[John]

Brand marketing is a whole different issue because we all have been conditioned to use something with a familiar name on it.

If a well known US company marketed a product under their name, and the offshore manufaturer of the product sold it under its name even with a reasonable price difference the brand name product would fly off the shelves.

Where we once lived there was a large food processing company. I knew people that worked there and when they were canning brand name tomatoes as soon as they met the quantity requirements the only thing that changed was the store brand label went on the can instead of the brand name label. Same plant, same process, same tomatoes, different label. Having said that I can tell you the loyalty to a brand is strong. For over 50 years we were only allowed to have one specific brand of hot dogs in our house. On a solo trip in the bus I bought the food I wanted and the hot dogs were not that brand. I did get a chewing out for that, but she got past it.

When I mentioned the hot dogs I bought were really good she reluctantly allowed a package of them in the house and as a result she was so happy about how good they were she has not gone back to the ones we ate for 50 years. A brand name is another way of making a lesser quality product more acceptable. Look at the uphill struggle Kia and Hyundai have had to get where they are finally accepted.

[John]

To all, In my past life as a locksmith, it seems all “Paddle type”handels fail, because the operators use too much “pull” when opening the door.

They tend to use one motion to release the latch and continue to pull to open the door.

I have found that if you use two steps to open the door

-first release the latch-

then use a little less pull to open the door , the life of the handel is greatly increased.

Jim brown

[John]

Based on these statements, I think I will just reach over and put the tranny in “fly low”… the shocks do not need the workout…. I hate the bumpity-bump, bumpity-bump…. all the way to town… I believe we will take the road less traveled through PIne Bluff, etc….. more time spent but the trip is short from Hot Springs to South Memphis…

I assume the road out of Memphis towards Nashville / Lexington, Ky is of better quality… certainly hope so…

Thanks to all for the thoughts…

Pres

[John]

We have a close relative, Liberty#331. Parliment installed this KitchenAid Model KFIS20XVMS8

[John]

Jim & Chris…

No photo present there?

Diane

[John]

thanks for your note….I will check that pump out.

[John]

Jim & Chris…

Our friend is talking to the lady owner… maybe the husband has passed away… she claims they have had no trouble with it at all… they have owned it for 4 years.

The price is $105K which it may have enough room there for some repairs… I suggested a PDI to them and warned of the many possible repairs it may need… I told him it looked nice BUT be prepared to spend $$$$ on it maybe up to $30K depending..???

Don’t want to run them off of it… they have been looking a long time and I think they are looking for a bargain.. I told him they are out there but watch out… it’s not always what it seems like… Have encouraged them to get on here and learn but maybe they are not too much into computers. They are a strong christian couple in their 60s and very nice… I’d hate to see them get screwed !

What would your opinion be at that price?

Cheers, Diane

[John]

Tom – thanks. No, I did not see either of the red boxes last week, even when I was logged in. Nothing in that space at all. I did see the blue Rally box just fine.

All seems to be well now, so I guess chalk it up to a style sheet or browser cache issue. Maybe I caught it right after the page edit.

Michelle

[John]

Thanks, guys.

My 100-150k rebuild concern is based on the number of listings for used coaches that describe having been rebuilt recently at that low mileage. There is an old thread on this site where someone else brings up that concern as well (with replies to reasons why, such as poor maintenance or overheating or babying the accelerator).

What’s a “PDI and zero everything out”? How would I coordinate an inspection before purchase in a different city/state where the coach is located? Just any nearest diesel repair facility?

[John]

OSB,

A Prevost IS a money pit. But let’s put that in context.

If you are looking for a new Prevost conversion you will spend serious money and depreciation can approach $1000 per day (not a typo). On that new conversion you still have to have insurance, buy fuel, do routine service such as oil changes, lube, etc.

Or you greatly minimize depreciation by purchasing an old coach. The older the coach the less depreciation. But you still have to have insurance, buy fuel, and do routine service. But in addition and older coach that has not been well maintained is goig t otake serious money to undo the damage from poor maintenance. But it will still be less expensive than a new oe.

Set a budget. Be realistic because you are not ging to find a perfect used coach. If you find a great used coach that is almost perfect you will spend some money taking care of the few glitches, but on any coach you are still going to buy tires, batteries and depending on age, air bags, and other items that age out. You can figure these costs based on your tolerance level for risk.

But don’t think a Prevost is going to go a million miles without spending a lot of money on routine, planned maintenance. Except for unusual circumstances most owners will never have to buy or repair an engine.