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Pros and cons of the main converters when buying
This query is for years 2000 to 2007
Please list your opinion, yes opinion as to what is a quality of a Marathon,Liberty, Millennium, and Royale.
Please list your opinion of the negatives of these coaches.
Please don’t try to be politically correct just honest remarks is what I am looking for.
I know if it is a Liberty you have to polish the copper pipes.
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16 Replies
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Similar question what do i look for before buying 1999-up Prevost Marathon and or Liberty, any suggestions?
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A biggie is:
Around the yr 2000 Prevost stop production of the rivited skin XL and started production of the glued on skin XLII. We’ll guess what? the skin comes unglued! Cost to repair at Prevost? Around $50k.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFlu35Qxods
1999 XLV X-6872, liberty #440 -
I’ve owned a 1990 Marathon and a 2000 Liberty; they were/are both excellent coaches. I don’t think you could go wrong with either. If I were in the market for another coach, I would also considerRoyale; they have a reputation for somewhat simpler systems.
I’ve only owned riveted coaches for the reason in the above post and I prefer the driver’s window setup. If I ever need another coach, I wouldn’t hesitate to acquire any of the above brands. It would be a decision based on floor plan and condition rather than converter
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For the moment consider why replacing a late model rivet coach with an XLII makes sense.
There is no better, simple, easy to maintain, and inexpensive Prevost chassis than the late 90’s XLV. It gets amazing mileage, around 7.5 to 8 compared to an XLII which can hover around 6 MPG. Glass replacement is very expensive and depending on the owner has to be professionally done. If it had the Prevost skin repair done that is not an issue, but if not as stated above somebody (buyer or seller) faces potential repair costs that drain wallets. ONLY THE PREVOST SKIN REPAIR IS ACCEPTABLE AND IF A BUYER DOES NOT HAVE PROOF FROM PREVOST IT WAS DONE IT IS A HUGE GAMBLE.
Later models are EGR coaches, use even more fuel, and have additional emissions complexity. XLII models with the Knorr Bremse brakes that are 10X the cost of the conventional brake chambers found on the late 90’s XLV coaches and only come from one source with no competition.
Assuming the desire is to get a coach with slides there is no question an XLII has a completely different feel, more like an apartment than a railroad car, but while slides improve the character of the coach the XLII can be 7,000 pounds heavier and worse lose a serious amount of bay and house space for storage due to accommodations for slides and their mechanisms.
We went from a 97, by far our most economical coach to own to our 2006, our most expensive to own but will never go to a non-slide coach, but the coach has a way of eating money.
As to converters all are equal with a songle exception. I will not own a coach without OTR, and unless a buyer is very lucky and can find the rare Marathon with OTR, the converter to focus on is Liberty.
Having said that however I know a coach without OTR can be just as comfortable while on the road by running the generator and turning on all the house A/C units. It is just a personal preference to never ever run an A/C through inverters.
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Just want to say Hi to you and Di! It’s been to long and it is good to see you pop up on here once in a while. George and Corey
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I am on here every day, at least once. I read every post out of habit but now rarely post when the subject has already been heavily discussed or when any answer i give is just a guess.
Old age is catching up, but we are still trying to run the wheels off the bus.
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Just as an FYI, Country Coach installed an OTR a/c system in their coaches with a bit less cost and complexity. It basically a 2nd dash a/c setup with 3 s fan speeds for outlets in the kitchen and bath/bed. It works well when it works….much like Prevost OTR air.
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Glad to hear that, Jon. Us oldies have to look out for each other! Continued all the best to you and Di.
Where is Tom and what is he up to? Mike
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I haven’t heard from him in quite a while. Last I knew he was in Jasper, GA.
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I always turned to see what bits of info you two would post. Great to get verifiable info versus I think this is what you need.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Post a bit of travel log to see where you have taken the bus.
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Howdy boys, been in Jasper now 3 years, Jon can’t remember shit. Last time I talked to him he was polishing his dip stick tube and bitching about the cost of Never-Dull.
Still making smoke, will be in Ft Myers this winter and maybe our paths will cross.
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The XL2 sides look to be held in by 3m VHB tape. I have a piece of mine a bit off and will be repairing it soon. It’s the same tape used by basically everything on cars including spoilers. Repairs aren’t that much its just severely overpriced in places. The problem is to repair it right you need to peel the entire panel off, clean it all, prep and then press it for a while. Imma just peel the edge, clean it then slide the tape in and press.
My valid slides take up basically no space in the basement. I think a couple airlines and wires. The only thing they take is a 1ftx2ftx2ft square inside for the counterweight on each side of the slide… plus the slide wall.
At 45k lbs I’m getting over 6mpg at all times including when towing an enclosed trailer. I drive the speed limit and heavy on the throttle. (Drive sports cars). I think I’d be over 7mpg if I drove normal.
Mines a nashville coach so can’t compare to the main converters.
The XLs are a work of art and just amazing, the XL2 looks like a tour bus and I get statements all the time joking if Willie Nelson is in there or asking if I have Qualudes. The H3s look too much like an RV to me and although I’d love to have the basement height, I just couldn’t stand feeling like a chauffeur since the drivers seat is lower than rest of coach.
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Tom, send me an email address. I have news to tell.
Captain, Skin repair IS NOT what you describe. Prevost did extensive study and developed a skin repair process that solves the delamination issue forever. Unless removal cannot be avoided the skin is carefully separated from the frame structure and the bonding surface between the skin and chassis frame is cleaned.
The top horizontal portion of the skin is riveted to the frame in concert with the installation of a “Z” strip to direct moisture coming from above to the outside of the skins. The skins are then rebonded to the frame and each end of the skin is riveted to the frame. The rivets are then covered by a stainless steel vertical strip with the paint matched as needed. The strip is bonded in position
A coach with the Prevost repair is going to have the paperwork, and visually it will have the vertical strips which hide the rivets.
There have been countless ways owners have avoided the cost of the skin delamination repair. While Prevost was doing it Prevost ate the entire cost except for the remedial paint work cost. It was not unusual for a repair to come in at $50,000 or more. Coaches that Prevost did not repair, either because Prevost refused for a variety of reasons, such as abuse or significant owner history often were repaired in a less than satisfactory manner.
If I were to ever buy another XLII (unlikely) if it did not have the Prevost repair, or a Prevost inspection giving it a clean bill of health I would walk away.
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Always seems like rolling the dice for an XL2 and delam. I would guess that very very few conversions have the Prevost fix, just judging by the lack of the apparent repair, and generally when you see one for sale with the repair, they make a very big deal about it (and I don’t see a lot of listings talking about it).
No doubt the Prevost method is the best. However, I bet the bonding tech has come a long way and there must be some specialists out there with a non-rivet approach that can work. The VHB bonding in general is very very common these days. If I had an XL2 and could not afford the Prevost method and could not find a specialist for re-bonding, I’d seriously consider turning it into a riveted coach (yes, just riveting what’s in place).
As for me, I had the H3, did not like the lower front seats, always felt like I was disconnected from anyone not in the front. If however you love full body paint and want a huge canvas to express your coach, that is the one to get.
In the beginning XL2 was always my first choice, and now I have an XL, and I can’t say enough good things about it. Do I miss slides? Once in a while, when it feels crowded with my wife, daughter and pets, but then I remind myself I can go the stateroom or there’s this huge place with infinite slides called “outside”. I am my wallet hope that we all can be happy in the XL for the next 20 years.
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Your info sounds like what Prevost would do but it wasn’t how they originally put them on and seems completely overkill for a used RV, especially with a track record of them lasting a lot longer than people make it sound.
If any panel gets loose, pull it open a bit, clean in there then apply new VHB tape. If the panels last fine for a decade then one part gets a bit loose it’s safe to assume a proper repair will last another decade.
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