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Unidentified BEAVER PREVOST XL 40
There is a 1990 shell, (2P9M33404L1001686 vin) 1991 Prevost Beaver XL 40 found on
http://www.craigslist.org/wsc/rvd/4003597028.html
that is being marketed as having been owned by Ernest Borgnine. The story with this coach has been following it since it surface for sale back in 2006 in Texas. Its Carfax only goes back to 2005 when it 70,000 miles on it. To the best of mine and GMCBuffalo knowledge, and the folks at Beaver Coach, since all info has been destroyed by Monaco when they bought Beaver in 2001, the Borgnines only owned one Beaver Bus conversion before the 1994 Country Coach you can see, if you dial up YouTube, Ernest Borgnine and “On the Bus” or “Sun bum:”. That bus was Beaver Bus #10. It currently resides with the 2nd owner in the Washington state, and they have owned it since buying it from the Borgnines April 1993. Bus 10 has many little features showing Borgnine ownership such as the family monogram letter “B” etched into the shower door. There is also a brass plaque Beaver Coach attached to the Beaver Command Center stating the coach was built for the Borgnines, and there is also an inscription on the lighting computer, that it was specially programmed for the Borgnines. With all this documentation, Bus 10’s current owners have a copy of the title with Ernest and Tova Borgnine’s name.
This coach does have some significance, in that it doesn’t have OTR. So far, two other busses we have found don’t have OTR. Also, another significant item, it has the “Astral Window”option. There are two pairs of windows in salon in the ceiling. We have identified 4 others that have this option, Our coach build sheets indicate, we have the Astral window frames in place between the roof ribs, but the metal was left in place. Hypothesis, Beaver offered the Astral windows as a option.
Also, the mystery coach for sale in Oregon as a consignment, the advertised description states this coach was built for Ernest Borgnine so he didn’t have to commute to and from a film site in Bend Oregon, while filming the TV show ‘Airwolf” There seems to be a flaw in that, the Borgnines used their bus as a get-away from business etc. 2nd fact, the TV show “Airwolf” was never filimed in Oregon let alone near or in the town of Bend Or as the ad reads. TV show “Airwolf” ran for two seasons being filmed in a California studio, and on location in Monument Valley, AZ from 1984-1986, and a 3rd season for 1987 was pickup by USA Network, filming all of that year in Canada. So, a little research can show a prospective buyer this coach wasn’t even twinkle in Prevost’s eye, around the time of the TV show.
Now it is conceivable, that this mystery coach which is the 13th shell sent to Beaver Coach from Prevost, may have had an owner who was at a rally the Borgnines attended and somehow posed/orchestrated a photo. The dealership that has this coach has been a bit slow or cagey giving me info but I do have a photo of the data plate, now. I have also contacted membership of the Beaver Coach club about information who was the first owner if that info still exists. But generally, this is a heads up to any bus shoppers, that even tho this maybe a great coach, from what we have researched Beaver bus history, this particular coach never belonged to Ernest Borgnine. Like our bus, which is the last Beaver Conversion, this advertized coach has never visited a Prevost Service Center ever. It should still have 2 outstanding service bulletins that need to be taken care of.
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16 Replies
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So far, we have identified Busses 3,4,10, and 12 with the Astral Window option, and this coach makes to 5th so far. Anyone belonging to other Prevost Clubs know someone or know of a Beaver Coach please have them contact me if they want to be placed on our ‘owners spreadsheet’ that tells all of us Beaver owners who we are, since we are “orphaned’ coaches.
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We were at the Prevost Prouds rally and the FMCA convention that followed it when Ernest Borgnine was there. He already owned his Beaver Coach. We were waiting in a short line to tour the Beaver Coach that was the show coach for the rally and the lady in front of us waiting to see the show coach was parked with a group of Beaver Coaches.
She saw Ernie out walking that morning and asked if he would allow her to photograph him. He instead waved another coach owner over, asked that person to take a photo of him with his arm around the lady telling the story. She was in seventh heaven retelling that story.
Without lookin in my log books I cannot tell the date or location but it definitely was around the time Jim is talking about. And for what it is worth I will never forget the Beaver saleman showing the coach that day was “Flash” Flood, and the show coach was the only coach we ever went in that had the ceiling windows which made it a beautiful coach with all the natural light.
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Hmm. Interesting. I had forgotten Tom “Flash” Flood work for Beaver. So this may have been that show coach or possibly the one before it which the Hicks own in OKC buying it about the time of POG OKC. Theirs is Bus 12 and has Astral windows and was owned by Neil Lynch at one time
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Jim,
The Astral windows look great! I’m curious how air conditioned air was ducted throughout the coach.
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Hmm. Interesting. I had forgotten Tom “Flash” Flood work for Beaver. So this may have that show coach or possibly the one before it which the Hicks own in OKC buying it about the time of POG OKC. Theirs is Bus 12 and has Astral windows and was owned by Neil Lynch at one time
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Gil,
Back in that time period I cannot remember any Prevost conversions built with roof airs so it is likely Cruise airs were the ACs and there was no ceiling ducting.
If a coach had OTR however ducting was a big deal in that there had to be balanced ducting and if the converter had a problem it was usually not providing for ample return air.
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I also know Tom “Flash” Flood having purchased our Country Coach Affinity through him when he worked for Buddy Gregg in Knoxville.
Hard to forget knowing “Flash ” a salesman with a great sense of humor.
Last heard Flash was selling real estate in Iowa
Jim, enjoyed reading your post
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Gil
Those Beaver busses we have identified, most had three cruise airs (3). If you go to http://www.freedomrvaz.com in their search write Prevost Beaver, and they have Bus 4 on consignment. That coach is on its second owner. You note a roof top a/c unit has been added for Arizona hot air which I guess supplements the 3 C/Airs especially the bedroom where its mounted. Our cruise airs blow from center overhead above windshield another in kitchen lower cabinet ducted out above microwave and bedroom upper rear closet. All three of our condensers are behind front bumper with air activated shutters.
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Jim,
I saw what looked like a duct above the windshield. It looks like they followed what the marine industry was doing.
Thanks,
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Gil
Yes the front cruise air blows out the center forehead to th left of the TV. That’s also the way ours is. No ceiling ducting
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Interesting thread guys! I got on You Tube and watched the 60 minute program that was filmed evidently for the Discovery Channel back in 1995. There were a number of out takes available as well which made it an interesting couple of hours.
Those with a keen eye will pick up the fact that the Sun Bum had Oregon plates as well as the Ford Exploder that he was dragging, something that was quite vogue in the mid 90’s until all manner of hell broke loose when the California DMV computers began to talk with those in other states, namely Oregon.
Didn’t mean to introduce thread creep but I had completely forgotten about Borgnines adventures, I do think I would call that a must see! Ernie made of few mistakes along the way during this shoot but always recovered, pretty impressive for a gentleman that was 79 years young!
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I tried to enlarge the bus picture to see how the exterior side panels are attached.
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Ernie’s bus the Sun Bum was for sale in Phoenix just last year. I saw it advertised on Craigslist and it did not look like this bus, different color, etc.. It was in poor shape as I recall. No mention of the Astral windows.
Did he own more than one Prevost?
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For some reason after his first Beaver he switched to CC which is the one in Video. Maybe fast floyd went to work for CC and brought Ernie with him. I know when Ralph bought his Beaver coach Ralph said it had SunBum on the front and the shower door had the etched E and T on it. Ernie made they remove those from the bus before it could be sold.
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Ralph and Karen in Washington state who now own Beaver 10, the Borgnine Beaver Bus,ntalkjng with them last week says their coach has etched letter ” B” remaining on the shower glass door. A brass plaque on the over the driver Beaver Command Center statesBus 10 out of 12 for 1990 is still attached. And it was built for ernest and TovaBorgnine. The lighting computer has a statement written on it that programming to was done for the Borgnines. And as a condition of sale at Camp Country Coach service campground where Ralph and Karen took delivery of Ernie’s bus, the words “Sun Bum” was removed. They do have. Copy of Ernie’s title with his and wife Tova’s name on it. Bottom line to all this, the Beaver Coach for sale near Portland today which is the same coach Ray Davis looked at in Texas in 2005 hasn’t been owned by the Borgnines. This is just a heads up for a potential buyer.
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