[Jon]

if you are really interested in the coach, it will be the best 1300 hundred you have ever spent. Also you can be with the tech and ask and learn a boat load of knowledge. That amount can save you thousands!

Larry Nelson

2002 XLII VISION

2019 Buick Envision

Hurricane, Utah

[glen]

Let me add to what Larry is saying and I really hope you accept my comments as advice and not criticism.

I spent 2 days inspecting and learning my current bus that i bought from Liberty when it was 6 years old. I have owned 3 Liberty Coaches over 31 years and have done almost all my own work. I know the coach reasonably well and still to do a detailed inspection of the conversion plus chassis portions takes time and effort.

You will get exactly what you pay for.

Your criticism of the cost Prevost will charge to inspect the chassis as Larry states is a bargain. In fact with an almost 30 year old coach I certainly hope you are prepared to pay what can easily approach $20,000 or more just to refresh old systems and components, including but not limited to tires, batteries, fluid changes, air bags, brake chambers, suspension valves, filters, plus repairs or future repairs and replacements of those things we all experience such as A/C service and replacement, shocks, air dryer replacement or service, etc. etc.

Except for depreciation because of the age I would be shocked if you aren’t spending $3,000 to $6,000 per year for maintenance after you have refreshed or zeroed out the coach. You will get 6 MPG if you are blessed. If you do not use it often over a lot of miles annually you are not going to be happy replacing tires that have aged out, batteries that have aged out plus paid for insurance and storage and all the other incidentals associated with ownership.

If it sounds harsh reading what I said above please understand other opinions may differ greatly from mine. But I am dead on target when I say if you own a Prevost and maintain it properly it will make the $1300 you spend at Prevost the equivalent of pocket change.

[Erik]

[Jon]

Thank you all for your imput. I think the biggest issue is the distance. It’s unlikely the seller would let me borrow the coach (which I haven’t paid for yet) for 12 hours. No doubt Prevost would be very thorough, especially with the chassis, motor trans, etc. The last inspection I had on another coach, the mechanic came to the coach, spent 5 hours and charged $500. But it was not for a Prevost.

[Robert]

If a seller is not willing to assist in getting an independent inspection walk away. No, better yet, run away.

An owner who is selling a well maintained coach with good detailed records to show its maintenance history want a buyer to inspect the coach because he is likely proud of it.

The best deals I often made were those i walked away from.

[glen]

Thanks Jon! Solid advice.

After poking around on this website, I am in awe at the complexity of these buses, and pretty impressed how you guys bravely go forth trying to understand and keep them running down the road.

I will find the right bus and some point and join in the fun

[Jon]

Luc, There is a certain consistency relating to coaches. Some owners are very good at maintaining their coach, and regardless of how that is done, either by themselves, or by Prevost or a converter those coaches are “keepers”.

There are some coaches that may get needed maintenance, but generally speaking as they age it seems to be they get more repairs than needed maintenance. As a practical matter, the older the coach the more maintenance is required, but the repair and maintenance costs do not get cheaper because a coach is aging, so owners are reluctant to spend needed money on a coach with little market value.

A buyer has only one true means to begin an evaluation and that is records of the service history. Because of the complexity you recognize some orderly means of tracking and scheduling maintenance is required and it is a good bet if a coach has been properly maintained it is going to have those needed records.

At first a Prevost is going to be seen as overwhelming, but as an owner gets some experience a lot of what is intimidating becomes more clearly understood.

But as a buyer, doing the search is going to be aided by asking questions. You do not have to be a mechanic to buy or own one, but you do need to be willing to learn. The coach you are looking at may be a really good purchase, but it is the owner’s responsibility to prove that to you. You have the right to expect you can do whatever evaluation you need to satisfy yourself. It is not all about pretty colors and tire dressing.

[Fred F.]

Luc, I paid $207 (less tax) for a PDI at Prevost Winter Garden, FL back in February and got 7 pages of items checked. Invoice shows 1.5 hours labor at $138/ hr.

I might add I also had a 3 axle alignment, found both tag seals leaking, replaced upper and lower A arms (which, I believe, the 95 you are looking at does not have) a level 3 service, bad differential pinion seal, generator drain hose leak, torque rods, tie rods, drag link ends, Tag radius rod bushings, sway bar bushings, OTR AC compressor problems, air bag replacement, shocks, fuel filter leak all for less than $100 over $22,000 which included tax. Oh, and one tail light bulb burned out which I replaced to save the labor cost.

All of this started with a unusual wear pattern on the passenger side front tire.

I will also totally agree with Larry saying PDI is the best money you can spend.

[Archived]

Jon-

Points well taken. Prevost is definitely the way I want to go. I really appreciate their dedication to quality.

Definitely willing to learn. I started out to be mechanic but after school, I learned quickly it was more fun to drive cool cars than repair them. Then went into construction and worked in the trades for many years, so I’m fairly handy, especially to save huge amounts of money over having “the shop” do simple repairs. But I know my limits and choose my challenges accordingly.

I spoke with the owner and he is willing to drive the coach down to the Prevost service center. So that is a plus. The center stated they will spend nearly 8 hours going over the bus from top to bottom.

Although it has low mileage 120K+/- and was parked inside, so the body/tires etc. are in good condition, my biggest concern is that it has only been driven 4K miles in a dozen years. I’ve found most things mechanical don’t like to just sit.

It seems from what I’ve read on this and other Prevost sites (which is my new biggest Internet time taker), seems like most people like the 60 series motor better than the 8V92. Easier to maintain, as there are more mechanics willing to work on them. They use regular oil (and less of it). I know they cost more, but I’m wondering if it would be worth it in the long run to get an XL that has that motor. I love the riveted coach look and dependability, and really prefer the 40′ length.

What is your view on the 60 series vs 8V92?

[Jon]

Fred-

That is an amazing price for an inspection, but I’m not sure how deep they can get into things in 1.5 hours, unless they have multiple people working on it. The hourly rate is much better too.

I just want to know the current condition, and what it would take to get the bus brought up to standard. For me paying 85K for a bus that could then need 25-30K in repairs may not be as wise as buying one for 125K and has had good maintenance all along and needs very little to zero it out to standard. I really like the older XL riveted coaches, no slides, clean lines, and less technology.

Not looking for another project, as I’ve got a list going just to get on to my to do list. At this point in life, I’m trying to do less and enjoy more.

[AL]

Luc,

Your question regarding engines has no answer unless a substantial amount of additional (and personal) information is provided.

Let me start with age. Even early Series 60 coaches now are old. By old I mean the things that are affected by age are potential contenders for replacement. Air bags, brake chambers, valves, tires, batteries, wiper blades, cylinder seals such as floor slides and pocket doors, bay door gas struts etc. etc.

And to get that Series 60 you will pay a premium over an 8V92.

But with a Series 60 it is far more likely the coach will be a 45 footer which is a real benefit in usable space.

So the question comes down to pluses and minuses which you have to answer. The first is what do you intend to spend, keeping in mind that to refresh the chassis $20,000 is not an unreasonable expectation, regardless of engine.

Spending more for a Series 60 is no assurance that as a newer coach the chassis refresh costs will be less. Only a program of continuing maintenance with detailed records will reveal potential future expenses.

True, a Series 60 gets better mileage than an 8V92 (7.5 tp 8 compared tyo 5.5 to 6). But figure your planned annual miles, run a calculated fuel cost and you will quickly see the difference is relatively slight and may not justify the added cost.

As to a lightly used coach such as 4000 miles over a lot of years I would bet the tires are shot. They age, especially with less or no use so do not look at tread depth, but date code. If they are 10 years or more get rid of them. Anything over 7 years is pushing your luck based on posts here.

Knowing what I do now after 31 years of spending money to own a Prevost coach and spinning wrenches I see 2 stroke professional conversions as valuable as the 4 stroke coaches, when doing apples and apples comparisons. Except for some ebay asking prices a 2 stroke can be purchased for far less than the true value. But buying an older coach is a serious risk without a highly detailed inspection of the conversion and the chassis. The type of engine does not matter. It is all about proof of ongoing maintenance and verification it all works.

[Jon]

Luc, I am far from an expert, but it seems that rubber does not like to just sit. I have found from discussions that a higher mileage coach that is used is often better than a low mileage coach that just sat because ALL of the rubber parts may need to be replaced. I have 233K miles on mine and have just about replaced everything rubber, except maybe some rubber OTR AC hoses hidden amongst the many holes and fuel hose connections to the top of the tank. I may spend $ unnecessarily, but I want a bus that I can go out, crank up and go to Alaska without a thought. I did miss one outing when the bus would not crank as I prepared to leave. It ran fine two days prior. Panic set in and I forgot the basic tenet of check the simple things first. I spent the better part of a day with my meter checking everything electrical I could think of. I even checked the 120 AC side of everything. I checked breakers, fuses, you name it and finally gave up. About 2am I woke up thinking, you have checked e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g … except that sneaky little rear start switch. Early next morning I went to the bus barn, opened the back again and looked … Yep. The day before I was to leave I had spent some time wiping down the motor during my pre-trip check and when wiping down the oil tank I unknowingly bumped that little switch putting it into the off position. Ergo, no crankie, no startie.

Jon, I think someone should go through all the PC posts and glean such “Oops” stories, put them in a book and sell it to prospective Prevost owners. If nothing else, it would bring smiles to those of us who could relate.

[Archived]

If a book on Oops were to be taken from posts we would have a whole lot missing because relatively few of us like to reveal all of our bone headed mistakes. As is well known, if we do not admit to some of them many others on here will be tickled to make a post.

To potential owners make sure you clearly understand without the benefit of years of experience and a lot of assistance from others over the years your “oops” will be during the purchase process mainly because you do not know what you do not know.

Take advantage of the collected knowledge of our 5100 members, ask questions, look for folks willing to help in your area or where the bus you are looking at is located, and take your time to avoid the greatest potential “oops” which comes when your dream bus becomes a nightmare.

We have all got a number of “oops” in our past, despite experience and knowledge so do your best to not start out with an oops.

[Ken]

Jon-

Thank you for your insights.

From the moment I stepped into a Prevost and then took it for a roll, I was really impressed with it’s quality of build. I would rather own an older high quality vehicle, than a new lower quality vehicle, in fact I have never owned a new vehicle. I am a value buyer, and more than willing to let the 1st owner have that momentary cache of buying new, and paying the huge depreciation costs that come with it. I’m not out to impress anyone, and couldn’t care less what most people think. I like what I like.

I want to keep the cost below 150K, hence looking at older coaches that have been well maintained and loved. Much prefer riveted coaches, like the look and the durability. Definitely no-slide, and a simpler interior, one that looks more like home, than a casino. I’m willing to do much of my own maintenance, especially being able to ask questions to all of the knowledgeable and helpful folks on this site for advice. I would like to be able to get the better mpg, but if it cost 30-40K more, that would buy a lot of diesel. I tend to buy what I really like and then hold on to it. So if the right coach came along, it may be my forever coach, as long as parts were available.

Previously I had been looking for a Country Coach, and in fact it was that the Prevost was a CC build that brought it into my search. I watched several videos and learned about the importance of length to wheelbase ratio for the safety of handling on the road. And it seemed the Country Coach, and a few other manufacturers always scored well in that regard. And Prevost pretty much sets the benchmark for ride stability.

I plan to take multiple 1-2 week long trips to start, then once I have a system and feel like the coach is dialed in, make longer trips.

[Ken]

Fred-

Thanks for your imput. I agree 100%. I want to be able to load up the coach and head down the road with the confidence that everything to the best of my ability and knowledge is road ready and will get me where I’m going.

Also agree rubber needs to be used to keep its flexibility. Heat, UV, and lack of use are not friends of rubber.

Worry is what people do in the 2nd place, when they weren’t concerned enough to be careful in the 1st place.