[Mike]

Yes, nicely done and also your bus is really clean in the Webasto area.

[Mike]

Sorry to hear that Roy. Prayers for you and your family. I hope you’re doing OK.

[Mike]

Thanks Al for the generous and kind introduction.

I noticed the radiator in our 1998 XL-45 shell started to leak at a campground in Fredericksburg, TX in March of this year. The diesel truck shop across the street said they were capable for looking at it and probably fix it but they were really back up and short-handed. Prevost PASS wanted us to travel back towards Austin or San Antonio to a handful of Volvo shops. The campground pointed me to an RV and Truck repair shop in Kerrville, 28 miles. Called them, the owner could pronounce Prevost correctly, said they had worked on Prevost coaches before had done radiator fixes on many Class A motorhomes and large trucks … most of the time having them recored by the same company.

Did you know that Kerrville, TX (the home of Mooney Aircraft when they are in production) is half way between California and Florida on I-10 and common place for RVs (big and small) as well as buses to break down? I didn’t either.

We calculated that we were getting about 8 to 14 miles to gallon of coolant on the trip to Love’s and Kerrville.

They pulled the radiator. The fan clutch had been hitting the brace across the radiator and apparently that drove the cooling fins on the clutch into the radiator (or stones were driven in from the road). Plus in one corner the aluminum fins of the radiator had corroded away. The radiator shop said they couldn’t fix it, they would recore it. I’m not sure that road salt was the problem with our radiator as much as we didn’t run the coach much in the winter where salt is used and I think the same was for the previous only owner. I think my problem might have been the squirrels using our coach and race trailer to store black walnuts, which apparently are corrosive when they get wet.

I contacted Prevost parts. They had a radiator in Nashville and Quebec. IIRC $4,800 plus freight. I might have a post somewhere else with more contemporaneous information and data and comments and suggests from the Forum members.

Some of the Forum members said to replace the radiator. Some said recore. I relied most heavily on Dan Hilger’s recommendation. He said he recores the radiators on the farm trucks and tractors all the time with no trouble.

So I went the recore route. So far so good. IIRC I saved about $1,500. Once you see how the radiator is built: brass tanks on either end (than are bolted together) with the core between them and the copper tubes in the core soldered into one half of each brass tank. IIRC they pressure tested it before they released it to shop for installation. If you go the recore route, hopefully you’ll get a tech who has recored hundreds if not thousands of similar radiators. The process was held up a few days because the recore shop had to special order the core because the Prevost radiator was “thick” and not necessarily a common core. Think about that if trying to fine a “standard replacement.

Getting the engine side of the radiator clean and the area between the radiator and the CAC I think is very important. That is where the damage can be done, especially down low were “stuff” can be trapped.

Thanks again Al!

[Mike]

So, what the hell is a B500? got a picture?

[Mike]

Power receptacles need maintenance. As a campground ages if annual maintenance has not been a routine thing what typically happens is the torque required to keep the screw tight against the cables relaxes.

Steel is harder than copper so as a result a tight electrical connection loosens due to the ability of copper or aluminum cable to “cold flow”.

Loose connections generate heat and the result is low voltage or failed devices.

Checking electricity with a surge protector or voltage meter is not going to help because the problems only begin to show up under load. While Al may be capable of bringing his own breakers or receptacles to make repairs it is a dangerous practice and unless someone is highly qualified they should never open a shore power box.

[Mike]

“Holy crap that is tight! Inch is as good as a mile as long as it clears.”

Let me tell you about the time I backed in and the rear dump valve didnt cycle and I didnt double check… I check now.

https://youtu.be/oaWxIkmOjvo

[Mike]

The charge profile for lithium is very easy with programmable chargers. Essentially you want 14.2 bulk, same for absorption but only an hour and float it around 13.5 or not at all.

Some issues to concern yourself is that the alternator is the best charging source for lifepo4 batteries as it is possible to drop huge Amps in to them in a short period of time. The issue is that the alt will cook the lithium in short order if you charge them hours on end when full. So it’s best to use a high voltage disconnect that will disconnect once they ramp up over 14.2. However you can’t just disconnect an alternator as that will fry your diodes. The solution to that is to have a agm battery inline to that circuit to take the spike. The engine or alternator start battery works perfectly here with a mosfet or diode bank separator.

But outside of that I would advise that you look at using victron inverters / gear. They all work with lithium batteries and their own battery BMS units talk to the inverters to do high and low voltage cut offs. They are top notch and stand. Behind their batteries and gear.

[Mike]

Yes sir, owned my own NAPA Parts store, Lewisville, TX 10 years

Your correct on the ..old

[Mike]

For another $10 Tom will deploy his much loved slide.

[Mike]

…………and the speculation begins………………..

[Mike]

Based on the amount of dues money Tom and I collect, and subsequently convert into gold bars it is evident I will not be running out of bay space anytime soon.

Thank goodness for my garden because Di and I are so poor we have to grow our own food.

[Mike]

Thanks for a great weekend. We arrived back in SC about 6:00 and only had a few showers along the way. One traffic back up due to an accident in Atl – par for the course.

Saw where there was a tornado crossing Al-59 in Foley. Hope those that stayed today are all well.

See you all down the road.

[Mike]

What was on the line for fittings when the line failed? Compression fittings are better, but not enough to make me want to rip a good push in fitting out just to say I did.

[Mike]

Glenn,

The system you refer to was called a “stabilzator” by Prevost. The only attachment was a pair of hydraulic cylinders that were attached to the drive axle in a near vertical position. Assuming the system was maintained (most weren’t) the cylinders could only hold the chassis up when the tag axle air bags were de-pressurized when tag lift was initiated. There is nothing in the system that could catch or lock the chassis down relative to the drive axle.

A lot of converters did not order shells with the feature and some who got shells with the feature disabled it.

The process of finding out why the coach will not rise on the left side is not complex, but is a simple step by step. I suggested checking the 5 port Norgren because that can prevent the flow of air in or out of the ride height valve we have been told will pass air. If the five port Norgren is not the problem then the next step is to determine if the drive axle air bags are pressurized indicating air is getting to them, but is possibly blocked at the 3 port valve between the drive andf tag air bags. That valve closes the path between the driver and tag bags when the tag is lifted, while exhausing tag axle air bag air. If the tag axle air bag is not inflating the problem can be the two drive axle bags alone are not able to lift the rear on the left side.

My guess remains with the 5 port Norgren as the next device to check.

[Mike]

Jon,

If your trip is to Idaho, best fill up or at least top off your fuel tank before entering Montana. Last time I was through there I needed fuel and had to use a country Mom and Pop station with lots of loaded cow trailers around all of which were being pulled by diesel powered 3500 pick up trucks. Lots of cowboy boots and hats too. Turned out the fuel was good and no problems interrupted that trip. Best calculate the miles required to traverse Montana, it’s a long distance, to make sure you can get all the way across it without needing fuel.