[Andy]

Put a meter on the batteries with the bus running to check regulator. Not sure of any sequence if you have to change it out. Mine uses this:

[Andy]

This is probably the best one there. Okay, admittedly we’re a little biased…it’s our previous coach. 1959 GM-4104

(Hopefully the pic will load up)

[Andy]

Another old A and P chiming in… there is an inexpensive tool for determining the size rivet needed. The CherryMax Grip Gauge with Slide, the product description says:

“Slide the hook of this gauge through a hole, draw the gauge back until the hook hits the back of the hole and you can properly determine the length of the CherryMax and and CherryLock rivet required. Also measures the required rivet diameters.”

Kirby

[Andy]

We had a discussion yesterday when a bunch of us were sitting around in lawn chairs about why some people won’t consider a used Prevost in the price range of a new conventional RV. One big reason we all agreed was the warranty a new coach had gave the buyer a degree of comfort.

I think every RV forum sould have the Tiffin policy posted on it so all those folks that think they are covered when they get problems with their new coach can see what they are in for,

Just to add another dose of reality, when those coaches reach 4 years of age and cannot get any factory support the depreciated price should be posted also so those potential buyers can learn the amount of depreciation they have so they know the value of the trade in so they can get a new coach with that warranty.

Unless other motorhome manufacturers are heading in the same direction as Tiffin I suspect the fool that came up with this policy is going to see it reversed and his job gone.

[Andy]

Ernie, last summer I had one of the 2 silver metal solenoid/relays fail open causing the fans to not come on. Here’s a link to that thread.

http://prevostcommunity.com/forum/threaddetails.asp?Category=HVAC&ThreadID=5674

[Andy]

Andre, you need to call Prevost parts with your VIN Nr to confirm what was installed in your specific coach and if any of the original part numbers were superseded with new numbers due to design improvements or suppliers change, etc.

I listed below what I changed (actually Jeff’s certified Coach techs crew)on our coach last spring:

– Knorr Bremse (from Prevost) brake chambers

– front RH type 22 – 641414 – $121

– front LH type 22 – 641413 – $121

– Drive axle – LH & RH type 24/24 – 641432 – $334×2 = $668

– Tag axle – LH & RH type 16/16 – 641430 – $327×2 = $654

– Air Bags

– Drive axle air bag #630105 – $205.53 x 4 = 822.12

– Tag axle air bag #630151 – $241.55 x 2 = $483.10

Again, this is just for your reference, you need to confirm with Prevost.

[Andy]

The photo explains how Jon gets such good mileage.That V-8 Ford is pushing that bus. My question is: What is that thing on the
pole between where the bus and the Ford are parked that looks like a big letter
P with a red circle and slash through it?

In New Mexico a LEO is allowed to issue a citation up to a
year after the infraction if proof of the infraction exists. Are there any LEOs out there that need their
dues reduced? I think the photo could be
used as proof and Jon has only had that toad for a year.

[Andy]

It is a rare entertainer conversion that is set up ideally for use as a motorhome. Period.

[Andy]

Hey Gadget ,

Good looking Rig You have there ! Did they give You any Grief about their Restrictions on No coaches over 15 years of age ? I have looked at their website before and thought it looked like a nice place. But since My Coach is a 1996 Model. I quit looking. Seems pretty pricey ?

[Andy]

As a marine electrical guy just reading this thread, I will add a couple of thoughts:

1) If it was a 100A, not 1000A carbon pile battery tester, 100A is way too small to test an 8D battery.

2) It is possible to identify a failed battery with a carbon pile tester, but a good result does not always mean the battery is good. For a starting battery OK, but not deep cycle.

3) The only true test of a deep cycle battery is a load test. The easiest way to load test is in the coach using something like this:

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Datasheet-BMV-700-series-EN.pdf

There are other similar battery monitors, but this one is incredibly accurate for less than $200. Even if the path to the electric panel is a nightmare, this can go in the battery bay for occasional reference. It will give you a measurement of the energy consumed in Ah from full charge to no charge. This should be within about 80% of the new rating to pass muster. It’s also a terrific test of the quality of “new” batteries when installed and establishes a baseline.

Note that this test should not be run in its entirety very often. As stated by someone else, maximum life of batteries is achieved by keeping them between 50-100% SOC.

4) Lifeline are terrific batteries. We’ve also had good luck with Northstar Blue+ AGM Thin Plate Pure Lead:

http://www.northstarbattery.com/blue-plus-battery

The drawback is these are not conventional sizes. The advantage is the chemistry is slightly altered to allow for partial recharge cycles, like while boondocking a few days without the AC and generator running full time, something usually not so good for AGM. While Northstar is now marketing conventionally sized batteries, no direct experience with those yet.

5) All batteries are finicky to get the maximum life. Charging profiles are critical and should be set to the manufacturers recommendations. This was already stated, but the devil is in the details. The charging device must sense the voltage at the battery, and all flooded or AGM batteries must be temperature compensated. Too high a voltage or too low a voltage during charging will prematurely age batteries. It’s not a trivial range, Lifeline says float 13.7V at 50F, 13.13V at 90F. Multiply by 2 or 4 for 24V or 48V systems. Small variances, say 1/10 to 2/10 of a volt are OK, but float at an extended 13.7V in southern summers is gonna kill the batteries. There are similar variations in the numbers for charging voltages.

Don’t forget to look at the alternator controller charging profile if you have one on the house bank on the road. This device must “float” when appropriate, or long road treks can cause the same problems as an improperly configured inverter/charger. Haven’t dug deep enough into many coach conversions, but bet this may be often overlooked. No so important with the AC running on the inverter because of the constant demand. But worth examining if experiencing short battery life. Seen this on lots of boats with AGM batteries.

6) I like flooded batteries for bang for the buck. They do require periodic (usually monthly will do it) maintenance of water levels. They are also far more forgiving of abuse than any AGM. A set of Trojan T105 golf carts will last as long under equal conditions as AGM for about 1/2 the price, but are harder to kill (other than watering). I have read that there are some issues with locating them on a coach, they certainly need to be in a cabinet that can contain and be impervious to acid spills and vented such that the hydrogen generated during charging is appropriately vented to the atmosphere. If the conversion wasn’t designed for this, it may not be practical to retrofit costing more than the battery savings. But if AGM was king on cost…all the golf courses would be using them.

7) Many of the coaches I’ve looked at (1995-1999) have inverter/chargers designed in the Jurassic Park era. The technology has come a long way since then. Primarily in sine wave (SW) versus modified sine wave (MSW) power. I wonder as other equipment in the coach is modernized if it could be sensitive to MSW power? Think of new electronics, refrigeration and air conditioning systems. But more related to this topic, the charging systems are completely programmable to match the charging function to the specific battery installed on the coach. There are also inverter features like load sharing…say you need more than the 50A the cord set can deliver, run 4 air conditioners and cook dinner without popping shoreside breakers or running the generator, the most modern devices will use battery power as makeup during peak demands and go back to charging when demands are less.

Hope this helps someone!

[Andy]

All is up and running, we were powered down for about 3 1/2 hours this morning while the new primary was pulled and the additional transformer was set….

[Andy]

As I recall the retarder will come on to slow you down even if you are going down a hill in excess of the set speed…..

[Andy]

That reminds me,

Tom, when are you going to move the campgrounds listed in China and Tibet back to the U.S.? All of them are lacking the minus sign on the longitude. Also, I put in the Blue Heron RV park in California, but it never appeared on the map.

The PC map is great, but doesn’t have enough entries in some locations. As an example, we’ll be heading back to Ft Worth for another try at fixing the tag axle seal, and the one listed on the map in Santos is a bit further than I care to travel. So, I’ll probably try out the one in Ranger.

I use the Big Rigs book, and crosscheck with the Good Sam “bible” and the Good Sam nav system.

[Andy]

Interested in anyone knowing the length of the shower drain pipe before it hits the holding tank. I assume there is a p-trap like the other plumbing fixtures, excluding the toilet.

[Andy]

Diane, let me get this straight… Your bus is now famous with the poop patrol crowd?:)

No doubt Larry has had a discussion with the poop truck about royalties….