Jim
Forum Replies Created
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Also,
I want to say, John at Olympia has been great to work with and is quick with his e-mail and calls. I really hope I can make this happen with him and Olympia. I just know most folks on this forum believe the records are a very important part of buying a coach….Thanks every one for you imput!
Steve -
Our H3-40 Hoffman conversion has Prevost OTR and I like it much better than using the roof air. The compartments over the wheels are called ski bays and are great storage. We have really enjoyed our H3-40!
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Jon…
Just as you said, there are some serious issues with a rear-mounted lift. That is the reason I shied away from that type of lift. Instead, I’m going to prepare my Ford PU for towing and use my BlueOx Sportloader. Much safer for my engine cradle. -
Over on POG on guy said that a product called crystaltek-vinyl off works real well,just takes time.I can’t paste the web site but it is http://www.crystaltek.com
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Find different mechanics.
Leaks have to be repaired. New fittings, new seals, or even a new pump. Not stop leak.
As to draining a coach to winterize it you may find an alternative. I drained my first coach to protect it when we lived in the snow belt of western NY. It was a complex process to say the least because by the time I got done I was still uncomfortable because of all the potential places water can be trapped.
The ice maker, the washer, all the P traps in the drains, HW tank, pump, all water lines, etc. Bottom line was I think I drained and protected everything but was not completely sure. So when we got it filled and ready for the next trip we never again attempted to winterize it. Instead we protected it against freezing, and for more than 10 years exposed to temps that got as low as -26F I never had an issue.
The bus was kept protected from the wind in a barn. It had power to it. I filled the water tank. I put a 500W cube heater in the water bay and aimed it at the water tank. That 100 plus gallons of water was a huge heat sink that kept the water bay warm when the cube heater just did not have enough output to do the job. The bay temps never got below 40.
In the house I used a three setting electric heater with an oscillating fan. I opened all cabinet doors where there was plumbing. I used all three settings depending on how cold it was, but the bottom line is even on the coldest days the coach interior never driopped below 45.
I was able to check on the coach daily so I was always able to use the coach heating systems if one of my heaters failed or it got too cold. It never did.
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Bryan,
I believe you have made a wise move to install Centramatics on all 3 axles. No one as far as I know has removed Centramatics from the stand point of “no benefit received”.
On the serious side Centramatics do exactly what they claim, balance tire , wheel and hub. This combo is not possible with balance only tire and wheel. Another plus ……no worry with throwing a weight causing your tire is out of balance and you don’t know it.
Worth the money…that is a yes
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“Remember folks, this is coming from a guy with a flip phone who washes his bus with a bucket. I rest my case.”
Can we see “selfies” in our future?
DS
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Another critical thing to remember when assembling the manifold to the block is to be very careful to torque to the proper values. Those manifolds are notorious for cracking and the gaskets are subject to blowing out. If everything is right life is good.
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The SMX just plugs in. It talks to the PLM where your programing is.
Later
bv
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Merry Christmas to all my new friends here on PC! I look forward to getting to know everyone and who knows maybe someday I may even answer a question instead of just asking them.
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Jim,!
A couple other things you can do is turn on the water heater, that makes lot’s of heat for the bay. Also the ole light bulb trick, just hook up a 100 watt bulb or flood light and leave in the bay, keeps things fro freezing. Can’t answer your other question, don’t remember the bay heat setup for CC.
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Yeah Wave, Bobsie Twins. Good looking coaches.
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MM,
You have to put things in context. I have no idea how your current RV is configured, how the structure intrudes on space or what your objective is. When I say I sacrificed to get slides that means I gave up space, both in the bays and upstairs. You recognize slides steal interior wall space that can be used for an additional closet, a larger shower or more room in the pantry. But what you may not recognize is the structure required for the slides impacts bay space. In your situation you may be gaining some, but going from a non-slide XL to a 2 slide XLII I lost the space I needed to store my 2 full size bicycles. I lost the convenience of opening a bay door and not slamming my head on an extended slide. I gave up 90 gallons of fuel going from 298 down to 208.
Because you are going from an RV to an H3 you may not have to give up anything. In fact because the H3 is taller than most RVs, almost all of which is in the bays it may seem you haven’t given up a thing, and may have gained something.
While I am not giving up my slides I would like the lighter weight of the coach without slides. I will do my own service, but could easily do without the added service slides require. Adding two more is doubling that added maintenance I have now. If I were to add two more slides I would have to give up my Cruiseairs. Space is at such a premium in four slide coaches your new 4 slide coach is going to have the AC on the roof. That should not affect you because you have them up there now. I would never give up my OTR, but since you have never had a system as good as the real Prevost OTR system you won’t miss it. You will lose some additional space because now you and the passenger are on the same plane as the living space. In that new H3 you lose living space to the two front seats on a different plane. You can no longer turn the passenger seat to become a part of the living room furnishings.
My point is we are coming at this discussion from different perspectives.
We have had most of the uses of a coach an owner could have. We dry camped a lot when we were parking next to warehouses or doing trade shows. We drove it a lot being in a different city each day. Now we tend to stay in one spot in an RV park for longer periods. None of our coaches was ideal for everything. Each had advantages over the others. If a big open area is important to you such that you need four slides I can understand because how you use your coach may not be how we use ours.
I do know one thing for sure…..we never fully appreciate a coach’s advantages and disadvantages until we have spent a lot of time and miles in one. I just know we really like the one we have, and each one that preceded it because the converter did such a good job in dealing with the compromises in each coach.
What I never hear you talk about are the systems and the basic engineering. While finding room for the coffee table in the middle of the floor may seem important, when you get right down to the nitty-gritty, easpecially on a four slide coach you should include serious questions such as how reliable are the systems and when something breaks (everything does eventually) is it repairable and easily accessed? Are the axle weigths within limits even after the coach is loaded? How technical is the system controls and can you change a TV (for example) without having to reprogram the system? Is the integration of the converter’s systems and controls separate from the Prevost systems or is the line between them blurred allowing for a lot of finger pointing? Will the converter simplify the coach so you are not dependent upon a single source of service for a proprietary control system? Did I mention axle weights?
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Jon et al,
You know, I haven’t ever driven a Prevost. I have ridden in their new buses a couple of times as they were part of a tour I was on while in Canada back in May.
Jon, you keep mentioning ‘giving up’ things when you have an additional slide. I know that the slides do take up some inside room because of the ‘slide’ walls. But the extra space on the inside once opened is really nice.
The H3-45 chassis has such tall bays that any space that’s taken up should be minimal. Since we have a four slide coach already, I don’t think we’ll be giving up much with a new four slide coach. I have two large pass-through bays of which one has a slide-out tray. I still have extra space so you must be carrying everything including the kitchen sink! LOL!
I carry 6 folding chairs, a folding table, a small tool container, a Trek bike, a container tub with all of my liquids (oil, antifreeze, windshield washer fluild, brake fluid, etc.). The tubs I’m referring to came from Costco, the type that are milky white with a zig-zag interlocking black lids on top. Another tub has jumper cables, TV cable wiring (30 ft.), I also carry two hoses (grey hose and a white for fresh water), three bright orange cones in case of emergency.
I keep our sewer hose and hose caddy in one tub, in another I have the typical string lights (if I get adventurous and put them up), bug candles and a bug zapper. I have a full size pancake compressor, a 6 foot folding ladder and a 2.5 ft. folding ladder. Also an electric round grill.
I still have room for a few additional items and we don’t use all the cabinets inside the coach (most, but not all).
Mark
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We were there a couple of years ago and remeber the front heaves. Got to take it easy and slow done. Took a 2000 Class C up insted a 2007 Ambassador with 4 slides but will be going againb in May 2014 in the 1996 Prevost CC we just bought. Not expecting any problems as far was driving the roads but was wondering if anyone has any ideas/suggestions for protecting the front of the coach?
Thanks
Moe