Chuck & Katrina
Forum Replies Created
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I’m dumbfounded. Jeff was an Icon. He will be missed.
Praying for his family and those that work at ETLC.2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Chuck, are they above the level of the fill hole? If so I cannot understand how a flush without agitation or overfilling would clean the sensors.
Why not just remove the sensors and clean them?
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
BWB:
I have a 2000 H3-45, now 25 years old. As Clint noted, I can call Prevost and get repair/replacement parts usually within 24 Hrs and if the order $ is over $100 shipping is free. There are pneumatic drawings, electrical drawings, & detailed parts drawings/lists online. Any part purchase from Prevost is warranted for 1 year, if Prevost installs it the part and their installation is warranted for 2 years, not to mention you can usually get a service appointment with in days of calling and they start working on it when you arrive for your appointment, not put it in the back lot for another month before starting.
Would suggest increasing your budget for zeroing out even if your doing your own work. I purchased my coach for $180,000 knowing the maintenance was not kept up but the cosmetics were good. I have spent over $100,000 in the first 4 years of ownership replacing the front end parts with full body alignment, new tires, new batteries (house & chassis), new air bags, new Norgens, new air bags (body, belts,& generator air bags) replaced 3 fogging windows, rebuilt hydraulic slide rams, replaced electric/pneumatic for slide doors/steps,& rear camera, plus a long list of other small things I can’t remember.
In summary, you will spend more than you planned, but will end up having a very safe, comfortable and reliable coach that will out live any fiberglass coach for many years. As for cost of ownership, Prevost labor rates are equivalent to the fiberglass shops and they have factory trained technicians using factory parts and little to no waiting times. You will need to consider the lack of return on monies spent. I have $280,000 plus in mine and know I will not see that returned upon resale, but I have a rock solid, safe, & reliable coach that still has many miles and years left on it.
Chuck
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
I’m sure you’ll have other folks chime in pretty soon, but have you been in a nice well maintained older Prevost yet? Have you driven one? That will tell you a lot. The ride and drive is like nothing else and the build quality is just in another class.
As for maintenance, it’s a commercial bus chassis that is engineered to be safe, reliable, and maintainable. The biggest customers are seated coach fleets and entertainer fleets. They’re not making any money if they’re not on the road, comfortable, and safe.
Think about this, if you’re in the middle of nowhere and pull into some big semi-truck repair shop and a guy in a Entegra pulls in at the same time. They got one open bay, you both have a similar suspension issue – which of you will get that bay first? Answer, the guy they know they can get a part for and know the rig is built to be serviceable (which doesn’t describe an RV). The shop is all about volume, they can’t afford to have something in there they can’t get the part for or can’t figure out the repair. And you can bet they’ve worked on a Prevost before and know it’s built to be serviceable.
I have a 25 year old Prevost, last week I went online using Prevost Parts Assist and ordered all new Norgrens, tie-rods, shock bushings, and sway bar bushings. I had the parts within 24 hrs – and that was standard shipping.
Your hardest decision will not be a Prevost or non-Prevost, it will be which Prevost converter (due to systems, floor plan …etc.) and finding one in the condition you want. And CONDITION IS EVERYTHING. You can’t order a 25 year old bus in the colors you want. If you find one in great condition, especially paint – I would work hard to make the floor plan work.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
My Country Coach is the same, i can bleed down everything Aux related and my brake tanks remain at the same constant pressure when i started. The only way to get my Brake tanks to drop is to push the brake pedal.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
My guess is YES a leaking normally closed check valve will allow aux pressure out and thru the aux compressor back to the atmosphere.With my Liberty the aux compresso air passes thru 2 SMC air/water filters/traps, then thru a 120vac Versa brand normally closed solenoid check valve, then pressure is sensed by a SquareD Pumptrol 120vac adjustable pressure switch w/pressure relief.2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Two things come to mind…
It is typical that leaks slow as the psi drops… yet, when you mention specifically 60 – 70 psi, makes me wonder if the PR-2 pressure protection on the Prevost factory accessory (aux) air tank MIGHT be leaking until it hits it setting point which is about 70 PSI.
Seems all valves do strange things at times… A couple of years ago while I had easy access to my accessory air tank, I removed the tank, removed the PR-2 valve attached to it, and re-located it to the back wall of the steering bay in order to have SUPER EASY access if needed in the future.
Here is the strange part… the near 2-year old PR-2, which is also a one way check valve, began sticking for about a week. I recognized this strange occurrence as when the aux air compress ran, it also filled (back-filled) the primary and secondary tanks.
If it continues, I will definitely appreciate having relocated the PR-2 valve from the tank to the back wall of the steer bay.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
I still have the “Tennessee Treats” given to me by my used car salesman friend Roger.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Are seeing debris on your fuel filter? Draining water from fuel filter?
The only data I have is somewhat related. I had to pull the fuel tank on a Newell that I previously owned. In order to do that I had to drain the tank obviously. I had owned the coach for ten years, and that tank had not been touched in that time frame. I drove the coach about 15,000 per year. The fuel tank was surprising clean and the drained fuel was clean. I only buy fuel at truck stops.
Polishing is most prevalent around marinas where the climate is very humid and the tank can collect moisture over time.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Ok here are specs on batteries 4 pics and here is specs on DC to DC charger(only for driving) when plugged in to AC power or running Generator charging with two Magnum 12v model 2812, Magnum ME-RC set to CC-CV set to14.5 1st- 4 pics on batteries 2nd 2 pics on DC to DC Charger
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
This is a solution for the Magnum setup to protect the Lithium batts while in storage.
Short answer, change the float voltage to 13.3 or 13.4 for storage. You can actually leave it there, but remember to initiate a manual charge if you are going to boondock for a while in order to bring them up to 100 %
Longer answer, and some context. You guys don’t know me. I am a new Marathon owner. My background is 20 years of Newell ownership and maintenance. I did ALL my own work.
Ten years ago I installed a 1000 A hr homemade LiFePo setup, and played around with the custom charge settings for a bit. Setting the float to 13.4 while in storage worked. I just sold the coach, and after 10 years of use the batteries still tested over the nameplate amp hrs. The point is my recommendation is not hear say.
One more thing, in the cheat sheet at the top of the post, it looks like you are terminating the charge based on return amps. BRAVO !
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Yes, the Starlink has a Router that transmits just like at home.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
I retired yesterday and I am considering going. That is if I can convince the wife.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Thanks Rudy! Webasto itself is in perfect health. I have an open circuit somewhere in the Country Coach wiring. Hoping someone has a diagram.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Chuck, here’s my diagram with IGN ON. Note it shows the in-active control air connection between the top and bottom norgren (Level Low norgrens) – which is technically there during the IGN OFF configuration as well.
HOWEVER – the inflating balloon in your picture illustrates a situation that I would not have expected. The inflating balloon is on the exhaust port of the bottom Level Low norgren which would indicate to me that the top norgren has an internal leak as it should not be passing air across the connection to the bottom norgren (which agrees with your thinking above). And since the bottom norgren’s ‘normal’ connection is to it’s exhaust port in the IGN OFF configuration – you’re seeing the balloon inflate.
I chose to not show that in-active control air connection between those two level low norgrens in a IGN OFF configuration because the 5-port norgrens for drive axle are in a neutral configuration and thus no possible way to connect to the level low norgrens if operating correctly. What I think you’ve illustrated is when they don’t operate correctly (e.g., leak internally) then all bets are off. Which also in a way supports Jon’s scorched earth approach.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL