Preparing to take the Plunge

[aggies09]

We wished we could have made the trip to TN for the rally. It sounded like it was going to be a great time.

The wife and I have found a bus that we have made a deposit on and are going to look at in a couple of weeks. It is '97 Liberty Elegant Lady and we are very excited and apprehensive. This forum has helped a great deal in our education and we look forward to meeting all of you at a future event.

I would appreciate any comments that anyone might have regarding the initial inspection of the bus. Keys to look for.........absolutely must haves...........and absolutely stay away froms.......... It is on the Liberty lot in Stuart, FL if that helps any.

Thanks for all the help and support.
__________________
No bus yet club...........Looking and Learning
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[Ray Davis]

Aggies09,

Jon Wehrenberg wrote a great article on pre-purchase inspections, which is listed in the articles section of the POG site.

http://www.prevostownersgroup.com/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=articles.view&id=3723&publicationtype=Articles

Ray

[Loc]

Whoop!

Aggies,

It is nice to have another Aggie on the website to take the abuse from those (not mentioning any names, but he knows who he is) who like to abuse anyone from Aggieland.

I went to the Liberty website, but couldn't find a 97. Liberty makes a great product and has a very good reputation for supporting their product. Tell us a little more about the bus. Is it a 45 or 40 foot? Does it have bus air?

Ray is right about Jon's list for looking the bus over even though the list is a little overwhelming. Ask Liberty for a PDI (pre delivery inspection) it should show the minor and major issues with the bus and the condition of tires and batteries which can easily run you $8k to replace. An inspection of the bus by a qualified mechanic/inspector is a good idea since it is hard to know everything to look for even with a checklist. You might want to give Tom Spirito a call and ask him for the name of an inspector (Tom is at Gulf Coast Funding which is a sponsor for the Prevost-Stuff website).

In addition to the mechanical issues, be sure that you really like the interior and exterior of the bus. We spent a small fortune redoing the inside and repainting the exterior of our first bus. It is much easier to find one that you really like and there are plenty of them out there for sale.

Good luck.

Loc

[garyde]

The Liberty Web site has about 32 used Coaches for sale right now. Loc is right, Browes a little while your at Liberty. Liberty is very good about taking the time to show new owners everything on their new coach and how it works. But just like any dealer, they won't tell you what you don't ask. So, Jon's article regarding purchasing is a must read.
As far as support after purchasing from Liberty, they have been great for me.

[aggies09]

Loc,

Liberty has pulled the coach down on their website, but the bus can still be viewed at

http://www.prevost-stuff.com/1997_liberty_elegant_lady_45xl_Prevost_7053.htm

Here is some of what I know at this point:
The coach is 45' XL. Series 60 w/77k miles. Prevost OTR air, drivers air, 20 kW kohler gen, 24 volt computer logic electrical system, 4 cruiseairs 14k btu, 80,000 but webasto furnace, 2-2500 watt heart inverters, 4 8D gell cell batteries (house). Liberty says they rate the bus as a 9 in condition.

Thanks for the input.

[JIM KELLER]

Aggies09, Did you look at POG member Mike Anderson's 97 Liberty " For Sale ? " Another " 9 " Bus.

[truk4u]

Diddo what Jim said, contact Mango!

[Loc]

Aggies,

That is a nice looking bus. If you want to look at Mango's bus that Truk and Jim mentioned, here is the link:

http://www.rvonline.com/single-ad.asp?Recnumber=40304

Additionally, if you want to see more pictures, you can go to Mango's website:

http://www.prevoman.com/Pages/MGA97/mgapage1.html

If you click on the Next Page link you will see multiple exterior and interior pictures. Based on the rvonline.com listing the pricing looks pretty good at $249k for a 97 Liberty. I have a friend in Houston that just sold a 97 Royale (a nice bus, but not at the level of Mango's Liberty) for $235k and the Liberty conversions usually sell at a premium.

[aggies09]

Thanks for the posts and thoughts. I have looked at Mango's pictures and found the bus to be very nice. However, from what I have seen of the photos, I prefer the interior of the Liberty that I am to look at in a couple of weeks. I have read Jon's article and plan on taking a copy with me out there with highlighted portions so that I get all of the information that I can. I continue to appreciate any input. Thanks.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

You picked the right bus. It is the exact year and model that Jon and Di have.
He will be a tremendous help to you, he will know it blindfolded.

[aggies09]

Jon has been very gracious with his time and has helped me immensely. We are very excited to get to see the bus in person in a few days. Being a newbie first time RV or bus owner of any kind, I am apprehensive about everything, and have placed a great deal of trust in the POG members. I hope one day to be able to contribute to the group as well.

Thanks for your comments. It always helps to have someone with experience tell you that you are headed down the right path.

[Will Garner]

Aggies09,

Hey, been there done that, know the feeling. Carole and I also have never had an RV of any kind let alone one built into a Prevost. Biggest anxiety I faced was the first time behind the wheel. My wife and the current owner were along for the ride. All I heard, in very concerned tones, was "get left!" My initial inclinations was to look to short down the road ahead. That lead to making the wrong steering adjustments. The advice I got was look farther ahead and use the mirrors to make certain I could see the yellow and white lane laines on either side of the coach.

My wife took her first turn behind the wheel a couple months ago. She asked me to be kind and not shout at her. I promised she would be afforded the same level of courtesies I had received when first behind the wheel. Of course that included numerous but declining numbers of, "Get left!"

So take a deep cleansing breath, get behind the wheel, and drive safely!

Will

[FrankK]

I don't often get the time to get on the site but I was reading thru it and came across this and had to reply, buying a conversion and being a first timer in the RV market, if I have that correct, can be unchartered territory for even a fairly educated buyer and this forum can help relieve some of that anxiety. With the companies that have come and gone thru the years it can make it even more of a challenge especially in the pre-owned market, my family has been in this business for 40 years now and I tell most all of my customers that I hope to be treated as well someday as our company treats its customers, be it they buy a new or pre-owned Liberty Coach or a pre-owned coach of any make we have. The coach you are looking at is a very nice unit and has systems on it that other companies are just starting to use today and I can personally assure you that neither the coach or my company will ever make you question your decision. It is our job to make sure you have a great experience, otherwise we as an industry risk loosing you from the entire market.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

At the risk of being accused of being a toady for Liberty I will chime in here and confirm that what Frank says is exactly right. As any Liberty owner will attest when things go wrong (if they go wrong) you can be assured of complete support.

[BrianE]

While one can argue the relative virtues of the various coach conversions, Franks willingness to show his presence in our midst is both refreshing and a testimony to his interest. I for one am appreciative of the effort and look forward to any future comments he may wish to make. Thankyou Mr. K.

[truk4u]

Frank,

The subject of Converters participating on the forum just came up at the round table discussion in Sevierville on Friday. Thank you very much for posting and I hope we hear more from you in the future.

Kind of makes you want to buy a Liberty, huh boy's!

[MangoMike]

Thanks for posting Frank.

Maybe I'll rethink things and sell the Marathon instead.

Thanks for your teams support at POG 5. It was appreciated.

[aggies09]

Frank,

I very much appreciate your comments and look forward to my trip to Florida later this week to look at the coach that I am preparing to purchase. I must say that all of the people that have affiliations with Liberty in one form or another have spoken highly of the organization, it's ethics, and it's willingness to stand behind it's products. I understand that all of this reputation has to be earned and thus my willingness to purchase from Liberty.

I look forward to meeting you in our travels in the future.

[edsaylor]

You will find Liberty to be a great coach and a super group of people to deal with. I now have my third Liberty and have loved each of them. They are the most trouble free coaches I have ever owned, and I have had one or two of just about every motorhome out there over the past 36 years of motor coaching.

Ed Saylor

[rfoster]

Ed: Must agree you with totally about Liberty. I have owned a number of motor homes and the Liberty has been the best.

Also good to see you post, Micki and I often think of you and Donna, gotta ask - hows the foot? Wishing and praying for the best. Let us hear from more often.:cool:

[Loc]

Tony,

What is the news on the Liberty? Have you made it to Florida yet to see it?

Loc

[aggies09]

Loc,

I went to FL a couple of weeks ago and spent several hours going through the coach. I found the coach to be in very good condition (interior and exterior). I was very pleased with what I found.

There were several items that I had asked Liberty to take care of prior to pickup, i.e., new airbags, shocks, brakes, and torsion bar bushing, among some other small items. Liberty was to take the coach to Prevost Jacksonville to have the repairs made. Once the repair items have been taken care of my wife and I are to go back out and pick the coach up. I was hoping that would take place in the next couple of weeks, but haven't been notified by Liberty as to the schedule.

I will try to make a post when I know when we are going.