Removing the Mother board Control System

[PrevostNewbie]

I have a 1992 Country Coach XL, I was thinking about removing the Coach Circuit board control system and replacing with a PLC system. Does anyone have any documentation on these boards? Inputs, Outputs, schematics?

[JCarrollJr]

I would say that I think that you're contemplating opening a large can of worms. Just my two cents worth.

[Fratto]

I have some but I am not sure that each coach was the same so not sure if it would help or not. You would need to take each of the boards and try and isolate what they are controlling and from where. Many of the boards control multiple things.

Sounds like an involved undertaking. These boards are also proving over current protection so you would need to figure that out in the new design as well.

[PrevostNewbie]

I need a Coach Project for this winter.

[freds]

Hey Raspberry Pi and Node Red to the rescue!!! Stir in internet access when available and add the subservient lady "Alexia" to the mix.

[Joe Camper]

I had a coustomer in Kankakee IL. First time he calls me he has a problem with a new to him 91 CC. Tells me none of the small square buttons that control the lights and things r working. So I go and when I open the front bay to open that large electrical panel on the forward wall all the control boards r in its not there!!!! The entire panel is gone the wall is bare a sea of wires hang from above. Can u imagine the level of ignorance buying and the level of decete selling one like this.

He found a shop in Elkhart In. who refit the coach with controls without boards i was quite impressed with the result.

Tim a friend of his is a POGGER if u want I could inquire who did the work I cant remember. I do not know where the bus is now its been totaled it got wedged under a viaduct that was about 6in too low.

Not sure but I think the panel was pulled due to a flood. That bus had a rough life eh.

Mike, a quite monumental and possible task both. U won't be fighting having to run wire in a completed conversion just altering all the end terminals.


Older busses more and more around. I am currently under an American conversion a 90 with 8V a mier 100000 miles its beautiful its been loved but it also needs changes. Its got dueotherm ac that mirrors cruisair split units and r obsolete. Even with the very custom ceiling we all have roof air was installed seamlessly and IMHO to the buses advantage and i am normally absolutely not an advocate of replacing original components with different.

What is it thats wrong or u don't like or r u just challenging yourself with an update? I want one of u wireheads to roll out a completely autonomous one in front of us. When will that be? Ya know, that way the guy who earned the money to buy it who also probably keeps it running and usually is driving it too can enjoy the cabin with the test of the family!

[Gil_J]

The Country Coach system was very elementary. Still, it may pose some challenges. Here's some of the cards. (CLICK HERE) (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yjOl1_5KFQxHKrvQpcrMiNPXeoR08cO8?usp=sharing)

[Hoffman]

I'd be curious to learn what problem you're trying to solve by digging into such a complex and undocumented subsystem? Perhaps something else would be a worthy 'winter project'. Saying that there's nothing else that needs work, can't believe that on a '92.

[PrevostNewbie]

Joe, I agree I can't believe that happened to someone, nothing Coach side would have worked. As I read thru posts I hear many stories about things happening, and how as owners we service our Coaches to as preventative measures. As our rigs get older and older it is harder to find the parts we need and I see these Circuit boards and this control system as a huge liability as they are no longer made. For my Job I build High speed Automated assembly equipment, and am very experienced with wiring, and programming which will fit in nicely with this retrofit. I believe some of the boards have already failed, the previous owner said the voice person never work in the years they owned it. There were other Coach related issues that he had trouble with but was unable to track down the issue. Gil, thank you for posting the schematics, I will look thru these and eventually build a new electrical schematic for my coach. For starters I need to do a complete Input and Output inventory, and identify what each of the I/O points do and what control voltage they need. I am thinking initially just replace the logic boards and leave everything else alone up above, unless I find something inoperable. As Jo mentioned it won't be too bad because all the control wires come into one central location.

[Gil_J]

Mike, I would consider pulling the air conditioner and Webasto controls out sooner rather than later. It's one control function that if it fails can ruin a great vacation.

[PrevostNewbie]

Yes, I think I will be removing those.

[PrevostNewbie]

Do you think it's a good idea to install one of those 20 gallon Home Depot Hot water heater to replace the Webasto?

[Joe Camper]

I would absolutely not do without a water heater that did not have a heat exchange from engine coolant. I would eliminate a webasto in a new york second, but, having hot water from driving is way to convenient to discard and it will circulate without a webasto. Use small inexpensive ceramic heaters when u need cabin heat on cold nights. The engine can be preheated with the electric eliment.

[PrevostNewbie]

Anyone tried something like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDlHx6NJx7I

[Gil_J]

A residential hot water heater is not a replacement for the Webasto. The Webasto not only provides one source of domestic hot water through the heat exchangers in the hot water heaters, it also provides your only heat source in the coach when it gets really cold. It also supports an engine preheat.