Future owner of possibly 1994 Liberty Coach 40xl

[Troyco]

Hi Everyone,
I'm a general contractor and own (2019 KW rolloff X15 allison 4500rds) and have owned diesel trucks and construction equipment (backhoes, bobcat etc). I perform some of the maintenance myself time permitting. I love hotrods, harley's, boats, jeeps etc. I also owned a 2000 Fleetwood discovery diesel pusher for 15 years. Took me and my family on many weekend trips to the dessert, to the beach and even a few campgrounds.

There were a lot of things that over the 15 years that started to bother me. Fiberglass sides were checking under the paint. I routinely hand washed, waxed and wheels polished and it still did it. Lower doors sucked, latches were plastic and broke. Limited bay storage, slide wasn't great and the walls were moving if you looked in the bathroom there was movement between wall and bathroom counter. Fleetwood chassis engine and trans were awesome.

Sold it 5 years ago and life has come back around to needing a motorhome again.

I've always admired the Prevost's but they were out of my price range or so I thought. After watching the market and doing a ton of internet searching, my wife and I narrowed down to a glass country coach 2 slides or used prevost non slide if in our range and I could convince her. The reason for Country Coach was semi monocoque construction. Our budget is 70k with 10k in zeroing out coach. She likes the wood cabinets of the country coach untill we looked at few and I started pointing out all of the differences between a 2003 glass country coach Intrugue 40 triple axle and a non slide prevost. I know it will be maintenance and I'm going in with that in mind. I don't mind doing work to the coach and my wife loves to do projects so some of the things we would do ourselves and spread the expense over time and to our liking. The non slide works I believe since it is only her and I no pets. So I keep showing her adds for prevosts and videos etc. We now are both on board with a search for a used prevost and probably not a series 60 not in the budget.

I found a 1994 LIberty Coach and I've put down a deposit to go look at in 3 weeks.

I will post a new thread and ask for advice and or thoughts on the used 1994 Liberty.

Troy and Di

[Joe Camper]

8V buses have unfortunately gotten hard to sell and bring little money if u want it sold in a reasonable amount of time.

I love the older buses but the market isn't seeing value in them right now. Never did really. Only if the right guy gets a good one is that a great idea and value.

That's the bad here is some good. If u know this as a buyer u can safely come in with low-ball offers and possibly get a ton off asking. The market value becomes irrelevant if u intend to use it alot too, and u get a good one. Their value always has been in there use not resale anyway. These coaches in the right hands like Mike prevonewbe or someone like u or I that has some mechanical in his bloodstream is also alot of bang for the buck.

Those 8v auin't like a straight 6 they don't go half a million plus without incident. 200,000 maybe.

If u like it get tough pick it apart before u sign the check.

Some numbers to store in the back of your mind.

There is a rebuilder in Missouri everybody raves about. 25g parts and labor for an 8v 92TA. Also Ucan buy a factory rebuilt with warranty if your core is good 18,000g. if R &R is something u could do. Not trying to sound negative just my opinion here. If the worst should happen these r the numbers and really that ain't really too much for what is getting done. I spent 25 g at Cat last year and was elated with the expenditure. I use the hell out of it.

Don't buy it if u don't need it or won't be using it alot because U will spend a ton of money on it weather u use it or not.

Good luck.

[PrevostNewbie]

Hi Troy, Welcome to the group. I like your story, I too was a production RV owner, but always wanted to climb to the top of the mountain and own a Prevost. Last Summer I started looking and my bus search criteria, 1) I wanted a decent shell. Paint needed to be decent, stainless needed to be without damage, front end no physical damage. 2) I wanted to find something around 100K miles, 3) I wanted the 8V92 engine, because that dropped my bus price down about 50K in my searches from the DD 60. 4) No slides 5) I was also looking for the Cheapest Bus I could find knowing ahead of time i would be spending money and a lot of time making it the way I liked it. I bought my Bus in September of Last year and with the help of the folks here on this great forum and online research I have the bus pretty close to where I want it to be 6 months later. I have another 3-6 months before i can take it out and camp (currently I have my transmission in part on my garage floor) but I am patient and a hard worker. I hope you can make a list of what you like and what you need to narrow your search. If you have the ambition to work on your Bus you will have no issues. I say bring your ambition because that is what you will bring to your bus, everything else you will find here with these fine folks. Reach out if you have any questions.

[Joe Camper]

Troy a good friend and poger is about 40 miles east of Huma, that's about 100 miles from u. He winter's there they bought a home down there hence the sale of his bus. It is an American conversion he put it on Facebook pog he's ASKING 65 u should go look at it. He told me to give u his number if u wanted. His name is Doug Harsin. He just put it up just called me earlier this week with the decision

[Troyco]

Thanks Camper Joe, nice talking on the phone and I left a message for Doug to call me.

Thanks Mike, yeah I'm looking to do what you did lol.

[Joe Camper]

17359

17360

Here's Doug's American XL. Anybody wanna take a guess at the year?

[PrevostNewbie]

That is very close to mine, I say 1992

[Joe Camper]

It's an 88 conversion on an 86 Chassis.

[Joe Camper]

Great working OTR AC

[PrevostNewbie]

What year did Prevost switch from the four headlights to two?

[Troyco]

So it was great talking to Doug, I'm going to take the wife and take a look Saturday morning.
Thanks Joe Camper

[Pete]

I had a 1985 American 40 ft. It was a great bus. It had an 8V92 mechanical engine. Sometime I wish I still had it. Very well built coach.