[Peter]

I don’t have one, but they are rated for less HP, but more torque by 100 ft.lbs. Quiet and better on fuel from what I have been told. They have had issues with oil leaks and I know of a couple that have been replaced at Prevost TN because of problems, one being one of the coaches used to haul our worthless politicians around.

There have been articles posted about the driveability, and it is supposed to be very good.

I doubt that there is anyway to crank them up as they are only 13L vs. the 14L in the 60. You can be assured is you mess with it it will void the warranty.

[Bob]

When the dust settled making Volvo the Prevost owner that was the end pretty much for S-60. With over one million S-60 engines made you finally get it right for dependable service.

Just takes a few 1000 engines to really show how good Volvo’s are. With all the things that can happen at this point your probably pretty good to have a reliable engine.

Always said I wanted to have Wednesday built stuff.

No facts on this post….Just an opinion and its free.

Helping you keep your sense of humor………

AL

[Davy]

In your case your stuck!! with what you get— get biggest best they offer=warranty service(very long very long)=prevost =glitz starpower… Pretty blunt opinion of modern advances… I would ask some one like Tom on BCM in the trucking industry for the straight scoop… That have them running in revenue service over the road with history… torque just don’t apear out of thin air without a $$$ cost in the future…hp is mythical…ya just got to do the work. turn the wheels..My poor taste though of the day. bob
Is not the engine MFG the bus builder when you get down to who actuall own who??

[Bob]

Robert,

Obviously you understand you are going to get the engine Volvo installs. From the beginning of time folks wanted other than what Prevost offered and I can remember when the first Prevost forums were active owners wondering if they could install a Cat or a Cummins.

My experience with the Volvo is that I stood next to one that was running. Having said that I can say it is a quieter engine than any of the ones I have seen, driven or heard. I know it has extended service intervals. Prevost told us in training sessions the benefits of the Volvo over the Series 60 is because of the way the emissions system is designed it will deliver better fuel economy. They also said that it has a much improved torque curve in that it reaches peak torque at a lower RPM than the S-60, and holds peak torque for longer. The S-60 by comparison delivers peak torque at a higher RPM and falls off rather quickly. Because of that I believe the gearing is such that at highway speeds the engine is at a lower RPM which translates into better fuel economy.

The only true answer however is to contact a bus fleet owner that has data for both engines and see if their data supports what Prevost is claiming.

Mark is correct. The Volvo does deliver about 100 ft/lbs more torque.

If you want performance and economy you already know the answer. Put your new coach on a diet and keep your foot off the accelerator. The stacker trailer is going to cost you because nobody that I know that tows one hauls around sailboat fuel so you have the impact of weight affecting mileage and performance.

[Archived]

Jon,

I know unfortunately I am going to be heavy all the time,I am more worried about maintaining highway speed and having pulling power than I am about fuel econonmy because in my situation the client pays for fuel used so it is not as much of a worry for me. I have only heard the Volvo run and went on a short ride in one,not driving so I couldnt get an accurate feel for the power or response.My main thing is I dont want to go back to the feeling I had with the 45′ Eagles with the 6V-92 in them or the feeling it wouldnt get out of its on way and making it up a hill was a chore,I can remember driving all night and in the morning my right leg would be sore from pushing down so hard on the accelerator trying to get a little more out of it or go up the hill a little faster,Not pleaseant memories. And especially with the amount this coach is going to cost me,I for sure dont want any problems.

Robert

[Bob]

If you don’t care about fuel burn and you need pulling power, screw the economy and anytime you need it drop a gear.

I would never consider any aftermarket power enhancing because they just will never get the testing and reliability the manufacturers of the engine will put into their engines.

[Clifford]

pullin 80 plus thousand? that’s what I would compare to.?

[Archived]

Jon,

It’s hard to get good fuel economy when I have to run the generator 10 to 12 hours a day almost everyday,the only time we get shore power is when we play a big venue.Most of the small venues and festivals and fairs we have to run generator,So it not really a screw the economy attitude it’s just that conditions of my job prevent me from worrying a lot about the consumption and more about the comfort of the client on the coach.That is one reason I prefer the Lease Coach Business as the current client pays for the daily rate for the coach,trailer if applicable,driver wages,hotel for driver daily,fuel,pm oil changes while using the coach,generator services every 100 hours,coach washes,any coach supplies used or needed while using the coach,weekly cleaning service,weekly linens.Most everything is covered in the lease including the fuel to get back home and fill up once we get there. If I was responsible for all the expenses,I would be a lot more cautious and concerned.I didnt make the rules,I am just playing by the rules I was taught by another man.

Robert

[Jim]

If buying a new shell I would make sure it has the D13C Volvo engine not the A they were a nightmare and like any common rail engine they eat injectors in trucks and buses are harder on engines than trucks

I did see on H model in Phoenix with 50,000 miles Volvo was replacing the engine and there are several class action suits going on with Volvo and truckers about problems with the older D13 time will tell if they last or not

I heard they are being built here in the USA now

[Clifford]

Hi Robert,

I have a 2013 X3-45 Liberty conversion with the Volvo, I have had an XL11 and an H3-45 with the S-60 Detroit.

My X3 I have about 21K miles and in my humble opinion I prefer the Volvo for the following reasons.

The engine IS manufactured in Hagerstown Maryland right off of Interstate 81.( the factory was, and still is, a Mac engine plant. The only difference in the Volvo and Mac engine is the engine controls, color and valve cover, Prevost took a group of us last year on a plant tour, very highly automated component manufacturing and assembly.)

The engine is much quieter and less vibration, engine sits lower in the chassis, 500 hp, 1750 flbs torque, has a flater torque curve.

My coach at 65 mph has an engine speed of about 1450 rpm and I averaged 6.3 mpg loaded (wifes books..etc) pulling a 4500lb suv on my last 4500 mile trip.

Prevost does offer about 5 different rear gear ratios you might want to discuss your usage with them for best power/ mileage.

Engine problems so far have been engine control issues, egr valve, fan clutch, exhaust plumbing leaks, egr coolant leak. The coach has also had about 10 recalls for mundane issues like a redesigned dipstick(easier to read) a larger coolant expantion tank.

I have found Volvo to be VERY accomodating on the road when I have had problems.

I hope some of this helps, any Questions shout!

[Mike]

one of the guys came thru with a update mod # for you.. hopeful with some of the first design flaws fixed.. And a reason—-why — don’t let the salesman say that don’t make a differance unless he pushers your bus. Bob

[Archived]

The D13 is nothing but the Renault DX13 engine the teir engines for off road use were not built in the US till lately

I can ask my friends at Arrow Stage Line how they are hold up for you Robert as they run a few of the H’s with the D13

FWIW the H they were replacing the engine in belonged to Hemphill Bros out of their west coast terminal that bus was only 4 months old with 50,000 miles you guys do drive a lot of miles in a short peroid of time I can see why you are asking

[Corey]

Jim – Nancy

See you have a 2011 Acadia. Pulling the fuse for bus travel can be a little easier with extended length 50 amp. fuse

available at NAPA….part number, BK-782-2123

tall red fuse is the extended lengh—easy to pull

[Archived]

Luvrbus,

Sometime it is crazy the amount of miles we are expected to do,That is one of the reasons I am trying to build a coach with as many back-up systems as possible because we dont always have the time to repair little things when they go down.If it is safety related we have no choice,But the groups depend on the coach as an important part of there tour on a daily basis not only as a means of nightly transportation but as a lounge,get away,work spot during there day as some venues dont have dressing rooms or adequate space for everyone to hang out so the coach gets to be it.

Therefore it is sometimes hard to take the coach away for repairs,So I carry a LARGE assortment of tools and am capable of repairing a lot of the things on the coach both interior and chassis wise.Then if needed the next step is to call a mobile repair service to come to the coach with the last option being to take the coach away from the tour for repairs’

I have learned in my 28 plus years of being in this industry that there is a lot of hurry up and wait,Hurry up to get there then wait on everybody else to do your job.The one thing that is important to job security is that you cant go to sleep after driving all night if the coach is broken,You have to stay up and fix it or get it fixed for the upcoming nights travel and sometimes you are wore out from fighting the elements driving all night then the coach is broke so you have to stay up and repair it,Then you get to sleep for the upcoming drive.

Sometimes it seems that all my life is,Is to drive,eat,sleep,drive,eat,sleep over and over and over!!!

Robert

[Archived]

I don’t put on the miles the professionals do, but I do as many of my own repairs as possible and one thing has become abundantly clear. Our vehicles have become very reliable, but the repairs made 20 years ago are a different type than those of today. In lieu of heavy tools I would (and do) carry a variety of sensors and electronic devices. Relays, sensors, etc. are likely to be today’s failures. In place of impact wrenches I would focus on diagnostic tools such as multi-testers and an ability to not only read codes, but to understand what the codes say.

There is no better way to stay reliable than to do preventive maintenance. Replacing air bags, Norgrens, brake chambers, batteries, etc. before they need replacement eliminates the need to do those repairs on the side of the road or at the next venue.

The coach needs to be lubed at about 6200 miles according to the Prevost schedule and there is no substitute for using that interval to get down in the pit at the local truck service shop to look for chafing wires or hoses, leaks from the hubs, oil or coolant leaks, tire damage, leaky shocks, cracked air bags or worn brake pads. You can bet the kid with the grease gun is not going to do that because he will not have the prior knowledge of details to look at. Neither will the guy in the Prevost service center. He cannot be intimate with every coach that pulls into the shop so he isn’t going to understand if the cracks on the air bags are worse than before or if they are normal and OK. He won’t have the historical knowledge necessary to identify a new but small wet spot. The point is as an owner you can avoid a lot of grief if you carry the right parts and have access to information such as the ability to read and inderstand codes, as well as carrying some spares such as sensors or maybe a TPS or spare fuel filters, and a box of spare relays for the house and chassis and you participate in the preventive maintenance even if it just as a second set of eyes.