Bob
Forum Replies Created
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Oh, and before I forget, Jon……Rod says thanks for helping him with that cell phone issue. You are a techno-genius!
I certainly hope all you folks picking on my can and string communications expertise you notice my ability to give Rod expert advice relating to the operation of a cell phone. He is a guy who can make his phone work as a GPS or surf the internet, or do all sorts of other magic tricks but he had to turn to me for advice on how to do something.
Actually he was putting his phone number in my phone and didn’t know how to add a space. I had to show him because he didn’t know how to work a flip phone that has no camera, texting, voice mail, apps, GPS, etc.
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I replaced my house batteries in June last year. These guys here were invaluable.
I used a floor jack to lift them and some young men with muscles too.
http://www.prevostcommunity.com/forum/threaddetails.asp?Category=Electrical&ThreadID=509
This should link to the thread and lots of pictures.
DKO
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What Jon said. Bought my 1991 that hadn’t been run in probably 10 years out of a climate controlled bus barn a few years back. 50,000 miles on coach, 120 hours on gen set. Have put about $35,000 with the usuall goodies Tires, batteries, inverters, water pumps, new appliances, fixtures,new motion sat system, flatscreens, and on and on. About $15,000 has been with Prevost service shops on Air System, shocks, seals, windshield wiper system and service idems. I aint complaining, still have an awesome coach that looks new. After having class A motorhomes these ride and handle so much better and to me worth the cost to run. Trying to talk my lovely in trading up but I know I would get pasted!
PS.
Got 65,000 miles on it now with about 250 hrs. on gen set. Drivetrain has been trouble free. Talked my wife into driving a little coming home from beach (Surfside Tx.) a couple weeks ago and she liked it. Oh Lord what have I done!
Have the 3 cruise airs up front and have a fella that’s a master on um and keep mine in check. He says there easy to work on if they are installed right for service. So far haven’t needed any parts.
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My building is 60 wide by 155 long 14 foot side walls with scissor truss with over head doors one on each end can drive bus and trailer in hooked up total length 67 feet from bumper to bumper lots of room make it bigger than u think my doors are 12wide by 14 tall
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Jon,
I checked the breaker (in the box in the condenser bay) last fall when it stopped worling. I will double check but the breaker wascclosed and the relays were ok. The clutch does not pull in. I recall checking the high and low switches with the high switch being closed and the low being open. Therefore my conclusion that it is low on freon. I don’t have any gages and can’t check pressure myself.
I have not checked the brushes but will do that also.
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I think the first step is to get to a shop capable of doing a 3 axle alignment.
My 87 tracked very well. Having said that, my 97 tracked better, and the current 06 better yet. Every single one of them tracked far better than a high end plastic motorhome I drove so you should not be working hard when driving.
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We have been happy with Passport America. Not every one of their participating campgrounds will accommodate a bus, but enough do to more than pay for the cost of membership. Only complaint is that they are constantly adding/dropping participating campgrounds, so you really need to keep up to date to successfully use the program.
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I think David is talking about a refrigerant valve.
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Why do you want a dampner???
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It has been my experience that transmission temps track very close to the high end of coolant temp swings when operating below 65mph unless you are in the hills. If I turn my dash air on I can what my coolant temps swing from about 175 to 197, pretty much in line with the thermostats.
A gallon and a half of coolant is way too much, unless already stated you just performed a flush or otherwise had the coolant system open.
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One thing to remember when adjusting the ride height. The system as designed is going to have variations. You can lower the coach and then have it go to the ride height. When you take your measurements you may find it is correct.
Then if you raise the coach above ride height and then have it go to the ride height it may give you a different set of measurements. The same thing applies as you drive. The ride height valves are always going to get you close to where they have been set, but are unlikely to ever get exactly where you need to be because there is always going to be some “slop” in when they add or dump air to reach the ride height.
I would do a happy dance if I was always within 1/4″ of where I needed to be.
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David,
How old are your starting batteries ? Not the date installed in bus …but mfg date.
AL
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Bill,
I am not familiar with how Marathon sets up their electrical system, specifically how they provide for maintaining a charge on the chassis, if any.
But, unless your house electrical system provides a chassis battery charging system that can be used for maintaining the batteries like the quality of battery maintenance the inverters provide you need to monitor chassis battery condition and possibly provide them with a charge.
On my coach for long term storage or keeping the batteries charged after I loaded them, such as when working on the lights I have a dedicated 24 volt charger powered off the house AC panel. For emergency starting some conversions have a way to tie the house and chassis together for starting purposes.
As an owner you will benefit highly from learning from Marathon or other owners how your coach is set up and how to monitor it.
The chassis batteries and likely the house batteries are set up for 24 and 12 volt loads. Because of that you are going to have equalizer(s) which maintain a specific relationship between the 24 volt side of the battery set up and the 12 volt side. The equalizers maintain the 12 volt side at 1/2 the voltage of the 24 volt side within 1/2 volt. You not only have to be aware of and monitor the 24 volt side, you also have to know the 12 volt values and insure they are 1/2 the 24 volt values.
To check chassis voltage the easiest way is to use a multi-tester and you can read the chassis voltages either at the batteries themselves, or at the terminals on the equalizer, or at the terminals on the Vanner Monitor. Remeber, those are only chassis voltages.
The house battery voltages should be read at the batteries if accessible, or in the coach DC bay or distribution point, or at the inverter remote panel. Wherever the house voltages are checked you need to be able to get both the 12 and 24 volt readings. If you can find the house battery equalizer that is a good spot to check voltages.
I hope Marathon owners can get specific as to where and how they are able to access a place to read voltages.
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thanks Al will do it first thing in the morning:-)
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I’m with Georges on this one. I visited FLC to look at a late Liberty XL and the visit was a big dissapointment. The bus was in poor condition, house batteries dead, chassisbatteries dead and gen battery dead. The Knew I was coming in advance. The salesman was useless and couldn’t answer any questions. It had a bra on the front that had been on for who knows how long sitting in the Fl heat and hummitity and the front end was surely damamged. Lon and his buddies where just setting around shooting the breeze and there was no real attempt to offer any kind of information or even an excuse for a coach being that mistreated. I assume it have been there a long time.
I will never be going back. If you buy there, you better make your purchase subject to a PDI at Prevost Jacksonville, although they will tell you it’s been all checked out and good to go. BUYER BEWHERE.
Jon and Tom — I don’t think I’m breaking the rules here, it is facts.