[Archived]

What Peter said.

All too often the underside of coaches are ignored. I know of coaches that go for 10 or 15 years without having the air dryer cartridge changed, that are running on original brake chambers and air bags, that have never had anyone even look at the hoses. A roadside repair on a failed combo brake chamber, or failed air bag, or the towing cost will cost almost half the cost of replacing a lot of the components that age.

It is foolhardy to have a coach whose annual depreciation is anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 per year (that is a wide range of model years) and to scrimp on underside maintenance.

If an owner is not willing to invest the needed money into maintaining the underside of the coach, he at least needs to learn how to cage brakes, or plug brake lines, or how to replace a relay valve or hose or air bag on the side of the road. If that seems daunting (it is) then set some money aside for the costs associated with a fix far from home.

[Roger]

On my bus all of the underside is new , did it all in a few months ,when I was off the road last winter, here are some of the things done

New rear end

all relay valves 4 of them

all fittings compression

Air dryer ,because mine has governor in it

starter

all rubber hoses

all the steering parts A arms and such

brake cans

new stemco caps

all new drain cocks on air tanks about 12 of them

new air bags

ride height valves

new mini air bellows

new coolant lines

new fuel lines to motor

new batteries

All norgrens

All the bushings front to back

These are just some of the things of the top of my head , that I replaced with new parts

there is more but this is of the top of my head

Some of these things would be very hard to change on the side of road!!!!!!!!

I will try and do the house part and the other things I have done to help you guys out

[Peter]

I don’t buy for a minute that you have to “put up with this kind of stuff”. Make an appointment at Prevost and get all the things fixed there. I have NEVER had an issue getting an appointment there, and several times have been able to drive in and get a minor repair done without an appointment. You may have to schedule it out a week or two, but you will be able to get in. Have a list prepared and let them know what you need done when you make the appointment…better yet, go in with the list and talk to them face to face.

Stay there and watch what they do and learn something about your bus, so when issues do crop up you are not at a total loss and can better diagnose what the issue is. It will save you time and money in the long run.

[Archived]

And this, boys and girls, is why you will not see Peter’s coach sit very long on the sales lot. People who know how Peter takes care of his transportation will snap it up in a heartbeat. Then they can just get in, crank up and head out with no worries.

[Archived]

Peter tends to use a scorched earth method of bringing his coach up to date because he relies so heavily on it. A number of items he has replaced are in the interest of avoiding any issues, such as the starter, but unlike most of us he does not have the luxury of dealing with an unplanned repair.

Every one of us can do exactly what Peter has done by creating a plan and over a period of time complete the process of renewing the undercarriage. That is the path I have taken on all my coaches and it becomes a process rather than a project. Some may choose to delay any replacement of parts until they get an indication something is failing, such as an air bag starting to leak, or a leak showing up on the pre-trip brake test. However it is done is not as important as understanding these parts are not forever and timely replacement of them provides a great deal of reliability and peace of mind.

Just keep in mind deferring the replacement of some parts carries with the decision a certain risk. The risk may be slight, but it will take some of the control of the situation away from you.

[AL]

Peter;

On the list you gave for some of the items you replaced last Winter, you listed “New rear end”. I am not clear as to what you mean.

Thanks;

Michael

[Archived]

Pulled the axles and replaced the hole third member , take off the back of the pumpkin and replaced with brand new rear end from prevost took about 3 hours, all new inside pumpkin came all in one piece

[Dale]

I’ve called Prevost several times, and in each case was told that I could bring it in in a week, two weeks… Whatever the time was. My bus never sits for more than three days. I’m on the road 20+ days a month. Whether anyone buys it or not, it is a fact in the Nashville area. I finally did have an appointment with them last week to have them check my issue with the front shocks. But the ‘other shop’ that had a week to work on my bus and let it sit there until the last day, finally had it in their shop so I had to push that appointment back. Trust me, it’s not that I like being stressed out over my bus. In fact, I hate it. But it’s just what it is…

[Peter]

I was there today, just stopped to say hi and ask a question. I could have been in by Friday, that is how far out they are as of today.

You make your own problems. Park the damn bus until you get it fixed so it is safe to be on the road. Driving around with an air leak in the brake system is pretty stupid. I don’t care if it is 4:00 AM or not. What happens when someone pulls out in front of you and you can’t stop, or the leak gets bad enough to trip the emergency brakes? Then you are on the side of the road, again. If the “other” shop had it for a week, it obviously sits for more than three days.

How do you pass a DOT anual inspection?

[Dale]

Thanks for the support there, Mark. Don’t pretend to know me or my scenario. When I said I didn’t have more than three days at home between now and the end of August, that’s what I meant. The bus sat there from Sunday night until Friday two weeks ago. It was the one block I had off and that’s why it was important that they work on it. So no, it doesn’t “obviously sit for more than three days”. It just did that once. Love it when people would rather be know-it-alls than add something constructive to a conversation. And you weren’t with me that night in Jersey. But another entertainer driver with 35 years experience was. The two of us made a determination and we went with it. If the leak had gotten worse, we would have reevaluated it and made a decision based on that. It was the right decision, regardless of what an armchair quarterback thinks. And how did my bus suddenly become unsafe to drive? It had an issue with a brake chamber. Me and this crappy old bus of mine (in your eyes) probably put more miles on the books than 80% of the buses on this site. It may not be as shiny or new as some of these, but it does it just fine. One issue that wasnt fixed correct doesn’t make my bus unsafe.Yes, there are things I want to get done to it that I’m having trouble getting done, but for you to sit wherever you are and decide that my bus is unsafe to be on the road is ridiculous. And don’t call me stupid again. I don’t take it kindly.

[Peter]

Dale I think what people are saying is try to get these things fixed for your safety and others, Dale my bus goes down the road from the first of March to the end of November every week I work four days drive two days rest one day , I know how hard it is to keep bus rolling but you are not that far from Jeff’s he can do all of it on your bus the house part and the prevost part , he is the best in the business , I have to work on my bus sometimes during the week on my day off ,but I want to be safe , I have had a prevost since I was 25 years old , if my bus does not roll down the road I do not make money ,I think you are in the same boat, I don’t think anybody cares how old the bus is or thinks it’s not a good bus because it’s older , they just want everybody to be safe and others , I have had older buses too and they where all in top shape , because I wanted them to be ,

I think Dale we all want you to be safe and anybody else, I don’t think you should take it the wrong way buddy these people just want you to be safe and all others on the road

[Sid]

Dale, you seem to forget all the things you have mentioned about your bus. So here is a little summary. I didn’t go back to read all your posts so this is just what I remember:

You stated that you drove the bus knowing it had a serious air leak in the brake system, but did it a 4:00 AM. You complain about all the stuff wrong with it. You drop it off somewhere to get it fixed and when you pick it up you don’t know what is or isn’t fixed. You are always looking for some place to fix it and don’t quite seem to get it done, or done right. You leave a shop without getting problems resolved. Now you are looking for someone to do brake work, but you don’t even know what you need done or what parts you need.

I rest my case. Take it to Prevost and have them fix it right. If it takes a couple of weeks, so be it.

[Archived]

Now Now Boys…..fight nice. Dale I mentioned it earlier, but Peter’s right. Take it to Jeff. He can handle all of it and he’s been known to work late if necessary. Pizza, beer, doughnuts and BBQ help. Geo.

[Archived]

Peter, I understand your point. And I agree, except that no one has even insinuated that my bus is unsafe… except for this Mark character. I can’t quite figure out why he thinks he is qualified to say for me to “Park the damn bus until you get it fixed so it is safe to be on the road.” I’ve been playing nice, but that is some arrogant BS right there. Yeah, I have asked questions here. I guess I’ll have to stop because apparently some people will use it against you. Is it the inverter that is making my bus unsafe? Or the TVs? Or maybe it’s the heavy amount of water from condensation on the AC? Those are the unresolved things I have asked about… Asked about a transmission issue a month or so ago. It was a speed sensor and it was fixed. I asked about the difference in operating temperature a while back, and everyone said my temps were normal. And this time I asked about a brake chamber and it was fixed. Yes, a hole ended up worn in a hose because the mechanic didn’t attach it back out of the way. Me and another 35 year professional driver decided it wasn’t bad enough that we couldn’t take it home. Our decision proved correct. Yet, some arrogant person sitting in Minnestoa decides he has enough information to call me stupid, and my bus unsafe. I’m sorry, boys, but it’s not me who isn’t playing nice, this is the kind of person who give Prevost owners a bad rap as being arrogant jerks. This is what I was assured only happens on P.O.G. and PC didn’t have that sort of thing. I asked about where to get brake parts because I want to change my brakes, but this person decides that it must be because my brakes are unsafe. And no, I don’t know what parts I need… as in part numbers… That’s why I asked. I thought that’s what this forum was for. Apparently, if you ask a question, your bus is unsafe and some know it all will call you stupid and put your bus down. And even when I informed him that he was incorrect in his assumptions, was that enough? Did he drop it? No, he tried to use my posts with questions against me.

I appreciate those those of you that have been helpful. But this Mark person has been nothing but an ass. He’s made assumptions without knowing what he was talking about. He has taken questions about stuff like TVs and inverters, and twisted them to insinuate that my bus is unsafe and I am stupid. If that is what this forum is about, I don’t need it. And I do appreciate those of you telling me to call Jeff. I did call him a few weeks ago. He told me that he really didn’t work on mechanical stuff much, and mostly just worked on the conversion stuff. At that point, I dropped it and went with other options. He has worked on several things for me in the past that were on the conversion side. And I will gladly use him for those things again. I’m glad I’ve made some friends here, but I won’t be asking any more questions about my bus here. I’ll be damned if I’ll let some arrogant jerk insult me. He wouldn’t do it to my face, and I won’t put up with it here either. If those in power want to delete me for defending myself, so be it. But there is NOTHING unsafe about my bus. As a matter of fact, the pro driver who went on the last trip with me raved about how my bus was in much better shape than his company’s fleet of XLIIs.

[Rodney]

Boys, play nice. If you cannot play nice I will close the thread. Having said that this thread and the conversation (iif kept civil) is very instructive. It illustrates the importance of staying ahead of things because if stuff breaks it happens at inappropriate times, and sometimes getting needed service is not easy or cheap.

Dale, I am not piling on you but based on your description of some of the issues you do need someone to deal with those items that are going to shut you down. Your shocks may need replacement, but from my perspective your brakes are so much more important that you do need to do whatever is necessary to get them fixed. If the bus is on the road as you describe, it suggests to me that you are driving to a schedule you know in advance.Where ever your venues take you I suspect you have down time once you arrive. Seek out a charter company at each destination and set up appointments with them. Even if you only get one brake chamber or hose replaced each time you are addressing the problem.

Mark may have been blunt in what he said, and maybe a little tact would have softened his post, but he is concerned with your safety and deferring some work, such as brake issues, is dangerous. That is why all of us reading your posts are stressing the need for service no matter what you have to do. The alternative is something none of us wants to hear about.