Getting Ready for a trip, random questions ...

[Ray Davis]

SO, I'm getting ready for the first real trip since purchasing my coach in December. It's going cross country, from CA to NY and back this summer, and in preparing for the trip, several niggling questions have come up. I'm not sure if they should normally be split into separate threads, but many of them are very simple, so hopefully this is OK.

1. How often should I change oil? This is a '92 8V92 engine.

2. Other than checking fluids regularly, are there any others which should be changed on a regular interval, like oil? Especially anything which needs to be changed/serviced during a 6000 mile trip?

3. How to know which roads you can't drive on in a bus? For example, I've been told that you can't go on the Palisades Parkway in NJ. I purchased a motorcarries atlas which seems to confirm that for commerical trucks, but I don't have any reference as to what privately owned coaches can or can't do.

4. Speaking of roads, coming from CA we have very few toll roads, but I think I'm going to hit a lot of them on the way. It that really going to get pricey in a bus, or should I try to avoid? Is it a pain getting through a toll booth in a bus?

5. How to know about mountain or hill climbs? A simple example. I'm going to Salt Lake City next week. I just happened to see a reference that it was located at 6500 feet! Obviously there is some large uphill road from CA to get to 6500 feet. Not that this is all that high, but I'd like to be ready in advance if I'm going up or down steep grades enroute.

6. I had brakes checked and adjusted at Prevost. How often should that be done?

7. Do all of the Prevost facilities allow an overnight stay whilie traveling? I know the Mira Loma facility in CA allows it.

8. Has any of you travelled down Route 66? Any areas in specific which are not bus safe?


Well, that's the questions off the top of my head. Thanks in advance. I've never driven cross country before, and am looking forward to it. I've driven all over the west coast, from Canada to Mexico, but really never much east of AZ, so it's kinda new to me.

Ray

[Jon Wehrenberg]

These are personal opinions so take them with a grain of salt.

With everything serviced and topped off you should be able to do the whole trip with no additional service, including lube, brake adjustment, oil change or anything else. If your round trip is 6000 or even 7000 miles you will be ready for service when you get back, but don't worry about it along the way.

I change my oil and lube the coach every 5000 miles. I do so because I consider the short infrequent trips of 1000 to 1500 miles to be severe duty service, but a long run like you propose is exactly what these buses were designed to do.

If the roads say no commercial traffic be afraid. Very afraid. You may run into height limits or weight limits. We ran into height clearance problems on a road that tracked Lake Ontario in NY state.

The truckers book is a good resource and so is your CB if in doubt. Don't rely on car drivers for advice. Ask truckers.

You can avoid toll roads, but as you go across states like OK, IN, OH, NY, etc some of the roads going in your direction are toll roads. Ask for the fee schedule and before you pull away from the ticket plaza make sure your ticket is for a non-commerical and they have your weight or axles correct. It is easier to deal with their error at that point than when you get to the end to pay the toll. You will learn if you are very careful and can adjust the angle slightly when you approach the ticket booth the ticket giver will not see the towed car. Once you get the ticket and start pulling away, don't stop if they start screaming. The money you cheat them out of will compensate for the money they screw you out if because they charged you commercial rates.

You will easily fit through toll booths, but if you are worried, stay far right and go through the one usually there for wide or oversized loads.

There are no Prevost facilities between CA and NY except for Nashville. Don't know if they will accomodate you. Never paid attention. Give them a call.

There are mountains and hills all over. If your coach has never shown a tendency to go past 195 degrees under any circumstances you should be OK. If you have to go up a hill just hold your foot to the floor. Let the transmission and engine work together. If your temps start to go north of 200 then you have to drop a gear and accept the reduced speed. If you are forced to do that you also should shut off bus air if you have it.

If the temps do rise that is nature's way of telling you a radiator flush or recore may be in your future.

If your brakes are self adjusting you should not have to deal with them other than to verify they are working (the adjusters). If they are not the self adjusting type you may want to adjust them at every oil change or lube job. It is no big deal. Come to the POG rally and I will show you how.

Two final bits of advice. Check your fluids daily. Look under the coach for leaks, and whenever possible check your wheels or tires for evidence of a hub seal leak. You will see a spider web evidence of oil leakage from the hub.

The final advice is check the tire pressures often, when cold. Those tires will last for a hundred thousand miles or more, but run them with low pressure and they won't get you across town before they blow.

Have a great trip and if you need help let the folks on this and the other site know.

[Ray Davis]

Thanks Jon, that's helpful. So, do I understand correctly that with the toll roads, you get a ticket when you get on, and then pay when you leave? We've only recently got toll roads out here, and I just use a transponder. We don't have a concept of tickets.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

They have the same thing, called EZ Pass I think. I don't know how it works because I just paid the toll at the end. Florida on some of their toll roads charges you for segments so you end up stopping every few miles to pay your money.

[dalej]

There is a nice Prevost service center in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area also, at least there was a couple of years ago.

[MangoMike]

Ray,

I used a EZ pass last winter during a trip and when the bill came in it had these big charges. I guess their system thought I was a commercial bus (Imagine that) so in the future I take the time to stop and pay the toll manually - while pointing to the "Private Coach" sign on the side.

After reading Jon's post, about creatively positioning the toad, I can see why the Tolls are so high.

Another essential for traveling, if you're not already equipped, is a Verizon aircard so you can keep us posted nightly on your travels.

Have fun,
Mike

[pognumber26]

Some things to consider:
-Travel East on one set of roads and west on another set
-There is a COMPLETE(east and west) set of mountain pass guides available
-I have stayed in several Prevost facilities...don't forget that there is a GREAT Prevost service center in NJ
-Be prepared to be frustrated by the MANY different toll variations in the tri-state area...There is no rhyme or reason to how they charge a Prevost motorhome
-You can drive the ENTIRE length of the Garden State Parkway
-Your truckers atlas is the BIBLE for your trip...As Jon suggests, follow ALL the info RELIGIOUSLY!!! There is a section in the begining that lists EVERY states limitations on a road by road basis... Follow this info!!!
-HAVE FUNNNNNNNNNNNN:)

[Jerry Winchester]

Ray,

I am camped out on Route 66 in Williams, AZ today and leaving for Monument Valley tomorrow. We have driven mostly on Interstate highways this trip with a few exceptions and there are only a few good places to drive down 66 between here in Oklahoma and since I-40 to OKC is basically 66, you can take a few divesions along the way and stay close to 40/44.

I would not change a route to keep from paying a toll. They put toll roads there for a reason and that is usually that they are more convenient than the other roads. At 6mpg and $3.00 per gallon, the toll is cheap compared to the added miles. I have an EZ Tag, but it only works in Texas and Oklahoma.

Jon is right about checking the fluids. And with an 8V, you will have to put oil in it several times on a long trip like that. It's a physics problem, so don't ask. If you have oil in the handy reservoir tank on the coach, then that will be the answer. Mine is not clean yet, so I had to add oil thru the valve cover. Be careful when you do this and if you dump oil on the exhaust manifold, wipe it up.

I will say that the best thing I have done for this trip was some good planning. Mostly to get all the parking places lined out and the reservations in place so my milk and my Cherrios would come out about equal.

And I have pulled some serious grades on this trip as well as gone down a bunch. Good temperature management and the Jake brake will help, but several times I downshifted at the top of the hill to 3rd and let the Jake brake ease me down about 45 or 50 with only a gentle tap of the brakes every so often.

We are having a great trip, but we have had a few niggling things to deal with, but have taken it all in stide. Crap, I even had to go get a caulk gun and some Liquid Nails to glue a large mirror back in place. Seems the genious at Royale who glued it up didn't remove the protective backing from the mirror and between the heat and the rough roads, the thing came loose. Go figure, but I have fixed about half a dozen things on this trip, but nothing insurmountable.

[Just Plain Jeff]

Taking a nice long leisure trip in a new coach is great fun. You get to use a Prevost for the purpose it was intended!

Here are my additions to the commentary:

1. If you have a radar detector, turn it OFF in Virginia.

2. With an 8V92, I found that the general rule of thumb is that they use about 1 quart of oil/1000 miles of travel. Bring several jugs of straight grade oil with you. We didn't on our first trip and wound up having to buy an entire case at a lubricant dealer (he wanted to sell us a drum of it). Some may use more or less, but you will get to know your engine's fingerprint on a nice long trip.

3. Unless you have some kind of a hose leak, you shouldn't use much or any coolant. If you do, then there are some other issues to address.

4. There are those who will argue this point, but if you find yourself starting up in 30F or less ambient temp, you may find a bit of coolant has leaked from hose connections. These are cold temp leaks. The expansion/contraction rate of the large metal coolant piping is greater than the hose/clamps. This is a good time to tighten them before starting up the engine. Keep an eye on your hoses as you start up and shut down.

5. Look under the engine compartment at where you have parked: If something is leaking, it will happen at night when you are sleeping and it is a good way of seeing traces of goobers that may not be apparent upon visual inspection. All clean? Good to go.

6. Watch the way the truckers drive. Often times you will find that they will accelerate before the grades which are familiar to them to gain speed for the incline. But remember, they can corner better than a bus, so keep your speed down until you are comfortable with the handling of your bus.

7. Think of driving your bus as if you have 48 menopausal French Canadian women onboard. Smooth and comfortable. That's how Prevost designed the bus in the first place. Drive as if any of the passengers will beat on you if you make sudden stops or turns. Take it slow and turn wide.

8. In my experience, every bus has uniquely different braking characteristics. Some buses, and I cannot tell you why, stop better than others. Get used to slowing down smoothly with plenty of stopping distance ahead. I was, ah, well, a bit too aggressive with our first bus a long time ago and had a couple of white knuckle stops. In town, go down a couple of gears and keep your RPMs up so you can really control the motion of the bus.

9. Driving at night is much different than driving in the daylight. You lose a lot of side vision and it is possible to bump into curbs or other unfriendly objects midships. I have not done this personally, but have heard that others do. It is a far better thing to drive conservatively and have fun than to push the envelope and be sorry later. If you do drive at night and you are pulling into a tight space, use your docking lights and go slow. Don't be afraid that you are looking like a dork, it is for your safety and for others.

10. Have realistic goals about how far you are going to drive each day. Build up your confidence as a bus driver first. If you find some place that's a cool place to hang out, don't worry about how far you drove on a given day. Park the bus and enjoy the countryside if you have the time to do so. That's what we call a 'pleasure trip.' There are people who are 'Tube People,' who begin at Point A and drive until they drop at Point B. The commercial truckers can only drive 10 hours per day by law, and that's a good standard to measure your own performance. Unless you are an experienced long hauler, after about 10 hours, it's time to at least take a good break.

11. Some parts of the country are much more conducive to long mileage. Out west on the wide open prairie, you can put on a bunch of miles at 70 or 75 once you get rolling. In New England, throw the mileage goals out the window, as there is much more traffic, lower speed limits and perhaps some of the worst drivers in America (excepting Florida, of course). That's where good defensive driving skills are the greatest asset you can have.

12. A Prevost bus is the King of the Road on the interstate system. It is designed and constructed for pleasurable comfort over long distances; a long trip is using the bus for the purpose for which it is intended. You will get to know your bus and its operations and quirks on a long trip. Remember that most over the road bus drivers, the ones who get paid, make about $10/per hour. As a Private Coach driver, you are paying much for for the privilege of driving your own bus than the other guys, so enjoy it.

13. Finally, keep in mind that the Prevost bus is for the most part, a redundant and sturdy critter. With full air up and the mill cranking away far behind you, the miles will melt away and at some point you will say to yourself, "Hey, this is really fun."

Ain't that the point?

[MangoMike]

The Powers that be:

This thread is a great collection of info for the first big trip. How about posting it on the front page under articles so it's easily accessible for future Prevo Dudes - plus it will save everyone the time of re-writing.

Mangodowntheroad

[Ray Davis]

Thanks to everyone for the great replies. I'm going to print this thread, and keep it with me.

Jerry, the reason I ask about Route 66 is not to avoid tolls, but for a couple of reasons. I work for Pixar Animation Studios, and our new movie "Cars" coming out tomorrow is about Route 66. Purely coincidence, but I've wanted for several years now to travel some of Route 66, and this will be the chance, as much of my trip from St Louis back is near the Mother Road.

Pognumber26, thanks for the clarification on Garden State Parkway. Strangely enough the truckers atlas lists that as restricted from NY state line to NJ exit 18. That's why I was concerned. I'm going to be out in the West Point area and then I'm actually going to Newark Airport, and I think I'll get a fair amount of traveling on the GS parkway.


For those interested I called the NJ and Nashville Prevost facilities to ask if they allow overnight parking. The NJ facility indicated yes, but they do not have any hookups, but if I got in early enough, they would be willing to run an electrical line out to me. The Nashville shop indicated they do have a limited amount of hookups, but that I would be welcome to park there too.


One last question. A friend of mine mentioned that the anti freeze used in these big diesel engines is different than the antifreeze I would purchase for an automobile. Is that true. I've got a case of oil and tranny fluid (which also goes in the power steering?) already stocked, but I want to get some coolant stocked too. Is there special type?

Thanks again for all of the replies.

Ray

[MangoMike]

Ray,

Working for Pixar is even cooler than working for Mango Mike's or those Blowout guys Boots & Coots. We're gonna need some Pixar wearables at Sante Fe :)

Have a good trip.

Mike

[Jerry Winchester]

Ray,

I would just pick up a Route 66 guide book with the drivable sections. There are many cool towns that restored their downtown, like Williams, to the Mother Road days and I know there are several in Oklahoma.

The antifreeze I use is Detroit Diesel Power Cool. It has the additives you need and you can get it premixed, so you just add it to the tank. If you are full, a gallon should be enough. Unless you have another problem :eek:

I am about to eclipse 3000 miles on this trip and I have only added one gallon of oil. But I have a couple of small leaks I will fix on the return.

For the rest of you numb nuts, man it is great to be in Monument Valley today at a way cool campground. I giant thunderstorm followed us up from Flagstaff, so we are going to get wet in about an hour (I know this because the GPS told me so) and I got my SECOND tornado warning alert about an hour ago.

So we will have the Hummer washed and trail ready momentarily......

[Kevin Erion]

Jerry,
Whats the name of this "WAY COOL RV PARK", we are headed that way next week, I think.
Kevin

[Jerry Winchester]

Kevin,

We are at Goulding's at Monument Valley. Its gets all kinds of goofy ratings on RV Park Review, but I can tell you this; I really like it. It is in between two big rock spires back away from the road and there is no cell phone service. Only WiFi.

We took the Hummer over the 17 mile route from the visitors center thru the valley and back. It may have been the highlight of the trip. We were there just before and during a big thunderstorm, so the light on the buttes were changing and the visibility was going back and forth. We got to do a little FWD and a little mud, but it was way cool.

Now the park has an indoor pool (I am there now watching the girls swim) and the sites are nothing fancy. But it has 50 amp power and the rock walls on either side are just crazy. I will camp here again. And you get a 10% discount with Good Sam :rolleyes:

[Jerry Winchester]

This one got my attention today.

http://jdub.smugmug.com/photos/74318878-M.jpg

When I looked outside, this was what I saw...

http://jdub.smugmug.com/photos/74888739-M.jpg

Reckon it was an omen? I though the weather only flipped Lew the bird.........

[Loc]

Ray

A couple of thoughts. I also have a 92 8V92. On the hills, I use the following procedure: Try to keep the RPM's around 1900-2000. When the engine slows to 1500 I manually downshift which puts the RPM's back around 1900-2000. I also keep a close eye on the pyrometer keeping the temperature at 900 or below. We drove through the hills (mountains to a Houstonian) of North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania last week. In North Carolina the speed limit on the road given the tight turns was 35 mph with turns of 15 to 25 mph. In that case I keep the bus in second or third so that the RPM's stay up close to the 1900-2000 magic range so the engine is getting maximum cooling. The bus downshifts around 1300 RPM which really causes it to heat up on a good pull. Manually downshifting reduces the heat buildup. Staying in the lower gear also keeps the bus from constantly upshifting and downshifting.

On the coolant you want to make sure that you have a low silica content and have SCA's (Supplemental Coolant Additives which are designed to prevent corrosion, cavatation, and depost build up). I use the stuff that my local Detroit Diesel franchise sells and it works well. Here is a link to the Detroit Diesel service bulletin for coolants and Detroits.

http://www.detroitdiesel.com/Public/brochures/7SE298.pdf

Page 14 has a list of coolants that should not be used in any Detroit. Trust me that you want to use the correct coolant. We blew and engine from overheating because automotive coolant had been put into the bus and it totally clogged the radiator.

The Prevost service center in Dallas - Fort Worth also has a gated lot with electrical and water hookups. You can come in at any time but will need the access code for the gate which they will give you if you call.

Good Luck

Loc

[Just Plain Jeff]

SCA check ups are really important. The result of not having proper Ph levels in coolant with an 8V92 is cavitation. That's where the little, teeny-tiny RosannaRosannaDanna holes cut through the sleeves in the combustion chambers, thereby joining what are supposed to be separate chambers.

You can get a kit from Fleet Guard for about $29 and check it yourself. It comes with little teeny-tiny sticks and a comparison chart to let you know where you are on SCAs.

[pognumber26]

Just a word about this facility...It is located in an INDUSTRIAL area and looks like it...Of all the prevost facilities this one LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE A BUS FACILITY!!!...The people here,on the other hand, are warm/friendly/extremely knowledgable and very willing to help!!!! DEFINATELY worth stopping in for a visit...

[lewpopp]

That's about the only Prevost facility I haven't donated to grnerously. It's still my ignorance, but what Jacksonville did, did help a lot after really driving further.

[Jerry Winchester]

Okay Ray, the girls "took" me to see Cars for Father's Day. Very nice flick. It will be the new Toy Story, so I am sure you are working on Cars II already.

In so many ways, Williams, Arizona is Radiator Springs. Having just been down 66, thru Monument Valley, the Tailfins at Amarillo and the like, it was a real treat to see the film and notice all the subtleties. Lots of sneaky things hidden in there.

But the question is, why does Pixar sell RenderMan? Looks like it would be propritary and not for use by others.

And my wife commented about all the Winnebagos in the infield of the race track but no Prevosts. What's up with that?

[mike kerley]

Lew, Thats good to hear. I was hoping the shocks made a difference. The bent steering arm was not a plus either.

I'm thinking of changing out my shocks and air bags this summer, and Prevost Jax is where I'd have it done. Just have to keep the wife out of stores for a few weeks so I can afford it.

Mike

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Mike,

I don't know your workspace situation for the bus, but changing airbags is simple and takes about 1 hour to 1.5 hours per bag if you aren't in a hurry.

If you are interested post it and we can talk about it so others that may be interested can eavesdrop. You need to pull the shocks to get at one of the drive axle airbag sets so the timing is good.

Jon

[mike kerley]

Jon, I appreciate the offer, but frankly, I HATE laying on my back under the bus struggling with large hardware. Just blocking the bus up is a major chore as we full time and storing the blocks and jacks is a pain. Then there's the struggle with that bolt or nut that I just cant quite get to break loose and don't have room for a long enough extension to force it loose etc...

A pit is the answer, but not having access to one, I'll rent a lift with a mechanic. I do enjoy learning "how to" by watching them work. Some day that may come in real handy and Prevost Jax will let us watch.

Most of the wiring and electrical work I handle (except where a hole has to be drilled into an unknown area) and I'll leave that to the well insured business.

I've learned a lot from reading yours and others posts. In checking my engine this weekend, I noticed some soot forming around my left side exhaust manifold (the new one) and if I look real close, can see on of the studs they installed inching out of the block. I'm guessing a new gasket will be needed as well. I have an appointment to return to Florida Detroit Diesel next week!

I love catching a problem early.

Thanks again for the offer.

Mike

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Hey Mike, At River Ranch can you pull the Tom Sawyer thing and get your neighbors to each take an axle and git er done?:D

[Ray Davis]

Jerry,

Sorry for the late reponse, I just got back from 10 days on the road, and saw there was your note regarding Cars.

As for RenderMan, Pixar has sold that since before it's first movie (about 1989). Almost every major film you've ever seen, which has 3d animation in it was done with RenderMan. So, when we became a movie studio, there was concern from our customers that it would become proprietary. We've worked hard to make sure that it's not. It's not only great tools which make great movies, it's great people, and most importantly great stories.

I'm not sure why there were no Prevosts in the movie. I'll have to ask! I would guess that a Winnebago is known even to people who don't drive motorhomes.

Anyway, glad to hear that you like it.

Ray