Coach Quest

[LNDYCHT]

Got the itch!!

We are looking for a newer coach (by we I mean me). My dear wife is happy with the current coach but I am looking for more. We are fairly new to RVing having owned for 18 months and definitely made the correct choice by purchasing a Prevost first.

Having checked all the obvious sources ( advertisers on this site, RVT, RV Trader, Prevost -Stuff) we haven't found anything that suits us. I'm sure that there are more coaches for sale and know that a member will be able to help. I would like to stay south of 200. Here are the criteria.

XL 45 with 60 series
laminate cabinets (no wood)
cruise air preferred
private head preferred

I believe that I want OTR but only for the heat aspect. I have never tried to heat the coach any other way while driving. Can any one comment on this?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Lee,

"My dear wife is happy with the current coach but I am looking for more. "

Here is where you have to be specific. Your signature doesn't say if you have a 40 or 45, but if you have a 45 you may not gain whatever it is you think you will.

Right now, regardless of length you have OTR, a Series 60 and transmission combination that delivers the best fuel mileage of any vintage, and a chassis construction that is unmatched in reliability and serviceability. Admittedly the rivets don't look as smooth as the sides that are bonded and the appearance may not be the latest and greatest, but as you get newer 2000 chassis and up, skin repairs are extremely expensive compared to what repairs cost now. Ditto with glass replacement.

Your shell weighs less than newer coaches. If you have a 45 footer you may have long range fuel which allows you to avoid frequent stops at truck stops and the ability to shop for fuel price.

If you get very new then the shell is going to have multiplex wiring and that requires special diagnostics for trouble shooting. Try getting help in the middle of nowhere.

As far as heating a coach while driving with OTR, sometimes we will use our Webasto (an Aquahot works this way also) and that uses the heat from the engine coolant to heat the coach interior. OTR is not required for heating, but consider OTR has over 80,000 BTU of cooling power and the best roof AC units or Cruise Airs have is 15,000 each. The difference is cooling a coach down when it is hot. OTR brings the temps down faster than anything.

Others may disagree, but the question will ultimately come down to you asking yourself if the newer coach you select delivers enough more than what you have for the money it will cost. I can't get past the fact that because we have been brutalized with depreciation that the spread in price between my coach and something newer has gotten so great, and the benefits so small that I find it hard to justify trading, and have started the process of completely redoing it a room or system at a time.

[jack14r]

I doubt that that 88 has a series 60.

[LNDYCHT]

Our coach is a 40 foot and definitely a 8v92. The extra 5 feet and the torque of the 60 series is really what we (me) are after. Disc brakes would also be a bonus, although I am unsure what year they started. I am not sure about independent suspension as it seems to come with added maintenance costs and besides which I don't mind how mine handles. The newer coaches also seem to have a better fit on doors and panels. I love the rivets, and our budget does not allow for a XLII.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

My bad. My eyes are not connected to my brain. I had 98 in my head when I typed that.

Let me revise my comments because we went from an 87 to a 97.

This is in the context of stepping from a Liberty to a Liberty in my case. There was no comparison. It cost us a lot of money to step up 10 years, but we got the fuel consumption of a Series 60 compared to a 8V92, we got 5 more feet, we got a carousel closet, a coach with much more refined systems, and as much as we liked our 40 footer we would never go back to one.

The things that really make the total package such a step up, besides the carousel in the closet is the long range fuel, the complete difference in the house electrical system which took us from a black knob technology (to select the 120V power source) to the use of inverters and never a need to even think about if we have 120V. Folks who never had the older vintage coaches with converters and an inverter that had to be manually turned on to function cannot appreciate how huge that is as far as ease of use.

The additional 5 feet change the entire character of the coach and permit separate vanities, stacked washer and dryer as well as the private commode, and Di really likes having lights in every cabinet. It's the little things, but they have a disproportionate influence on how we enjoy the coach. While the chassis looks the same there are also differences that make it more enjoyable. The sound level is much lower. The chassis has automatic slack adjusters. The ride on the longer wheelbase is improved, but the rear overhang does make me more careful, especially exiting steeper driveways.

The lights are all 12 volt. That may not seem like a big deal but it makes getting bulb anywhere a nice change. The coach has ABS, discs on the front and tag axles and the increased mileage combined with the long range fuel that is on the Liberty makes 1800 mile round trips without fueling along the way easy and practical.

When we stepped up 10 years it was before pricing was what it is today. While older coaches have taken a hit pricewise they have not taken as big a hit as the late XLs and now older XLII coaches. Cash buyers can make some fantastic deals and stepping up involves far less money than when we did it. Anticipating that a late model rivet coach is a prime candidate for a complete chassis upgrade to include air bags, brake chambers, Norgens, shocks, etc. even with that cost taken into consideration a lot of coach can be bought for the money.

[LNDYCHT]

Thanks for your input. Half of what you have said is why my wife is happy where we are. Our coach was a custom order from Liberty. It has a side isle that gives you a totally private bathroom. Every cabinet has a door activated light. The interior has been upgraded and is neutral throughout. The electrical has been upgraded to two 2800 watt inverter/chargers on automatic transfer switches. It has the large fuel capacity tanks as well.

What I really want is more go more wo and better interior flo.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I don't think you will get more go. You will gain about 5000 pounds so if there is a power advantage to the Series 60 / World transmission combination it is to a great extent offset by the weight.

The 8V92 / 5 speed combination drives different than the Series 60 / 6 speed. Because the 8V92 is a rev happy engine it really doesn't come into its own until your get around 1500 RPM and can peg the turbo boost. Then, because the 5 speed will hang in each gear until the engine hits about 2100 it is in its element. You do tend to drive that coach with your foot on the floor. I guess the saying is drive it like you stole it.

The Series 60 / 6 speed combination takes advantage of its low end torque and is set up to be biased towards economy. Coming from a stop, unlike the 8V92 you feel a push in your back due to the low end torque. But unless you always run in performance mode, or manually shift gears the transmission will short shift and shift at relatively low RPM. It will also delay the downshift, being set up to lug a bit before it drops a gear. Obviously you can squeeze better performance by selecting the preformance mode which will encouirage quicker downshifts and will hang in gear longer, but the shifts will be harsher and econmy will suffer.

I'm OK with the set up as it is and drive in economy mode most of the time. In mountainous terrain I may either leave it in 5th manually, letting that be the high gear instead of 6th, or I will select the performance mode. Either way I can get better hill climbing performance than in economy. Generally unless the mountain or upgrade one of a continuous series of them I hit the bottom of the hill in 5th and accelerating with the transmission in performance. But other than that I don't mess with it very much preferring the almost undetectible upshifts. I particularly like the fact the transmission does not hunt, something the 5 speed would do.

I think is a drag race both our coaches would run side by side if the race started with you having some revs, such as in a rolling start because I think that is the only real diference.