George
Forum Replies Created
-
Trucklite 25250Y = yellow
Trucklite 25250R = red
-
Having purchased 3 buses through Marathon, 2 consignments, 1 trade in owned by Marathon. Reading this entire tread I don’t see a “PDI” report mentioned about the sale of this bus. Its pretty much an automatic PDI inspection the seller must agree to prior to listing through Marathon. Document is 20 plus pages about systems and overall condition of bus.
A road test also will give some hints of drivability. This maybe where a brake issue showed up.
Buyer should scrub the entire bus and ID the most serious issue that’s a deal breaker to purchase. In my experience with this process this brake issue would in all probability be taken to the truck center located down the street from the Marathon factory.
-
We have had one of the Verizon Hotspots for years that works very Well. Quit carrying it around a couple years ago after getting the Hot Spot on the Iphone. The Old Hot Spot is metered Data. But Our Phone plan is so old that We still have Unlimited Data. Which They have tried to talk us out of several times by offering Us a new iphone for 99 Bucks or so. They will eventually get everyone on a Metered Data program. Some of the large providers have been busted Throttling back peoples Data Speed once they get to a certain amout used in a Month. I have a Samsung LED Smart TV in My Coach with a HDMI to iPhone or Ipad Converter cable which works amazing. Netflix , You Tube , Etc. I wil use the Data until We loose it ! Side Note , The newer GM ‘s Have an awesome wi-fi Module in them. Kept it on for a year and did not use it that much. Have not really crunched the numbers on the cost of the GM Verses iphone costs. If We ever get to go full time or spend several months a year in the Coach ? I will look at that option.
-
I got the brown one from Lowe’s. On sale to boot! Works great. And, I find I use it for other stuff.
-
Andy,
I know you are embracing this new and exciting Li technology and all the manufacturers promise.
But step back and look at what I presume you have in place in the context of the differences between AGM and Li for your application.
You have more batteries than most so your coach is already set up to boondock better than most. If your definition of boondocking is to stretch the time between generator starts maximizing it by conserving energy it appears you can make use of the existing space your batteries require and get more power storage with Li batteries. I am going to assume they are trouble free.
But as nice as that sounds it is not free. I don’t know how many hours of boondocking you will spend annually but a little work with a pencil will reveal what your cost will be for each recharge cycle saved or eliminated. But keep in mind energy is energy so regardless of time between generator starts the generator still has to shove XXX little electrons back into the batteries so whether it does it more often with AGM or less often with Li the generator is likely doing comparable work.
One thing a lot of folks ignore is they drag along with them a very capable generator that is meant to allow them to live in the luxury a Prevost coach suggests. My idea of boondocking is anything less than 50 amp service and when I am boondocking I have the generator fired up immeciately so I can be a absolute energy hog. My cost to treat myself to an endless supply of electric is less than 1/2 gallon so I don’t care if I have a lot of on board battery power with one exception. I just want enough for those instances when running the generator is not practical to get through the night using some lights, watching some TV, keeping the refrigerator going, and maybe making that cup of coffee. In that context Li is not important, especially since it only seems to reduce weight and maybe go a little longer between charges. For that the economics are not there.
-
Jeff – you are the real deal. Thank you for all your inputs on this site, and for always saving the day. I (we) all appreciate you.
-
If you own a coach you never have to worry about power outage in your home.
I have mine set up so the generator is my standby power and I plug into my buddy plug with shore power cords and my house has power.
-
or…..just wait a couple of months for the “NEW” Iphone with the larger screen…..LOL
-
I agree there might be some gauge error so if that is the fudge factor it makes sense. As I posted earlier my needle at cruise speed of 1500 is just shy of 50 PSI, but the DDEC reader shows it at 53 PSI.
My temps on the gauges were difficult to interpret but looked like they agreed with the DDEC reader so I don’t know if there is in fact a fudge factor on all gauges.
To answer Dick’s question our engine computers on the Detroits will shut down the engine for only three reasons. Low Coolant, low oil pressure, high coolant temp. There are a number of issues that will cause the engine to operate at derated power and a lot more that will light the CEL (check engine light)
If I get a SEL (stop engine light) it has my immediate and undivided attention. When that light comes on you need to be looking for the shoulder of the road. If I get a CEL I keep driving while trying to determine if all gauges are within normal range. I usually look for a rest area, truck stop or some other safe place to park while I hook up my reader to see what is going on. With the exception of when I needed to change the CAC I haven’t had a CEL or SEL on the last two coaches (a ten year span). The first coach which was DDEC I was frequently throwing codes, but few of them were of consequence.
-
Actually that is good information for everyone.
If you ding the bottom of an XL bay door replacement is quite easy.
-
Before changing to air ride Seat. Might be a little less expensive..The longer wheel base normaly gives a better ride. Just a observation.. Bob Also front tire pressure. Bob
-
Red, when I’m running a couple of Cruisairs off the inverters without the generator running, I sometimes get a “Low Battery” light on my dash when I slow from highway speeds and the revs drop. I think it just means that all or most of the juice from the alternator is going to the house batteries, leaving the chassis batteries with less than normal charging voltage. Light goes away as soon as the revs go back up. Any chance that was your issue? Just a thought.
-
Here are things to discuss with a wife who wants slides……….
Slides do one thing. They increase the amount of space for you to walk. If the distance between the two sofas or the counter top and the table is 30″, a slide increases that to about 60″. Now you know the entire benefit of slides. So if your priority in the coach is to walk back and forth a lot, or dance, by all means get slides.
But there is a cost associated with slides. They are an expense, both in the initial purchase price, but in the ongoing maintenance. It doesn’t matter who built the slides, what coach they are on, slides are mechanical devices and there will come a time they will require a repair, or a seal replacement or some type of service.
Slides take up room. We all like to carry way too much stuff in our coaches. We over pack. Having slides is an automatic space limiting feature to cut down on storage space. Each side of a slide takes up space for the mechanism and the trim and if we assume that is about 9″ per side, per slide you will lose about 3 feet of space along one side of the coach on a two slide coach. That is a nice sized closet or space for a washer and dryer, or maybe a pantry. But slides not only take away useable space inside the coach. Usually the slide structure compromises the available bay space because the structure and mechanism has to go somewhere. That means the storage below is also less than in a comparable non-slide coach.
Then there is that weight issue. Slides add weight. Weight increases fuel consumption and cuts down on performance. There is nothing good about adding weight.
If you are going to discuss the slide issue with your wife the reality is how you use the coach will dictate if you will benefit from slides or if they are unnecessary. If you use the coach as a 2nd home, and have a place you like to go for extended periods of time there is no doubt having that extra inside width makes the livability of the coach much nicer. But if your intent is to travel in the coach, rarely spending more than a day or two in any one location, slides really are not going to add much to your enjoyment of the coach. Usually when the coach is used to visit new locations you are not sitting in the coach watching re-runs of Law and Order. You are out and away visiting landmarks and you return to the coach to sleep.
That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
-
George that Bus has caught our attention too. The draw back for us is the open bathroom. We want a floor plan with a private head. No doubt she photographs well though!
-
Very nice….