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Looking For a 40′
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Robert, I don’t know about the Setra, but the tag axle steering on my bus does not dramatically improve turning radius. My MCI E4500 turns in 43 foot radius, which I think is a tad longer than an H3-45 with lifting tag. You are right that it looks freaky to bystanders. It feels like it helps me get into tight spaces and parallel park better, and it turns way better than my straight axle XL40 ever did. However, it all comes at the cost of increased maintenance of another steering system.
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If you are thinking about going back to a 1996, Parliament Coach in Clearwater, FL has a very nice 1996 Liberty on their lot. I am at Parliament now going through the shakeout of the 1996 Country Coach we just bought. If interested, call Ken Robertson at 727-571-1899 and let him know that Jim suggested you call. He is super to work with and is very knowledgeable. We looked at the 97 they had at Lazydays but passed on it.
Good luck and if you need any information, you call give me a call at 402-681-2419.
Moe
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Guys,
I have located a 1998 Prevost Vogue 40′. It is located in Tampa florida. I am heading down there to go over the coach from front to back. I have a gut feeling that something is just not right with the guy brokering the deal.
His name is Robert Dingle. Does anyone here know him? Has anyone here dealt with him?
Thanks
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Bubba, for a period of my business life I bought bankrupt businesses or their assets. I never like the guys who were selling because to a man the business was always great, the machinery was always perfect and well maintained, and if there was anything wrong it was always an easy problem to deal with.
I learned when shaking hands with these folks to count my fingers and check for my wallet.
But I also made a lot of money rebuilding the businesses these guys ruined.
The same applies to coaches. The only difference is sometimes folks get caught up in the prospect of owning a Prevost, especially if the colors or decor strike their fancy.
Buying one is a business deal, plain and simple. No cash changes hands until you have proven to yourself the coach is trouble free. No cash changes hands until you have had Detroit and Allison put the computer on the coach and tell you it has no codes and the stored data indicates all is well. No cash changes hands until you get an opportunity to check its maintenance history, and if possible have the logs or receipts.
Then when you have agreed on a price, and you can get clear title cash changes hands.
Every seller I have run into so far will tell you the coach is well maintained. Every one will tell you everything works. It is up to you to satisfiy yourself those are facts. Usually they are not. If you have never owned a Prevost conversion before you do not know what you do not know. I am not insulting you, but stating that you need to do your homework, have a plan, and if the owner cannot explain how things work and then show you they work, you need plan B which is someone familiar with the converter and who is impartial to help you. The good news is if you are not buying it from Parliament who does know Vogue coaches better than anyone and can prove things work, they would be able to provide you with someone that can help you go over the coach.
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I disagree with Jon when some owners say its in the best shape what that means to them is another story, what I say when it’s , in the best shape that means every thing is up to date , new everything , aqua hot rebuild, tank monitors new,all battery’s new , tires new , wheel seals new, brake chambers new and hoses , all new norgerns ,all house things new, gen air bags new , new voltage regulator , new ecu for gen ,all fluids new , power steering filter new , all air fittings comps , new air bags , new shocks , alignment , all dash lights working , new headlights, new taps , new toilet ,Do I need to go on ………… That’s in good shape. Plus new ECM that’s in good shape … I have left out lots of stuff that is new your idea of good shape and mine a lot different just my thoughts …… Don’t forget motor and trany in the best shape no codes too ….. All just a small part of going done the road get it right or don’t do it what’s the point if its not 100 % right ………
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Let me rephrase that. Twice this summer I looked at coaches and the owners looked me in the eye and said everything worked and the coach needed nothing. On one I found Cruiseairs not working, bad batteries, oil being sprayed all over from the generator and the OTR not working.
The second owner bragged about the new tires he just put on. The only thing he just put on was tire dressing. The tires were cracked and had 10 year date codes.
On a used coach the expectation is there will be some wear and tear, but when an owner outright lies nothing he says from that point on is worth hearing. As to replacing Aquahots and ECMs, only if they failed or are failing. Nobody can see the future so if they work when the coach is inspected that is all anyone can ask.
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There is one thing when a seller may not know a totally different when they outright lie. To the guy that said his tires were new, I’d say I’m sorry I have to pass on your coach, you knowingly lied about the tires so there’s no telling how many other things you are trying to cover up, I wish you luck in finding a buyer.
I’ve been in high tech sales for a very long time and bought and sold more personal cars and boats than I want to remember. The one thing I would never do is sell my integrity. Even though many of my transactions would be a one time occurrance with that customer, I just could never stoop to misrepresenting my property or offer. Maybe, that’s why a couple that bought one of my boats came back to buy my next boat. Frankly, I find it disturbing now days how many people don’t hesitate to lie or misrepresent their offer for the sale. What ever happened to trust and a hand shake?
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I’m 100% with Gil on this one. It is not only lying that is irksome when buying something. I think courtesy on the road has become a thing of the past, as well as elsewhere. Be honest folks, when is the last time anyone went to a restaurant and for a one hour meal nobody pulled out their phone?
Has any politician ever been expected to do what they say they will do?
Does anyone think any government employee is here to help you?
Is the check really in the mail?
Now when someone does exactly as they say or is completely honest in describing something they are selling we treat them as going above and beyond.
BTW in the examples I gave above there was a couple of PC members with me and they were as shocked as I was that a seller of a coach would tell such blatant lies, especially when the truth was so easily revealed. I hope all buyers understand if they fail to verify what sellers tell them they can face substantial costs after purchasing the coach.
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Hey Gill & Jon I believe it’s still out there but sure seems that people will sell thier integrity out for the almighty dollar. I guess the best thing we can do is let it not be said of us, I was proud when the new owner of my previous bus called and wanted some information. I think I gave him more than he wanted since he hasn’t called me back. lol That Tompson bus was a great coach!! But I must say my Marathon H3 won’t be parted with anytime soon.
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Bubba,
I own a 1997 40′ Liberty XL that I plan to sell sometime this winter. It has a series 60 with allison six speed and independent front suspension (helps with tighter turning radius). Bus air for going down the road, three cruise airs for while parked.
The layout is sofa behind drivers seat, lounge chair across from that, then kitchen on drivers side and dinette table across from it with fridge aft of the table. Private toilet room behind kitchen, then bath with shower on one side and sink opposite with closets on each side of the sink. Queen bed with headboard on drivers side and closet with bank of drawers across the back of the coach, pocket door separates bedroom with shower/sink/closet area. It has a modern light wood look interior (more yellow than brown in color) with black accents and rounded corders on all cabinets. The fabrics are beige with dark green accents around windows and dark green carpet.
I think this is the eighth year that I’ve been living on this bus fulltime. I have a vintage bus that is being restored that should be ready to be lived on once winter passes (1963 Flxible Starliner which looks much like the vintage bus used in the movie RV with Robin Williams), which is my reason for selling the Prevost.
I’m currently located at the Great Smoky Mountains and will be heading through Atlanta on my way to Florida for the winter. I’d ideally sell this bus sometime around February, but would consider other timing as well.
The photos below are not current, but should give you an overall idea of the layout and style of the interior. I can take new photos if I hear that you’re interested.
Funny that I logged onto this forum today (I’m not a frequent visitor) with the intention of asking if anyone had recently sold a 40′ Prevost and had any idea for what kind of market there was for such a couch right now. I ended up posting here instead. I’ll get around to posting the other message possibly tomorrow.
-Ben
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Ben,
It’s about time you posted, we lost you after the toilet experience.
List your Liberty on the this site under Coach for Sale.
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There’s an interesting 40 footer on RVonline.com. It’s a ’96XL Marathon with 2 Prevost slides. I never heard of such a thing! I’ve been told that there were about a couple of dozen XLIIs with double slides converted by American Coach. Looking at coaches for the past few years, I’ve never seen an animal. Comments?
Kevin
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Any XL coaches with slides will have converter installed slide. By that I mean the converter, or a slide company selected by the converter, or in some cases a slide company hired by the owner after the conversion.
I don’t believe there are large numbers of conversions of XL coaches with slides but they are out there.
As a potential buyer I would spend a lot of time looking for any indication of structural issues and I wouldn’t touch one unless the documentation was extensive and complete. Even with a clean bill of health and full documentation I would look for the availability of service items, specifically seals. I would investigate the seal replacement procedure. Some early non-Prevost slides required the complete removal of the slide room from the chassis for seal replacement.
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if the 1996 Marathon 40 ft 2 slide “XL” has a green and white paint job, with an area of checkerboard, that is Marthon 409. Marathon had Rogue Coaches( now defunct)(Panterra Coach has the rights to all Rogue Coach proprietary info I understand) formally of Medford Oregon install slides before the conversion. It is also an 86 inch tall shell. A key signature of Rogue Coach installed slides, is driver side bay doors are hinged at door bottom and open swinging down. They also used a squeegee system to seal the slider s instead of air bladder. In 2004, while at Marathon Oregon, we were parked next to this coach where it was debuting an extensive remodel by the fourth owner who was the second owner. They had bought it again. I really like this coach. Steve B has this coach at California Coach again
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That is indeed the coach they were talking about. We just completed the sale of that coach yesterday to a previous customer of ours. I delivered the coach yesterday afternoon to a shop that will be installing 3 new HD TV’s in it. The gentleman that purchased it was originally looking at a $800K Prevost that we have. He was a little concerned about going back to a 45′ coach. I took him for a drive in the 96, and he was amaze at the drive, and how quiet the coach was. So he saved himself over $600K, and is excited to get out on the road in the 40 footer.
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