[Archived]

Not sure there are any ‘pups’ at this level, but I’m sure actual owners (previous & current bus’s) will chime in with actual experience. Is likely to come down to maintenance and condition rather than convertor, but as Jon has said many times before, each convertor has their own style/methodology when it comes to the internal finish and electronics etc.

I’m keeping an open mind on ‘who’ and even H3 or XLII. We will know it when we see it and if all the housekeeping boxes are ticked.

Just my 2c.

[Archived]

When we first started our search I was not really sure which we way were going to go as we looked at Newell first. Jon, Tom and all the fine folks here helped sway me towards a Prevost. One thing I like about a Prevost shell is that there are no steps that pop out, all are on the inside. I will also not miss slide toppers.

The reliability part is hard to evaluate as they all use the Prevost shell and Volvo engine (new). All the converters receive their shells from Prevost Car so my only observation is really the conversion part.

Each converter of the three that we considered (Liberty, Marathon and Millennium) do things a little different than each other. One observation was where the generator is located along with the genny’s radiator.

Liberty- Generator located in third bay on drivers side, radiator in fifth bay with a grill at the bottom for air circulation (very clean set-up).

Marathon- Generator on driver’s side about midway down, radiator in the front grill.

Millennium-Generator on the driver’s side with radiator on the roof.

Liberty uses two holding tanks vs. three tanks with the other converters. Liberty has a 189 gallon fresh, 189 gallon black/grey. The black/grey tank has a grey water bypass feature if you require grey water to be released while using.

Liberty has a small video screen at the passenger seat to watch TV or monitor the navigation (Marathon eliminated that feature), I’m not sure if Millennium has it.

Liberty uses an intercom system with a phone at the driver area, mid coach (half bath) and in the rear bath that has a camera to see who is at the door. Surprisingly, it’s amazing how handy that comes in (never thought I would use it).

All the converters are top quality, the Liberty jumped out to ‘us’ a little more (personal preference). I also like the fact that Liberty only uses Prevost slides which is what I wanted as the Prevost service centers can service the slides if needed as they were factory installed. The other brand slides are also factory installed but it puts another ‘vendor’ into the mix (nothing wrong with them, again, just our personal preference).

Just a note of warning: do not compare anything else with a Prevost (ha ha).

PS. Oh, I forgot to mention, we have a train whistle (icing on the cake) LOL!

MM.

[Archived]

“Liberty uses an intercom system with a phone at the driver area, mid coach (half bath) and in the bath. Surprisingly, it’s amazing how handy that comes in (never thought I would use it).”

Really useful when you run out of toilet paper…..

[Archived]

Michael, you really know how to stir the pot, don’t you? That question could bring about a lot of debate and discussion because it is like asking if anyone prefers a Ford or Chevy.

First, you can help put the question in context by providing some information. If our members know how you plan on using the coach that may make the answers completely different than just saying Brand X has a nice floor plan and Brand Y has better plumbing.

Right now it may not seem important, but trust me on this. If you are using the coach as a second home, parked in an RV resort on your lot for the winter seasons with some travel occasionally I would suggest you look at coaches that do not have OTR, but do provide a very nice outdoor entertainment bay and lots of storage space.

But if you said you intend to spend summers driving in the southwest, or doing a lot of driving I would encourage you to only consider coaches with OTR so that while you are driving you have the ability to keep the entire coach a comfortable uniform temperature.

If you plan on a lot of dry camping such as at NASCAR races I might suggest you consider a coach with a lot of battery power so you don’t necessarily need to run your generator when your neighbors in the coach next to you don’t end up with hamburgers that smell like diesel fuel.

But your advice from our members will also be more accurate if you are willing to reveal a budget range, if you tend to trade often or if this coach will be a keeper, or if you are mechanically adept and are willing to do a lot of your own work. There is not going to be a perfect coach for you, but there is going to be a coach that checks most of the boxes on your wish list. You just have to define that coach. We will be very happy to point you in the right direction because we love spending other folk’s money.

[Archived]

Jon, you bring up a good point that I do not see noted in For Sale ads, house battery power, is there a coverter that generally provides more betters power in their builds. Is there a standard definition used for the amount of house battery power available.

[Larry & Diane]

These are some good questions. I think my price range is 175/200K. I need to have some reserves to zero out the Coach and upgrades and breakdowns as they come about. With too many homes for anyone, we will be using it for trips between Wisconsin and Arizona with occasionally a visit to Florida in January to visit friends. I don’t see this as a kind of Coach that we will live in for a winter or summer season. If God is kind and our health is such that we can do this RVing for a long time we might upgrade to a unit that is more livable space for a longer periods of time. My thinking now is a non slide and I tend to gravitate to a H3-45. Just my personal preference at this early time. I suspect that there will be some boondocking as we travel back and forth visiting points of interest and of couse lots of stops to play golf. Both Linda and I are avid golfers and to stop and play courses that are of interest in different areas would be terrific. Having been in several golf clubs we have acquired so many friends around the USA that we can spend the remaining years of our lives just traveling around visiting our friends and bunking with them until the toliet paper roll runs out. Most of our friends will tell us we can stay until the roll of toliet paper they give us runs out. That is great for us we want to be asked back no asked to leave.

I do want to pull a small enclosed trailer with a golf cart and maybe a Smart Car. Something to go out and get groceries and maybe a dinner out. I hope this helps those looking to direct us in the right direction and give some indication which Converter we should look at. I have learned so much in the few weeks that I have been on here I can’t thank everyone enough for their generous posts. This Community is truly a wonderful group of people. Cheers

[Archived]

From what you said you may have defined your coach, you just do not realize it.

You want an H in the price range given and you may want to do some boondocking. Here’s my thought process…..The price is probably defining a conversion in the late 90’s. You might get a newer one, but if the model year is much newer I’m thinking it might present issues, or it might be one someone is dumping like a repo with an unknown history.

Narrowing it further I would rule out some conversions because the converter made so few H conversions or they didn’t make any of that vintage. When I look at who is left that is likely to have what you seek two come to mind. Vantare (Featherlite) or Marathon. You might get lucky and find one with OTR, but it is probable it will have driver’s air only and you will need to run one or more house AC units. Both have ample battery power. Both produced a fair number of H models and both are available to provide support.

Now let’s see what others have to offer.

The coach will be in the age range where it the maintenance has been limited to routine oil and lube you could be facing air bags and valve replacement, brake chambers, shocks, etc. If it has not been refurbished inside you may wish to redo things like floors and reupholstery. At 15 years of age the coach will need something. Or you could latch onto a coach with an excellent maintenance program and all you will need to do is pick up with the previous owner let off. Your coach is out there.

[Archived]

Thanks Jon you seem to have zeroed in on the issues I should be addressing. Appreciate your thoughts.

[Archived]

Michael,

We recently sold our 1998 H3-45 Vantare with 2 slides and I paid particular notice to all my competition for several months and I honestly believe that you will find an H in your price range if you stay in the late 1990s to a 2000 especially a Vantare and most of those will have OTR which is a huge plus. There are usually a few Marathons out there for a few more dollars than a Vantare, you will have to decide which one is right for you… as Jon said maintenance is “everything” in these older coaches,unless you find a steal and can bring it up to par so do your homework and happy hunting.

Vantare builds a nice coach and the electrical system in my opinion is above average… we loved ours.

[Brady]

Diane,

I was looking at converters the other day and I’m a little confused. Is a Vantare a Featherlite?

For instance, we have a Liberty (make) Elegant Lady (model)…. so, is Vantare the ‘model’ and Featherlite the ‘make’?

Or, are they two separte companies? Just thought I would ask since you owned one.

Safe travels,

Mark

[glen]

Mine is a Vantari Built by Featherlight and i love it.

[Reagan]

Mark,

Actually I am not really sure where that all began, but Vantare’s are built by Featherlite but actually called Vantare and also have floorplan names such as Vantare Celebration and others… the same as Liberty has floorplan names such as Elegant Lady Kensington and so forth.

I am guessing the mother company is Featherlite..I do remember a few years back when Amadas took over the Vantare line and I think they still have it. It’s very confusing to me as I have heard several different stories and have no idea which one is correct.

If anyone out there knows the history of Vantare I too would like to know.

Wish I knew more Mark.

Happy New Year !!

Diane

[Archived]

Correct me if this is wrong……….

Vantare was started in the early 90’s by Mike Guth. It was sold to Featherlite, who also purchased a little later Vogue which at the time was owned by Harvey Mitchell (former owner of Parliament).

After Vogue was blended into Vantare / Featherlite production continued until the entire industry ran into the hard economic times. At that point Amadas bought Vantare and continues to sell coaches as Vantare.

There are a lot of businesses that came about because of Vantare and a lot of folks with a history in Vantare are still in the business building coaches or supporting them. Nelson from Millennium was with Vantare, Donny Meyers, and several others.

[Dick]

Paul
– If you’re going to do a lot of dry camping, battery power will be
important to you. I would look for a bus with 4 – 8 batteries and
they will be 4D’s or 8D’s. It depends on conversion and the converter
when looking for house battery capacity.

Example…
My 01 Liberty had (4) 8D batteries and was a 12v coach with 5000
watts of inverter power. It would easily go 8 hours with just the
fridge, lights, fan, etc. running overnight and not go below 50%
discharge. My Marathon has (6) 4D’s and is a 24v coach with 8000
watts of power. It also easily goes 8 – 12 hours with the same amount
of use not discharging below 50%. The difference is I can run 1 or 2
cruiseairs off the inverters for a short period of time and that’s
the reason for 6 batteries and 8000 watts of power.

Michael
– I’ve had both OTR buses and non OTR buses. If you’re going to be in
the SW in the summer, you’ll be a happy camper with OTR, nothing
compares. I’ve had two buses with multiple evaporators for the dash
air and for us, that’s plenty of A/C capacity without running the
gen. My Marathon with dash air and two supply sources up front kept
us cool for the summer in some pretty hot temps. If you have to be
like Jon and maintain 68 – 70 degree’s while driving to keep his
laxative’s cool, you’ll need OTR or you will have to run the gen to
supplement the dash air when it’s really hot.

[glen]

I am continually amazed and astonished at the depth of knowledge and history that is put forth by members of this Community. Thank you everyone who is willing to share their knowledge and experiences. I have said this in other forums and will say again, I have learned so much and that will go a long way in helping me search for the right Coach for us; and afterwards help in the maze of issues that will come up. Thank you all.