Newby...

[RonAltman]

Hi all, new to the forum and thinking our next coach will be a Prevost Conversion. I’m totally green when it comes to these Prevost monsters. Ask me about Spartan, Freightliner, Tiffin, Monaco, Newmar, Country Coach and the like and I’m fairly comfortable, but when it comes to these beast’s, I am as lost as can be. I may have the word lost confused with intimidated :-) Unfortunately, it will have to be a few years old unless we win the lottery, and that is where I really get scared. How safe is it buying a used conversion? Conversions seem to be so complex electronically and in their systems. Are you at the mercy of the Prevost Service Centers or the Conversion Company itself when it comes to minor repairs. I’m a do-it yourself kind of guy, but not sure about Conversions. Every time I talk myself out of a Prevost Conversion I look at those big windows which so define a Prevost Conversion to us and I the hook goes in a little deeper :-) So much to learn and absorb…

So much for my insecurities :-) One last comment, in the several weeks that I have been reading and learning here at POG, I would like to say that I am really impressed with the membership here. Not the usual bickering and whining that one reads on so many of the other forums. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and if I come across with a dumb question, or two, or three, or four… Please be kind to me and my ignorance. Ron

[Ray Davis]

HI Ron, and welcome to POG.

I would suggest spending some time walking through old posts around here. There is a wealth of information. I personally know of only one POG member who has started with a seated coach, and is converting themselves. A non-converted coach is merely a shell.

So, we ALL have coaches by various converters. You will find lot's of discussions here about the various converters, and the pros and cons of purchasing coaches which the converter is no longer in business. Believe me, among the various members here, we have pretty much every converter covered in terms of ownership.

So, in a nutshell, I wouldn't look at anything other than a converted coach. For coach service, you can take a Prevost to one of the many Prevost service centers here in the US, and many other independents also work on Prevost. As far as house/conversion issues, there are still converters in business who will work on any conversion, and there are independent service centers as well.

Good luck.
Ray

PS: Based upon the last rally, most of our coaches are in the 1990's range. We have some newer, and some older, but the majority of our owners fall in that middle area. Do not be afraid of an older Prevost, as long as it has been maintained, it will outlast you.

[sawdust_128]

Welcome!

Be careful about the compliments. There are those here who will consider it a sign of weakness.

[truk4u]

Ron,

Welcome aboard! I had 20+ years of plastic and 4 years ago I made the Prevost plunge and never looked back. Since that time, I have had 3 different conversions, Marathon, Country Coach and now Liberty. Don't be intimidated by the complexity of the machine. Prevosts are designed to go a million plus miles and have a proven track record. You will be amazed at the difference between the plastic coaches and a bus.

We have members at Titusville, maybe someone will jump in here and offer to let you kick some tires. Good luck on your search, ask lots of questions..;)

[parksincpp]

Welcome Ron, looking foward to meeting you in person.

[ajducote]

Welcome Ron,

I am in TGO in Titusville. I would be glad to show you my 1999 Royale and answer any questions you have. I might even get a few answers right!

This is a great bunch of people with a great deal of knowledge that they love to share. I think you will like it here.

[michaeldterry]

Welcome to POG, Ron! Shopping for your first Prevost is the most fun you can have with your clothes on and having access to the near inexhaustible volume of information, experience and expertise available on POG will make you a much more informed and confident buyer when you find "the one" if you will participate and ask any questions that you have along the way. The only "dumb" questions are the ones that go unasked. I'll tell you from personal experience as a Prevost newbie a year ago, POG members are exceedingly inclusive and extremely generous with their expertise. Just jump in with both feet, bring your sense of humor and thick skin, and don't take yourself - or anyone else too seriously - and you'll soon be having the time of your life! :p Once you find the right bus for you and acquire it, then the real fun begins! :D

[Richard Barnes]

Welcome Ron and I'm sure you will find answers to any questions on this forum. I left a new 08 Monaco Executive a year ago and bought a 98 Liberty and I have absolutely no complaints. There is just no comparison in the two coaches. Regarding questions, now one can ask any dumber ones than me but you will get answers to all of them with just an occasional tugging on your chain. This is a wonderful group and when I, as a new owner, had a serious elecctrical problem, one of the guys actually came to my location to help me out. Let us know when you get your new baby.:D

[garyde]

Hi Ron. Welcome to POG. A well maintained Prevost is not a problem. Prevost makes a great Coach. With the Detroit Engine and Allison Transmission, your way ahead of anything else on the road.
A used Prevost is nothing like the plastic Coaches.
You have essentially a Commercial Bus with a custom conversion. Some componants will need maintenance , replacing and updating but its about the same with any Coach. The different systems are similar to Plastic Coaches so they can be maintained and repaired if necessary.
Most Conversions have support by their Convertors or by Adopted Convertors.
Buying used is a good thing as well because you get the benefit of an expensive original build with the depreciation already taken.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Welcome to the asylum Ron. If you have been lurking and reading you already know we can and will answer every one of your questions. Sometimes the answers will actually be correct.

You have every reason to be concerned when buying a used coach. But not scared. There is a difference. If you take the time to learn about the different conversions and determine how you want to use your coach (dry camping? second home? lots of travel? trips with the kids or grandkids?, etc.) that will help define how you want the coach equipped, and that alone will help narrow your focus.

When you have done your homework and know the coach you want with respect to which converter, systems, the floor plan, etc. you can then focus on the condition and price. There are a lot of folks here that have some very detailed converter specific knowledge and they can guide you.

Do you like sheep?

[hobobimmer]

Welcome, Ron! We jumped in with both feet 2 years ago. We bought our first motorhome ever from a POG member. It is a 1992 model Prevost. We love it! It speaks volumes that we drive a 1992 Prevost that we bought from an unknown (to us at the time) POG member, and that we still enjoy hanging out with him at rallys today. He might not feel the same way because we asked him a zillion questions when we were new, but he still makes "Beagleritas" for us when we are together. :D

Prevost definitely makes a quality product. Definitely do your homework, ask your questions, look carefully. It is the best shopping trip you can take. (yes, Deb typed this message)

Deb, Eric, Jay Faires
Huntsville, TN
40' Angola XL

[Will Garner]

Ron,

Welcome to POG. You need to lighten up on that anxiety I see in your post. Try the old Alfred E. Newman approach to your contemplation of Prevost ownership, "What, me worry?"

Carole and I never had a tent, camper or plastic coach before leaping forward to a Prevost. We were too old three years ago to go with a tent and have time for the natural progression to a pop up, then a trailer, to a camper, on to a plastic coach. To many rungs too little time left!

We enjoyed our hunt. Went from NC to FL, to MO, to MI and lots of places in between. Took almost two years. We also joined POG prior to starting the search so we would not be sheep being led to the slaughter house. Oh yeah, now that I'm thinking about sheep, you have to be careful around some of these POG members with ties to Acme Products Inc. They can really mess up a coach with all the sheep dip they shovel around!:D

Don't believe anything you read on the internet about "this pristine bus." Go look at it first hand. In fact, you might post before going to see if another POG member is in the local area. They may be able to help you look over and evaluate the bus and its systems. Just before putting down the dough, ask to live in it for about 3-4 days on site. Run all the systems even if you don't need heat in the summer or A/C in the winter. Make at least 24 hours dry camping and living of generator/inverter power. Do more than kick the tires, in fact get down and read the DOT "birth date." You don't want to buy a bus with "aged" tires. Being "aged" is fine with wine and scotch but not tires. Jon will likely be able to chip in his thoughts as to what should be checked in detail before making the big leap called committment.

Hope to meet you somewhere on down the road. BTW, Carole says a Prevost is the only way to travel. I agree!

[GDeen]

Welcome Ron! Bought our Marathon as our first coach of any type with considerable input from the membership here and couldn't be happier with the outcome. Be sure and check in with Steve Bennett at California Coach and let him know what you are looking for. Steve is a POG sponsor and you won't find a better guy to do business with particularly as you learn your way around the Prevost.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Actually Ron you are going to find this is a small community that can help steer you once you start to settle on your requirements for a coach.

But only you can decide what you need in a coach. For example, do you want a private toilet or is an open bath your preference? Do you want a booth or table and chairs? Where are you going to use the coach and how will you use it? If you are going to be doing a lot of dry camping you want lots of battery power and holding tank and water capacity.

Is an outside entertainment center important to you or do you need storage space? All these questions and many more will lead you to certain converters and models of conversions. Will you be looking at an H3, an XL or an XLII? You need to decide your budget because it you have a number in mind that is going to eliminate or bring some conversions and model into the equation such as double slide coaches, or no slide coaches.

The fun begins.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Welcome Ron and a few other new members that slipped in here when I wasn't paying attention.

Take advantage of the members, ask questions and participate in the forum.

This is a two way street. You only get out what you put in.

If you don't like what we are posting (topics) start your own!

Try everything on/in the forum, you can't break anything.

Fill in your user profile and signature.

JIM

[RonAltman]

Thanks everyone for your warm greetings. I'm feeling better already :-) We are in no hurry so I'm here to look and learn... Again, thanks and I'm looking forward in a long relationship with the POG members. :)

[Willis Michell]

Hi Ron, I am also new to Prevost conversion and have a 99 Vantare H3-45 as of 3 months ago. Wow do I have a lot to learn. This site is a great place to learn from, be sure to comb the articles. The best help I have gotten is finding a good experienced conversion person to go over your coach and then spend a couple hours one-on-one. I highly recomend a guy in Largo Fl talked about on this site, Rick May. He did work at Parlament many years but now has his own business called Coach Worx. It sounds like with your experience you will catch on fast. Welcome to this fine site. W