[Bob]

Jon, I find only three locations, two in steering bay & one in engine bay for brakes, to bleed air system besides the tank valves in the wheel wells.Are there more ? I do get water when bleeding steering bay.

[Bob]

My XL2 is a 2009 Country Coach conversion, but the chasis was built in September of 2009 so it has the Series 60 515 HP, without any particulate filtering. We have always toed a Jeep unlimited 4door. Our overall average for 27000+ miles is 6.8mpg. That includes our trips out west every year over the rockies, I 70 in colorado, on the way back, and I 80 through Wyoming on the way out to Idaho. We usually drive 63 to 66 which seems to be the sweet spot mileage wise for this coach. The best we have ever averaged was 7.2 for three days headed west on I 10 with a pretty good breeze behind us.

[Bob]

Mark

Just a suggestion. What about trying to take it to St. Nicholas, Quebec Prevost service center. I would think it is closer than Jacksonville.

I had my 2006 Royale done there in 2008 the whole process, at that time, only took 4 weeks including inspection and approval. As a first owner and out of warantee I was not charged for the total reskin and paint. This was also my first Prevost so I had no history with them before that. They did good work. Ask for Guillaume Charron service center manager or Stephane Lord service manager Tel. 866-870-2046 or 418-831-2046

Be careful of having them do any work that you might have to pay for because of the VAT (tax) both Quebec and Canada.

The are only about 30 miles from the factory.

Good luck!

To answer the question about the new X3, We just took delvery of the first conversion in June, they are not rivited just glued. As Jon stated we also have confidence in the new process.

[Bob]

Gerald, I am certain Mark will allow you to show him how to get 7 MPG. In fact everyone with later model Series 60 coaches would like the demonstration.

Compared to your Series 60 rivet coach our XLII coaches have added emissions equipment and standards which has cost mileage. To add to the stuff hung on the engine our coaches have gained weight compared to the XL. So the bottom line appears to be to do exactly as you suggest with lower speeds and light weight toads, but Mark’s MPG is typical.

Mark makes an excellent point of the costs associated with taking a coach for service. I have led a sheltered life because my travel miles for service is zero, but if any of us has to travel any distance for service the cost just for fuel is staggering. Whatever the repair I would want absolute proof it was done right so I wouldn’t have to return.

As to skin repairs Tom and I have seen the process. I have confidence it deals completely with the problem, but for anyone who has an XLII it has to be understood it takes a lot of time, involves paint work, and is very expensive. From my perspective there is no suitable alternative to having Prevost make the repairs because they do it right. It can be done cheap or right. but not both.

[Bob]

While there is likely little concern about water safety if we are drinking fresh water from our holding tank and system that has been routinely sanitized the RV and campground system have many extreme violations that would shut down service if found by a plumbing inspector.

In the plumbing industry the biggest no-no is what is called a cross connection. That is anything that might allow waste to backflow into the water supply. Everything from the plumbing system basic design to mandated devices such as backflow preventers are used to prevent such an event. Yet some RVs have devices installed on their waste holding tanks that allow a direct connection to the fresh water supply for purposes of “flushing” the holding tank. That should be a big concern for anyone that thinks drinking water from the RV park supply is acceptable. I’m just amazed those tank flushing devices are even sold and I am further amazed RV parks don’t prohibit their use.

[Bob]

I’ll check in yhe morning

[Bob]

Well I got it on. I was using an ATV jack for the hub and a car jack for the axle, trying to help get it on. I shimmed the hub to the same angle as the axle and slowly pulled the ATV jack forward until the bearing just made contact with the axle. That started looking inside to see what was out of sync. I had to jack up the axle just a tad and then saw that the bearing was not exactly straight in the hub but the axle was centered. I took a flat punch and used just a light tap on the edge of the bearing leaning to the outside and the hub almost fell in to place. Wooohooo!!! Got it all buttoned up and putting the wheel back on tonight. Hope to do a test drive tomorrow.

[Bob]

Can we stop by for a meet and greet in our street car?

[Bob]

Al,

My numbers above are for the following condition:

Ambient Temp 38.2 degree’s, wind blowing at 17.6 mph out of the
NW, engine heat loop off, 3 heat exchangers running, 1 bay exchanger,
1 kick heater set to 72.6 degree’s and an occasional opening of the
fridge door that will certainly effect the overall temp of the coach
interior!

Or, you can just use an average as listed from Webasto.:)

[Bob]

Not offhand. I have it somewhere but have to dig up the info.

I’ll have to do the research.

[Bob]

Chris, my bad, I know of no objections to using the axle flange nuts. My mistake was in assuming you meant putting them uder the lug nuts which Prevost opposed.

[Bob]

I try to stay at a half a tank because the return line puts hot diesel back to the tank and if the same as most diesels the fuel cools the injector pump so low fuel eats up and can’t cool as much.

[Bob]

I would be extremely surprised if Marathon dedicated a small compressor just to provide air to a pocket door and floor slide.

Unless those are the only two pneumatic devices on the conversion side of the bus.

If the coach has any of the following it is probable the aux air compressor either ties into the bus aux system or someone has made modifications: bed lift, air horns, driver seat, generator air bags, air operated dump valves, rear camera cover, toilet, awnings that use air, or a toy such as a train horn.

Easy to confirm. Take the aux air pressure to zero and turn on the small aux compressor to see if it brings the aux air pressure back up.

[Bob]

there is a plate at back of my coach that’s what it say each one may be different check each one

[Bob]

As the resident curmudgeon I will predict the pretty little displays on the Garmin or its competitor’s offerings will do to drivers what it has done to pilots. John among others is a real pilot whereas I am an ersatz pilot albeit one capable of maintaining spacial awareness and hand flying capability in the worst of weather. I watched a genration of pilots going from taildragger drivers who knew how to use the stick and rudders to systems managers that needed to have the pretty displays soi they could keep the plane icon on the magenta line. Without the pictoral display they were lost.

So now we have cars that park themselves, cars that tell the idiot behing the wheel when he is drifting out of his lane and adaptive braking because the driver otherwise occupied with talking or texting doesnb’t know he is tailgating.

Add to this entire equation engine data which to the average soccer mom doesn’t mean diddly and we now have systems capable of diverting the attention of anyone who chooses to get behind the wheel of these rolling game systems.