American and/or American Carriage ??

[matsprt]

I've just been sent some preliminary information on an American conversion. The information I received was not clear as to who did the conversion. I think there is both an American and American Carriage ?? I know about American Carriage as I have been to their factory.

What is the word on American (if there is actually such a thing ??).

Michael

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Two different companies. One currently based in CA, and one formerly based in MI.

American no longer exists.

[matsprt]

Thanks Jon.
How long ago did they go bye-bye ?? and what was their reputation in the market while they were alive ??

If every conversion they did was a dog, I'll pass, if they did good work I'll consider the coach.

It fits my "list" of wants.

Michael

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If you are going to consider one look at the new 2005 with a single slide Buddy Gregg has in Knoxville. It is a 40 footer.

I can't give you much information about later production, but in the early to mid nineties American was a family run operation in Allen MI, and they built a good coach. It lacked the pizzaz of a Liberty or a Marathon, but was respected by its owners. Like Angola (also defunct and built nearby) American coaches they had a loyal following.

I would post your questions on the prevost-stuff site because there will tend to be a lot of owners there.

[Sting]

American just recently in the last year or so gone out of business. I have seen a few American Prevosts and they were always as nice as any that were out there. If I were looking and it had what I wanted I would not hesitate to get it. Being that they are out of business will play into the buyer's hand as the dealer will have to concede it is an orphan and if you play that up, the discount should be favorable for you compared to if they were still in business. As mentioned Buddy Gregg does have one. Granted its a 40 footer and not 45, and a single slide and not a double, but it is still a nice coach. I have seen it in person. I believe it could be had at a steal to be honest with you. I know there are some used ones out there too that some dealers have and I believe they too can be had at a great deal. Cmon Mike if this is what you want, dont waste time asking us go ahead and get it:D ! Dont let someone else get the deal. I think its primetime to make a deal with the dealers. There are some hungry mouths out there that need to be fed. Go feed em Mike!:)

[truk4u]

Mike,
I recently sat beside one of the principals at Amercian during a Prevost dinner in Charlotte at the FMCA and he told me the whole story as to what happened to his company. It all boiled down to Buddy Gregg putting them out of business by canceling a large order. Long story, but seems American was in business a long time, a family company and good folks. I can't remember his name, but I have a business card out in the bus. He is now doing custom Prevost work and conversions and he can easily be reached if you want to talk to him. His present company is also a Prevost dealer.

[Jeff Bayley]

I just came from American Carriage in CA and had a terriable experiene while they scratched their head for two days trying to wire my coach to match a trailer I picked up there. The owner has the personality of a rock. They put me on the road with faulty lights and no brakes. This, after the owner gave us a tour and bragged on and on about how they were "the best". American Coach is now Pantera Coach as has been pointed out on another thread where somenoe inquired about buying a used Angola which was the name before American Coach. After this series of name changes yet all maintaining the same staff one can assume that it's a matter of semantics and needing to leave a corporate idenity mess behind. The guys at Angola, uhhhh, American Coach,,,,,uhh, I mean Pantera are good.

I'm still in Orange County and need someone to fix the job that American Carriage did. Has anyone hear of a guy named Gabriel that might be with an outfit formerlly known as Vision Coach in Santa Ana ? The owner of the trailer company here is trying to hook me up with him to fix my lights. I might have to wind up going to Prevost to get it right.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jeff, to power trailer or toad lights is fairly easy.

Use power from the existing Prevost lights (regardless of whether it is 12 or 24 volt) to power a relay coil of the same voltage. That handles the switching for you, such as when you turn on a signal or apply the brakes.

Tap into the Prevost 12 volt post in the large rear electric box and run that power through the relay switches to the trailer light wires.

Use a separate relay for parking lights, LH turn signal, RH turn signal, and brake lights. The relays can be located in the large electric panel to protect them. If a converter cannot figure something this simple out, that converter should probably be limited to installing pickup caps. Certainly nothing more complex.

[Jeff Bayley]

Jon-

Thank you. The indeed located 3 relay's inside the electrcal box. I felt them warm after traveling which is probabley not an issue. The beheaded a perfectly good relay box which was installed by the converter thinking it was bad when the fuses inside were just burned. I posted more deail on this prior in this or another thread yesterday. I'm going to Camping Word right now to pick up a substitue box like the one they executed so I have the part on hand when Prevost in Mira Loma opens Monday morning. I'm going there to camp out tonight and tommorow since I don't have the electrical brakes working and the running lights are screwed up as well. I guess what American rigged up was a subsitute for the Signal Switcher box they ripped out and the relay's may be able to be used by the Prevost electrician but some musical chairs with the wires needs to take place. The box they took out is made by R.C. Tronics out of Goshen Indiana. I left them a message to call me Monday. This says "Automatic Signal Switcher" "......convert 2 to 3 wire output plus marker OR 3 to 2 wire output plus marker." It has posts on it for Right Turn, Left Turn, Brake and Marker. With only 3 relay's installed (correct that.....attmpeted install) by American Carriage the other day, obbioislye one of the 3 is omitted.

Jon, from your post, I see that you suggest that the relay's installation as begun is a suitable equivilent for this box. I was told the 2 to 3 wire deal applied more to a car than a trailer (mention of import car was dropped ?). Can you comment ?

Also, the electrical brakes on the trailer. I'm a complete rookie to towing. The trailer has electrical brakes and the umbilical (9 pin style) has a port of the electrical brakes. I'm told the sending unit for this needs to be installed in the cockpit and run to the back of the bus. If correct, what model do any of you recommend for this in case I need to pick the part up OR is it already provisioned by Royal and installed somewhere that I don't know about perhaps ?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jeff,

The way I described is how I wired our old coach to power the toad's lights. It used a seven pin connector as Joe described.

I had separate turn signals and brake lights. It sounds like you have combined turn and brake lights. I never got into doing it that way because Liberty installed a system on the current coach I have that provides me with the option of doing it either way by just throwing a switch. I have no clue how it works because it hasn't broke, and I am a firm believer in not monkeying with things that work.

I can say that on all the cars I tow or have towed, they were the problem because I had to add diodes to all but one so I would not back feed power to lights I did not intend to light.

[Orren Zook]

Jeff,

When you get to Camping World they should have a kit that will convert your seperate turn and stop lights to work as combined units on your trailer, they might even be able to wire it up for you if their shop is open. The kit is very simple to install if they can't - instructions are fairly detailed. it's called 'Universal Towed Car Wiring Kit' and is usually a stock item. On the brake controller - if your coach doesn't have one the Prodigy unit is one of the best on the market (most expensive too) and they should also have that in stock. Your trailer wire cable probably has a 7 pin connector rather than 9