintain 4 Nextel cup cars for customers and also own some for myself,so I participate in about 5-7 races a year and always take the coach.My wife and I have saddlebred horses and we do about 10 horse shows a year and we take the coach to all shows.I have averaged 70 nites each year for the last 3 years.The coach really works at the race track and at the horse shows.We have only been to a campground twice in 5 years and only for a total of 3 nites.
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Mr. Finch, by chance, any relation to James? We visit with him twice a year in the 500 club above pit road. For us, we are on our forth Prevost using them for travel to and from races, motorcycle trips, and back and forth Florida / Colorado. Nice web site Jon.How is Fast Roger and the Big Nuts?
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Nope no relation,sometimes I get his bills from the same suppliers that we both use.
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As a full timer for seven months now the learning curve was vertical for me. As a former owner of mutiple single engine aircraft that has no comparison to these machines! We researchd for 2 years before the first time purchase. Even the broker ask ” Are you sure you want to step to the top of the line on your first purchase” ?
Can now say it`s been a handful while working full time, but the forums really educate us and still is a progression as we`ve tried to post on the POG & now here the experiences in hopes of helping others.
Thanks to all you guys for the responses & archives of info as the former builders and companies die off or quit we really need these websites to continue our journey.
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We travel nearly every week of the year in our bus singing and preaching in churches and under tents all over the country. Our family of three lives aboard the BoggsMobile which is a 1996 XL Vantare conversion that we bought in March of 2008. We traveled in trucks and fifth wheels for several years before we found this bus and we are so glad that we made the change.
I am living proof you do not have to be rich to own a Prevost. Years of looking, an economy going south, a bus with an unconventional paint job, a mid-door, good credit and a determined, praying wife all combined to put us in the perfect bus for our family. I am learning (And you all are helping) to do more and more work on the bus and that certainly helps keep the costs down.
We usually stay in one place Sunday through Friday and travel on Saturday. We only put about 11-15 thousand miles per year on the bus even though we conduct over 300 services a year, move every week and have criss-crossed the country several times in the last four years.
We are having the time of our lives and we are so thankful we are blessed to live this life.
DKO
Florida
Stockton, California
Amarillo, Texas
A recent Picture in Ozark, Missouri
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