[Archived]

Dr. Gary, sometimes rational decisions are displaced by excitement relative to buying a coach.

I cannot predict what financial gain or loss will come about by buying a non-slide coach. But I can give you some facts, not opinion.

Slides when not extended do rob a coach of usable interior space. In most instances you can move about but the open space for moving about is a little less than in a non-slide coach.

Additionally for every slide there is a potential loss of about 9″ per side. A two slide coach loses that space which occupies and hides the slide mechanism. That means a 2 slide coach can have up to 36″ of space missing, space that could have held a pantry or a washer and dryer or a full height closet.

Slides add weight. Just to add a slide Prevost has to replace the strength lost by cutting a hole in the side of the coach through the truss that carries the chassis along its length. That added weight can be a couple of tons.

Slides add complexity, require more service and more money to maintain. Replacing slide seals is age related and without labor the cost of seals is more than $2,000.

But, for people who stay in one spot for longer periods slides change the character of the coach and make it feel less like a long train car, and more like a small apartment.

So regardless of if a non slide coach will be of less value to the market place, just not owning a slide is a way to put or keep money in your pocket.

Adding bunks, if recent posts are an indication may actually add value. As owners want to travel more often with their kids we see posts explaining how hard it is to find a coach suitable for family travel. If the conversion to bunks is done professionally, and is done with the ability to remove them and use the space for a washer dryer or more closets it actually may add value

There was a time when we did a lot of trade shows, were rarely in one spot more than a day or two, and our coach was little more than a motel room on wheels that non-slide coach was ideal. It had significantly more usable bay and closet space than our current 2 slide coach. It was 45 feet, but weighed 6000 pounds less than our present 45 foot coach.

But now when we use our coach it may sit in one spot for days as opposed to one or two when doing trade shows.

There is one thing I really hate about our very nice two slide coach. Instead of having 315 tires all around we have 365 on the steer and tag axles. The advantage of our 6000 pound lighter non slide coach is a tire issue is usually not a big deal. With the 365 tires, it is a serious problem getting them so when we travelled for business we were far less likely to have a tire failure interfere with a business schedule.

[Archived]

We looked specifically for a NON-slide coach for a number of reasons when we bought our coach in 2014.

1. Slide coaches moves you to the XLII series of chassis usually starting in 2000/2001. It seemed there was a significant jump in price from the XL/XLV chassis of the 1990’s that were non-slide. I just didn’t see the value to me/us for the additional nickels that would be required.

2. I’m 5-7, my wife is shorter than I am. We don’t have young children or grandchildren (yet) who would be traveling with us. We felt we didn’t need the extra room. Now if I was nose tackle or center for the Thirteen Time World Champion Green Bay Packers … I might have had different thoughts about needing more room.

3. Not seeing additional value in slides for us, I didn’t think the additional weight, maintenance, and potential risks for trip interrupting breakdowns of the slides was worth it.

Since buying the coach seven years ago, we’ve spent 78, 100, and 100 continuous days in the coach traveling from Wisconsin to Florida to California and back home again. We were very happy with the space that Prevost provided us.

There is demand for non-slide coaches. We’ve met many Prevost owners without slides and they see very happy with their coaches.

As mentioned, there typically are distinct differences between an entertainer coach and a luxury motorhome conversion. Two fairly different missions. When you look at entertainer coaches, keep that in mind. Learn the differences as you look at coaches.

You apparently have a unique mission for your coach. If I were you (I hope you realize that almost EVERYONE on this Forum loves to help spend someone else’s money!) I’d focus on what my mission is and the coach layout that I need to meet those mission requirements. Unless you end up with a true unicorn after purchase and likely remodel, the value will be what the value is.

I’ve been closely watching the Prevost market for ten years. I’ve seen increased interest in bunk coaches over the last two years … apparently driven by families with kids who want to roam and grandparents who want to travel with the g-kids.

You might want to contact Joe Goss at https://gossrv.com/ and lease one of their coaches that you think would meet your mission requirements for a few weeks or month. That would allow you to see first hand to see what works and doesn’t work for you.

Good luck with your search!

[Billy]

I went from two slides to no slides and we both love it with travels across the country. The extra room with slides is nice , but you pay a price.

My three year survey in traveling has revealed the number one motor home issue is slide problems (This includes all manufactures) . The second issue is pneumatic leaks mostly prevalent to prevost.

[Roscoeapproved]

I didn’t want slides, an H, an XLII, roof airs or IFS. 40′ or 45′ didn’t matter. Nothing wrong with any of those things. Just not what I wanted. There is a buyer for everything.

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Jeff and Lindsay

91 Marathon XL

[Gerald]

Dr Gary…

You’ve gotten some good, thoughtful responses to your question. To add a little more insight…we spent 9 years full time in our bus. It did not have slides, and we were perfectly happy to not have them. In addition to the weight and space considerations Jon & others have mentioned, there is also increased exposure to air system (suspension & brake) water condensation problems because the aux air compressor has to provide air when the engine is not running to inflate the slide seals whether the slides are in or out. In many cases the aux air is not dried sufficiently, and the resulting moisture condensation can/will migrate through the entire air system resulting in potential problems with suspension and brake system valves. Eliminating slides eliminates a degree of complexity and potential problems. We were never delayed because we couldn’t get a slide to retract, either.

I also did not want to roll the dice with the potential risk of body panel de-lamination that affects some XL II and to a lesser extent even the H3 coaches in the years you are looking at. We went riveted (1998 XL 45) and if we had a rivet that wore/popped because of the constant expansion and contraction that every bus skin endures, it was easily taken care of at a reputable body shop. The late ’90s riveted coaches represent the pinnacle of the art…lots of time to iron out real and potential problems encountered, IMO. With the epoxied/bonded body panels of the early 2000’s…not so much.

Good luck & happy travels…

[Chad]

Another significant benefit of the year +/-2000 coaches are the pre-EPA Series 60 engines. More fuel efficient and much simpler.

Also, a coach of that vintage is largely depreciated. Depreciation is the primary expense on newer coaches.

There are plenty of people that look for non-slide coaches. We have had ours for 9 years now and spend about 3+ months in it every year. Plenty of room for 2 people and two small dogs.

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1984 96" with 8V92TA

(remodeled Liberty Coach)

Greenwood, MO