[Doug and Tina]

The Tucson location is the old Boudry RV sales and RV park. Nice place, we stayed there a few winters ago. Rick

[Doug and Tina]

FWIW, I too have only one air driven awning and the rest are manual. Some day I hope to be like Jon.

[Doug and Tina]

Doug,

Generally speaking every converter makes connections to the pneumatic system on the coach at the spot designated by Prevost.

To the best of my knowledge on the coaches I have owned Prevost offers the converters two locations to connect for their air needs. One is in the steer compartment and typically has a plastic tag with the word “converter air” etched into it. Ditto for the one in the rear located behind the tag axle, passenger side to the left rear of that little compartment.

Those connection points tap into only accessory or auxiliary air. They are provided with protection valves so if something catastrophic happens the two brake systems will not suffer an air loss below the pressure needed for them to function.

From time to time we learn of someone connecting in a location other than described above. Usually we hear about it because there are problems associated with the connection point such as no protection against moisture, and other issues. While the converter air system and devices share an air supply with the bus auxiliary air systems and devices and while both generally use the aux air tank as the storage device for needed air you are not likely to find converter air system connections scattered around the coach other than the two points I described, and some may only make one connection.

The same can be said of the coach electrical system and how the house and chassis electrical systems are isolated from one another, but do share a common connection point that is protected against one depleting the other.

Depending on how curious you are you can go to the Prevost Publications page accessible through the Prevost Car web site and pull up the pneumatic diagrams for your specific coach. It will not show anything relating to the converter, but it will show the entire chassis systems and will identify the allowable connection points.

http://prevostparts.volvo.com/technicalpublications/en/manuel.asp

[Doug and Tina]

Once the market shakes out and the engine manufacturers stabilize as far as who they will produce engines for, and what markets they will serve I think we will see significant improvements in fuel consumption. The Volvo installed by Prevost is about 1 MPG more efficient than the last versions of Series 60 engines used in Prevost Coaches. Volvo developed a more efficient emissions control system in addition to changing the torque curve to peak earlier and to hold max torque longer instead of the late peak and fast drop off of torque on the Series 60.

The mileage cannot be mandated because of the fact there are so many usage variations and driveline options used with diesel engines. But while the government may step back from mandating mileage for diesel engines, the marketplace will not. Nobody is going to worry about mileage as much as a large fleet opeartor who puts millions of miles on a fleet of trucks per year. The engine manufacturer that delivers the best mileage is going to get the business and the one whose engine burns a little more fuel per mile is going to lose so you can bet we are going to see the same trend we saw with car engines. Car engines went from using air pumps and other bolt on emissions devices in the 70’s to the highly developed, very clean, powerful and economical engines of today. The government spanked them if they did not.

It’ll happen with diesels also, but my guess is it will not be a solely engine related attack on poor mileage, but a combination of engine and more efficient transmissions, tires with less rolling resistance, lighter weight trucks and trailers, aerodynamic features, and less control from drivers. We have a long way to go but already our engines are very efficient when you consider how much weight they handle compared to the average car.

[Doug and Tina]

I will get a picture not sure how to post it to the site. Thanks for your help