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Driver’s Air
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Jon,
I hesitated a bit to toss this out there but then decided to go ahead an hope this post is taken in the spirit in which it’s given. I am new here and have just over a year in the new bus and have been full timing in it since May with my wife and 3 kids. We don’t have OTR but there hasn’t been a single day yet that we have not been comfortable in the coach. Our marathon is setup to allow the use of two of the roof airs without running the Geny and in most cases my wife and kids are complaining that it’s too cold with just one or two of them on… At least once a month I run the geny just to exercise it and I run all 4 roof airs to keep it good and loaded and they are literally wearing coats and covered with blankets… so based on my experience I must respectually take issue with your assertion that you cannot keep the coach comfortable on hot days without the Geny running and all four roof airs on. At least based on our experience that isn’t the case… Since you requested that Gil talk BTU’s… I have 4 15,500s on the roof plus the Prevost Driver’s air and Aux air up front.
Again you have been super helpful to me in so many ways… so no disrespect is intended with this reply at all. I guess my only reason for responding is I would hate for someone to elimante a non OTR coach from consideration. I just wanted to offer another perspecitive from a NON OTR owner.
Thanks!
Bill
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Bill,
These forums are a difficult medium to make things clear so let me try to make my meaning a little more clear.
All of my experience is with Liberty and OTR. Add to that the fact I have never had roof airs, but instead have had Cruise airs. On the two occations when the OTR was not working I had to rely on my Cruise Airs for cooling. They are not ducted, but each has directional flow. That means that I can get very comfortable with the 2 front ones running, but it is unlikely the cool air will flow from the living room into the bedroom. So the choice is to let the bedroom get warm or to crank up the generator, set all the thermostats and just allow everything to cool the coach as needed.
Having said that you and I might be talking about 2 different systems. First, your roof airs might be ducted so you are getting the cool air from two units evenly distributed through the coach. I think keeping the entire coach comfortable is very important because with the engine almost beneath the bed, the rear needs to be cooled as well as the front. But if yours is not ducted, my personal experience is that 2 AC units will not evenly cool a coach because the rear is usually isolated from the front due to a narrow aisle.
The other factor is what we each define as comfortable. I have said in the past, when the interior of my coach is at a temperature that requires me to use my wipers to keep condensation off the windshield it is just right for me. I know others would have a snowmobile suit on in those temps.
Just ask Tom what I think is comfortable. We spent some time in my coach and all I heard was whining and crying because he was cold.
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Jon,
Since you have a two slide coach and have OTR air, does that mean that the air vents are just on once side of the coach? Are there vents in the ceiling? How is it set up?
The Prevost passenger buses that I’ve been on have the air vents at the bottom of the window frame evenly on both sides.
Mark
PS. We currently have three ducted roof air units. So, no matter which one is on or all three, air will come out all of the vents. Of course, which ever air is on, the vents located right near that particular unit, the air has a little more force coming out those vents.
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Glens,
What we have is a “Classic” in our coaches. We don’t worry about things like delamination because we don’t have coaches assembled with glue. Or whine that we can’t have 3-4 slides. Ours are of the classic, all riveted construction, without slides. Further, those that have “moved on up” from a “Classic” to a glued coach with an in-line six cylinder are often overheard saying how “Sweet” that classic 8V92 sounds when lumbering into a rally spot.
Cold is cold. I don’t need an A/C system that makes the coach cold enough to slaughter pigs in. If I had something that cold reach those temperatures AND ran it that way, the wife would kick me to the curb at the next stop. Does that mean we have not encountered some challenges with our A/C system, of course not. Who among us has not encountered some problem with a system or two on our coaches. To me they are just challenges to be overcome by us Type A, obsessive/compulsive and competitive types.
I am ofter asked about the age of my coach. Most are surprised when I tell them it is a 1990 chassis with a 1991 conversion. Typical response is they would never have guessed it to be “that old.” I learned from Jon at Branson to simply respond, “Its not old, its a Classic!”
We enjoy using the coach. Fortunately or otherwise, Carole and I are still in the competitive mode and have not found total retirement to be that attractive just yet. That time however is rapidly approaching.
So back to a new project. I damaged a large “classic” panel on the garage door frame a couple of years ago. I am using that panel, now replaced with a Prevost non-polished panel (only way that Prevost supplies them), to experiment with polishing the previously painted surface. I want to see if I can get it to match the existing polished portion. If I’m successful, my doctor says I need more exercise, this may become my exercise regime. If it works, then the coach is up for painting, the 1990 Prevost Paint has finally chalked up and can’t be brough back to a shine by any process known to man. Some of the clear coat is lifting like a three day old sunburn. My intent is to expose more of the stainless and use less paint over stainless.
In 2015 my “Classic” will qualify for a Historic Vehicle license plate. That is confirmation my coach is truly a “Classic!” I’m happy with the coach I got and will continue to push it on down the road as we three grow more “Classic” with every passing day.
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Will, Thumbs up on the Classic! How many miles on yours? Love that 8v92 sound.
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Thanks Will, ditto what you say about our “Classics”
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All comments are good ones, but my opinion is very simple and from experience.
1997 Marathon – 3 cruiesairs and dash air
2000 Country Coach – 3 roof airs, dash air and CC’s mini version of OTR
1994 Liberty – 3 cruiesairs and dash air
1997 Royale – 3 roof airs and dual dash air
2001 Liberty – 4 cruiesairs and OTR
No comparison boy’s and girl’s, unless you’ve experienced Prevost OTR in 100 degree temps, it will be hard to make comparisons.
If you’re happy with what you have, great, I won’t be going back.
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MM,
On our previous non slide coaches the OTR was ducted as you noted from the bottom of the windows and the return was at floor level.
Our 2 slide coach has the OTR ducted from the curb side only, but with the return air on the street side at the floor level between the two slides. I cannot tell the diference in distribution of air between the slide and non slide coaches because the fan used to move the air is moving a fairly high volume. What is helping immensely I believe is that the previous coaches did not have thermopane windows whereas I think all windows except the windshield in this coach are thermopane.
Tom said it best in the post above.
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OTR air or heat is absoulutely unbelievable as to how well it works! Converters do not like working around the ductwork, and loosing a storage bay, plus the Chassis cost about $20,000 more from Prevost.
That’s why OTR is not on all coaches. Otherwize, you would be crazy NOT to request it.
But, if you never had it, you don’t know what you are missing………
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The biggest two misconceptions about OTR include one repeated by Jerry. OTR does not take an entire bay. The space for OTR is in the two 18 or 20 inch deep bays on the left and right hand sides outside of the fuel tank. At the most OTR takes up about 1/2 bay.
The second most repeated misconception is the big compressor uses too much HP. The reality is once two identical coaches are at the same temp and that temp is being maintained, the one with OTR isn’t going to use any more energy (or fuel) to maintain temps as one that gets its cooling via a converter installed smaller system or house AC units powered by the generator or inverters. BTUs are BTUs and except for minor variations in efficiency there is going to be no difference.
But Jerry nailed it when he correctly pointed out that converting a coach with OTR requires a lot of effort and engineering to balance and distribute air flows. It is much easier to bolt cabinets to the wall and run the supply and return air through ducts in the ceiling than it is to work out a distribution system for the air that keeps the coach temperatures even through the full length of the coach and to keep that air flow from blowing at passengers making them uncomfortable. Apart from keeping the whole coach at the desired temps, the biggest advantage of OTR is the ability to provide those temps regardless of outside temps and to reach the proper temperature faster than any other method.
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Jon: There are OTR outlet vents on the drivers side in the bedroom below the vanity mirror.
so yes it is both sides and front and rear. Just not both all the way from front to rear. .
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Next time I put on make up I am going to have to look for the OTR vents. Missed that.
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Thanks Jon,
Now that paints a mental picture that will be very difficult to erase any time soon!
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Paul,
You need to carefully parse the words I posted. Your post suggests I put on makeup.
I never said that. I may never see the OTR vents on the driver’s side because I do not intend ot put on makeup.This is a tough crowd.
Merry Christmas and say hi to Jersey Janice.
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Thanks to all for explaining OTR air and your opinions.
I’m going to try and check out a converter soon, hopefully, in January. I see that all three converters are in Florida (Millennium, Marathon and Liberty)….. not sure how adventurous I’ll be to make all three so we’ll see.
If the perfect used one showed up, I would be ALL over it but I don’t think that will happen. That way, I wouldn’t have to wait 7-9 months. But, I’m sure it will be worth it if I have one built.
MM.
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