[Clifford]

All of the people at Liberty are very good at what they do,I had an issue with an outside vendor that they used to repair some fiberglass on my coach and Frank worked it out with me,I have great respect for the way they run their business.I think that their business plan is really paying off right now as they are selling faster than they can convert,I wish my business was this strong!!!

[Clifford]

If it is a Glendenning Cable Master product, call them. They will sell to you direct if there is no dealer in your area, or they will give you the contact info if there is one nearby. I think they use a much better cable than some of the knock off cheaper ones.

[Clifford]

I was hoping you guys were a club I was looking pointers on how to stop the bickering in another club I belong too and it has to do with the FMCA and I will leave it at that

thanks

[Clifford]

Maybe what Tom and I set as objectives needs to be repeated.

Back when the only Prevosts built had rivets, there was a limited number of motor home or entertainer conversions. The only group or club at the time was the Prevost Prouds. The Prouds are a chapter of FMCA and they would hold a rally preceding the two FMCA conventions each year.

Because the internet wasn’t in full swing as it is today, if you owned a Prevost and wanted to associate with other Prevost owners and learn about your coach the only way to do it effectively was to attend Prevost Proud rallies. They were fantastic because the activities were excellent, the seminars were very well done and because as the only group of Prevost owners the attendance was high which justified the great expense Prevost and the converters had in bringing show coaches and full service to the rallies.

But as the internet became developed and a source for information, and the membership became large the Prouds had some other groups form such as the Texas Prevosts, the Bus N Bikers and such. That started to fragment the number of owners who switched to join other groups and the days of 200 coach rallies disappeared. The Prouds still exist, and there are a number of other groups or clubs also, with the net result being smaller numbers in attendance at rallies and the loss of the high quality seminars and full service facilities at rallies for owners. Not to take away from the excellent seminars Prevost provides for rallies today, but to point out the seminars in the early to mid nineties included people from Detroit Diesel, Allison, Michelin, etc. The service was at a temporary facility provided by Prevost along with the service semi trailers the converters brought to the rally.

When Tom and I envisioned PC we made it clear we want to supplement all of the Prevost clubs or groups that are in existence and we want to encourage all Prevost enthusiasts to participate in PC on the forum, with articles and sharing information. We never intended it to be a social group or club with officers and a special interest. We do not want to take members from other groups or clubs. We want PC to be an open site available to anyone at no cost.

What we want PC to be however is what is developing. We want the large numbers that participate in the site to be the encouragement needed by companies that provide our wants and needs to offer discounts. We now see that with the NAPA card, the fuel and Michelin programs and we are continuing to seek other ways to benefit owners. We are owners, both of us having multiple coaches so we clearly understand how we and all others benefit from what we are doing.

We will not hesitate to promote other Prevost groups or clubs and you can see rally information for a Prevost Prouds and Texas Prevost rally in Texas. We will do the same for any and all groups or clubs because we consider them to be the social side of ownership. We will encourage our members to attend rallies such as the rally in Texas. We will continue to shape PC into the more technical side of ownership, along with helping owners with the “business” side of being an owner. We are kind of like the workshop.

We recognize PC is also seen by its members as a place to socialize with other enthusiasts. We talk to one another on the forum, we develop friendships at rallies, and we are the go to place for coaches for sale, links to our advertisers who support the site, and a resource for information. And that is OK. While the clubs or groups may have limited membership numbers we will continue in our efforts to increase not only our member numbers, but in the activity of our members because as those numbers increase Tom and I will continue to seek discount opportunities, we will increase the quality of our rallies and we will focus on the business of Prevost ownership. We will allow any group or club to use our site for announcements, We will provide a private forum for clubs or groups if they want one, and we will continue to try to get our number of homebuilder and entertainer coach enthusiuasts active so we have a broad based membership. But we aren’t a club or group in the sense of all the others that are out there. We just want to supplement them.

[Clifford]

When I look at the photos Tom posted I think of Don Ho……….”Tiny bubbles”

Those leak showed up with soapy solution. Not all will show up and leak detection is difficult and time consuming and requires patience. But if you use a device like Hector’s Texas Bubbler or a device that Prevost shows in the suspension system webinar you are likely to be able to isolate even the smallest leak. Just understand to do so you have to start at the head of the line and go downstream one fitting and device at a time until you have reached the source of the leak. There is no simple way.

[Clifford]

Jerry,

What Jon said… Mine drove me nuts for a week after installing new bags and rear 5 ports and I narrowed it down to the 3 port above the tag that was leaking internally and two 3 ports in the steering bay. You won’t have that setup, Liberty modifies the system. So you can have a rear leak, one side or the other and the problem can actually be up front. One thing that helps in understanding the suspension components is to blow up your pneumatic drawing to 24 X 36, then it’s much easier to sort out. I color coded the accessory and air lines on the drawing making it simple to follow the lines.

[Clifford]

I am totaly convinced of that after seeing all the push-in fittings leaking.

We use plastic push-lock fittings in Drag racing, they operate air powered parachute launchers, air shifters, solenoids, etc. They are used because of light weight, and quickly disconnected when working. Some even use air operated shocks. When the air bottle is empty, we just put another one in.

NOT the case with Buses, I’ve learned that very quickly………….

[Clifford]

Jim I would leave the electric one on and the diesel one on just in case the power went out to be safe so water does not freeze ,and tank will stay hot and if the electric can not keep up the diesel one will kick on if it needs to for heat or water , does not hurt it for both to be on …. I do not winterize mine but leave toe kick heaters on in bay and inside and diesel heaters in side set to 50 degrees and diesel one in water bay on …..If power goes out it will drain battery’s in short time so you have to check it …. Hope that helps

[Clifford]

Thanks Jim… not sure what forum I was viewing but I can see where the length of the overhang could cause an issue. We have 7′ from the tag axle to the rear of the coach. A small drop may eliminate any problems with the height difference from the parked position to the road position.

Jerry at the parked position they are both at 14″… I have been lazy and not measured the exact road/drive height position of the receiver hitch/tow bar on the coach.

Jon the Honda has a 7″ ground clearance on the front bumper and a 96″ wheel base. The tow bar we use is about 36″ in length.

On occasion during regular daily driving the front bumper of the Honda will drag at a really steep angle but using caution can prevent this from happening. We try to plan every trip taking into consideration our height, weight, length, toad, etc. after all this is our home away from home and we are not sure if any of you will be there to help us get around and out of trouble… LOL… althought I know Jon and Hector are only a phone call away if needed.

THANKS for giving us support, ideas, and technical info… we do enjoy the forum!

[Clifford]

Luvrbus,

Thanks for the parts list,I am not at all happy with the thought of 3 or 4 days a month downtime in a shop either.My Iteniary does not allow for such things,I can see my business go out the door when right in the middle of the tour I announce that everyone has to get off the coach because it has to go to the shop for a few days!!!! I like the looks of the J4500,But most accounts dont like them.The ride is not the same as Prevost they say and in my business my most important issue is keeping the client happy and on time for there tour.The amount of money they are paying to ride on the coach demands we have no regular downtime every month. I have had equipment failures on the road before were it could not be fixed fast and it causes a lot of problems,In addition to having to find alternate transportation in the middle of the night in the middle of no where they get real upset when there routine is interupted. That is why I have been asking about the Volvo Engine as I have no expierence with one at all and am concerned about performance and durability. Like you said in a motorhome if you break down its a problem but can be worked around,But on a nationwide tour it not only affects the people on my coach,it effects people on the other coaches,the truck drivers,the local crew member waiting for the load in,the venue if the star doesnt show up,the people who paid to see the show. It can get rather costly in a lot of ways if you break down on a tour. I guess I will just have to carry a parts room in the front of the trailer along with all the diagnostic tools and manual and go back to school for a course on repairing and maintaining a Volvo D13C Engine,Just to be safe.Lord willing I will make this work!!!!

Robert

P.S. My choice would be for them to put a big CAT in there,Never had problems with my Cats!!! Just Sayin’

[Clifford]

Hi Robert,

I have a 2013 X3-45 Liberty conversion with the Volvo, I have had an XL11 and an H3-45 with the S-60 Detroit.

My X3 I have about 21K miles and in my humble opinion I prefer the Volvo for the following reasons.

The engine IS manufactured in Hagerstown Maryland right off of Interstate 81.( the factory was, and still is, a Mac engine plant. The only difference in the Volvo and Mac engine is the engine controls, color and valve cover, Prevost took a group of us last year on a plant tour, very highly automated component manufacturing and assembly.)

The engine is much quieter and less vibration, engine sits lower in the chassis, 500 hp, 1750 flbs torque, has a flater torque curve.

My coach at 65 mph has an engine speed of about 1450 rpm and I averaged 6.3 mpg loaded (wifes books..etc) pulling a 4500lb suv on my last 4500 mile trip.

Prevost does offer about 5 different rear gear ratios you might want to discuss your usage with them for best power/ mileage.

Engine problems so far have been engine control issues, egr valve, fan clutch, exhaust plumbing leaks, egr coolant leak. The coach has also had about 10 recalls for mundane issues like a redesigned dipstick(easier to read) a larger coolant expantion tank.

I have found Volvo to be VERY accomodating on the road when I have had problems.

I hope some of this helps, any Questions shout!

[Clifford]

Nothing that will stop you in your tracks in your conversion. cut them.. the lights for the clearance marker lights you will be able to tell and if you cut them no big deal. easy fix. All control wiring runs below floor in a tunnel(most in PVC) ABS-TRANS-Eng-lighting—everything===below floor except curtiousy & couple side clearance lights on a seated coach. The mounted turn signal indicators feed from below..

[Clifford]

pullin 80 plus thousand? that’s what I would compare to.?

[Clifford]

Problem fixed. A new Vanner battery equalizer from Inverter Service Center took about 30 minutes to install and basically restored order to the coach systems within minutes. I drove down and picked up the unit and met the folks at ISC. They are very knowledgable and I learned a lot about inverters just chewing the fat with them.

[Clifford]

Looks like you are going to have fun Tom .. If you are putting in new bags ,why not replace push in with comp fittings not a big deal but will be better than push in have fun Tom looks good