[Rosty]

The real answer to your concerns lies with the care a coach had. I have zero knowledge of Newell so although my remarks may apply it will be only coincidental.

Our conversions have an extensive pneumatic system that starts with the primary purpose of providing brakes. From there the pneumatics are used for the suspension which includes the Level Low feature. Depending on the converter the Level Low system can be a little more complex than the basic system provided by Prevost, but in my opinion the added complexity, such as automatic leveling doesn’t make the coach less reliable or a greater maintenance problem.

Add to the chassis complexity that includes belt tensioners to slide seals to even a tilt steering wheel mechanism and you end up with a coach that has a considerable number of fittings, valves and devices that are part of the pneumatic system.

Then on top of the chassis system, add in what the converter adds. Some are simple such as air horns, a driver seat and a floor slide. Others add pocket doors, dump valves, and bed lifts among other things. Some awnings, some toilets, and some camera doors can even use air.

But if the pneumatic system has been well maintained and has been dry its entire life almost all of the service issues that can drive an owner crazy just never happen. That is not to say you are 100% reliable and maintenance free. Coaches with air brakes and air suspensions have various components that age out and need replacement because their rubber components crack, leak or tear. Brake chambers, specifically brake diaphragms age out. So do air bags and leveling valves. All systems develop leaks over time especially if push in fittings are present in large numbers because their seals age and crack and leak.

The key to avoiding massive heartache is to insure the coach has never had a history of water or moisture in the pneumatic system. Once the system gets wet all bets are off because it creates problems with corrosion, failed valves, and an ongoing list of never anticipated problems such as valves suffering from hydraulic lock and just plain weird operating characteristics.

If you are looking for symplicity consider collecting anvils and give up on a desire to have an RV. If an RV is something you want however take the time to investigate the difference between a commercial coach that is a motorhome conversion and therefore has millions if not billions of miles of development experience behind it. Based on anecdotal evidence a conventional RV may be a simpler product, but they are built cheap and their longevity is reflected in that build quality. A bus conversion is expensive, complex, and only as reliable as its maintenance history will provide.

[Archived]

Having owned two Prevost Motor coaches and having rebuilt an older Newell , and having recently gone through the Newell plant in Miami, Oklahoma with a friend who initially acquired a new 2016 four slide from Newell, I am persuaded to say that both are excellent coaches in their own ways but the quality vote definitely goes to the Prevost.

You mentioned the power trains …….and the drive trains of the Newells vary according to the engines that were preferred at the time of construction….. yet they generally were matched up against the Allisons which remain rather standard in application. The differences in this come when you consider that Newell was the first to provide a 600 – 625 HP engine even though initially Allison would not support the application of an Allison for the coach. It is my understanding they ended up with several different combinations of foreign engines but I could be incorrect in that assumption.

Considering the construction… I will take the engineering of the major bus manufacturer over a coach literally built from scratch in Newell’s facilities. It is also important to note that during the first 26,000 miles of my friend’s new coach, he spent 7,000 miles traveling to and from the facility in Miami, Ok from Houston and other parts of the USA for warranty service. We live in Houston and you have a Newell serviced in Miami, Ok …. not here based on history.

There are some great coaches out there and some Newells that have delivered well …. yet, the support is not there and the quality is lacking versus Prevost.

My view. I am certain others can help clarify where my assumptions are incorrect about the engines with which they experimented.

We share a boating interest background so an analogy may be in order … If you view a 60 foot Hatteras vs a 60 foot Sun Seeker, both are excellent boats but one has the greater heritage… for a reason.

Pres

[gordon]

Well, I am not afraid of maintaining/fixing the rig. I have enough tools and parts on my boat now to build another boat in a pinch 🙂 I just know that when it comes to boating some of the manufacturers go a long way towards making systems streamlined and accessible and others don’t care making replacing parts a total nightmare. Also some designers have a unique ability to overcomplicate the simplest things. Thus was my question about converters – I am sure they all have different philosophies which might reflect on longevity and maintainability of older conversions.

[AL]

Royale was a converter that kept everything as simple as possible, I’ve been told.

[Archived]

You are correct…., some seem to build from the inside out…. and we don’t have stand up engine rooms.

Sit back and get an ear full from the guys that own the various conversions. They all know them very well….. better than I do.

Very best,

Pres

[Bill]

I think a perfect way to frustrate yourself is to buy into someone else’s problems. I do almost 100% of my own work. But I’ll never buy a coach that “just needs a little work”. A coach that has a good working pneumatic system, and recently replaced air bags and valves is going to provide a long number of years of service before you have to consider serious repairs, mostly due to aging rubber.

Consider that as Pres points out our coaches are designed to be bought and used as seated coaches in revenue service. Prevost would be out of business if the coach and its systems was a maintenance hog. Our coaches have a whole lot of miles of refinements to improve the quality and reliability. As I mentioned previously the key to good long reliable service is the service history.

Keep in mind as you read this site and the problems discussed we now have about 3700 members and when issues are posted on the forum they are from the approximately 2000 members who have coaches. When the miles on the coaches, and miles travelled annually are considered the problems being discussed are a relatively small number.

Does it cost a lot to maintain our coaches? You bet. Nothing that is as big, complex, or comprised of as many pieces, parts and systems is going to go without tender loving care. But if you own a boat with similar complexity you already know that. If you own your own tools and are willing to work on your coach the cost of ownership drops a lot. If the coach you purchase is an older model converted by a company that made a relatively simple robust coach it can be expected to provide a lot of trouble free service.

If on the other hand you want computerized controls to open and close doors, move the shades up and down, and you plan on being able to control the operations of the house from long distances on your cell phone you might find service costs have the potential to be higher and problems more about software than nuts and bolts.

[Jim/Chris]

$hip happens. We have an older Prevost but the front air bags were replaced less than 10 years ago. Despite the newness of these air bags we just blew a hole in one of them driving through the Denver area. No rhyme or reason but that doesn’t change the facts. Stuff happens no matter what coach you buy and the age of that coach. I am always amazed by the number of nearly new coaches that I see in Prevost service centers. Our last visit to Mira Loma had a newer coach with one of the slide outs on the ground and parts and pieces everywhere!

We now have new air bags and it will likely all be good for many years to come. We liked it even more when Prevost offered free labor on service performed at the FMCA rallies but that’s a time long lost since Volvo owned Prevost and left customer service in the dust. I sure miss those amazing Prevost dinners at those rallies as well!

[Greg]

If I try to budget for bringing chassis to like new condition immediately after purchase, how much money should I put aside? How much would be to replace at Prevost service facility…

All suspension air bags

All brake air chambers

All break liners

Should I be worried about ball joints in control arms, etc?

Thanks.

[Archived]

To be accurate with an answer more is needed about the coach.

If the coach is less than 10 years old don’t even worry about air bags, Norgren valves, etc.

Newer model coaches that use the Knorr Bremse brake chambers on the tag and drive axles do not have a diaphragm for the parking brake, but use an O ring type seal. I suspect that very expensive brake chamber will have a pretty long life, and if anything needs to be serviced or replaced it might be the service brake diaphragm or the entire brake chamber if you choose to not service it..

Conventional brake chambers such as you can pick from a big bin on special in an auto/truck parts store for the whole coach might cost up to $700 for the entire coach. Knorr Bremse that you will get through Prevost can run $3000 for the whole coach.

If you intend to replace air bags, Prevost has historically been the least expensive source and it is reasonable to budget a shade over $1200 for them. Norgren valves that control almost the entire Level Low system vary in number, depending on the converter but if you assume 5 three port and 3 five port valves you can expect to spend $700.

Depending on the source and how hard you shop those numbers can vary.

Realistically if you are going to get into that work you are going to be faced with replacing a lot of fittings. Coaches with push in air fittings are going to have leakers unless the entire fitting is replaced. There are a bunch of them and you need DOT compression fittings.

As far as brake linings or brake pads, unless the coach is high mileage you will not need them. A coach can have at least 250,000 miles and still be a long way from needing brake friction material, drums or discs unless there is cracking. A brake pad or shoe can require replacement if it has been soaked with oil from a bad hub seal.

I know you are focussed on the suspension but if the coach has been maintained and the pneumatic system has been kept dry replacing parts on a system that is working should be an item left until you know it needs to be addressed. Usually the “leans” is a sign the coach needs attention.

[Bill]

Do you have any concerns about the rest of the coach?

[Chas]

If I try to budget for bringing chassis to like new condition immediately after purchase, how much money should I put aside? How much would be to replace at Prevost service facility…

All suspension air bags

All brake air chambers

All break liners

Should I be worried about ball joints in control arms, etc?

Thanks.

WAY TOO MUCH. I took my coach to Prevost after purchase and had them go over the whole coach. I did NOT have them do unnecessary repairs (restore to new condition) but they did address all serious issue including a recall that had not been performed (no charge). You should not be worried about anything that is within specs. You could worry about a million things but in most cases, if it’s not broke then it’s just fine.

[Tim]

A Prevost I can afford will be close to 20 years old. I don’t worry about other parts because I am quite handy, mechanically adept and have tools, so I feel I could deal with most electrical, plumbing, etc issues myself. I have never dealt with pneumatics before, though. Just want to avoid surprises on the road until I get a handle on that.

[Archived]

I would recommend getting a Prevost “detailed mechanical inspection” (DMI) prior to closing a deal on a coach. It would reveal any issues with coach that could potentially take you months to discover and would include items that you are concerned about. It does not include the house converter systems but nearly everything on the chassis systems. Prevost has the experience to uncover serious, maybe costly, mechanical issues and will give you a detailed report. Having that report prior to the purchase could shed some light on the potential items that need immediate repair and the possible costs involved.

It’s money well spent for someone purchasing their first or second Prevost coach.

[TJ]

Please advise where such inspection can be done? Should the coach be taken to a Prevost authorized service center for it? Thanks.

[Jimmy]

Prevost Service Centers. Link Here.