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Anyone know this bus?
This bus was just traded in at Olympia Coach in Nashville. It is a 1999 Liberty. I am going to try to buy it but there is no information available to me from Olympia on this coach. It is a two owner coach out of Texas, the first owner had it for 13-14 years then sold it to the second owner who had it for 10 months or so and traded it for a 2003 Marathon at Olympia. This is all I have been able to get from Olympia. I contacted Prevost in Nashville and talked to who I believed was the service manager and saying I got the cold shoulder would be an understatement. No info for you boy… If you don’t own it we can’t give you anything. Olympia says they can not get anything out of them either. I have been creeping your site for a year before signing up and that is not what I have see in the forum about getting information. Seems like most dealers and Prevost can get you anything that is out there.. Hope to get some input from you all today. I would love to talk to one of the owners. Thanks in advance for your comments and help.
Steve.
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67 Replies
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The previous owner should be able to get the records for you and should be more than willing to do so since he just traded with Olympia for another bus…. or at least he should know who the owner was for those 13-14 years…something’s not quite right there… be careful !!
Who did the previous owner buy it from? He should know something I would think!
Just be VERY careful of a coach that may have a hidden history.Diane
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Thank’s Diane,
The coach looks sweet inside and out. They had not even cleaned it yet when I saw it and it was very clean. I was impressed. The hidden story has me a little puzzled also. Maybe I have not been direct enough with my questions to Olymipa. I was hoping someone here would reconize it and I could contact them myself.
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I got the same treatment when I inquired about the ’01 Marathon H that Oly has listed—-“No service records, a two owner and, second owner know Nothing”
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Larry, I looked at that bus also, It was nice but didn’t care for the awning being torn off. I really like the 99 coach but after reading many posts here I am a bit troubled about the brick wall regarding the records. I just e-mailed John and was very direct about getting me the information. They own the coach, the records shoud be available….
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I wouldn’t be too hard on Olympia, I doubt they make their deals based on maintenance records and owner history. We’ve all seen buses without records, it’s not unusual. I’m not saying it’s OK, it just happens more than you think.
You won’t get anything from Prevost unless the previous owner OK’s it in writing or you can prove ownership. Even then you may only get a summary of maintenance because they will not provide detailed work orders because of privacy of personal information.
Hopefully someone here will recognize the bus or know a little history to help you. One question would be why the 2nd owner only had it 10 months, but you may not be able to get that either, he may have just flipped it.
The paint job does look familiar though….
Glad your posting Steve, we’re here to help…
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check with legacy motorcoach in texas. looks like they had it 10 mnths ago….
http://www.prevost-stuff.com/1999PrevostLibertyXL_Legacy1031.html
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Thanks Charles,
Do you think they would give me any information? I have been talking to Legacy about a 1999 Copper colored Marathon they have on their site. I started contacting them in mid October. They would never answer my emails so I would call them. This has gone back and forth several time with days between each contact. On November 4th I e-mailed James Thompson again (he said he was new there) asking if he could get me some service records from Prevost on that bus…….. Never got back with me. I have called him several times always says he has been real busy and was sorry he had not gotten back with me. I have heard many great things about Legacy and that they were stand up folks but to be real honest, I just gave up trying to deal with them. I have a pocket full of money and am dying to spend it. So far no luck with them. Then I saw the Liberty at Olympia and when to look at it.
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Thanks Tom,
The reason I was given for the 10 month stint with the second owner was, He and his wife had owned a 45′ Marathon in their past and decided to down size and went with a smaller “airstream” motorhome. Then they decided it was way too small and thought they would try their hand at a Prevost again. They wanted to be sure so they bought the 99 liberty to test the waters and were glad they got back in the business. Soooooo They upgraded to the 2003 Marathon. So goes the story..
P.S.
I love your old 2001 XLII, my buddy Tim has it now. I am going to dinner with him an Rita tonight. He is the reason I have gotten Prevost fever. I should have bought his 40′ XL but was to scared at the time to pull the trigger! I will need a ton of help coming up if I ever get one bought!!
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Also,
I want to say, John at Olympia has been great to work with and is quick with his e-mail and calls. I really hope I can make this happen with him and Olympia. I just know most folks on this forum believe the records are a very important part of buying a coach….Thanks every one for you imput!
Steve -
Steve Roy Crafts old coach is for sale at Florida luxury coach 40 footer it’s in good shape he is on the forum he did lots of work to it 1998 vantare XL
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Steve,
Records are great. However a good mechanical inspection by Prevost and an in-depth going through all components by a trusted service center (such as Jeff at East Tennessee Luxury Coach) and simple looking at the condition of the overall coach will give you a good understanding of the condition it is in. Knowing that, you can make a very educated guess at how it has been maintained.
if it’s been neglected, the inspections will show it. If the mechanical and chassis components are not working or service items are out of date/worn out you will know it’s not been kept up.
Records will only back up what inspections will confirm. Something this complex is very hard to cover up neglect of 15 years by simple spit polishing the outside to make it have curb appeal.
Olympia knows very little about the coach. nothing against them, but they have had it for very little time. They probably know just a little more then you do about it. Bring it to Prevost for a DMI and get another service center to do a complete PDI on the house components. They have nothing to gain by not letting you know if they find an issue. it’s worth the small investment if you are serious about the coach.
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I have owned three coaches without records. All have been trouble free. But……..(you knew there was a but in there)……all three were closely inspected.
First impressions are generally reliable if you have the ability to get a sense of the coach because on any coach there are all kinds of clues. You in essence become the first step in the process. How do the fluids look, are there dates or mileages listed on the filters, is there anything dripping or is there any evidence of leaks? Are all the tire date codes within 5 or 6 years? Keep in mind this applies to both the bus mechanicals as well as the generator.
If the dealer allows (it may cost you) have the codes for the engine and transmission read, and see if the Detroit / Allison dealer can tell you if there are any concerns.
If you want to spend more money, because of the proximity to Jeff’s shop take it there and have him do a comprehensive pre-buy inspection. The drive over there as well as the time spent getting the inspection will likely reveal all you need to know. If you don’t feel qualified to get a sense of it during the drive, ask a local PC member who is familiar to drive it for you. If you can get a Liberty owner, even better because along the way you can get a quick and dirty check of the house and some of it’s systems.
I am sure the dealer would like you to check it out so if you really like the coach, cut your best deal contingent upon good reports.
Then, when you get the coach start the record keeping process. The coaches have so many things that require routine scheduled maintenance nobody can remember it all without good documentation. And since you don’t have the information you have no choice but to consider NOTHING has been done and you need to zero as much stuff out as possible possibly including some big stuff such as air bags. A 1999 coach, if it is running on the original air bags, valves, brake chambers, etc could present you with issues, but if you deal with them before they become issues your pleasure with the coach will be much greater.
It goes without saying you should include all fluids, belts, Webasto hoses, filters, coolant, transmission fluid, etc in your creation of a benchmark unless you know these items have been taken care of. There is some serious money involved so lacking proof this stuff was done you need to compensate for that in your purchase price.
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Steve,
Just take Tim down there with you, he has years of experience and will work for beer…
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Steve, ditto to what Jon says. We have bought our last 2 coaches with no records also. We know just enough of what to look for initially and if that passes muster, then get a serious inspection and zero out.
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Steve, in addition, remember that as much as the money to buy a bus is burning a hole in your pocket…it is a decision not to be rushed. On some level you understand that as you are doing some sleuthing. A careful choice and proper inspection will make for a much more pleasant owner experience.
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