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WHEN TO THINK ABOUT REPAIRS
For as long as there have been Prevost motor home conversions, there have been owners who have experiencing that “now what am I going to do?” moment.
For those that doubt that just start reading the posts on forums.
Any time someone has been taken by surprise when something breaks, or is suddenly in a situation they have never been in most of the time the situation was foreseen and preventable, or the solution to the problem is simple and just required a little more knowledge on the part of the person with the problem, or there is a back up plan or short term solution until a permanent solution is accomplished.
I know this has been posted before but the starting point to avoid surprises is to start learning the coach. Finding the key and driving away, learning by experience may be an exciting way to get to know the coach, but it can turn out to be an expensive or inadequate way to get the most out of the coach.
So start by spending time with the operator’s manuals from the converter and Prevost Car. The seller should have provided training but don’t count on it being complete or even accurate in all cases. Sitting in the coach with the books and trying out all the items described in the manuals is a great way to start the ownership experience. If you get stumped or really don’t understand something ask questions, either of the converter, Prevost or of other owners of the same type conversion such as on a forum.
Go beyond the books. Before you fill all the drawers and cupboards and closets and bays find all the access panels in those areas, open them up and look at what is behind them. You will find all kinds of stuff, ranging from the A/C filters, to valves to components that make things work. There will come a time when you need to know where some things are and the time to find a shut off valve is not when water is flooding the living room floor.
Those two previous suggestions should be considered basic. At the very least do the reading and do the poking around in the nooks and crannies.
But if you are serious about minimizing surprise problems and their repairs the next and vital step is to learn and do good pre-trip inspections. (Post trip inspections are often just as good). If you are going on a trip you need to check fluid levels, lights, tire pressures, and get in the habit of looking for wet spots on the ground or belts or hoses that might be a possible problem. Think about giving the coach a good check at the end of trips so you can fix stuff long before the next trip. If you heard air leaks or saw wet spots, or felt a vibration, check them out and fix them.
If you do all of the above you have done almost everything possible to avoid unexpected problems. But our coaches are complex and that is both good news and bad news. The complexity means there is a greater potential for problems because there is more that can go wrong. But that complexity can also be a blessing. As an example we have a complex electrical system, but that might just mean if we have a failure of an alternator for example, the short term way to deal with that and continue a trip might be to just start the generator and keep the batteries charged using a battery charger or inverters.
The final stage of dealing with repairs or failures is to think through every potential problem and figure out what you are going to do if something fails. As built there are some things on our coaches that have no potential back up in the event of a failure. The engine is a good example of that so the best solution is to make certain it is well maintained. Some other components such as a water pump failure can mess up a trip, so consider a spare or better yet, a back up pump installation that might not require any special effort to keep the water running other than possibly opening a valve or two.
Learn your coach. Some can have an inverter failure and there might not be any way to by-pass the inverter so you might not be able to get power to the refrigerator, even if the generator is running or you are on shore power. Figure out what you are going to do before something like that happens. Some coaches do have a by pass but like the secret handshake you have to know about it. the time to learn is not when you have a problem.
One of the best resources for help with problems is pre-planning. Knowledge of your coach, good pre-trip inspections and good quality maintenance, and a plan for dealing with problems are all important factors in dealing with repairs and minimizing the deer in the headlights look when something goes wrong.
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4 Replies
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Read the owner’s manual??
Preposterous. Only as last resort.
Of course I’ve had several “last resorts”
Good advice.
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And go to a PC Maintenance Seminar!!
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I like the way Jim thinks. His dues next year are free.
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And if you haven’t looked at the “Articles” section by all means do so. Jon has some excellent information on maintenance schedules, things to know and look at etc. It’s well worth your time to scroll through it and see the mix of info.
Harry
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