[Mark]

Thanks. Prior to my getting the coach someone got creative. They moved hoses around, they actually disconnected the Norgren water trap and modified the arrangement of the tubing. It was not Prevost judging by the hoses or fittings used, and I did not see evidence it was Liberty so part of what I did was attempt to identify where each hose goes and to put it back together so there is some order to what I am doing. I am awaiting a solenoid valve and some tubing because I want to shut off non-essentail circuits when the key is off so I still have a little more work.

I hate trying to sort out an air system because unlike the electrical with numbered wires and good labeling we don’t have that in the pneumatic system. Once I get the unidentified circuits identified and decide if I am to add more manifolds I will start identifying leaks and repairing them. With rare exception all fittings are brass DOT compression. I had to use a couple of push in DOT fittings this week because I did not have the right size, but as soon as I get the right ones they are being replaced. I cannot believe how many push in fittings I have remaining just in the steer compartment.

[Mark]

Thanks Peter I’m headed back to Grainger
today I ordered the fittings yesterday. I’ll get some of the pipe sealant too.
I took another look at the hose and if I reroute it there’s enough to connect
it without having to add any more hose. Thank you and everybody for the expertise and advice.

Fred

[Mark]

Here’s my Man Cave, 150′ from the house. 30 X 50, insulated, water, phone and 12 X 14 electric doors. You never know when you’ll need that extra height door. “H” comes to mind…..

Don’t skimp on the size, figure out what you need and then make it bigger…. No pit like the Godfather in TN.

[Mark]

Peter,

Thanks, looks like the valve is the orginal one that came with the bus and it has a roll pin. The new one will be here Monday and I will see if it has a sping pin.

[Mark]

We’ve said this before……….sometimes chasing air leaks is very time consuming and frustrating, but with some patience and the right tools it can be done. Whether you use something like Hector’s “Texas Bubbler” or use a guage attached to a circuit or component every air leak can be identified. I think several have said it only takes ten minutes to fix a leak, but can take 10 hours to find some leaks.

The last I heard the Prevost standard for fixing the leans was if it remains level for 3 days the coach is OK. If that is not acceptable to you as an owner it is necessary to make the coach virtually leak free. That means every single component such as air bags and valves have to be leak free. All fittings have to be leak free. To reach that standard is very time consuming and requires a lot of attention to the details. If you turn your coach over to any serviced facility and want that standard met be prepared for a very large cost because the effort required is substantial.

As to hub seal failures something seems wrong. I know that on occasion they can leak and they need to be replaced. I can only think of two reasons why there would be repeated failures at the same axle position. First, the most common is whoever is installing the replacement seal is crushing or deforming the seal so the inner portion does not rotate freely within the outer portion of the seal. When the seal is installed in the hub it is a press fit, and in the absence of the correct tool it needs to be inserted very carefully to prevent denting, distorting or deforming the metal to metal portion. It can be inserted without the tool and is in many instances, but it has to be done carefully. The proof it was done properly is the seal will be aligned correctly and the inner portion will rotate.

The second reason I can think of repeated failure is the stationary surface that the inner portion of the seal rests on a stationary surface of the differential end housing or the spindle and that surface is pitted or corroded. The seal cannot make good contact with a corroded surface so eventually the leaks appear.

This assumes the bearings are not damaged and the hub has been tightened to the specification in the shop manual. Some installations call for a torque value to be met, some for a runout value and however it is stated that is required.

[Mark]

John who rents Marathon’s? Is it motorhomes or entertainers buses?

[Mark]

Tom is referring to the compressor governor.

As to airbags over the years as the XL and then H3 and XLII coaches evolved and various configurations were developed Prevost had an ever increasing number of air bag part numbers. As axle weights changed and wheelbases were increased the number of part numbers they carried grew to look like a Manhattan phone book. I think around 5 years ago Prevost attempted to reduce the number of variations they carried so a lot of the part numbers were superceded by new part numbers that fit more applications.

The key for folks who do their own maintenance and repairs is to make sure the parts folks know as much about your coach as you can tell them because of mods (such as the Mae West upgrade) that can impact which bag is the correct replacement.

[Mark]

Fantastic. Previously the only folks eligible had to participate by being dues paying members of the FMCA. While that is not a bad thing, what Stephen and Alicia have provided to us is a program that doesn’t require any dues.

Thanks to Stephen and Alicia for putting this together. It is a great benefit and I encourage everyone to take advantage of it. Like the fuel discount program it is open to all.

Spread the word and tell your friends.

[Mark]

Thank you. I may take you up on the pre inspection for the inspection offer. As soon as I get over the laryngitis i have no voice so cant talk on the phone with the dealer that has it. By the way the Dealer is Platinum Coach & RV.

It is on RVT.COM Here is the link http://www.rvt.com/2001-prevost-angola%20XLII-Lewisville-Texas-for-sale-ID5226546.htm

If anyone has any info please feel free to chime in.

Thanks

George Crickmore

[Mark]

I think the problem may have been an operator error. The bus is new to me and I left the front shutter closed while parked on my home rv pad with the CA running. I opened the front shutter and the display now seems to operate normal. May be a coincidence but for now I will take it as working properly.

[Mark]

I’ve owned two orphaned coaches, a 2008 Beaver (Monaco) and this 99 Country Coach. Jon is correct that you have to realize that some parts may no longer be available. The same can be said for systems on coaches of existing converters. Component and system obsolence is a problem anytime you’re looking at a 10 year old coach. The biggest difference is likely the support the “still in business” converter will provide. Don’t be fooled by the name. I don’t know about Country Coach, but I do know that the new Monaco doesn’t provide much support for the old Monaco’s products, beyond supplying still available parts.

The good news is that so many of the critical systems are Prevost, so you’ll have the support you need. This a critical difference between conversions and the “plastic” coaches.

[Mark]

Do you think it matters much whether or not the company that originally built the conversion is still in business? For example, I understand that Royale coaches were, but no longer are, built by Monaco. Country Coach no longer builds conversions although I understand that the company is back in business manufacturing parts, etc.

Bookman

[Mark]

I know a lot of folks have dealt with frequent discharges of chassis batteries by installing or using battery chargers or maintainers. I would caution that before doing that it might be best to find out why chassis batteries are discharging.

When the engine is turned off there should be no loads on the chassis batteries and therefore the problem could be as simple as a bad battery affecting the set, or worse a load that should not be on the chassis batteries. Part of coach onwership is knowing the coach and if there is a load that is capable of discharging a set of batteries I would suggest determining what it is, verifying it is safe and needed, and considering if it should be on the chassis batteries or if the load belongs on the house batteries.

All of my coaches would go months without the need to charge the chassis batteries when the coach was stored.