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Marathon 0838 or Royale 5235
Would anyone happen to know the past history or be familiar wiht Marathon 0838, 04 XLII?
Or how about Royale 5235
Thanks
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17 Replies
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Brett,
Pictures help especially exterior or who has the listing. We can then go look and see.
I think most of us remember or ID the exterior paint. There are no copycat Prevost paint jobs, every bus has its own.
AL
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Al, Marathon 0838 listed on PC, Royale 4235- listed on Prev Stuff.
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Yes that is correct.Olyimpia has the Marathon and Panterra has the Royale
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The 04 Marathon is not far from me and I’ve been over it fairly well.
It is a nice bus with a surprising amount of bay storage, something important to us. The condition is very good with new carpet. We would require changing to hard surface flooring but Olympic chose to stay with carpet.
One definite issue is the lack of inspection for delamination. The sales folks said they went over it well and saw nothing but I would still require Nashville Prevost to perform the inspection.
If you are interested in us taking a closer look or check something specific, just let us know. We too have some interest in this bus but won’t really be in the market for another 6 months or so. I doubt this one will be around long.
Les (615-957-9168)
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For the modest cost of doing an inspection of a bus for delamination it is someting every buyer should do or insist on.
Few a few hundred dollars the condition of the bonding between the skin and chassis can be evaluated. If a coach is found to have a delamination issue the costs to repair it can easily run to $50,000 or more. Even if Prevost participates financially in the repair the coach owner is on the hook for the cost of the paint work that might be required.
To put this in perspective the cost of the inspection is likely going to be less than the cost to refuel the coach, even with today’s very low fuel costs. The potential cost to ignore this inspection is far too great.
Sellers today, private or businesses should understand there are three inspections that address big potential problems and like it or not, buyers should have them done. They are the skin inspection on an XLII, and inspections of the engine and transmission by Detroit and Allison dealers. None of those inspections can be done by anyone other than Prevost, Detroit or Allison. I see the expense associated with the inspections as the responsibility of the buyer, but if I were buying a coach and the seller had those done and shared the documentation I would be extremely impressed. That would show the seller himself was confident in the coach and not afraid to provide information about the coach condition.
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My feelings exactly Jon , no true words have ever been spoken!!!!!!
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Les,
Have you looked at Marathon #671 at Olympia coaches? Any thoughts on it? -
Per, we are not interested in a non-slide bus or one with the old style awnings, so no, we have not looked at it.
If you are truly interested, I can run by there sometime after the first of the year. They are only 20 minutes or so away.
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Les,
It’s one of the buses we are looking at. Price seems very good–only thing I didn’t like from the pictures were the Toyo tires. Talked to Ausin at Olympia, and he seemed like a square person to deal with. We’d be OK without slides, although we are open to slides. Trying to stay below $250k, but have some flex for the right coach. Still trying to sell ours, if we don’t sell by end of February, we’ll end up trading, so we would have to go to a dealer. If you have a chance to stop by and check it out, we’d appreciate it! -
Just a general comment about tires……I am aware Michelin is held in high regard and Prevost has indicated the suspension is “tuned” to perform well on Michelin tires. However a lot of owners, including me have been satisfied with other brands. I had “Double Coin” tires made in China and took some ribbing about them, but I later found out Michelin owned the company. I also learned if you do buy Michelin tires they might have been made anywhere in the world, including Spain, Mexico or China for example.
If the tires on a coach are not aged out I would run them until such time and then replace them, but I would not consider them deal breakers. There are a lot of more important things to worry about on a coach purchase.
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Per, Olympia is nearing completion of their new facility and it will be top notch, modern and able to perform most everything a converter needs to be able to do. Austin has sold a bus to a friend and our dealings have been very straight forward. No high pressure sales techniques and will talk sensibility about the strengths and weaknesses of each bus.
Open up your email in your profile so I can send you an email next week or click on my “BadFitter” link and send me an email so I will have your addy. I have too much going on this weekend but early next week should be good for a visit to Olympia. Let me know if there are specific pictures or things you want me to check. I’d rather not ask Austin to take it for a drive unless you are dead serious and nearing a decision.
I don’t want to become a frequent “tire kicker”……
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Jon,
That’s exactly what we would do if we bought the coach–keep the tires that are on there, and go to Michelins at the seven-year point. It would not be a deal-breaker for usLes,
We will get real serious once we sell the coach, but I’m going to hold out at least another month or two before I agree to trade–hoping to get a bit more than I would get in a trade. Right now our candidates are that coach at Olympia, a 2000 H3 Marathon no-slide locally, a 2002 XLII CC and a 2001 XLII Marathon in Oregon–both with two slides. If they are gone before we are ready to pull the trigger, then so be it. But we are really hoping there are someone out there that would appreciate our coach after everything we have done to it.
P.S. I opened up my Email. -
Per,
I hope you don’t take this as an insult. Anything we sell is only worth what the market will pay. It doesn’t matter if it is land, houses, cars, trucks, or RVs. As sellers we always want to get top dollar and there is a huge hurdle for us to climb over if we are going to accept a lower price. We think that means if we take less money it is a failing of sorts.
Conversely we as buyers never want to pay more than something is worth so we struggle internally to justify paying more than what we think is a fair price to pay for something. Depending on the product the spread between what we think we should get as a seller and what we end up getting can be substantial, and conversely the same can be true of what we are willing to pay and the seller is willing to accept. Bottom line is we all have to decide if we want money or what we are trying to buy or sell.
I don’t know how your coach compares to a Prevost you would like to buy, but if you find that Prevost that provides the “eureka” moment meaning it checks all the boxes on your wish list, keep in mind a good used Prevost is not going to last long, and if you have negotiated with the seller for a low price that means if you don’t buy it the seller is now willing to sell a good coach at a low price and that assures you it will sell to someone else quickly.
My guess is if a buyer wants your existing coach at a price you are happy to get, you may not be able to begin your search in earnest until you coach is sold and then you are going to be pressured into getting a Prevost that may not be all you want. One thing is almost certain. In a trade you are not going to get more than wholesale for your coach and maybe less, so it should make you aware a few minutes with a pencil and paper will reveal if it makes more sense to be a temporary two bus club member, or a no bus club member, or a new Prevost owner who has traded.
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Jon,
Put me in the last category! Got a call from the guy who had the coach we wanted, so we did a quick trade– see below!
Les,
The coach at Olympia is a moot point since we just traded. I appreciate your offer to check the coach out, though. -
Per and Margrit,
Congrats on the new coach….. that was quick!
Safe travels! Looks like 2016 was the year for you!
Mark and Craig
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