[Ronald]

Jonathan,

Your list is good yet everyone will have a different take. The availability from auto suppliers on the road helps so much. We have ordered ahead for parts from auto stores located in towns in the pathway of our trip. NAPA is excellent.

When I started, Jon suggested I carry a good 24V / 12V charger. They are compact and if you need one… you really need it. Remember it will run off of the generator …. The 24V function is essential. The 12V has little application on the coach.

I am assuming you have a complete tool set and a manual of some sort on the coach.

I would make an entry on your contact list on your phone as to the VIN of the coach, the model of the engine (etc.), the generator model (etc), and keep it on the Prevost number contact entry with the Prevost assist numbers.

One other thing I would do is call Prevost and set up an account with them so you can call in to their national parts number and order what you need and not have to bother with the payment information. The service is excellent and we get an email invoice the day of the order stating when it was shipped.

My thoughts,

Pres

[Jonathan]

Cell phone and credit card.

[Davy]

Hi Pres,
I thank you and Les. I have my Acct with Prevost and do carry the coach info, service manual, parts manual…

Little stuff, air fittings, pieces of air and other hose and pex sections and such.

Les…I learned that 30 yrs ago with my Bluebird!!, and I thought those items were specific to the birds!!

Jonathan Fine
96/97XL Royale #201

[Andre & Kathy]

Jonathon,

What color is your Royale, I had a 97 and your build number rings a bell?

[Corey]

Jonathan

In addition to your list and others have added. I carry air spring one of ea size on coach, spring lock brake chamber, the one Prevost uses is larger than is used on an 18 wheeler so not always readily available, 12V alternator, good quality set battery jumper cables. air hose and gauge. hardware kit, nuts,bolts,washers. bailing wire, duct tape and a 1/2 gallon hand crank ice cream maker

Cheers

[Jonathan]

I can’t emphasis enough, especially to new Prevost owner the importance of having a quality, reliable 24volt smart battery charger HARD-WIRED to your chassis batteries.

Liberty installed a 24 volt charger on our coach when it was new in 1999 and even put a dedicated 120volt circuit with its own private circuit breaker on the panel (“BATT CHARGER 24 VOLT”) and 120volt outlet on the ceiling of the curbside engine bay above the chassis batteries. That was a “dumb charger” … turn it on and as I’ve been told it would pound the batteries with juice, potentially damaging them if the charger was left on for a long time after the batteries were fully charged. Jeff Rowe recommended that I remove it and install a “smart charger” which I did.

I have one of the new technology Guest/Marinco 12/24volt chargers that I’ve mounted in the engine bay, hard wired to the chassis batteries, and plugged into that dedicated outlet.

Do I use it? Of course I do. We’ve been on the road since Dec 23rd and have used it three times so far. Once we stopped at the USS Alabama in the morning and I inadvertently left the running/clearance lights on for about six hours (why I did that, is a mystery). Came to start the coach and no turn over. Took about 90 minutes to charge and we fired up.

The other two times I think we left the new navigation system on while we parked the coach for three or four days. Again … turn the breaker for the charger on, check out Facebook for a while, and the engine started right up.

(Jon … I know there might phantom parasite loads that I need to investigate and fix. Before I left this stuff “on”, I could go a month or more and not have a starting problem.)

Invest in a good, quality, three stage smart charger; hardwire it to your chassis batteries; hopefully there is an easy to control 120volt circuit in your engine compartment; and you’ll be ready for dead chassis batteries!

[Corey]

Hi Tom,

My Royale is midnite teal (looks black without sun) base with seafoam, magenta, gold trim. She has a dinette table w/chairs.

Tom when I got her in 11/14 it still had orrig air bags and shocks!

Jonathan Fine
96/97XL Royale # 201

[Archived]

If your 97 coach had the original air bags instead of concerning myself about spare parts I would be extremely concerned about doing some preventive maintenance and parts replacement before taking to the road.

It would seem the underlying philosophy of previous owners is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and while that might work in some instances it is a recipe for serious and expensive problems. If you are lucky the air system will be dry and not have a drop of moisture. If you are lucky the coolant system has been well maintained and the transmission has had the required fluid and filter changes.

I would be very concerned that the brake chambers are recent and do not have dry brittle diaphragms and that the suspension valves and brake system valves are working as required.

I don’t want this to sound like sour grapes, but far too often owners defer or just don’t do required maintenance and when problems start to arise they can be extensive and monumental.

[Andre & Kathy]

and that how I knew the age of such things. First stop after purchase was a shop to begin the zero process. This next service will be all the brake cans, R12/14s, etc.

You dont sound like sour grapes, and I am sometimes surprised at some of the newbie questions which come up. I am the third owner, I was very surprised to find the age of some of the items. But the mileage to age showed a coach which didnt travel much.

Well the last run began in april of 16 and I put her in storage in Nov.17. We traveled 16k miles, Detroit Diesel service for engine and trans each year. I think this years big service will have the coach totally zeroed and improved!

Thanks for all input!

See ya out there…..

Jonathan Fine
96/97XL Royale #201

[Dick]

Jon,

you are on the right track and doing things right. The recognition of needed service is a huge first step followed by a program to provide that service and the using the coach as you are. Excellent.

If I had to rank spares by importance my first would be belts, followed by an assortment of relays and lights for the various fixtures. But the most important thing is access to the internet, people who can answer questions and contact information for various resources.