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“Most , if not all modern inverters, have a LBCO (low battery cut off) and will shut down the inverters at the set voltage and in theory, save your batteries. The problem is, there are other 12 or 24 volt loads that will continue to drain the batteries over time. So I agree, if your bus is going to set for an extended time without gen or shore power, shutting everything down makes sense.”

Tom and Gil are correct. The question you have to answer is how high is your confidence level that when parked (stored) your shore power will always be on. Notice Tom’s comment the inverter will shut down at a low house battery voltage if power is interrupted. What he said is that by then the batteries are already at a very low voltage, and whatever phantom loads are on your house batteries such as alarms, clocks, thermometers, etc. will finish killing off your batteries. One simple problem can effectively ruin your batteries or at least damage them.

I want my inverters on all the time to maintain the batteries, but having said that I will shut everything down if I cannot monitor the coach. In your position I would ask myself if I had enough confidence in the shore power to leave the inverters on and the house master switches on. And then only if I could monitor the coach daily. I pick daily as an interval because even if something interrupts shore power, my batteries will not go dead within that 24 hour period. Power can be interrupted by the shore power being turned off from a power outage, someone messing with the switch, your transfer switch failing, or other similar problems. On my coach monitoring means I hear a distinct hum from the transfer switch and the operation of a fan as soon as I step into the garage. And my garage is 15 steps from the house door.

Being a belt and suspenders guy I lack total confidence in anything mechanical. So I will tend to choose the option that has the least risk. You might feel comfortable leaving the inverters on, especially if you have all other electrical loads turned off such as the refrigerator. Doing that certainly keeps the batteries charged and eliminates the need to go through the process of shutting it all down. There is no correct answer to this question.

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The first thing to understand is that some use the terms inverter and charger as though they are one in the same; they clearly are not. The confusion likely comes from the fact that most coaches have a single device that charges the batteries (charger) and produces 120VAC from the batteries (inverter).

If you have a source of 120VAC, then your inverters should be off or in bypass. Most modern inverter/chargers have the intelligence to bypass the inverter when 120VAC is present on the input, even if you have the inverter turned on. If your inverter has this intelligence then you need to ask yourself if you want your inverter to produce 120VAC when the commercial and generator aren’t supplying 120VAC to the coach. If you are dry camping or putting your coach into storage would be the times when you may want your inverters off. When dry camping your may only want one inverter on, if you have two inverters. You may want the one on that powers the refrigerator but not the one that powers other 120VAC items. You would do this only to prolong battery life.

My inverters are on except when I put the coach into storage (no power available). This way the refrigerator stays powered even if campsite power fails or when I’m driving without the generator running, which I seldom have the generator running when I’m driving. The Country Coach ait keeps the coach cool without the use of the generator.

Most autostart generator systems aren’t going to keep the refrigerator cold if the inverters are off and you lose campsite power while you’re out exploring the town. Most autostart systems only start the generator when the voltage of the house or generator drop below a set voltage and some will do so based on reaching a temperature threshold in the coach. With your inverters off the battery voltage will not trigger the generator’s autostart function for a very long time. It could be days depending on what DC systems are on and the state of charge of your batteries.

If you have an intelligent inverter, leave them on except when you are leaving the coach unattended without commercial or generator power.

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it will come out dirtier than when it when in!! Look in the yellow pages for a moblie detailer that will come out to wash it. How are you liking your H ? I just got mine and love the fact I don’t have to polish all the stainless anymore!!!

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Liam.

Just be sure you split all 3 axles on separate platforms. It’s easy, but you might need someone to help make sure the drive and tag are not on the same platform.

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Thank you all for your reply’s. There is certainaly some good information here. I haven’t located any grey covered switch but will keep looking. Aux Compressor, the only other compressor on this coach is one that runs off the 110 current and operates the air flush and air pocket doors. Tried following the airlines, thats next to impossible as they run through a 6″ PVC pipe, uugh. The air dryer is new within the last month, replaced thinking that was causing the issue.

Can I hook up a shop compessor to the bus and push air through the system without causing damage. This way I can listen close without having the bus engine running????

The purchased the coach right after Senators released it from a 10 year lease. So I don’t believe any modifications have been made since the original conversion from Vulcan.

I think I may have to bring it directly to Prevost. Has anyone had any experience at Prevost in New Jersey?

Thanks again for everyones help

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Then maybe some folks will stay longer and do more… I’m looking forward to some down time for visiting too !!

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Very nice John. Now if you can just get Jon hooked up somewhere other than beside the travel trailer, infield, filled with drunk “good ole boys” life would be good. You know, the one’s that help you understand why some animals eat their young!

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Gill,

Assuming you have a 14K front axle, why would you choose a harsh ride by inflating to 120 lbs? The chart shows the following:

7190 95

7440 100

7610 105

7920 110

On the wheel size, an 8.25″ vs 90″ using the Michelin chart shows a difference of 50 lbs in weight using the 12,000 dual weight and a pressure of 85 lbs for both wheel sizes. 50 lbs would be insignificant on a 24,000 lb axle.

I use the chart and inflate 5 lbs over like most. I have weighed separate wheel positions and there is a difference, but not enough to require a higher air pressure on one side vs the other. I just use the higher weight as the base and inflate both sides the same. I did have a plastic CC one time that was 1,300 lbs different side to side on the drive.

At 120 psi on the steer, once they’re hot in the summer, you could be riding on 140 psi and it must feel like a stage coach. I use Pressure Pro and you would be amazed at the temperatures when the tires get hot.

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It is impossible to diagnose anyone’s auxiliary air system for two reasons. First, unless someone actually knows how the converter set it up there is no way of knowing how and where the system was tapped into and set up. The only way to chase issues is to follow the air lines, something that sounds simple, but is not.

The second problem is as coaches age, various people work on the coach and once they start modifying it for various reasons, even the converter’s system design logic may no longer apply, reinforcing the need to folllow the air lines and draw out the system to see where and how various connection points are and what components are in the system.

To address the specific issue of the coach not wanting to come to the driving height without hissing or going there automatically it just requires a little understanding of the system logic to begin the trouble shooting process. The center solenoid valve in the five valve stack mounted on the rear bulkhead of the compartment under the driver seat opens when the key is on and the switch at the driver area is in the driving or road position. When that solenoid valve opens it sends an air signal to all three Norgen five port valves (one on the same bulkhead and the other two on the bulkhead forward of the drive axle). That shifts those valves so all aux system air to the air bags passes through the ride height valves. When the arm on those valves is level, the bus is level with respect to the ground.

From the description it sounds like multiple issues so the best solution is to deal with them individually. I don’t have eyes and ears at the bus, but if a hissing is heard, follow that and determine where it is coming from. It can be as simple as a failed ride height valve exhausting air. Find that first. Fix that leak. As to the aux compressor cycling that could be the result of the leak. For now leave it turned off and let the engine driven compressor handle the air needs until the main problem is solved. In any case I would reset the aux compressor pressures to much lower.

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Sure would like to see a picture….

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I had a 2006 Royale XL11 that 5 panels come loose along the verticle seams (press along the edges and see if they move in ) had the sides reglued in 2008 factory “good will”. In 2010 had most of the panels coming loose again. This time the sides were completly removed replaced and the coach repainted …again factory “good will”. All of the work was done at the factory in Canada. The cost to Prevost was HUGE but they stood behind their product !

After owning many other “high end plastic coaches”, H included, we love the X. We have since sold the Royale XL11 coach, but have a enough faith in Prevost that we just took delivery of the first X3-45. Let the glued stainless roll! (and keep your fingers crossed)

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You seem to have your act together. You don’t know how many guys I have met that do not know how tall their coach might be, how much their trailer weighs (loaded or empty), or the other particulars of bus ownership.

You do. That is impressive. I don’t worry at all about sharing the road with people like you, that is for sure.

BCO

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I agree with you they are always handy to have, especially when you forget to lower a roof vent and then discover some 100 miles down the road “you no longer have a roof vent but a nice square hole.”

Just don’t hang it off the back of the coach like some kind of Dust Bowl Okie, gawd I hate to see that.

BCO

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We’ve been using the George Forman grill, cooks on both sides, electric, extension cord to anywhere away from the bus. Only downside for us, can be small for big stuff.