[Paul]

While I believe the cruise control produces more HP than your foot, and I use it on long climbs, I am not so sure I want it engaged where there are sharp turns.

When I have had to climb very steep grades with turns I have used my foot on the gas pedal and have ended all efforts to climb as fast as possible, preferring to manually select the gear so the transmission isn’t hunting and the revs are high enough to control temps. If I let the transmission downshift by itself if it is in a gear in which it can gain speed at some point it downshifts, increases speed, upshifts, loses speed, downshifts, increases speed, upshifts, etc. etc. That is why I just pick a gear in which it can accelerate and just maintain a decent speed rather than the up and down shifting that occurs when I let the transmission pick the gear.

If the engine isn’t lugging in a particular gear it is unlikely the temps will climb because if the right gear is selected the engine is not unduly stressed.

[Paul]

Good advise… In lubing mine this week I found a tag seal starting to leak. You really have to look close, it was not dripping, but your finger would come away with an oil slick and not just black dust. You would never catch it this early unless you’re under the bus and up close and personal.

[Paul]

Hello Cathy and good job on the Marathon.

My wife found a tri-fold yoga mat at Costco with handles. Gives you about 6 to 8 inches more height and it’s firm enough for our 85 lb dog to sit on and rest her head on the dash to look out. It’s almost a perfect fit, just push it in the well over the step slide.

Later

bv

[Paul]

Mission accomplished… Replaced the old KVH with a Dish KD5500B, HD sat and Dish VIP211K receiver. Swaped out the old TV with an HD Flatscreen and everything works great. To keep from running an HDMI cable from the sat box to the TV, I used an IOGear wireless HDMI transmitter/receiver and that’s the only way to go. Total cost for the upgrade was 12000 and it all looks great. The Dish, pay as you go, allows you to turn on/off the service for 30 day periods with no fee’s, setup or any additional charges. It can all be controlled online.

Liberty and their thoughtfull approach to things made the sat swap a breeze. The aluminum platform in my first picture is bolted to the roof. They drilled and tapped to the roof cross braces. All it took was removing 8 bolts and off the platform came. I then modifed the platform for the new sat footprint and bolted it back on.

Here’s a pic of the platform removed.

[Paul]

Gil,

Yes, it was designed to use four batteries. The old batteries were slightly smaller physically. Some PO must have installed them and made two spacers so the old batteries would not slide around in the tray.

The back is OK. I went home and spent some time meditating in the hot tub with the back massage on high. I did the arms and shoulders too, just for good measure since I was already wet!

Thanks for asking.

[Paul]

I have been following this thread with interest. Sometimes I wake up and find the inverter cooling fans running in the front bay while on shore power [any new bus noise will wake me]. The inverters should have been idle and in pass-through mode. Typically the only loads would be the refrigerator, the block heater and maybe a toe kick heater or water heater.

The panel shows both inverters working hard: one inverter putting ~50A DC into the 24V battery bank, the other inverter pulling out ~50A and inverting even though the loads chould have been easily run off the shore power. I found it strange because the next day it would work just fine. I think what is happening is similar to your situation.

If I turn on the block heater after the bulk charging is complete, things work as expected. Battery chargers go into float mode and loads are run off shore power. If I turn on the block heater while bulk charging is going on, I’ll get one inverter charging, the other inverter inverting until I turn off the constant AC loads.

I’ll have to give limiting the charge current a try.

[Paul]

Welcome to PC Tom, you found the right place to answer your questions.

I had a 40′ Royale non-slide and the 3 roof airs did a good job. I don’t think 3 airs in a slide coach would cut it, especially in your part of the country in summer time. Once it gets heat soaked it would take forever to cool down. It really depends on the individual, we’re happy at 75 – 78 and Jon has to have meat hanging in his, so it all boils down to your comfort level.

[Paul]

I don’t know much about Royals but all of the 05-06s that I have seen with double slides have 4 roof airs,I have never seen a double slide coach with 3 AC units.Has anyone seen any converters double slide coach with less than 4 AC units?

[Paul]

You have a great coach, but I suspect you will be as amazed as I was at how Prevost had improved the chassis from the XL to the XLII.

If you have an opportunity take one for a spin. You will sense the difference immediately.

That was not addressed to me, Jon, but you are absolutely correct. I sat in the buddy seat of one of the early XLIIs a few weeks ago for about 30 minutes. I had ridden in that particular bus a few years before I bought my XL but I had forgotten how great it was.

I noticed it first when we turned out of a very tight drive with a trailer attached. I know for a fact (I have pulled in and out of that drive several times) that my XL CAN NOT pull out of that drive that easy and CAN NOT cut that sharp. Granted the driver has hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel of Eagles, MCIs, Prevost XLs and now nearly a million miles in that XLII, but experience could not account for all of that.

When I commented he just smiled. His previous bus was an XL the same year as mine so he was very aware of the awe I was experiencing. The ride down the state highway and then interstate was remarkably better than mine too. He just kept smiling.

Not fixin to trade mine by a long shot but the facts is the facts!

The Delam issue is really no issue for me although it is a very interesting conversation. It does not affect my decision whether or not to upgrade one ounce. My bus was a great deal in the time frame in which I bought it and I have spent 5+ years making it mine and bringing systems and components up to date. It suits my family perfectly for what we use it for.

I am fine with my rivets showing. Lol

DKO

[Paul]

Cupcar: Do you know why Marathon would use Valid slides? I talked to someone who seemed quite sure that it was a price difference that was the reason. The same person also indicated that they also farmed out some paint work as well. I know they have the capability to paint at Coburg, but do they do them all?

Inquiring minds want to know….

[Paul]

Tom I was way back in the campground you had a super site looks like. I got the only one left is why I was so farback #32 I saw the site you were in it was great. Trip thru Canada went like this, crossing into Canada they ask if i owned any hand guns I said yes, wantedto know if I was crrying any I said no, Ask me where were the hand guns were, told him V.A. He ask where in V.A. I said at home He ask where in the home I said in the safe, weird questions he let us in. Coming back in the USA at Ft Erie the guy was a complete asshole, made me turn the coach off and give him the keys, all the while telling me how dumb I was because I pulled up when the other coach in front of me left. wanted me to back up told him I could not, that when he got mad as hell when I got out to unhook told me he would tell me when I could get out of the coach and thats when he took the keys. The worst thing about all this I am paying that assholes salary! Gary

[Paul]

Thomas,

The problems you are having are a concern, but if we are to correct them we need to know the specifics. We do know that with the proliferation of browsers and various devices now used to read and post to forums the problem every bulletin board or forum now has is compatibility.

Let us know exactly what browser or device you are using that gives problems. If possible we need to know the version. I would suggest if possible you switch and if that corrects the problem let us also know that because it helps our web guru to not only know what is working, but also what is not working.

In the past he has used his extensive group of friends with all manner of devices and software versions to test fixes and see if the problems could be duplicated, but nothing can be done until he knows specifics.

[Paul]

Thanks again to Jon and all the others for all the articiles and postings with real lessons learned on every subject imaginable with our coaches. As a new owner, the information is invaluable… almost like having an owners manual for everything situation as close as your fingertips…. What is not standard information available for trouble shooting issues is available here!!

It takes a lot of time to assemble this information in a clear and concise way. Thanks as looking forward to meeting some of you in person at upcoming events…..

[Paul]

Rodger:

Thanks for the info as learned of a good place just across the state line in ICouncil Bluff’s, Iowa.. Bluff’s Run RV Park adjcent to the casino there. I understand close proximity with good amenities and a casino next door…. Thanks for the food advice as if we go, will try it out.

Thanks,