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Is there a better model ??
I have owned two Marathons coaches is there a model or year that has less problems than others i know all have problems but there has to be one that has the repatation for durability ???
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13 Replies
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I’m getting the popcorn ready for this.
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If I were to vote for the most trouble free Prevost conversion I would start with a 1997 XL chassis built immediately prior to the introduction of the independent front suspension. It is a proven chassis with no known issues, the solid axle steer axle is bulletproof, it has the 12.7 Series 60 combined with the Allison 6 speed transmission both of which have proven durability and the combination can deliver the best fuel economy our coaches have ever had. The engine does not have add on emissions equipment.
For the conversion I would stick with the Liberty Classic or a Royale. Both are simple but well done conversions, both proven and refined over a long time. Neither conversion is going to have anything that requires programming. The only difference is the Liberty has OTR, the Royale does not.
The coaches are also the least expensive to maintain. There are no IFS A arms to replace or rebush. The brake chambers are the simple less expensive type that can be purchased at any truck parts store. The tires are all 315 size. There will be no skin delamination issues ever. Glass is replaceable easily and cheaply. The awnings are going to be the original manual ZipDee trouble free versions. The coach will have no slides to add weight, add maintenance costs, or complexity.
But there is a down side…………
You will have an old coach and some RV parks with an attitude will not allow you in or will make you beg for entry by asking for photos. You will not be able to turn on the A/Cs with your cell phone. You will not have the extra space provided by slides (but you will have a lot more storage).
I would have named other conversions if there are any that were done without anything that needs programming, but I don’t know enough about others to name them.
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Well said Jon, putting it into a nut shell. We are swapping to a 2004 Royale next week. Downsides: delamination, slides, fuel capacity, IFS, OTR, air awnings. Already called Zip Dee to swap back to manual $2000. (nothing personal about nut shell)
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As Jon said, find a coach whose Vin is before T-5873 for no IFS. Marathon Coach 400 which is a 1996 is the first Marathon with two Trace inverters enabling two cruise airs to be run while driving yet has no computer. Also, not sure when Prevost went from multi-sectional roof panels to single sheet layed between end caps for less chance of leaks
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My 97 had a single sheet of roofing material front to rear. I don’t know what model year it started.
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What’s your budget? the best coach is a brand new one traded once a year! Don’t laugh, some do that.
Many of us feel the late production series 60 equipped XL’s (c1995-2000) are generally the most reliable and simplest. You probably want roof a/c but there’s no such thing as the perfect coach…you can’t take your time machine and go back to 1997 to have one custom built not to mention what a subsequent owner may have changed.
Do your homework, rank the items of most importance to you, and be prepared to make compromises on least important items. For instance, my coach has IFS which gives me a tighter turning circle but does require more maintenance than the straight axle. The rest of my coach had features attractive enough to me that I can live with that.
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If you’re a prospective Prevost buyer lurking in the shadows, please don’t let Jon scare you at the notion you might be shut out of RV campgrounds, parks, or resorts because you have a Prevost more than ten years old and go off making a HUGE mistake by buying a less than ten year old plastic, sticks & staples motorhome!
During our 78 day coast to coast southern expedition last winter we were told the facility had a ten year rule on five or six occasions. At the absolute finest resort (truly a fine resort) once the reservation rep found out we had Prevost, all she wanted to know was if it still was “very aesthetically pleasing coach” and upon my confirmation of that we were told we were welcome … NO PICTURES. Even when told we had a “1999 Prevost converted by Liberty Coach” the other facilities with ten year rules wanted pictures. All of them accepted us without question after they saw the pictures. With one or two of the facilities, when I got the call back after they saw the pictures the reservation rep sounded embarrassed on the phone for asking for the pictures in the first place!
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Dick, I was taking a shot at the snooty RV communities that think their less than 10 year old plastic palaces are somehow more desirable than a real quality coach.
Actually if I am ever asked my coach age the conversation with the RV park is over and I will be looking for another RV park in the area.
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I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Even though I feel exactly as Jon does…instead of replying as he would…the few times I have been asked I just say that my ’99 shell H is a 09 or whatever. Nobody except other “Prevo” people know and all our coaches look exceptional. Have never had to send a picture. Geo.
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I have no issue with how George deals with RV park age limits, but I have a real issue with parks that set limits and will not deal with them. I cannot change their policies, but I also don’t have to let them take my money.
We are now 10 years away from the financial bloodbath of 2007/2008 at which time coach construction by converters came from relatively healthy levels to almost nothing.
As a result there are now very few Prevost coaches that will meet the limits for age that some parks have established. Everyone else will have to lie, or beg, or send photos, to prove they are worthy.
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Getting back to the original topic, I was thinking last night about my three coaches and I have had repairs and gremlins, yes, but when I consider them overall they have been incredibly reliable. So far I have driven our three coaches about 400,000 miles over 28 years.
There have been some issues that should have never happened and every coach is affected. I have had to replace a fan clutch on both my 97 and current 06 coach. I have a hard time accepting the fact the clutches are good for 100,000 miles. Similarly I replaced the charge air cooler on my current coach and that is absolutely inexcusable because a far batter CAC was available and that was known when Prevost built the coach.
Some repairs such as hub seals had to be made. All of my coaches have had at least one fail, but I cannot get too excited based on the fact 2 of my coaches had 250,000 miles when I sold them, and the current one has 150,000 miles.
I replaced two alternators.
I replaced 2 refrigerators, and the current one has had 3 service calls.
The flip side of this is I have had zero issues with the house systems such as the Crestron or Allan-Bradley systems. They are kind of scary when I think about them, but historically I have never had an issue with either.
All in all, I stick with my earlier response but that is based on coaches and a chassis that are far more basic than later models. The later the model year of the house and chassis the more complex they are and the greater potential for stuff to break. To get the convenience and features in the later model coaches we have to have a greater expectation of dealing with repairs.
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Slight creep here, congratulations Dan on the new bus! I’m sure you and Barb are excited.
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Yes she is. Barb got exposed to slides at the Feb 18 West Palm Prevost motorhome show, an expensive oops on my part.
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