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Beardog
05-20-2012, 10:45 PM
Hello everyone, my wife and I just joined the forum a couple of days ago. We are 50 years old, and probably about 8-10 years away from retirement. My name is Sam, and she is Kim. Our 13 year old dog is named "Bear", hence my forum name of "Beardog".

We bought a 2003 Holiday Rambler Navigator about 4 years ago, as our first RV. For the ensuing 3 years and 11 months, we have wished that we had known about bus conversions!:(

We have looked at Prevosts off and on, but are seriously looking now. We listed the Navigator for sale today (http://www.rvt.com/rvshdetail4971461.htm?hm=top), and plan to look at the possibility of trading, as well. No matter what, we will take a big hit on the Navigator, but everytime we see a Prevost on the road, we look at each other and sigh, so the quest begins in earnest!

We are so used to the Aqua Hot system, stacked washer/dryer, automatic Girard patio awning, etc., that it is hard to imagine a Prevost without those features (the wife could get by without a Girard awning, but a stacked, residential washer/dryer set is a must for her). We are not familiar with the Webasto system, or whether it is a move up, down or sideways from the Aqua Hot. Also, we are used to having 2 slides, but we think that perhaps a no-slide bus would be OK. We gravitate toward the apperance of the XL/XLII's, but are not adverse to an H3 body style. Also, we don't have a set opinion on 40 vs. 45 ft. length yet. The wife probably will push for 45, if we buy a no slide bus.

I am having a hard time determining which conversion companies are still in business, and which ones are no longer with us. Since we are in central Arkansas, and live nowhere close to a conversion company, I am not sure how much that matters, however. My wife seems to prefer the Liberty Coach interiors, followed by Millennium, Country Coach, and Marathon, not in any particular order.

We camp frequently in open fields and grassy parks, so the heat/exhaust out the roof appeals to me on the Millennium coaches. I have always been a little concerned about all that heat from the generator and Aqua Hot blasting down on dry grass and leaves under the edge of our Navigator (although I don't know if it has ever been a problem).

I think that financially, we need to be looking at buses in the 1995-2002 range, as I don't want to mortgage our life away on a bus. We paid cash for our Navigator, but man, do I wish I had all of that money back to go toward a Prevost now! I know that we will need to borrow some money over whatever we get out of our Navigator, either by direct sale, or trade.

From what we know at this point, we think that we definitely want OTR, but have no definite feelings about Cruse air vs. top mounted A/C units. We do notice how noisy the roof units on our Navigator are, however.

I don't know the turning radius on our 41 ft. Navigator, but we have no problem with it. My wife drives it as much, perhaps more than I do. So, I don't know if we would really appreciate the better turning radius of a Prevost with IFS, or not. It sounds like maintenance and repair costs are lower for the straight axle buses.

We hope to get out of town to look at and drive a few Prevosts in a couple of weeks. It looks like we may need to drive 6-12 hours, or fly to Florida or California to look at a good selection of buses all in one place.

We are used to the maintenance and repair costs of a large motor home, so the $2.5-$5K per year average costs don't scare us, but we sure hope to find a bus that doesn't surprise us with thousands of dollars of unplanned repairs in the first year.

Any suggestions and all advice is a appreciated. We have spent about 12-15 hours perusing the forums here already!

Best Regards,

Sam & Kim Vallery
Hot Springs, Arkansas

coreygrubb
05-21-2012, 12:13 AM
welcome Sam & Kim, Any of the broker/dealers listed as sponsors on the POG are great. We have personally dealt with Coachworks, Florida Luxury Coach and just recently purchased a 2000 CC from Scott and Wayne (Waynes Coach Sales) and could not be more pleased. I agree with Jon that a 45 non slide is best for a travel coach, while a 1 or 2 slide coach might be better if you park and stay alot. Look closley at layouts in non-slide coachs to avoid pinchpoints.Good Luck
Corey Grubb & George Prentice 2000 CC Will & Grace

johnbrowder
05-21-2012, 07:41 AM
If you want OTR air, you have basically limited yourself to Liberty, which is not a bad thing. I own a Liberty, and would never own anything else.

jack14r
05-21-2012, 09:58 AM
I doubt that you will find a Millennium of that vintage because they started converting around 2000,I purchased a 2001 Marathon in 2006 and spent about 20K fixing all the glitches so good records and a complete inspection are well worth the money.I have heard that Marathon has been looking for a buyer so if that is true Liberty,Millennium and possibly Featherlite (Amadas) are the only converters that seem to be in good financial shape.The rivet coaches which are prior to 2001 seem to be great values but I would not consider anything that did not have a Detroit series 60,that will limit you to 1995-2000.There is a real nice 2000 Liberty that Paul owns and he has records with great documentation,being a Liberty it has bus air and Cruise airs which many of us think are the ultimate.

coreygrubb
05-21-2012, 08:00 PM
Jack makes all good points. In an XL, 2000 and prior are rivet coaches, but that's a good thing as 2001-2005 XL's can have de-lamination issues. If you look at non-slide coaches, the onlly issue with Liberty's of that era is trying to find one with a cross bed and you lose the large rear closet in a 45. Marathon and CC rear and dash AC woks just fine unless yoy spend a lot of time in the desert, also properly ducted roof airs have certain advantages over cruise airs. they leave you with more storage space,much less expensive to repair or replace and give you a little more control flexibility. I would be a little hesitant about cruise airs in a 10-15 yr old bus. As usual Jon is right about see,feel,touch and smell-so you might want to think about going to Fla where in 2 or 3 days you can see a lot of various coaches in a small radius. Just go see Coachworks, Parliment, Florida Luxry Coach, Millenium and Liberty as all are pretty close to each other.

garyde
05-21-2012, 10:53 PM
Welcome to POG Beardog, aka Sam & Kim. The great position you are in at this point is you have a lot of great coaches available
right now at reasonable prices. So, take your time and get to know the market. The first thing to remember is that
the coaches are Prevost first and foremost. The converter is important to a certain point. Some converters like Country Coach designed
their own electrical systems into the mid 2000's which can be a problem finding parts. However, many converters use many of the same systems.
Liberty has some specific differences, they have one waste tank for both grey and black. They use stainless steel tanks.
They have OTR on almost all of their Coaches.
So, enjoy the journey , its definately part of the fun.

HarborBus
05-22-2012, 12:16 AM
Welcome Sam & Kim, You have allot of the right questions and as usual the questions come easier than the answers. The responses you have receive have covered allot of the questions in general, but as you continue with your search you will begin to develop a list of "must haves", "It would be nice to have" and "don't need it at all". Just be patient and you'll get there. We have all been where you are.

Gil_J
05-22-2012, 08:40 AM
Sam & Kim,

We just went through what you are about to go through. We had a 2008 Beaver Contessa 42. It was a beautiful coach with tons of room having 4 slides. King bed, over/under washer dryer, large screen TV, etc... So for my wife moving to a 99 Country Coach had its moments. Queen bed, dual function washer/dryer, much smaller kitchen, laminates, and far too many mirrors. However, the ride is awesome! Even compared to our 10 bag tag axle Beaver coach (not a bus conversion). Now we are getting ready for our first real trip (Tampa to Anchorage).

I would highly recommend spending some time with the service guru, Rick May, at Coach Worrx in Clearwater, FL. Even if you don't buy a bus there, you will leave knowing tons about the different conversion companies and options. Don't overlook eBay and RVT.com. There appear to be some good deals on eBay. We found ours on RVT.com. Tires and batteries are expensive! With discount, expect a set of Michelin tires to run you about $6K. Those 8D AGM house batteries are about $575 each and some buses have 8 of them! Bus air or over the road air have pros and cons. We have OTR air and dash air. Dash air is the same as any car in that cold air is delivered to the dash. Our OTR air uses a very similar engine compressor to that of the dash air with air vents in the middle and rear of the bus at floor level. Bus air has a huge engine driven compressor, air is typically discharged at the windows, and you lose a storage bay. Also keep in mind what refrigerant is used. I understand converting a bus air for the new refrigerant is a very expensive conversion. Cruise air or roof toop units... Cruise air split systems are common place in larger boats. There biggest advantage is they are quieter and don't require holes in your roof. There disadvantage is repair costs, loss of storage space, and refregerant conversion. The roof top units are now common place. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to change out. I too loved my Aqua Hot! I haven't turned on the Webasto unit but expect similar heating. For hot water I have 2 10 gallon electric hot water heaters.

When it comes to looks, I favor the riveted XL. BTW, late 90s XLIIs have independent front ends. Although it probably improves the ride, I've been told it was done to carry the extra weight.

This is what I've learned in the few monthes I was looking and based on what I purchased.

Pete
05-22-2012, 09:42 AM
Be aware that the "Prevost Bus Air" and the Country Coach "Bus Air" are two different things. The Prevost bus air is designed to produce much more cold air. Although I have never owned a Country Coach with their system, I have owned one with the Prevost bus air and they are a wonderful system to have. You will never be hot in a coach equipped with the Prevost bus air.
The Prevost bus air can be found on some though not all conversions. As mentioned previously, most Liberty conversions have it, some American, some Marathon, some Angola, and others do as well. If you plan on travel mostly in the southern states, the temps can be brute hot in the summer months.

I presently own a Vision conversion with 4 Roof airs, and dash air, and it is sufficient in summer months, but can not hold a candle to Prevost bus air.

Danss
05-22-2012, 10:51 AM
For every one who has or is looking for abus.


MY PREVOST STORY

WHEN YOU FIND THE BUS THAT’S RIGHT
IT WILL PROBALY BE LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
SOMETIMES YOU MUST TAKE A CHANCE
DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE LISTENING TO CAN’T’S

STICKS AND STAPLES ARE IN MY PAST
FINALLY GOT SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST
WE FINALLY DID IT NOW I CAN BOAST
WE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT US A PREVOST

OWNING ONE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
CAUSE THE PURCHASE PRICE IS JUST THE START
GOING TO THE PREVOST SHOP THE FIRST TIME
YOU’LL FIND YOU NEED A CREDIT LINE

MADE GREAT FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY
HOW MANY THEIR ARE ITS HARD TO SAY
BUT IN THIS NEW BUS GROUP I FOUND
THEIR KNOWLEDGE HAS NO BOUNDS

ITS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE
TO RIDE THE HIWAY IN SOMETHING SO FINE
ALL SLICK AND SHINY I WAS SO PROUD
I WAS NOW WAY ABOVE THE CROWD

ON THE HIWAY FOLLOWING THAT LINE
GOING NOWHERE BUT MAKING GOOD TIME
WE FOUND THAT THE THRILL OF THE RIDE
IS PART OF THE THRILL OF THE DRIVE

( FOUR LINES NOT ORIGINAL UNDERLINED)

Beardog
05-22-2012, 12:55 PM
Thanks to all for the great advice, so far.

Also, thanks to all who have private messaged me with advice and/or available buses out there.

Keep the information coming!

It seems to be a crap shoot with so many things, when purchasing a used bus (possible expensive repairs on cruse air units, replacing airbags/valves, etc.). My wife is looking strictly at cosmetics and interior design, and leaving the mechanical/physical plant stuff to me, so hopefully we will find a coach that suits us both, without too many compromises and things marked off "THE LIST". We hope to be able to get away for 2-3 days in a couple of weeks, just to look at buses. We wold love to drive, so we can take our Navigator with us (for possible trade), but it looks like we may need to fly to southern Florida to be able to look at lots of buses all in one area.

What if we drove the Navigator to Texas or Tennessee, and then used our Toad to drive about a 50-100 mile radius in all directions from our "home base". Are there enough available coaches to look at around Nashville, Dallas, or Houston to make that worthwhile and cost effective, vs. flying to southern Florida (West Palm Beach Airport??) and paying for a hotel and rental car for 2-3 nights? We really need to both drive and see some coaches with slides, without slides, and perhaps a 40 footer, too. My wife seems to have a real problem with not knowing if she would like an "east-west" or "north-south" bed. She seems to gravitate toward coaches with a "north-south" set up of the bed in the back of the coach. So, we need to look at both bed setups, too.

We would be driving out of Hot Springs, Arkansas, or flying out of Little Rock, Arkansas. Should we think about flying to California instead of Florida??

Opinions/advice??

Pete
05-22-2012, 03:40 PM
Ok Dan, get out that guitar, put it to music, and we will see you on "AMERICAN IDOL"

phorner
05-22-2012, 03:40 PM
First and foremost, full disclosure: I have a 2000 Liberty Coach for sale, so some may view my comments as biased, although I'll try hard not to be.

When we were shopping for our first (and, as it turned out, our only) bus, we tried very hard to make a list of "must have", "should have" and "would be nice to have" items. For us, a north/south oriented bed, a private toilet, genuine Prevost bus air, stacked washer and dryer, and a series 60 engine were "must have". Our "should have" list included IFS, an outside entertainment system that included a TV, refrigerator and grill, and appropriate miles/generator hours for it's age. We DID NOT want a bus that spent most of its life sitting idle as that is a direct path to potential problems. Since we lived full time in our bus, it also had to have abundant storage and a "livable" floor plan for us.

Automatic patio awning, pleasing cosmetic colors and polished stainless that was in excellent condition rounded out our criteria.

All that being said, what I would add to that list if I were shopping today would be copies of maintenance records and receipts in order that both immediate and future maintenance requirements could be more accurately and readily identified. I did a pretty good job of creating my first "to do" list after buying our Liberty, but there was much more to do than I originally thought. That was only because I didn't have a good understanding of some of the complexities of of a Prevost conversion versus the motorhomes I had owned in the past.

Good luck with your shopping. When you find the right one, you'll know it! We were looking at a Marathon when we purchased our Liberty.... it simply "wowed" us!

Now, to shamelessly promote our bus.... I highly recommend that you make South Florida a destination for your shopping trip. Even if you decide on another bus (hard to imagine, but I suppose it's possible), it's a great place to visit!

Jamie Bradford
05-22-2012, 05:17 PM
Hi Sam & Kim,

Based upon Current Listings on Prevost-Stuff.com here is a breakdown of the number of coaches listed for sale by the state in which they are located:

Florida 45

California 10

Indiana 10

Minnesota 7

Texas 6

Arizona 5

Oregon 5

If you opted to go to Florida , all coaches listed are within +/- 2 hours driving time of Orlando.

If you would like to join us at the Rally in Vegas you will be within striking distance of 20-30 coaches for sale.

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Thanks

Jamie

JIM CHALOUPKA
05-22-2012, 08:59 PM
Welcome Sam and Kim, my recommendation is to not be in a hurry. Formulate a plan and stick to it.
Go with your present coach to the rally and see the diversity there and meet the POGers to get first hand information as to what it is all about.
You never know what you will want to buy until you actually see it and enter it, it's what is known here as "the magic moment". Who knows you may fall for an H3-45.

I like an east west bed and an open bath with separate washer and dryer.

If you make the sales lot tour, be sure to call ahead to verify the vintage and model are on hand on the lot.


JIM :)

TG Transport
05-24-2012, 11:47 AM
I would recommend using either Tampa or Orlando as a base to see as many coaches as possible in the shortest time possible. Within a 90 minute radius of either drop point you can visit Marathon, Parliament, Millenium, Coachworx and others. Good luck. You know the right one when you see it.

Beardog
05-25-2012, 08:26 AM
Based on the voluminous amount of reading that we have done, and our list of "musts, wants, and maybes", I think that we are going to concentrate our search toward XL buses without slides. If we decide that we must have a slide coach, then our priorities may need to change to accommodate the higher cost of slide equipped coaches, since most of them are newer. I don't know if we are willing to pay the premium for a Liberty conversion if we decide that slides are a "must", but at this point, we arel leaning toward the Liberty conversions.

We are really trying to heed everyone's advice to forget about mileage, and focus on maintenance history of each bus, but I must admit that is a hard pill to swallow!

Could someone chime in and explain what differences we should expect if we buy a bus with a Webasto system rather than Aqua Hot? We are used to our Aqua Hot, but have no experience with a Webasto system.

Also, I read a thread somewhere talking about what to expect, cost wise, if one decides to put all new tires, new fluids, filters, belts, air bags, Norgren valves, etc. on a coach at the time of purchase. Now I can't seem to locate that thread. Our biggest concern is that we don't want to get into a bunch of repairs/replacements that we "should have expected". We want a bus that we can move our stuff into, take off, and just continue with recommended maintenance. As current "high -end" plastic coach owners, we know there is no utopia, and that repairs and costs crop up that nobody could have predicted, but we also know that making sure everything is right at first is vitally important.

Sam & Kim

jack14r
05-25-2012, 11:16 AM
The Aqua Hot has a Webasto burner in it,in a Liberty there is a 20 gallon domestic water heater that has a heat exchanger in it.the water in the hot water can be heated by 110 volt electricity,or the Webasto or the Detroit Diesel.The Webasto also has heat exchangers with thermostats in the coach and also in the water bay with thermostats to prevent freezing if you are in very cold weather.I think that both systems work very well,when parked the Liberty does not need the webasto for domestic hot water therefore it does not burn any diesel,but on cold days both the Webasto or the Aqua Hot would normally be running to heat the interior of the coach.

garyde
05-25-2012, 09:56 PM
8 Tires will run about $5800.00 mounted and balanced. Air Bags about $4000.00 plus or minus with labor., Norgren valves; there are different types; maybe $3000.00 with labor. Shocks $ 1000.00-1500.00 with labor.
Seals, bushings, etc. can run up a couple of thousand more.
Change out coolant, Oils, filters, and lube. $2000.00
These are off the top of my head so , each coach will have their own issues and costs.

phorner
05-26-2012, 08:12 AM
Sounds like good round numbers to me, Gary, having "been there, done that"...:D

Beardog
06-03-2012, 12:30 AM
Ok guys, I have some more questions....

Is the problem with delamination unique to XLII coaches, or do H3-45 coaches have the same issues after about the year 2000?

Would anybody be overly concerned about a well maintained 1999-2002 H3 coach with HWH slides?

What about Liberty slides? What year did they start using slides, and were they Prevost, slides, or others (HWH, Valid)?

We are leaning toward a Liberty conversion, but we are a lot closer to the Marathon center in Texas (about 4 hours), and the Prevost shop in Nashville is only 6 hours the other direction. Perhaps we should be leaning toward a Marathon conversion instead, just because of proximity? We are 1100 miles from the Liberty shop in Florida, and 800 miles from the one in Illinois.

I don't want to start a thread about slides vs no slides, as I have read plenty of those. However, at 50 years old, we tend to take shorter trips, and spend 3-7 days in one place before getting back home and to work. In light of that, perhaps we should bite the bullet and spend more money now on a coach with slides, instead of buying one without slides (in my mind, better for driving, not as good when we are parked and roughing it for several days).

As usual, I appreciate all replies, both here on the forum, and in private emails.

Sam

Beardog
06-03-2012, 12:46 AM
I forgot to ask about this bus: http://ultimatervs.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/2001-prevost-marathon-h3-45-with-two-slides-2/

Is anybody familiar with it? The wife really likes this one, inside and out.

phorner
06-03-2012, 08:33 AM
I'm not sure when Liberty started offering slides, but to the best of my knowledge, they have only used Prevost slides.

Also, for my 2 cents worth, it is more important that you be happy with your bus, without the feeling that you "settled", than close proximity to factory service.

It's a lot of money to spend to be saying to yourself "I wish I had..." later down the road as you live with your choice.

Just food for thought....

wyle.e.kyote
06-03-2012, 09:06 AM
My suggestion (for what its worth) is to concentrate more on things you *don't* want .. I know this seems counter intuitive at first but it worked for us. We made out list and as we visited each coach if something "made the list" we walked away. When we finally got down to a couple of coaches that "fit" then it was a simple decision of which options we wanted to live with or without.

garyde
06-03-2012, 01:40 PM
I have not been back to Liberty since I purchased it in 2006. Most issues related to conversions are not as complex as long as you can talk with someone which is where Liberty shines.
Its best to have a good Prevost mechanic or Detroit Diesel and Allison transmission dealer close .
I have not seen any issues on the H3 siding.

Beardog
06-03-2012, 04:43 PM
Thanks again for the replies. We think that we will stick with looking at Liberty conversions for now, unless something else absolutely "wows" our socks off, and we can't live without it!

We are trying to set up a trip to shop for a bus. We will leave later this week. We are hoping to find every Liberty conversion in the 1997-2003 era between Little Rock, AR and Knoxville, TN, along the I-40 route. If we don't find "The Bus", we will head on down into southern Florida, along I-75 south, out of Chattanooga, as several have suggested. We will be in our Navigator, pulling our toad. That way, if needed, we can trade up to a Prevost and head back north and west. Any suggestions of buses to look at, and dealers that might take trades would be great. If we buy a coach with slides, it will probably be an H3, since we are scared to death about a possible major expense with delamination on an XLII (whether we should be overly concerned or not, we are!)

We have already been in contact with Lon Neuville, at Florida Luxury Coaches, so no need to suggest anything there...his coaches are already on our radar!

Sam & Kim

garyde
06-03-2012, 10:27 PM
Regarding trade ins. Many of the Dealers will accept trade ins. The problem is they won't give you any better than wholesale value. You would be leaving a lot of $$ on the table. Some people can't wait and will purchase their Prevost and wait and sale their other coach privately or thru consignment. That's the 'Two Bus Club'. which several members have been a member including myself.

coreygrubb
06-04-2012, 04:20 AM
Regarding trade ins. Many of the Dealers will accept trade ins. The problem is they won't give you any better than wholesale value. You would be leaving a lot of $$ on the table. Some people can't wait and will purchase their Prevost and wait and sale their other coach privately or thru consignment. That's the 'Two Bus Club'. which several members have been a member including myself.
first and foremost, find the coach you really want. know what your current coach is realistically worth retail and if you become a member of the dreaded two coach club it might not be for long. it happened to us, but with a happy ending. we found the coach we really wanted and had to act, resisted trade in and came out six weeks later and $45,000 better.

Gil_J
06-04-2012, 03:40 PM
I just ended my time as a two coach owner and have been a two boat owner too many times. Luckily I've never been a two owner too long. In every case I believe the secret to my success is the have a well maintained product priced low enough a serious buyer is motivated to look at what I'm offering. The 08 Beaver Contessa 42 I just sold went for $130K. Its wholesale price that a dealer was willing to buy it for was in the low 90s and low retail was $160K. So, I could have competed with all other similar coaches and possibly sell it sometime or do what I did. BTW, don't forget to factor the cost and risk of continued ownership when setting your bittom dollar. As for marketing, I used eBay. FWIW, the buyer is buying now for his retirement in a year. Clearly the photos (which are critical), description and pricing was enough for him to fly from Nebraska to Florida to look at the coach. I had two other prospective buyers that called too late.

I agree, find the coach you want, negotiate the deal. Then, see if they have interest in your trade.

Best of luck,

Beardog
06-06-2012, 04:31 PM
We have had several tire kickers on our Navigator, but no offers yet. We have been told by several in the industry that it is priced right to sell quickly...we will see! My biggest concern is having to pay sales tax on the full amount that we pay for a Prevost, if the Navigator doesn't sell quickly. Arkansas residents only have 45 days from date of purchase to claim any money from a sold vehicle against a new purchase. That adds up to several thousand dollars of extra "hidden" cost, real quickly!

I have another question:

What are the pros and cons of the 12 volt and 24 volt conversion systems in the Liberty conversions? I see that the Lady Classics are 12 volt, and the Lady Elegants are 24 volt. Why?

Sam

garyde
06-06-2012, 10:54 PM
Hi Sam. The Lady Classic as I understand it, is a simpler electrical system with fewer bells and whistles hence less need for a 24 volt system which allows for all of the interior & exterior lighting on the Elegant Lady. 24 volts allows for more lighting load with fewer circuits, less wire home runs, maintain 12 guage wire sizes, fewer relays and so on.

Beardog
06-10-2012, 11:28 PM
We have decided to buy Jon Wehrenberg's 1997 Liberty!

Yesterday, Kim and I spent several pleasant hours with Jon learning the inside of the coach. Today, Kim stayed by herself, and Jon started me in "Bus Bootcamp". It took ALL DAY, but he started behind the coach entry door and coached me through all of the bays and their respective contents. We changed the oil and filters, and he showed me lots of stuff under the rear of the coach. Tomorrow, we will spend several hours under the front of the coach. We will also go over the air system, and learn how to check hub seals. No telling what else he has in store to teach me! Then, Kim and I will camp in the bus tomorrow night, a few miles from Jon and Di's house. If all goes well, and I pass Jon's rigorous "Bus Bootcamp"' we hope to head back to Arkansas Tuesday. If I'm still "weak"' we will stay one more night. Jon told me that it would be like "drinking from a fire hose" for a couple of days, and boy was he right. He has taught me so much in 2 days, that I am on Prevost learning overload! My brain may explode by bedtime tomorrow night!

I'll post again about our experience in a day or two. At this point, I am confident that we got a great bus, and have the best Liberty/Prevost instructor (Jon) that we could have hoped and prayed to find!

Sam (& Kim)

Seabyrd
06-11-2012, 01:01 AM
Congratulations Sam & Kim !!! ... You have just entered another world in motor homing. I knew if you looked at it you would buy it... very smart move... You got a great bus along with a great teacher !!
Enjoy !!

Gil_J
06-11-2012, 06:20 AM
Sam,

It looks like you not only got a great looking coach, but one with a very knowledgable hands-on owner. It's awesome Jon is willing to take you through the coach. Like I said before, had it been for sale a month earlier it would likely have been mine. That's not to say I don't love mine, just that the wood interior, great looking paint scheme, and the money saved would have been enough to sell me.

Enjoy!

Gil

Don
06-11-2012, 08:27 AM
San & Kim

I only wish that Jon's Liberty was for sale when I made my purchase 1 1/2 years ago. it would have been mine. I feel you did the right thing. I have great respect for Jon & Di they are outstanding people.

phorner
06-11-2012, 08:32 AM
Congratulations on your new bus!

Take the time to let everything "sink in". You have the best instructor there is......:)

wayne
06-11-2012, 08:35 AM
Ever since Jon and Di put their bus on the market we have said..."whoever buys their coach starts about 10 giant steps ahead of the rest of us who have purchased per-owned buses".....you and Kim have made the best decision ever!
Nothing but enjoyment ahead! Be Safe and have the time of your life!

coreygrubb
06-11-2012, 09:12 AM
Congrats all the way around ! Sam and Kim have their new coach and Jon and Di are no longer a member of the two coach club.

Jamie Bradford
06-11-2012, 10:20 AM
Congrats Sam & Kim!! You have gotten a great bus.

Jamie

jack14r
06-11-2012, 11:07 AM
You will now have a resource equal to Troy at Liberty,make sure that you have Jon's cell number.

merle&louise
06-11-2012, 12:16 PM
Congratulations Sam & Kim, you hit the mother lode. Jon's Liberty is the best deal on the market! Hope you have many happy miles of motorcoach travel ahead of you.

rahangman
06-11-2012, 01:15 PM
Congrats on the purchase of Jon's bus! Good to hear that it will be at home in Arkansas, the Natural State. We can do a mini rally somewhere around Hope/L Rock look for diamonds, drink local wine and eat at Does in L Rock.

garyde
06-11-2012, 11:41 PM
Congradulations on your new Bus. When I say new, its not a stretch. Jon takes exceptional care of his bus and many of the parts and materials are new or almost new. I'm sure there is more than a few buyers out there kicking themselves for not jumping on this Bus sooner.
Not a small feet you got there first.

Seabyrd
06-12-2012, 01:19 AM
Gary you are so right there...Boy... All these posts sure say a lot for Jon don't they!! I think Sam knows exactly how fortunate he is too. It is a great bus.

Beardog
06-12-2012, 06:12 PM
We've come exactly 500 miles west from Jon and Di's place. Stuck on I-40 at a dead stop now. But hey, we have OTR air! It's cool in here!

I feel very much at ease in the coach, thanks to three LONG days of training!

wayne
06-12-2012, 06:23 PM
That's great! Enjoy to the fullest!

Seabyrd
06-12-2012, 06:24 PM
That's awesome Sam & Kim... you will learn much in the near future.... safe & happy travels to you both.. when you come back to TX be sure to call us and we'll get together!!

Beardog
06-18-2012, 01:36 PM
Made it back to Hot Springs yesterday evening, with the 97 Liberty intact. No problems (outside of a couple of newbie questions that Jon answered quickly) or surprises on the trip! We ended up logging about a thousand miles on the coach. Trying to slog through the owner's manual over the next few days.

Prodriver
12-15-2017, 09:15 PM
Does Beardog still have the coach?