Mike
Forum Replies Created
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Our A/C system looks very much like Coachcrazy’s above if not exaclty (Driver air left side, AUX air right side)
We, too, get a lot of air out of the defrost vents compared to the dash air vents. The AUX air that works behind the seats has vents that I can set to blow on me (driver’s side) that keeps me nice and cool.
I also set a store-brought fan on the steps blowing directly at me. I like constant air movement and ‘C’ does not. I would probably have to cover the front defrost vents if it wasn’t for the AUX air picking up the slack. I know that we probably lose a lot of coolness as those windshields are so big and not double-paned. The air blowing out of the defrost vents is probably not a bad idea.
On edit: I forgot to mention that we have a function on the digital read-out in the Prevost message center. I can toggle through it and it gives me the high and low pressure of the dash air system. When it’s off, those two numbers are equal.
Mark
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Wow Jon, that was almost reasonable and even handed!I have no doubt that grin you mentioned will be there many a day and I’m sure looking forward to being behind the wheel of my very own coach! I thank you one and all for your help, guidance and patience as I was learning about the great Prevost bus! My journey begins and I’m happy to say, with my friends!
HJ
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It is becoming clear that PC needs a better screening process before we send someone a password.
If all goes according to plan Harry will become a happy but poor Prevost owner. He will know the way from Murphy NC to Vonore TN by heart and get to experience the ETLC oil changes that cost almost as much as our national debt.
He will find out the grin he is about to get on his face when he gets behind the wheel for the first time takes several weeks to go away. He will find when he asks for advice that we really like to offer answers that make him spend money, and that we make up half of what we tell him.
It is obvious Harry and Jim Lane were baiting me when he mentioned Jim said the coach Harry is about to buy was the best coach of its day. But Jim is correct and anyone that has ever seen one of the Beaver Prevost conversions will agree. The coach is outstanding and has a wood interior made by skilled craftsman, something no longer available.
Good luck Harry.
BTW, Harry has no clue about how rare the occasion of our meeting was. I not only had my flip phone on me, it was actually turned on.
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Found out from Laura at Xplorer, Triumphe is subsidiary of National. Went with that policy. It is National interstate not National General used by Good Sam and FMCA. I know many have praised Miller, but two messages at different times left and never returned my calls.
Nice to hear about the agent in Dallas, picking up the coach there, and with grandkids in the area probably will be looking at them for service/repairs since haven’t heard of any “go to places” in Arizona
gary
05 Marathon,16Wrangler
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I use a digital meat thermometer and set it in the vent by the driver. I couldn’t see using a digital infrared thermometer to check temp because you have consistently “hit” the same point to get an accurate reading. I do the same thing on the outlets for the Cruise-Airs.
When I switch the OTR/bus air on I watch the temp on the digital count down. Lowest temp I’ve ever seen is 53 or 54 degrees as I recall (I should write this down in my log book) when we need the OTR to be comfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything less than that.
When we bought our coach and Jeff Rowe “zero’d it out”, we knew it been to Liberty in North Chicago in the previous three years for OTR/bus air service. I recall Jeff changing a valve in the system and probably putting some freon in (don’t all A/C system need freon?). It was quite a while before we ran it in really hot weather and needed the OTR A/C. But when we finally did, it just didn’t seem to cool down … especially when I read about Prevost owners with OTR taking about really getting cold temps in the coach. We weren’t uncomfortable, but I couldn’t brag about hanging meat or aging fine cheddar in the coach on a hot day with rest of the OTR crowd.
So I mentioned it to Jeff during a service. He worked on it, deemed it fixed. When we went to leave I left it sitting on his driveway for a while with the OTR running, came out and was ready to go, and it wasn’t as cold as I thought it should get. Jeff came out and went to work. Agreed it should be colder.
I have come to understand from the forum that there is a solenoid valve I think is up front (under the dash?) that opens and closes to provide hot engine coolant to the OTR heat (and maybe temper the A/C) and I wondered if maybe this valve wasn’t closing all the way. But that wasn’t the problem.
This is where Jeff showed me that the Carrier compressor is a six cylinder compressor in a V-configuration. The system is designed to “drop” pairs of cylinders … apparently being able to run on 2 or 4 or all 6 cylinders depending on the A/C load (a “smart” idea I thought, helps us get great fuel mileage in our coaches). Using a DMM Jeff checked to see if the control for the cylinders was working and apparently it was. (I thought “wouldn’t it be nice of it was only running on one pair of cylinders! Bad wire, loose connection, bad controller.” NO such luck! That kind of luck is for you other guys.)
After about 20 to 30 minutes of fairly deep diagnostics, he declared the compressor “shot”. He put in a rebuilt one. At some point he pulled the heads off the original compressor and discovered that some (more than just one!) of the reed valves (in two or three cylinders I think, can’t find the pictures he sent me) were broken off and laying on top of the pistons. Keep in mind that another forum member who is in the HVAC business says that the same Carrier compressor we have in our coaches is the same one Carrier delivers for commercial A/C applications and those things run for many decades and are very reliable … so they must be pretty stout.
So … IMHO the Prevost OTR/bus air system works on the relatively simple physics of A/C systems found in our homes and passengers cars and trucks … but because of it size to cool a 45′ steel box in very high temperatures with 42 or so passengers throwing off lots of BTUs, the system is much more involved than what most of us have encountered in much smaller vehicles. So there are lots of “things” that could go a miss in the OTR system, I happened to “buy” the “rebuild compressor” lottery ticket.
Reflecting back, it would be pretty hard to figure out if you had broken reed valves in the compressor in a pre-purcahse inspecting. If you’re inspecting on a cool, cloudy day its hard to build heat in the coach to try to test the effectiveness of the OTR. You could fire up the Webasto and put on full blast, but you’re dumping the coach BTUs out into cool air and I don’t think that would be a thorough, comprehensive test in my mind. 100 degree day in the hot sun … that’s a better test.
Maybe Jeff will offer some more color on what I’ve said, or even correct what I don’t have just right. I’m sure Jon will have some insightful observations to add. Did you guys and gals know that Jeff has been to Carrier school and is certified to repair/rebuild these compressors?
With the rebuilt compressor it really works nice.
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Never had Good Sam Roadside but Coach Net has been excellent over 19 years.
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I’m waiting for Tom to find the easy fix!
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No lights on the control unit at all? Or lights on however it does not respond to button pushes….No lights at all I would verify the connectors on the unit are all pluged in first..What history does it have when you said it has been a issue….
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Andy, came thru downtown Atlanta from JAX on I 75 this Friday, approx 5:30pm, Flawless, no issues at all…did not take the bypass…. -
Tom,
On the picture which you say is confusing. To me, I hope the diagonal of the antenna is facing toward the rear of the coach. Otherwise some road debris might just take the antenna off. I’m wondering if it would not be better to have the antenna mount fabricated (say bent) such that it was parallel to the floor pan and perpendicular to the frame rail. That would seem to me to be a secure mounting with minimal chance for damage from road debris or backing into a space.
Is the antenna directional or similar to a Yaggie all directional antenna used to communicate between traffic signal locations to maintain coordinated signal timing?
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I signed up yesterday.
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A week of so ago Courtney said 20 were registered. That is all we know at this point.
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See if your answer is here…
http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hro-tunnel-default.asp
Check for specifics that pertain to your bus, but in general if you need more than 13′ 6″ don’t go there.
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Info for LONESTARACE
Don
FOR SALE-Our 96 Prevost Liberty 40 XL Classichttps://sanantonio.craigslist.org/rvd/6070329094.html
Mark
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OMG…someone actually agrees with Jon. Hell has froze over, again.
