Eric
Forum Replies Created
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Hey Tom, Everybody knows that May and September is love-bug season in Florida! You realize of course that Love-bugs don’t stick to a Liberty… I’m sure I’ve heard Jon say that!
Harry
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I had two different models last summer. sent both back. would shut down the power and not reset. not good if you leave the coach. ordered the progressive brand. and also will use the hughs auto former in the hot months. seems to work good. just my story my be different for others. good luck.
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This is an opinion, not influenced by fact, and especially not intended to create a debate among Newell and Prevost owners.
A Newell owner will very quickly state a Newell is a coach and a Prevost is a bus. While that statement is intended to convey the image a Newell is a more refined product, especially as a motor home, it does cut to the heart of what might be a valuation issue.
I have had 3 Prevost coaches over a 30 year period, and while every one really handled well, did not require a lot of effort to keep pointed in the right direction, each got even better than the previous one. In every case I had two coaches at the same time so I wasn’t guessing about how they handled. In every case going from one to the other it was clear the 10 year spread between coaches brought about a measurable refinement.
I have no way of knowing how many coaches Prevost built in each ten year period or how many miles the fleet was accumulating, but to me it was clear from the high accumulation of miles in commercial service that Prevost was able to keep applying measurable improvements. If a company has the ability to see how multi-million mile buses are holding up, and where the strengths and weaknesses are it has an amazing tool to apply to improvements.
A Newell is likely built in very modest numbers, and I might be so bold as to suggest the entire year’s production will not accumulate the mileage a single commercial Prevost bus will get in one year. It is impossible to learn when the data is not available.
The same applies to petty problems. With the greater number of coaches running the roads, including entertainer, motor home and seated coaches it is likely petty problems will pop up and get identified and fixed.
So the way to test my theory about which is viewed by the market as a better or more valuable product is to find out how many Prevost owners bought a Newell after owning a Prevost, and then finding out how many Newell owners switched to a Prevost. Information like that is a vote for a product and which ever way the numbers go, it is likely the way the values go also.
Remember, I make this stuff up.
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I’m with you Bill , well to be honest I have been practicing social distancing for years now . I also don’t need any more money to live and I dont eat out much . But how about the guy who lives week to week and he is waiting for 1,200 dollars . I guess I will just respect both sides and let our leaders sort this out and allow History to determine who was making the correct decision .
So Healthy folks who need money go to work, and Old folks like myself stay home Thats my position on this subject .
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The recored radiator came back from the radiatory shop on Tuesday morning and was installed, buttoned up, and ready for test drive early afternoon Wednesday. I drove while the tech who did the work rode shotgun.
Everything was fine. No leaks. I did notice that climbing steep grades outside of Kerrville the water temp got about a needle width higher than what I was used to seeing (that has continued through mountains into Phoenix). Interpolating the analog gauge, I figure 207/208*F. When the big pull is over at the time, temp drops down.
The invoice with LeMeilleurs RV, Truck & Equip was $6,579.58. The bill from Prevost was $2,240.41.
Breakdown:
$338.98 (freight to get core to radiator shop, because of its size, special order)
$174.65 (antifreeze and coolant)
$22.95 (coolant hose)
$88.90 (hose fittings)
$27.25 (misc hardware)
$1800 (twelve days of 50amp hookup @ $15/day)
$3,1990 (recore radiator, subcontracted out)
$2,3200 (labor)
$2,240.41 (Prevost for fan clutch, blade, belts, and shipping from California)
Total of $8,819.99
Cause? Appears to be pretty simple. Over the time the three fan belts stretched and before the pneumatic tensioner made contact with the limiting bracket the fan clutch hit the radiator bracket, breaking off the fan’s cooling fins, and firing them into the radiator poking holes in it.
Could I have reused the fan clutch? Maybe. Probably shouldn’t.
Could I have gone with a new radiator? Yes. There was one in Nashville. Prevost’s price to me for a new radiator was $4,606 plus freight from Nashville, TN to Kerrville, TX (guessing $500). So it looks like I probably saved $1,569 by going recore vs. new. New ordered immediately might have saved us a few days.
Upon removal of the radiator we noticed that a corner of the fins were gone, corroded away. Upon pressure testing by the radiator shop they found a couple of pinhole leaks in the area of the missing fins from corrosion. So eventually the radiator needed to be replaced in probably the short term.
Could this have been prevented? Yes.
1. If the bracket that limits the travel of the pneumatic tensioner was adjusted right so its impossible for the fan clutch to hit the bracket. How this is accomplished, I’m not sure. I’m going to investigate and figure it out!
2. The belts were almost six years old. They stretched. I probably should have changed them or had them changed out. BUT … BUT … BUT if the travel limiting bracket was correctly positioned, the belts could have stretched and there would not have been a problem … except maybe a tossed belt.
Some 40′ XL owners reported not having a bracket for the fan clutch to run into. They said their fan clutch could collide with the radiator. Not good. A friend of mine with an H3 had his fan go through the radiator which traveling through Milwaukee. His son told me the bill was over $15,000. I suspect they also had to replace the CAC and have the coach towed
I hope everyone can learn from my expensive experience. I will make another post that more specifically addresses how to check fan clutch/bracket clearance.
The shop. LeMeilleurs RV, Truck & Equip of Kerrville, Texas. On our first meeting the service manager told me Kerrville is halfway between Florida and California on I-10 and they end up with lots of transient repair work. Very nice facility. The techs are all ASE certified in autos, trucks, diesel, RV, etc. They had a couple of Class A DPs w/tag axles waiting for service when we pulled out. During the test drive the tech asked how I liked driving the Prevost. Everyone on the Forum knows the answer. He said he has driven many Class A DPs and a few Prevosts and Newells … he found the Prevosts drive the best, Newells a close second, and most of the DPs are all over the road. I’ll be putting LeMilleurs on the PC Forum map and recommend them.
There you have it.
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Those are three port norgrens. One is associated with keeping the path between the drive and tag axle air bags open or closed, depending on the needs, the other is associated with the tag axle lift function.
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Lets remove the “failure’ aspect that the “shit happens” – because you are right, lightning could hit, or you could vibrate off a neutral and all hell could break loose. We all recognize that any of us could blow a cylinder on our engine and be on the hook for $$$$.
But under the normal course of using a “drop in” type of battery – if you dont account for some of the things it is sensitive to – things will happen that are NOT part of the shit happens. As in this will happen over and over and over again. Here are Relion’s installation directions, and they tend to gloss over what they dont really want to bring to attention – but its there.
Notice the alternator discussion. A regulator doesnt protect the alternator – unless you can remotely disconnect the field wire (or at the worst the B+ wire) BEFORE the BMS disconnects from the circuit (assuming you dont have a lead acidAGM battery in line). They mention quality of alternator, but it really comes down to BMS disconnections.
They also give you a Recommended Low Voltage Disconnect Voltage. Now, why would they give you that (along with charge voltages) and such if they have a BMS that will protect their battery ? Thats actually printed in the normal specs of the battery. . . I mean they print this low voltage disconnect voltage which is a 3 volts higher than their disconnect voltage. Is this something a potential user of their battery should follow ? I would say yes. or maybe they are just printing it for no real reason and people can choose to follow or not follow.
Now, Jon its entirely possible you told them you NEVER discharge below that limit – and are always at or above the 50% mark. So they gloss that over saying you dont have to have a LVD because you will never be below that level. But the reality is that things happen where batteries get drawn down.
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Keith, sent you an email
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Thanks to all!
Prevost Houston directed us to mid coast as well.
They are booked way out due to construction.
So we’re thinking of waiting till we get to Nashville.
Thanks again,
Chris
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Thank you David Lee!
Your Cat Scale experience & diagram sums it up… All that I have seen (and have checked three on this trip) are designed for a truck tractor with a steer, two close drives, and a trailer axle as depicted in your aerial photo. I have heard of folks driving up on them backwards in order to get axle weights with one pass. I will keep checking to see if I can find one that will easily weigh a bus.
Tom – what pressures do you run on your H3 please?
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Coach 1088
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Six foot deep pothole on shoulder.
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Thank you. Its the Detroit Allison located in Miami and they’re super busy. Located close to the port. I’ve got time; this time. So the long hold time is fine for now.
I did drop it off this morning and the techs did connect the computer right away and started pulling the codes. 4 codes popped up. Not sure what they were but it sounded like they had it under control. I’ll post the codes, the fixes and cost when I pick it up.
My main concern are the batteries and what are the settings I should leave on or off…? I did turn on Auto Start in the GenSet but Jon told me that when auto start turns on, your batteries are tooo low and it’s kind of a last resort. So I just turned off all breakers at the inside panel including the frig. I might stop by tomorrow to run the gen set for an hour if it’s not inside the work bay.
Any thoughts..? Or further recommendations?
Thank you
Joe
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Harry our coaches had three Todd Converters hence the three outlets you see. I have the same three outlets. The Vanners in that bay are not for the engine but for the house Batts, I have the same. The right side of that bay I have 8 lifeline 4D’s on two sliders. My coach had the Todds changed over to three Freedom 58’s inverter/chargers.(I/C). Many of the AC lights in my coach only work off of the inverters, so if I want lights on I needs the I/C to be on for the required circuit. The I/C must be on Charge also if I want the house batts to be charged, which I do. As a minimum I must have the charger on to keep the batts charged. If I am not in the coach I leave the invert function off. I you have separate charger and inverters you should consider up grading. As smart as the previous owner was he failed to cough up the funds for a good electrical system.
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Congrats Chuck, that will teach you about hanging around with Roy, he helped you spend your money. Check out our seminar in March in FL, Tradewinds is well versed on Featherlite and the timing would be good for you.