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Gettin’ some mods done…
Wish I were as handy as some of our fellow members but we’ve decided to use that trusty tool, our check book, to get some mods done. Dropping off the coach at Panterra on Monday for the work. Maybe they will post some pics as it gets done..
New Bedroom TV, bedroom carpet, headboard and / or adjustable bed, new bed sconces, change out tile trim in shower and galley, remove W/D and build a pantry, new booth with drawers below, adding leather accents on dash, seats, couch and sconce rails, new living room sconces, new side table with extending shelf near kitchen, addition of wood to the lower wall on passenger side, new front blinds and a bunch of little “fixes” that needed to be done.
While she’s there I’m having the aqua hot serviced, generator serviced, Jun Aire serviced, new water filters, get all vista lights working as well as grab handle lights.
Next stop either Prevost or Jeff’s for a level 3, air system service and a few more air valves that are suspect replaced….one step at a time….can’t wait to hit the road in late October. This year we will not be back till June 1st since May 1st was still too cold.
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40 Replies
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Nice meeting you yesterday George and thanks for taking the washer and dryer. Hope it all works well and safe travels home….
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You will be happy with the mods glad you had good winter Jim
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Thanks Peter….and for all your advice…..BTW, congrats on the new coach!
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Some shots of the process…..we love the new tile going in……
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Looking good… Tile choice is beautiful !! Keep the pics coming !!
Diane
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Jim and Marijane, it was a pleasure meeting you at Panterra. Thought we might share our annual migratory trip North as it involved bus stuff. Left Florida and stopped in Byron, Ga. to look at, photograph and measure the outside tv mount on Jerry and Gayle’s Vantare. He could not have been more gracious. Thanks again and I would kill for your toy barn. Next stop was Jeff Rowe’s East Tennessee Luxury Coach. My God, what an asset he and his son Josh are to our community. Had a thorough Chassis inspection and got my individual wheel weights. The only thing we found is that we will need rear shocks soon and the air dryer cartridge needed replacement, which he got te next day and installed. He also tracked down and fixed a curbside window leak. Saw Gary’s Liberty getting new flooring and Dick Karth’s Liberty being finished and waiting for tires. Went to Two Rivers Landing for a few days and visited and had lunch with Jon and Di. Jon’s toy barn is also a source of envy. Next stop was Panterra Coach in Angola,In to have the washer/dryer that we bought from Jim and Marijane installed. This turned out to be more complicated than just removing the dreaded “Splendide” and installing the Bosch units that came from their Royale. After confirming that Vantare did not build their coaches with any 220v circuits(thanks Ben C) Mark from Panterra ran one to the closet and the guys built a half floor and re-routed the vent stacks and we now have a stack w/d with a 220v dryer. For now it will only work on shore power, but that will be corrected later with the addition of another transfer switch and a re-wire of the Gen-Set. Thanks to Mike and all the guys at Panterra for fitting what was planned to be a half day job in between their other scheduled work over the next two days. Randy, Rex, Mike and all their employees are a talented and great group. Next up: All new A/V systems. Love this coach….now if we could only find 315 Michelins! Put the 365’s on before we left, but still need the drives. See you all in OKC and will post on the progress of up-dating the A/V systems.
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George your Splendide was 220V. So what was the challenge with the new dryer? It’s also puzzling why the dryer won’t work on generator power due to the transfer switch. It sounds like the dryer is wired before the transfer switch which would put it before the main breaker. That would seem unusual and without technical merit.
Tell us more,
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Gil, the Splendide was 110v. There are no 220v circuits(until now) on the bus. The PowerTec is wired only for 110V. you’d have to ask Ben C why they were built that way. There is not(until now) a double 220v breaker on the panel. Geo
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George, no 220V cook top either? It’s hard to understand some decisions made in the past by others. I would think that a split phase (220V) generator wouldn’t cost much more than a 110Vgenerator.
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maybe someone can comment on how you know if your rear shocks need to be replaced. Can’t jump up and down on the bumper and look for a spring back.
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Gil, yep….110 cooktop. Gen-Set cost the same. Ben tells me the gen re-wire is minimal. The auto transfer switch is a little pricey though. Greg, I don’t know. I think Jeff goes by the condition of the bushings, but I don’t want put words in his mouth…..maybe he will chime in here.
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If your shocks are 5 years old it is a safe bet they are ready to be replaced. But without removing them and trying to compress or extend them you really won’t know.
Sometimes they leak and then the presence of oil and grease on the shock leaves no doubt, but other than that or a shock bushing completely worn out I don’t know any other way.
New shocks can be extended and compressed but only with a firm, steady push or pull and then they will resist movement. Worn out shocks will extend and compress with almost no resistance.
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Again, I don’t want to put words in Jeff’s mouth. That being said, I think he was going by obvious age, the fact that they were Prevo shocks and the condition of the bushings. The fronts were obviously recently replaced with Koni’s. I have enough confidence in his opinion to take his advice and make the detour to SE Tenn on our way south this summer.
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Hey George…sorry to hear it wasn’t a quick out and in with the washer / dryer. I really like the team at Panterra. Debbie in sewing, Mike, Ron…they are all pro’s and really do a great job communicating with customers and giving them exactly what they want.
Hopefully we will be picking up the coach in a couple of weeks and when I get more pics we will post them.
Jim
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Jim, nothing to be sorry about. We are pleased as punch with the units and it was more than a fair price. The guys dealt with the unexpected situation in a timely as possible manner. We had a good time exploring both Angola and Auburn. Samantha’s House of Pancakes is great and the Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg Museum is worth a trip on its own. Your coach is going to look great, We saw the disassembly and some of the stuff going in laid out. Again, Thanks !
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