I"ve seen something on e-bay...advice please..

Well Viv,.....I hesitate to get into this can of worms and so help me someone knock some sense into my head, but.....I have a 90 Marathon that has no hidden secrets. A lot has been done over the 7 years I have owned it. Just 4 days ago I had Detroit go over it. They drained the tranny and refreshed the fluid and filter. Flushed the Radiator and installed fresh coolant.

I could go on and on. If you are coming to Florida, take a little side trip to Port St Lucie and look at a pristine coach. I know you'll love it and it's a peach. Pictures on request.

I have not offered it up for sale but I am about to. If I would get over this parcemonity on offering on houses, maybe someone would accept one.

I Sure Don't Blame You Lew,
I just got home last night..Took a Greyhound in case I bought it..Didn't want to pull my tow car with a new to me coach 3' longer than I've driven in 26 yrs..
I saw a lot that you noticed too..Knew there had been a sofa where the Big Lot's chairs were stuck in there..Overall it looked pretty clean and good on the surface..but the bed was a rock..and the mattress thicker than any I've ever seen in any coach..I would have to have had a step to get up onto it daily..or buy a new one..

Most of all it had the Mirrored Ceiling..I thought that would be okay in an XL.. Not so high...but it made no difference to me..I think it's a raised roof anyway..It's the biggest NO NO I ever encountered..I can't handle it..Bob at Karolina Koach suggested painting it..!! LOL

My Cell phone didn't work, Joe..and I can't talk on reg. phones..Hearing aids Whistle.. I left the Charger home..I packed and was on the bus in an hour Easter Sunday..1:00 P.M. to make the connections and be to S.C. by 8:00 A.M. Monday..arrived Greenville, S.C. 10:15 A.M. Got Cab to Piedmont at about 1:00 P.M.from there closest stop to Piedmont..14 miles..Changed busses 4 times and waited several hours twice..

Now hear this..Bob at K.K. had a man drive me to a Motel 8..about Noon and I was to go back the next day after resting up..I was dead tired..
Turns out the man was a local and no part of K.K...He offered to take me to another dealer to look at a Pre there.."Porters"..He didn't know the year..It was a 96 Liberty with mirrors and too expensive..John, his name, took me to lunch and told me all the busses at K.K. come from a nearby Auction..told me about the family of K.K..Mother inherited money & set two sons up in business by building a fancy big Showroom..etc..Forgot my Camera too..!!!

I left home as fast as I did to go there because the one brother who I never met told me he would not hold the bus 'til Tues. if I didn't give him a 500.00 Dep. NON REFUNDABLE..Need I tell you my reaction to that..?? So I was out of here STAT..I really hoped to get it..

After all I learned about K.K. I took a cab back to the Bus Term. in Greenville the next morning..Never went back to K.K...

All the way home I wondered how I was going to tell you all that I'd given up..but I'm rested now..and looking again..Much more happened that I won't go into..It's over..but I do wonder if I'm meant to have My Bus..

In a few days I'm going down to Newport News, Va. to visit my Dau. in Law. from my Son Bobby..and she will take me around there to look..

In Oct. I'll go down to Fl. and if I don't find it those two trips..or somewhere in between I believe I will come home in something else..Soo tired of looking and I still wish I'd gotten the 92 Country Coach at The Great Outdoors Dealer in Titusville..in 2006..It was the first one I drove and I just wanted to keep on going..but there again a dirty Dealer ruined the sale..by trying to get 3K more after the deal was made..He said he made a mistake in his figures..I left and he called me back when I was 200 miles up I-95 enroute to NJ..Another Mike at http://eaglespridervsales.com/
Now he too is out of business, I believe..

Warm Hugs ...Love you all...Always Viv..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lewpopp

Well Viv,.....I hesitate to get into this can of worms and so help me someone knock some sense into my head, but.....I have a 90 Marathon that has no hidden secrets. A lot has been done over the 7 years I have owned it. Just 4 days ago I had Detroit go over it. They drained the tranny and refreshed the fluid and filter. Flushed the Radiator and installed fresh coolant.

I could go on and on. If you are coming to Florida, take a little side trip to Port St Lucie and look at a pristine coach. I know you'll love it and it's a peach. Pictures on request.

I have not offered it up for sale but I am about to. If I would get over this parcemonity on offering on houses, maybe someone would accept one.

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Please send the pictures Lew...
Of course I want to see them..
Warm Hugs Always Viv..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lewpopp

Well Viv,.....I hesitate to get into this can of worms and so help me someone knock some sense into my head, but.....I have a 90 Marathon that has no hidden secrets. A lot has been done over the 7 years I have owned it. Just 4 days ago I had Detroit go over it. They drained the tranny and refreshed the fluid and filter. Flushed the Radiator and installed fresh coolant.

I could go on and on. If you are coming to Florida, take a little side trip to Port St Lucie and look at a pristine coach. I know you'll love it and it's a peach. Pictures on request.

I have not offered it up for sale but I am about to. If I would get over this parcemonity on offering on houses, maybe someone would accept one.

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Some folks are parsimonious and others are parcemonity. :( Others are just plain cheap!:mad:

Put me in the cheap column.;)

Viv,

Please do not take this the wrong way, it is by no means meant as hostile. First you have to ask yourself, what am I going to do with my Dolphin. Second, do I have a place to park my Prevost? Third, what will it cost me to insure the coach? Fourth, and probably the most important, what am I going to do with the coach?

The grand scheme of things will show that a mattress and how hard it may have been, is really not a concern; same for mirrored ceilings...most coaches have the mirrored ceilings. Far less than other items that could be going on with the coach, you might be looking at 3-500 dollars tops....for a very good bed and who knows about the mirrors. Also remember that you really do not care about the heritage/personality or backgrounds of the sellers as long as you are satisfied with the transaction. The 500 dollar non refundable deposit also is a non player; you already looked at the bus and, apparently made your decision. Personally I would have organized some kind of inspection of the coach to see where the real cost's may be hidden!

As Joe mentioned, that coach was so inexpensive, unless there is really something serious going on, it should have be able to meet your needs for a price that was unheard of a year ago! Also you have to ask yourself if you are you in a position to put say an additional 30K into the coach to make it your dream?

I know Joe has and others as well have offered to help you with this dream, goodness Viv, take them up on it! Do not go looking at coaches without backup....

You mentioned that you took the bus in case you drove it home....wouldn't it have been wiser to drive; you can travel at your own pace and arrive refreshed. I don't know of a dealer/seller on the planet that would let a coach go without full payment and would would certainly need proof of insurance.

John

Hi John,
I was prepared to stay in Piedmont a bit if I wanted the coach..and I would have called Joe before I signed any papers..I've never met Joe or any of you..but I know so much about Joe I'd trust him with anything..

Just look at what he's doing with his own coach right now...He's amazing...I read all the new posts even tho' I don't have much right to talk about anything except what I'm doing myself as long as I don't own my own Prevost..I have learned soooo much here..!!!!

I can park the bus on my own property in NJ where I've always kept the Dolphin..and move the Dolphin to my daughter's property in Bayville, NJ..then I would advertise it for sale if I can't trade it..but I can't let myself be with no coach until I find one to replace it.. I've long since planned ahead for these things..

The worst thing is getting older too fast..The stress isn't doing me any good for sure..Say I've been lucky but I've never had any where near this kind of searching for moving up the ladder thru' the years..This will surely be my last coach..whatever it is..and if it weren't for the economy and my chances of really realizing my Dream..I'd have had a different coach 3 yrs. ago..and wouldn't be looking at my Dolphin sitting outside my back door all but unuseable for over a year..due to National going Belly-Up..so where the economy seems to help in one way it hurts in another..

Everyone I know tells me to take it back to Fl. where there are more mechanics who could jury rig the water system from parts they could get at Walmart..stay out of debt with the Bank..keep my cash and go..but I can't take cash in a hearse only my Stupid Dream..if even that could go with me..and when you don't feel good you lose interest in everything..I'm tired and fear is setting in for doing this alone..Once I had the courage of a wild cat but not anymore..

Hugs Always Viv
PS: Sending this fast before I change my mind...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flyu2there

Viv,

Please do not take this the wrong way, it is by no means meant as hostile. First you have to ask yourself, what am I going to do with my Dolphin. Second, do I have a place to park my Prevost? Third, what will it cost me to insure the coach? Fourth, and probably the most important, what am I going to do with the coach?


I know Joe has and others as well have offered to help you with this dream, goodness Viv, take them up on it! Do not go looking at coaches without backup....

.

John

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About the below comments...

I get down in the dumps sometimes like most of us do ...but I rally again and start looking every day for My Bus...I find one frequently that I'd love to have... It's just that it's always out of my price range...but I can't give up...ever...

Hugs Always Viv...


Everyone I know tells me to take it "the Dolphin" back to Fl. where there are more mechanics who could jury rig the water system from parts they could get at Walmart..stay out of debt with the Bank..keep my cash and go..but I can't take cash in a hearse only my Stupid Dream..if even that could go with me..and when you don't feel good you lose interest in everything..I'm tired and fear is setting in for doing this alone..Once I had the courage of a wild cat but not anymore..

Hugs Always Viv
PS: Sending this fast before I change my mind...

Viv,

Since we've never gotten into the issues with the Dolphin because we were involved with your search for a Prevost, maybe this is the time to help a little with the Dolphin so it might eventually end up as a trade.

You never said what is wrong with the water system. But without ever having seen a Dolphin, much less worked on one I can say with certainty that is about the easiest part of the coach to fix unless the problem involves broken pipes. Can you elaborate on what is wrong?

The water system consists of a tank to hold water, a pump to deliver water, pipes to carry it to the faucets, and the faucets themselves.

If the pipes do not leak and the water holding tank does not leak I cannot imagine anything with a cost of more than $100 being needed to fix it. If the problem is a tank leak, they are easily repaired no matter what the tank is made of, and if the pipes are leaking as big a problem as that is, it merely involves running new pipes or repairing the existing ones.

Getting your Dolphin fixed at least allows you to travel.

Viv,

I suspect that the Dolphin used off the shelf parts for everything, including the water system. Really think that the parts are available and should be easy to find. As Jon described there are but a few parts in the system...post the symptoms and I am certain you will get a reply, probably save you a trip to FLA.

John

Tomorrow I will be going to look at a 1990 Executive conversion for Viv.

She is pretty excited to say the least. I want to assure all I will not let her buy it unless I am confident it could reliably get her anywhere.

It looks good the owners seem very credible with its description, we will see tomorrow.