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What are the differences between coach converters?
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I hope the ‘longevity’ of using Crestron in these coaches is a plus for us that will have it.
Short related story…
We had dinner with our neighbors last night who have just completed a major renovation on a home that was in desperate need. The renovation took at least 3 years as they gutted the place and added more space.
Long story short, they installed an automation system (not Crestron) that uses an I-pad to control many functions in the house (lighting, TV’s, stereo, air conditioning/heating, etc.). This system also controls a huge sliding glass door/wall system in the living room opening up to a nice patio with a beautiful view.
One day they woke up and the huge sliding door was open to the elements. It’s not unusual to see bobcats, coyotes and many other small crawling creatures in our desert mountain area.
While we were there, the CD system and a TV were coming on through the sound system and he could not get it to stop from his I-pad. It was frustrating and I hope that the Crestron does not have those kind of glitches. They said music will come on in one of the guest bedrooms from time to time on it’s own.
MM.
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Hey Long Haul, you have to remember Jon still has a princess phone beside his bed and a flip phone he got as a present back in 1999. The flip phone works great, when he turns it on….
Give us your first name so we don’t have to call you by your handle. We promise not post your name on any truckstop shower stalls..
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My reluctance to embrace “technology” is because it still appears to me to be more about showing off than practicality.
And while it is nice to impress visitors or CC owners with my new fangled XLII Crestron features, the hard reality is at some point that touch screen device will puke and I will not be able to get it repaired or replaced. That’s a concern.
Part of my increasing fear about the future of the technology is because if we count up the number of issues we have had on this site, the vast majority relate to changes in the devices and software that drives those devices. We have had more issues of people not being able to access or read the site from their ipads or smart phones than any other problems. There is a mindset out in the marketplace that seems to think once a computer or cell phone or an in-dash radio, or any similar device is more than a few years old it not only doesn’t make sense to repair it, it doesn’t make sense to keep it.
Maybe that is OK when you are dealing with a cell phone or its operating system, but when you have something built into a mega buck coach and it is no longer supported how do you justify putting in another system that won’t be supported in another 5 or 10 years?
In case this sounds like a false concern, the way my coach is set up the only way I can open the door between the galley and the bath area in my coach from the galley side is to use one of the multiple Crestron touch screen devices in my coach. That ability to open or close the door is only on the Crestron next to the door. If it pukes when the door is closed and nobody is on the other side of the door where there is a switch I have to take a chain saw to the door to get to the rear of the coach.
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While I admit that I like most of my new gadgets that I used to pooh-pooh, for the life of me I cannot think of any reason on God’s green earth for the air pocket doors other than showing off to friends. Guess we’ll have to get some more friends because they’ve all seen them now. Thank God we have one of the last ones built without an operating system.
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yeah, I can see the novelty wearing off or the air pocket door springing an air leak to 😉 You think in some respect, the converters could offer a non O/S or package or just Crestron for the entertainment package.
You are right about support if it takes a dump. Speaking of phone numbers, if ya want, I can reduce the random calling if I only write it in stalls from Montana truck stops ;p ha ha.
Oh, the King or queen beds in back, are they one mattress on a box with interior storage below by lifting or standard bed with box spring?
Also for pets or should I say pet resistant, what is the best floor for resisting claw scratches when dog walks on the floor? What fabric for the chair or sofa as well? Fabric concern is shedding of hair and flooring is based on seeing scratches in the reflection or looking straight at it. That is assuming dog accidentally gets on furniture. Not sure of breed though daschund or rottweiler. I like them both, if I can protect interior well enough.
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Just so there is no confusion, I have no issue with air pocket doors. Yes they introduce the possibility of future air leaks and service, but we had manual pocket doors on our first coach and given a preference I would prefer air doors. I just want a button next to the doors on either side of the door. I don’t want to open a panel, poke the Crestron to bring it alive, poke it again to go to the right page, then search the page to find out where to poke it to open or close a door, then close the panel door when I am all done. I just want a damn button next to the door.
To offset any discussion about my preference for air doors, I have to have aux pressure anyway because of the slide seals. As long as I have to maintain air pressure I might as well make use of it. I use it for not only pocket doors and slide seals, but the bed lift, dump valves, generator air bags, and kitchen cabinet (it extends to make an “L” shaped counter).
FPO asks about pet resistant floors. We brought our pup with us on coaches #1 and 2. We learned the best floors were hard surfaced. As every pet owner has realized carpets either have to be covered or somehow protected from muddy paw prints. I spent a lot of time wiping mud from paws before letting the pup run into the coach on rainy days.
I think all hard surfaces are easily able to hold up without scratching. Hard surfaces are easier to vacuum to get up the dog hair and grass that gets tracked in also.
The size of the bed is solely determined by the floor plan. Not all coaches are going to have a king bed. And the king bed will not be a true king bed unless it was layed out specifically for a true king. We have something near in size to what my wife calls a California king (whatever that means). I think most coaches have storage beneath the bed.
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A “California King” is a bed that leans to the left……..?
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About RV bed sizes…
Many RV “King” beds are what some call “camper king”. Not very flattering.
Normal king beds are 76″ wide by 80″ long. Cal king beds are 72″ wide by 84″ long. I guess people in CA are skinny and tall…
Camper king beds are 72″ wide but 80″ long. The length is more friendly to a single bedroom slide while the width gives a little more floor space to walk around the bed.
What a lot of people do is buy Cal King sheets and just pull them tight along the length to take up the slack. If the mattress is a thick pillow top style, it is hard to tell the difference.
One thing I’ve found important is to buy sheets with stripes, even subtle stripes, as it makes it much easier to know how to orient the sheets when making up the bed.
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Prevost bedroom slides aren’t big enough for a true king size bed. If you want a true king then take a look at Vantare bedroom super-slides. We like the king bed because all three of the kids like to climb in with us, and Mom likes to watch TV in the bedroom with the kids on the bed.
All the air operated items that Jon listed are electrically powered on my ’04 Vantare including the extendable kitchen table and the extendable bench seat for the dinette J-couch, and there are buttons by the pocket doors. (Vantare doesn’t use slide air seals, but my genny air bags require air). I find that the control systems are smoother with electric. Air, being compressible, is difficult to control smoothly, slowly, consistently, and at a constant velocity through-out it’s stroke. Plus, there’s the issue with leaks and single point failures (air pump).
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Corey,
While I certainly understand that simplicity is desirable, I do like gadgets.
I like the air doors for me, not to be a show-off to somebody else. It looks like we’ll have two from the floor plan that the owner designed as we will have a full bath in the back with a half bath in the middle.
I’m a car nut, I buy them for my personal enjoyment, not to impress anybody. Sometimes I’ll take the Honda to an event if they have valet parking because I don’t want people messing with my nicer cars.
Suprisingly, I don’t have an I-phone yet. My flip phone works fine right now and I don’t text or take texts on my phone. I’m sure my next phone will be an I-phone as my sister wants me to text (aging father requires quick communication with siblings).
Life is short, so I/we buy things that we enjoy. I can’t worry about what other people are thinking.
Safe travels,
Mark
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Jon,
Not sure if you were joking on the chainsaw comment. I suspect you are… on our 07 we have 4 airdoors.. galley, bath (2 doors) and master closet. Ours are not controlled by the crestron but the multiplex switches on the wall on both sides of the door. I agree with you that I wouldn’t want to navigate the crestron to close the doors. On the getting locked out part I can speak to that… we didn’t even have the bus a week and my 8 yr. old son managed to lock us all out of the bathroom…. he hit the lock button by accident and was on his way out of the bath the door closed and we thought man we are ________….. so after hours call to Marathon support and they talked us through opening ours apparently they are designed to release safely if given firm slow pressure so we were able to open it. In the last 10 months we have locked ourselves out a couple of additional times not all the same door but have always managed to get in. But I do agree with you manual would be fine. Our bay slides are air driven as well…. so far (knock on wood) it’s all working and everybody is happy…. should something break… then it’s all different. Actually the thing that keeps worrying me is what happens if the toliet breaks…. with 5 of us that would be a show stopper quickly….
Bill
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David …
Congratulations on your new to you H3-45… did you buy it in Canada.. we were looking at an ’04 Featherlite for sale in Canada. It was an estate sale and the son ( professional hockey player) was selling it for his Mom ? It was a nice coach if that is the one.
Cheers, Diane
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Bill,
You are right. I wouldn’t use a chainsaw. I might want to but would likely figure a better way of getting it open.
And to all you technology embracing folks out there in Prevost land, I get it. I know how much most of you enjoy the technological advances. Actually I do too when they make sense, such as multiplex systems and computer controlled engines.
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Bill
If you lock any of
interior air doors all you have to do is to turn off the 12 Volt power and on
all the locked door will open.When we bought our 04
Marathon my wife asked the tech how to open the air doors if they lock up that
was his explanation. She tested his method while he stood there it worked. -
Hi Larry and Diane,
Yes, that’s the one. It should work out well for my family of five (kid’s ages: 2, 4, and 7). The sleeper couches in the salon will make great beds and there’s the possibility of bunks in the hallway closet. Glad you like it! We’re excited and very happy to be a part of this Prevost Community! Hope to meet you at one of the upcoming rallies! Thanks!
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