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Engine size upgrade
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Mr.Mark, It looks like your unscientific observations are starting to be enlightening to you.
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Corey and George,
And, my partner in crime seems to like the Marathon better (at this point).
Mark
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Now your starting to see the light!!!
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Just confirmed with my salesman. We have set-up a test drive in the new Marathon at the end of next week as that’s when he will be in town from Oregon.
There is a nice test hill going east on I-10 going towards the Chirocco Summit.
I will certainly report back with my opinion.
MM.
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You will be doing 52 mph in 5th gear in the meat of the hill.
Later
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MMark,
Hope you lean towards Prevost with your purchase, but either way you go, you are taking the right approach in identifying what works best for you. This has been a long thread and we hope with all the information posted here, it has helped with your decision.
Pretty exciting to watch someone go through the process of ordering a new Coach and we’re glad you chose PC to help with the adventure.
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Thank you Tom,
This site has helped me so much you’ll never know. Even comparing other brands, etc., with Prevost, you all have given your honest opinions on how you feel and how your personal experience has been.
Once we start the process (within the next month), it will probably be the end of the year at the earliest before we see a new coach. But, it certainly will be worth waiting for.
Then, I have to sell, trade or consign our current coach which just might pay the taxes on the new one. LOL!
Mark.
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And let’s not forget the $1000 per day depreciation on a new one.
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Oh yeah, the depreciation, that word always pops up with anything that is fun to have! LOL!
As we’ve all heard many times, they don’t put a trailer hitch on a hearse. Can’t take it with you.
MM.
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It has been some time, but the last time I looked at Newell; just prior to purchasing my Heritage, they had fiberglass bonded sidewalls. That equals delam!! Delam is the reason I left the American Coach products, even though they assuered me that the last few runs of coaches have had the luan removed from the walls, i.e. no more delam. Just my two cents.
They offered to buy back my heritge if I purchased another, but I choose to source a used H3. More than happy. I’ll miss my American Coach family, but I put nearly 75k miles a year and this coach will have no issue with that.
Good Luck,
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I-10 from AZ to Texas belonged to Newell yesterday 5 Newells and 3 Prevost 2 entainters and 1 RV headed west
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The Newells were heading to Oaklahoma for repairs.
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Be careful Sid,
Don’t jinx your coach!
Going to test drive the Prevost on Saturday.
Mark
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“I-10 from AZ to Texas belonged to Newell yesterday 5 Newells and 3 Prevost 2 entainters and 1 RV headed west “
Were the Newells all wheels down? On hooks? on flat beds?
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Well, today was the ‘big’ test drive of a 2014 Prevost with the 500 hp Volvo engine with 1,750 lb. ft. of torque.
First observation… very nice start off. We were able to to take the BIG hill on I-10 to the Chriaico Pass where I slowed to about 50 mph. I find that acceptable, we drove at least 50-60 miles round trip. The coach had about 3/4 tank of fuel. One thought that came to mind was that a larger engine would be heavier and use more fuel. There have to be some trade offs.
The steering was very smooth, the coach also rode smoothly. Small issue was that there was a very annoying rattle behind the driver area. I think it was a window shade or something in a cabinet. I’m sure it could be fixable but I wish it was not there to show how quiet the Prevost chassis could have been. Our Monaco coach is quieter suprisingly.
The driver’s seat has a shock absorber and it was throwing me to each extreme which was not very good. Finally, the sales guy figured out how to soften the motion then it was OK. But, for a while there, It was hard to keep my feet on the pedals. The steering wheel adjustment is controled by a pedal that you cannot see in the far upper left of the foot-well area. Once found, it allows the steering wheel to be adjusted forward/backwards/up and down.
We couldn’t figure out which button was the exhaust brake so I couldn’t use it. Somewhere along the line Marathon moved the button and it was not easy to find. So, I just had use of the service brakes which worked well but you have to press that baby to stop!
I would prefer a more electric driver’s seat. It was obvious that I would not have been able to just jump in the coach and drive off. It is very different than any other normal everyday coach.
There is a ‘jack-rabbit’ switch that needs to be pushed to keep the engine at a higher RPM. We can do that with the cruise control. There was a ESR light that kept coming on (if I have the letters correct) that I want to see what it was for.
MM.
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