[Andy]

Welcome, Andy, and congratulations on your freedom from a steady job.

I, too, am a relative newcomer to this site, having lurked for a long time.

Many of the posters on this board are quite knowledgeable about Prevost in particular and buses in general; if you’re set on a Prevost you’ve come to the right place.

As for your questions, I’ll defer to those with more experience with conversions, as I am more of a home builder.

Happy safe travels.

Ted.

[Andy]

Andy,

We were in your shoes just about a 2 years ago (deciding between a Newell or Prevost).

We bought our first motorhome in April of 2007 (2008 Monaco Dynasty- ordered from factory). I read about motorhomes for 7 yrs. before we took the plunge but we rented once per year for about 10 days each yr. in 2004, 2005 and 2006 to get a feel if we liked the motorhome lifestyle.

Fast forward to the fall of 2013, I saw an ad for a Outlaw H3-45 that looked interesting with a lower purchase price than I expected. It caught my eye as the price seemed reasonable. That’s when my search for a converter started as I really knew nothing about the differences. I joined PC and started asking questions and making comparisons. The fine folks here will help you spend your money with no problem. LOL!

As I dug deeper, I realized that the Outlaw was a ‘entry level’ Prevost conversion coach which is perfectly fine. We decided to go all the way up to Liberty as they have been in the conversion business the longest. The top three or four converters are all very good but the Liberty just ‘spoke’ to me. I like the one tank holding sytem. I like the Lithium Ion technology, etc.

All of the converters do things a little different so you need to read about them to see what YOU like. Marathon puts the generator radiator in the front behind the grill, Millennuim puts it on the roof and Liberty puts it in a side compartment with a grill in the bottom for air flow (seemed to be the cleanest set-up to me).

Good luck,

Mark

[Archived]

Thanks Mark!

If all goes as planned, I’ll be taking a six week MH trip this Summer and by August I should know if I’ll be proceeding towards purchase. Until then, I’m in research mode and attempting to learn as much one can without kicking tires and wasting the time of various dealers.

There’s a lot to learn and I’m appreciate of the Members here who share their wisdom!

[Dick]

The best advice I can give you is go to a dealer and drive each type of bus you are considering. Everyone I have ever talked to said one of the things that convinced them to buy a Prevost over some other brand (SOB) was the driving experiance. For the price of a new Newmar King Aire or Foretravel IH-45 you should be able to get a VERY NICE Provost conversion. I really belive if you test drive a Prevost that is what you will buy.

Good luck with the search and welcom to PC.

[Archived]

Andy:

Welcome. As I understand it, you are looking for a coach that is mechanically sound so that you do not have to do a lot of mechanical stuff and have problems on your way. I would suggest that you look for a coach that has been zeroed out. By that, I mean all of the expendable items, tires, air bags, norgrens, etc. have been replaced and the running gear is like new. You might also look at a coach that does not have all of the latest bells and whistles, as bells and whistles can stop working. You might want to contact Jim who just zeroed out and upgraded his ’05 Royal coach last year and is trading it in so he can sit on the beach. He wrote about three day ago:

Thanks Peter, I really appreciate all the advice you gave me. Took me 2 years but she is finally “tight” and has been trouble free this entire year of travel. Your the one who convinced me the Royale was the right coach for me, best advice I got when searching. I hope our paths cross in the future. Be safe….jim Jim & Marijane 2005 Royale XLII #407 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

4/8/2015 11:06:06 AM jtmac I’ll be heading to nashville on my way north, staying at the KOA on music valley. If anyone is interested in discussing my coach before we head to Panterra get ahold of me. The plan is to pick up the 2015 Dynamax DQ320XL on the way home, transfer the contents, that should be fun, and begin a new journey in RV’ing. Jim & Marijane 2005 Royale XLII #407 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

You can go to the thread entitled “Its been fun… But,…” in this General Discussion(on page 2) and email him, as his email is open, by clicking on jtmac on the top right hand blue bar. This might be a great opportunity to get a verified zeroed coach for the right price. Your first trip could be to Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, AL next weekend to meet and greet a lot of the other people on this site.

Again, Welcome to the Prevost life style.

Fred

[Joe]

Thanks All!

While I don’t want to innundate anyone with requests or constant emails, is there a link available to see Jim’s coach?

As stated, if all goes as planned, I hope to get serious about this and be taking test drives in August. Until then, looking at photos, reading descriptions and examining floor plans is probably the best way to learn my way around.

Any advise is welcomed!

And, thanks for the warm welcome. I’m still learning my way around this site.

Andy

[Archived]

Andy where are you located?

[Joe]

Andy,

Assuming you are doing a somewhat apples to apples comparison you will be comparing a Prevost conversion to a conventional motorhome of similar size with much the same chassis systems. That is going to make the maintenance and repairs comparable because both are going to have large diesel engines, transmission, brakes and associated air systems pretty much alike. There are going to be differences but for the most part they are going operate in comparable manners.

But where there is going to be substantial differences is in the build philosophy between a Prevost conversion and a motor home. The Prevost converter is selling to a very limited market with high expectations. They use the Prevost chassis because they want a base to be robust and time proven. Prevost seated coaches have racked up millions and millions of miles in commercial service and they have a lifespan measured in millions of miles. They handle exceedingly well. They are unequalled when it comes to the structure. When the converter assembles the systems and interior that make the bus into a motor home they are doing for a market with very high expectations.

A Prevost conversion is going to look very nice and be built of durable quality materials. Its systems are going to be well thought out and they are going to deliver a very long life. No two are ever going to be alike. And nothing else out there is going to endure for decades and still have the quality appearance.

A conventional motor home is built on a chassis not unlike what might be under a large truck. It will be strong and capable. Where the motorhome is going to differ is the manufacturer is going to focus on appearance so the RV really appeals to the buyer. Lots of nice woodwork, fabrics and good color selections. But the quality level will begin to show its age sooner than the quality level of the average Prevost.

The systems will sound like those found on a Prevost such as two or more inverters, but again the manufacturer is tryiing to check all the boxes, but to do it inexpensively. And it will show. Every system will be a little smaller, have a little less capacity, or will be assembled with just a little less care.

Slides will be abundant on a conventional motor home. But they will not match the Prevost slide quality.

If you want an unbiased opinion about how a Prevost compares to a conventional motor home you will not find it here. A lot of our members have owned very high end motor homes, but now they own a Prevost and will never go back to a conventional motor home.

I would take a 5 or 10 year old Prevost with 100,000 miles on it any day of the week over any brand new conventional motor home.

[Archived]

Welcome and as you will find here everyone would prefer Prevost any age over a fiberglass motorhome….everyone will help in any way possible and you may email or call if you have other questions…Welcome

[Archived]

Thanks for taking the time to provide your input. It’s greatly appreciated.

As many of you can identify just like when you caught the MH “bug”, I’ve spent the past few months surfing various manufacturer sites and user forums, watching countless videos and reading just about everything I can find and now, I’m more confused than ever!

The one thing I’ve decided on, is the change of lifestyle and owning a MH for part time usage.

I’ll agree that when looking closely at the specs it seems that many of the higher end MH manufacturers are “checking the boxes” and are building units that are more apt to appeal to a larger audience than building a model that has the best of everything. Not being one who is familiar with various suppliers of inverters (for example), it’s difficult to know which units will provide the highest chance of care free usage. Yes, it’s confusing to be a newbie!

The economy is doing fairly well these days and it has brought more potential upscale buyers to the marketplace and, while that’s a good thing for the industry, it also can force many of these companies to build units too quickly…quicker than what’s required to provide the quality one would expect when writing a check with the number of zeros these units demand.

One factor that makes me keep coming back and considering a pre-owned or possibly a new Prevost is service. I’ve read too many horror story forum posts on other sites about owners of new models that are delivered with obvious flaws. Making matters worse is that it seems to take weeks or months to get a dealer to repair the flaws. That “bugs” me. Yes, pun intended!

So, I guess I can say I’m “bugged” about the “bugs.” I will be as snug as a bug in a rug if I can find a high quality, motorhome that can provide a very good user experience that will start the engine when I turn the key and stop securely when I press the brakes. (Okay, too many puns). I hope the rest of the features will work as promised and hope that I can find a unit that only needs to see the dealer when it’s time for the scheduled maintenance. Over the years, I’ve owned some very nice automobiles (still do) and have been spoiled by the dealer’s service departments. Based on what I’ve read on some other model forums, it seems that’s not the case with some brands of motorhomes.

This is what keeps me coming back to gather more information about various Prevost models as they seem to provide the highest level of quality components.

So, I’ll ask, if you’re not too mechanically inclined and have spent more time on a keyboard than with a wrench in hand, do you think it’s crazy to consider buying a motorhome?

This is a journey for me to find the right fit and, I’m sure I’ll say this many times in the future, Thank You for your guidance!

[Archived]

For those who’ve asked, while I’m originally from Nashville, I’ve been in South Florida for the past two decades. I’ve been in the Palm Beach Gardens area for nearly a decade. Yes, even though I live in paradise, it will be nice to change locations on demand!

[Larry]

Any large motorhome is complex with many mechanical, hydraulic, peneumatic, electrical, electronic, etc. systems. It is unrealistic, regardless of manufacturer to think that a motorhome will not require frequent attention. Even Prevost conversions will visit repair facilities regularly. A Prevost factory service facility can address the “chassis” portion of the conversion but the converter, or someone like Jeff can address the converter portions.

Every bus will require periodic attention. Don’t be fooled and think that I’ll buy a multi-million dollar RV and not have to worry about every having to spend time with maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. It just does not happen. Since you said you are not particularly mechanically inclined, it will be even tougher for you.

Buying a used Prevost really does not change anything. A new Prevost is expensive to buy and expensive to maintain. Due to depreciation, a gently used Prevost is less expensive to buy but STILL expensive to maintain. These big beast are not for wimps.

[William]

Thanks Les, you bring up some very good points and I’ll ask a few questions:

– For a new Prevost conversion, to keep it in top shape, how often should I be prepared to have her in for service?

– For routine or maintence to address a problem that is being performed while traveling, what’s a reasonable lead time to make a service appointment?

– For preowned models, is there an independent service company that provides a full inspection and a fair evaluation prior to purchase?

– Do any of the dealers or other parties provide a full orientation course, (such as a Prevost 101 class) to prospetive purchasers who want to learn the ins and outs of operating and maintaining a Prevost motor home?

I hope I don’t wear everyone out with all of my questions!

[Archived]

Are like —– . I have several observations. Go to any big truck repair or detroit dealer in Fla and count the motorhomes waiting for repair. For most part the motor homes are under powered for their weight. I have several close friends that have a motor home–almost every trip out it is a turbo–trans– or engine not to mention the frequent trip to Red Bay to get systems repaired. Then there is a coach. Can well have same problems but remember these were designed to run 24 hrs a day 365 days a year carrying passangers safetly and comfortabaly in revenue service.. How many motorhomes do you see race car drivers or singers using? Motor homes strive to be bus like! Why not have the original? As you can see I have no opinion. Smile! Bob

[Archived]

Greetings Andy!

I’m a newbie as well to this site. Like you, I’ve RVed before, but definitely not in one of these beasts. I’ve researched DPs for several years now and, finally decided to look at a used Prevost for a couple reasons. First, you can’t beat the structure (all steel) and Prevosts have been crash tested since they are used for consumers. No other DP is rated to go a million miles and, not that you will, but it tells me that they are simply built more solid. It’s the “base” of the MH that makes the difference and you really can’t change that in any DP. The inside – well, you could put a Sub-Zero fridge in any MH (not sure why you would, but …) or upgrade any MH inside with similiar components.

Bottom line, I’m in the looking to buy, at little later than you, Dec. ’15, and most likely in the 1997-2001 range, but I’m starting to identify some PC members to look at their Prevost in-person to make a more educated decision in the months to follow.

Good luck in your hunt,

Tim