[Ed]

We were in a place just like that. The space was on a slant so the spot was trapezoidal and they measured from the 2 furthest points of the trapezoid. I was not happy.

[Ed]

The only thing we can do is to express our displeasure to our elected critters.

I would expect that from representatives from states that have a lot of public transportation and not great distances for the constituents to travel, such as NY, but not from his state.

[Ed]

Paul/Gil:

Just FYI, that is 78 AMP RMS (not peak) and can only be sustained by the inverter for around 20 seconds before it must reduce below 60 amps.

The inverter rating is:

Continuous duty 30 AMPS, total 60 AMPS max

The inverter when in inverter mode can only supply ~33 AMPS at 120VAC, and when in pass-thru mode can supply up to an additional 30 AMPS to shore power, but not more than 60 AMPS total (shore power + inverter suppliment).

How long the inverter can sustain the 60 AMPS pass-thru/suppliment is temp limited, as well as battery voltage limited. When the batteries drop below 22volts the inverter can no longer sustain its rated 4000 watts. Keep in mind this 60AMP rating is the pass-thru/supplimental current rating, not the inverted rating (which is ~33 AMPS at 120VAC).

So if you left your coach with more than 30 AMPS per inverter leg running and lost shore power, if the genny does not get started then the inverter 35 amp breaker is going to pop as it cant support more than 33 amps without shore power.

[Ed]

I echo what Gil says. If I knew POG was mad at Jon and Tom I wouldn’t have posted a link to help someone that had battery issues.

I’m on both sites (for now and until I read the posts above I did not know why I was having such a hard time over at pog. Now I know. I guess there is a click over there that doesn’t want outsiders and they are happier reading posts about travel sites and links to stuff like weird motorhomes than sharing information.

That sight was supposed to be a good one, but it is not.

[Ed]

Kevin

I just installed new tires on our 04 XL2 had all wheel balanced. I watched as the tire guy was doing the job. That is the only way to have it done wright. FMCE deal is great $62000 for a complete job at Olin Mott in Tampa FL.

[Ed]

We came out of a Country Coach Affinity. After 3 months the Prevost gods were at our door. Against all logical thinking and advice on May 3, 2010 we owned a 2005 Marathon XLII .

As you post we all learn from your questions and there are no dumb questions here.

A short piece of advice…..

Starting today get a 3 ring note book and record / log EVERYTHING you do on your bus. As time goes by this will be a valuable reference.

Another important thing when you do this is when for sale time comes this record book tells how you have taken care of your bus.

Welcome and congratulations……AL

[Ed]

We have seen a lot of RV accidents in our travels and it is clear crashworthiness is not considered. It is common to see pieces of the structure scattered over a wide area.

We have never seen a bus accident, but we have seen buses after an accident and the difference is considerable. While the damage may be extensive the structure is intact.

I think we all feel the same in that we feel safer in our coaches than we would in conventional RVs. But I would hope none of us would begin to feel totally protected. The laws of physics are not repealed just because we own a bus. We have very little in the front of the bus to absorb the energy of an impact. The coach is ponderous and will still tip over if we try to make a turn too sharp. Our brakes may be good, but trying to stop the coach as speeds increase requires a lot of distance.

Safety goes beyond crashworthiness, handling, stopping distances, etc. We still need to give considerable thought as to how to exit a burning vehicle. How will we get out of the bedroom if the fire is in the front? Will the door open if the fire has destroyed the electrical system (as happened when my coach was on fire)? Where are the fire extinguishers? Can you get out the side windows or the windshield?

I might piss a lot of owners off, but over the years I have not been impressed with a lot of owners who have the potential to be the greatest threat to their own safety. How many of you have seen a 50,000 pound coach in the fast lane pulling a 25 foot stacker trailer tailgating some car in the fast lane because 75 MPH isn’t fast enough for the coach driver? How many owners never do the most basic pre-trip inspection, including tire pressures or a brake check. My greatest concern is not for the safety of those owners, but for the health of our converters who are going to get sued by the coach driver’s estate because the accident couldn’t possibly be the fauilt of the driver, so it must have been the converter’s fault.

I’m not sure what your objective is Lee, but no matter what type of RV we have it seems it is our responsibility to drive and use them in the best way possible, recognizing life itself is a risk and we alone are responsible for managing risks.

[Ed]

The mechanical ZipDee’s are really not a problem, once you learn a couple tricks , learn to keep them lubbed and also to adjust the tension. If you do go to the mechanical setup, make sure you get the ZipDee “special” arm for opening/closing , it has a dandy tip that really holds the arms without slipping. Good luck

[Ed]

One of the most common reasons for the ZipDee AutoAwn to fail to completely close is a breaker that pops in the controller cabinet.

Usually, as the batteries get weak, and as the awning gets closer to the closed position it starts to draw increasing amps due to the voltage drop.

There is a resettable breaker that kind of looks like a red button on top of the awning controller. I would check to see if it has popped. If that is the case, try replacing the batteries which are readily available at Radio Shack.

Also, Zip Dee may recommend an upgraded breaker to reduce the annoyance of having this problem on a routine basis. Mine was eventually changed to a 6 amp breaker. Not difficult to do but the space is a bit cramped.

Jimmy at Zip Dee is your go-to guy if you have questions or need technical assistance.

Good luck, and I hope it’s a simple fix…

[Ed]

I did forget to mention we have a 42′ Foretravel with three ACs now and have not had any issues cooling in Texas heat but not sure with that added three feet and stainless.

[Ed]

Although I haven’t owned a Prevost with roof airs, I have owned several plastic coaches with them, and I have spent considerable time in the southwest during the summer months.

In my opinion, three roof airs would be marginal, at best, during the summer months.

If I were considering a bus with roof air that I expected to spend considerable time in that part of the country during the summer months, I would want 4 roof air units.

Our Liberty Coach had four CruiseAir units and Prevost OTR air conditioning and we never had an issue cooling the coach when the ambient temperature was consistently in the triple digits for weeks at a time.

Good luck in your search….

[Ed]

Congratulations and welcome to PC. Take your time and stay as long as it takes for you to be comfortable with all the systems and components. Once you get some miles under your belt, you’ll understand why we say, “There is NO comparison between a Prevost and a fiberglass coach”.

Have fun and there are lots of Marathon owners here to help you out.

[Ed]

“Load AMPS -9” ?

Are you stating that your load was (-) (neg) 9?

If so, that is not possible. Load is always a positive number.

Reset the inverter.

Do you have the manual? If not, I’ll email it to you.

[Ed]

There should be a hose connection at the A/C unit that directs the condensation water down under the bus. I would check that connection and see if there may be a crack in the hose or it’s lose allowing some water to drip inside. Also check for leaves and junk that may be partially blocking the tube. I have also blown compressed air in the drain hose from down below that will purge any junk that may be blocking the tube, but you still have to get up there and check it out.

[Ed]

Gil,

That response was for Jon not you. In the future, I will identify you if I respond to any of your posts because it seems you wrongly interpret the meaning of some of my posts. May be my fault, but going forward it will be very clear.