New Member Looking for information on 1998 Liberty Classic Lady XL45

[cgallant]

I am new to Prevost Owners Group and am in the process of looking at a couple coaches as my first Prevost.

Came across a 1998 Prevost Liberty Classic Lady XL 45 and wanted to check to see if anyone on the forums recognized the coach and could possible provide some specifics on it.

The coach is currently located in Texas at a dealer, but the description is a little confusing in terms of power train. It's listed with a S60 470HP and Allison 5 speed. Looking to see if the transmission is correct, or if it's a mistake on the ad and it's really a 6 speed.

Also, if anyone knows this bus personally, please feel free to contact me privately, would love to get some history on it.

I have some questions in with the dealer as well as with Liberty, but any other information would be helpful.

thanks

Charles

Here is a side pic of the coach in question:

http://www.nsr250.net/pics/prevost/1998-Liberty-Classic-Lady.jpg

[Joe Camper]

The 60 series was coupled with the 5 speed for 1 year and that was the first year that they switched to that engine. That was 95 I think.

[dale farley]

That bus definitely has a six speed. Its just a mistake in their ad. I noticed this when they first posted the ad, and I verified it is a 6 speed. I have no first-hand knowledge of the bus, but it seems to be a very nice low-mileage bus. Of course, maintenance is the main thing to look for, other than appearance. They will often times deal a little on the price.

I would find out what they know about the maintenance records. How old are the tires and batteries and when and where was it last serviced? Five years are getting close to the end of the life cycle for both tires and batteries if they were properly maintained. They say tires are recent, but I would verify the actual mfg dates.

[cgallant]

Thanks Dale,

I have been talking with the dealer today and confirmed it's a 6 speed as well as clarified some of the other typos in the ad. They are saying the tires are brand new. Checking on the batteries and maintenance records as well as the air ride components.

[merle&louise]

Charles,

Write down the series 60 engine serial number and check with Detroit Diesel to see any history on the engine. You can also have a DD shop printout a computer list of info on the engine. Some of the series 60 DD of that vintage had wrist pin problems. I would specifically ask DD if that serial number engine was prone to wrist pin problems.

Good luck, it looks like a beautiful bus!

[garyde]

Hi Charles. When looking at any Coach, it is a good idea to pay to have engine, and drivetrain inspected. The air system for suspension and ride height should also be inspected. All the air bags need replacing if they are 15 years old. Norgren valves should be replaced. Hoses and belts should be replaced.
One thing that gets overlooked is the water bay. Has the fresh water tank been cleaned. Has the waste water tank been cleaned.
How old is the water heater. All water filters should be replaced. The water pump should be inspected.
Is there any tell tale water leaks.
Inspect A/C units for blowing cold air. Check Webasto Heater for blowing hot air.
How many hours on the Generator. When was it serviced last. When was the coolant previously replaced for the Gen.

These are all issues that can assist you in valuing the correct price for this Coach.

[cgallant]

Thanks Gary,

I am planning on calling a couple places in the Dallas area on Monday to see how soon I could get an appointment for a Pre-Purchase inspection.

Charles

[Gil_J]

Indeed a great looking coach.

It has CrusieAirs and Prevost over the road air. Make sure both blow cold. FWIW, many say the CruiseAirs don't work well when driving. That shouldn't matter given you have Prevost OTR air.

Prevost Ft Worth is where I'd go to have the coach inspected. This would not be the place to have converter systems inspected, as that is not their area of expertise. I'm sure there is a Detroit/Allison shop in the area. I'd have them inspect the engine and transmission.

Some support an overly aggressive replacement schedule. If money is no object then you may want to subscribe to the same. Other than routine scheduled items, here are some things others replace.
-- Fan Belts are a relatively inexpensive item so some replace then annually. Realistically you should get at least 50,000 miles out of the belts. Always carry spares. If it doesn't have spares, install new belts and carry the old ones as spares, if they look okay.
-- Hoses. There are a lot of hoses on these conversions. Prevost used silicone hoses, as far as I can tell, everywhere. These will last a long time. Some converters did the same. If you go to Prevost they can check them all out for appearance. If you opt to have coolant hoses done, do them when the coolant needs to be replaced.
-- Batteries. Generally, the house, chassis, and generator batteries will last for 5-7 years if properly cared for. Given you won't know how they have been cared for, the most you can do is have them individually load tested or plan on replacing them. If you do replace the chassis batteries you may be able to get by with no more than 4 8D house batteries unless you dry camp a lot.
-- Tires. Michelin suggests annual inspections after 5 years and replacement no later than 10 years. My target replacement date is 7+ years if the tires still don't signs of fatigue. What ever you do, make sure your front tires don't have any traits of age. Our coaches have a lot of weight on the front end and therefore need to have better than good front tires. What you can't know is if the tires were ever run significantly under inflated. If they have the sidewalls may be compromised and this is not necessarily a visible problem.
-- Air bags. Some replace them at 100,000 miles or 10 years. I did this based and the air bags were all fine. Prevost doesn't put these on the routine schedule as they could last the life of the coach.
-- Air Valves are used to control ride height and leevling when parked. Some replace these Norgren valves with bag replacements. Many never replace a functioning Norgren. These coaches tend to lean when parked with the aux compressor off over a course of a day or several days. Sometimes replacing a Norgren valve or two can fix this. Many just don't worry about it.

Some will say our coaches are much more complex than traditional plastic coaches. I don't believe that to be true. What we do have is many more systems, but systems quite similar, if not identical, to plastic coaches.

BTW, I see the rear mud flap is bent. Don't replace it, discard it; it serves no practical purpose. The mudflaps behind the axles and between the drive wheels is all you need.

Good Luck,

[coreygrubb]

Charles, Gil is correct in telling tou to go to Prevost Dallas for the coach side. Brandon at Legacy Coach in Rockwall,Tx would be a great choice to check out the converter side of things. Geo

[Bamafan]

Leagacy is the dealer with this coach for sale I believe. The web site shows sale pending today. Are you the pending buyer Charles?

Never mind. Just realized this is a different coach.

[cgallant]

Dean, This coach is at another dealer in the DFW area. Although we did look at the coaches at Legacy (they had two in our price range), we liked the layout of the interior of this one a little better (that and the colors match our tastes a little better).

[cgallant]

So I pulled the trigger today on this coach. Had prevost in Fort Worth inspect it Friday. They did find one issue and they will fix it early next week. Once repaired will be on the road getting it home to atlanta in time for Christmas. Oh and more importantly a trip to warmer weather. Dang, Dallas is freezing right now!

[garyde]

Congratulations. Post some photos when you get a chance. Now, the journey begins.

[jbchevy3]

Charles,
Gil is also correct on the mud flap . Not needed.