Prevost Service Center Damage

[aggies09]

In January i was at the service center in Ft. Worth having a few things taken care of and when I got home I noticed that the stainless trim on a mud flap was bent badly. The flap between the drive and tag axles. i thought, what the hell, I must have ran over something and not have even known it..........Well, I was back in the service center today for a few things and noticed that the opposite side mud flap was bent as well, which was not the case just a few hours before.

The culprit to the bent flaps is the lift that Prevost uses to raise the coach for service. If not used properly or carefully, this is what you get. I apologize for not getting the photos in the correct orientation, but couldn't figure it out........

[Pete]

Tony, what a BUMMER! I assume that Prevost took care of the problem to your satisfaction. If not, I know of a Millinnium (sp) in Houston that is not being used that has a nice set of flaps on it.

[Kenneth Brewer]

I have the exact same bend on one side of our coach that I wondered about, and had been to the same facility a year or two before. This June we had a left front tire blowout (explosion) at just over seventy, just after crossing into Arizona headed west. Took out the fender panel and did some suspension damage. Limped back to the Ft. Worth facility on a new tire. Can't tell there had been any damage whatsoever from the tire blowout. We were very, very lucky the median was relatively flat, because I fought a rollover like death and got it back to the right shoulder, resting on the rim, the cop found the blown out panel on the other side of I-10 about a quarter mile back. The Ft. Worth facility did a great job on the repairs, however. Also went to 365s on the front. Your damage to the stainless trim was not repeated this (2nd) visit, fortunately enough; the damage to mine would have occurred on the first visit, but I guess I will attempt to bend it back myself, since I can't prove it and didn't notice it for some reason back then. In the future you can bet I will watch for this if the coach goes up on the lifts.

Thanks for pointing this out.

[GDeen]

Wow Ken - that looks nasty. Kudos to you for managing it successfully. Curious how you're reflexes caused you to respond? Did you stay on the gas or instinctively touch the brakes? I am guessing you were on cruise control .....

[d graham]

KEN, WHAT WAS THE DATE ON THE TIRE & THE MAKE? DARRELL

[aggies09]

Pete, I am still in negotiations with Prevost on the damage. Not sure how that will come out. I understand that the little used Millennium has an all new A/V setup so that the driver can better see the cows while they are rubbing against it.

We are planning on coming down to the Millennium owner's place on labor day weekend. If you aren't out traveling about maybe we can all meet for dinner or something one night.

[Pete]

Sounds like a winner....just let us know.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Wow Ken - that looks nasty. Kudos to you for managing it successfully. Curious how you're reflexes caused you to respond? Did you stay on the gas or instinctively touch the brakes? I am guessing you were on cruise control .....

Gordon,

Don't think I touched the brakes until I got out of the median (it slowed very quickly on its own, of course, trying to dig in on the left), and got over on the right shoulder, I was indeed on cruise control, and don't know why it cancelled, as a technical issue, but I may have; there was a vibration for about 3 seconds that I thought was the road surface, then we were deafened by the bang, and I fought to keep the immediate snap to left from taking me further into the median center and rolling.

[Kenneth Brewer]

KEN, WHAT WAS THE DATE ON THE TIRE & THE MAKE? DARRELL

Darrell;

4th month, '07; the month we took possession from Liberty, which I most certainly appreciated (I checked then, along with all the batteries), Michelin XZA-2. When I took the coach to Ft.Worth the first time, I had them include a realignment in the work list I had. When this was done, I was told there might be a slight pull until the corrected alignment (the misalignment - toe-in, I think, was due to a tie-rod that was loose, discovered on their general undercarriage inspection, and replaced) 'took'. There was never a serious pull before, and certainly not after, at all, and I did not replace the (front) tires which in retrospect, of course, I should have. What I believe happened was that the tire overheated and began to have ply separation perhaps, and then temperature and thereby pressure ratcheted up, and it blew.

One important point: neither the on-board compressor, or truck stop air pumps, could give me more than about 108-112 psi. Once on a trip, the tires heat naturally and the pressure rises well over the recommended cold pressure, so I wouldn't be able to get air in anyway (shouldn't unless pressure was lost). The coach requires 120 psi on the front axle. Since it was not ever quite at maximum rated weight, I felt/concluded this was not really required. And I always check tire pressures, albeit at 112 cold and no less than 130 when traveling. Ever. I think the problem was the slightly misaligned tire/wheel and the high outside heat in the southwest the last few years - and there was no indication of a problem with the right tire, even afterwards. But I had purchased a pneumatic pressure doubler and raised the pressure to 120 cold this trip to be certain and safe. Too late, it appears. And I drove the speed limits. The tires are rated for 75 max., however. This trip I had reduced my speed, thankfully, since I had a toad.

The 365s for my load on the front axle require only about 105 psi, the ride is better, quieter - especially if you ask Gwen. They are not cheap; new rims are required (for older coaches) which are wider and appear to be thicker and have larger holes in them (I will measure later), and require the studs to be changed out that are smaller in diameter, along with smaller nuts - 33mm (1" 5/16), which means that if you have an X12 you will need to order that socket as well. The new wheels are hub-piloted rather than stud piloted, which is the reason smaller studs/nuts can be used, although the mounting torque is the same, evidently. I will change the tags later - maybe, because it hurts.