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Just an observation
Most of the questions/comments here refer to OTR ac and Cruise airs not working properly or the expense in maintaining both. Just an observation for future reference.
wave
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8 Replies
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Andy…I’m with you. Without going into my mechanical ineptness, I rely on the professional service folks to take care of my coach. I’ve soaked up a lot from this forum for the past 6 or 7 years and know enough when I need help. Luckily I have Prevost and converter experts locally in Buffalo and in my traffic pattern going south for the winter that I trust. They know me. They know my coach. And I look forward to seeing each of them. And they look forward to $,$$$eeing me.
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Just based on gut feel I would opine the vast majority of members are in the second category.
Despite a history of doing my own mechanical work on my cars and trucks when we got our first bus I was clearly in the second category. But when I took the bus for service I watched everything that went on. I did not intend to do work on the bus, but wanted to understand it.
But Prevost was the catalyst for me doing my own work. When they moved from the little shop on Williams in Jacksonville to the present facility they also put up fancy yellow chains and made it clear if you were a customer you belonged in the waiting area and not in the shop.
It was that moment I knew from that point on I would do my own work. I had had my coach for several years at that point and after watching the mechanics do their thing it was obvious these are not that unlike my cars or trucks, just bigger.
So in addition to providing a great means to travel, when the bus is in my garage it is also a hobby.
My advice to those who might want to be in the first category is to not be afraid of the bus or conversion.
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I’m a category 1 kind of guy. I’d much rather spend money on tools and equipment than paying someone else to do it.
In fact, I’ll go as far as making parts when it’s appropriate. These ears kept breaking off of the plastic ones when it was dropped, so I made them out of steel. I may like getting dirty, but I don’t need any poo on my shoe.
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Most everyone who owns a high end toy like a Prevost has developed a way of getting things done. Whether it be a with a stack of Benjamins or a box of tools and parts. I think it all depends on what you have been exposed to and how you have learned to get from point A to point B.
My father was a commercial builder who could build or fix anything. He also built his own bus conversion (early 60s Mac Bus-671 Detroit) when I was a young boy. He took me on a snowmobile trip to Northern Michigan in his bus when I was about 10 years old. On the way home the bus sprung a leak in the radiator. We were in the middle of nowhere with not a house or building in sight. I remember feeling scared because it was cold out and we were in the middle of nowhere. I also remember thinking it will be ok because my dad could fix anything. This was way before cell phones. Long story shorter, he tied the fresh water under the kitchen sink to one of the heater hoses for the house heat exchangers. (homemade from copper fin tube and fans) He turned the pressure regulator down on the fresh water pump and away we went. We made it all the way to the nearest major city and safety.
I knew back then that I wanted to be like my dad. I followed in his foot steps. I am also a builder. Most of what I have I have built myself including my home and shop. I did everything including site work and engineered sewage system, and sinking my own 6″ well casing, underground electrical service, foundation mechanicals and building footers to finish. I have also done every type of mechanical work except for engine and trans internals . So, my hands and skills have always been my first go to to achieve my goals.
The grass is always greener on the other side. I doubt there are many of us that would not like to be closer to one end of the spectrum. I know some of us would not even think about changing out major components on our bus. Some would prefer to do it themselves. Then there are those somewhere in between.
I consider myself in the middle somewhere. Had i aquired my bus dream 10 years ago I would have probably ended up all the way on the DIY end with Jon and others. At this point in my life i would probably be better off to spend my energy at work and pay to have some of my bus maintenance done. However, if im being honest Im the guy with the tools who wished he had the Benjamins instead. I have great respect for guys can maintain their own bus. I have equal respect for those who focus on what they know and dont touch their bus. Jeff
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL -
Andy
right now i consider myself in the second category. Things like brake relay valves, air bags, ac install and others items have shown me that i need to let a pro do it. I am capable of accomplishing those tasks but, i need the equipment/tools and a location to work on it. Being a fulltimer has its limits.
I have rebuilt my Webasto, completely rebuilt the microphor, did my headlight conversion, switched the interior to LED and accomplished a lot of stuff inside and outside the coach. Under the bus items are off limits for me. I won’t mickey mouse under the coach. I defer to the pros on that stuff.
Maybe one day we’ll settle down and i have a bus barn + all the right tools. In the mean time, i tap the knowledge shared here and on other internet sites and defer to the pros
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL -
I do as much as I can on my own because I like learning new things. I also like keeping old stuff alive. My Liberty is a 1984, but it’s still much newer than any airplane I ever owned. In fact, I traded a 1958 airplane for it. Those who have seen it know that my coach needs a lot of work, but I look forward to tackling the projects one by one. Today I removed the Crown Head for repair and replaced the 50 amp breakers. Tomorrow I hang new blinds and fiddle with the fast idle. I have new belts waiting to go on too. It’s all time well spent.
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I’ve experienced the class A fiberglass service many years ago when you would call around for service work and be told they can get you in a month or two. We are very fortunate to have Prevost maintenance facilities that usually can accommodate you next day or even same day. The fiberglass world hasn’t a clue as to how green the grass is on the other side.
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Prevost service is amazing. Every time that we’ve gone in for service, it’s done the same day.
Even service at the converter seems to be prioritized. They work like bees on a hive, all is done in short order!
There never seems to be ‘the part has to be ordered’. Even tires at Prevost were readily available when our two front 365 tires were replaced under warranty in early 2016 ($1,002 each) at Prevost Mira Loma.
I remember once with our Dynasty that we had to wait for two weeks for Lippert to send a hydraulic pump.
Mark
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