Buying a Pre-Owned Prevost

Hello to all,
I just joined POG because my wife and I are interested in buying a pre-owned motor coach and have interest in a Prevost. Needless to say it is confusing to select what one believes to be a quality coach and one that will provide reliable service at a reasonable cost. With regard to a Prevost, I have the following questions that I hope POG members might answer and provide some much needed, appreciated help.


I have found several coaches with rebuilt engines - some with as few miles as 88,000. Is this common for a DD engine and what is the average life (in miles) of a DD engine assuming it has been properly maintained?

How much importance should be placed on mileage when considering a coach?

Where does one find "book values" for the Prevost? NADA does not provide such.

Aside from price, what are the most important factors to consider in evaluating and buying a pre-owned coach? Should one insist on a PDI? Most common problems occurring on a Prevost?

I know ownership costs can vary widely, but on average what can one expect annual maintenance costs to be?

Since I have never driven a motor coach but have towed travel trailers for some 40 years, where can one find help to learn to drive a behemoth safely? Must dealers have offered helping us out the gate!

Which is best, dealing with a dealer or individual?

Many thanks for all the help provided.

Woodscrapper
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Welcome to POG Woodscrapper. A lot of good and relevant questions.

The Detroit Engine is a very reliable engine and with proper care should last many hundreds of thousands of miles without a rebuild with some exceptions.
Mileage on a coach is not as improtant as its maintenace and upkeep history.
The only way to determine fair market value on Prevost Conversions is to learn more abot the market and the different Converters.
PDI is very important for a buyer; Engine, Transmission , suspension, Air systems, Electrical Systems, Batteries, Tires, Generator, Water system, A/C system, Heat system, Waste systems and so on.
Annual maintenace costs will vary depending on age , amount of use intended, upgrades, replacement of worn out parts. This goes back to PDI as well.
Driving Skills; At Rallys and FMCA Conventions they offer driver seminars.
Either Dealers or individuals have its own merits, advantage, and draw backs.

Welcome to POG, I would recommend you take a drive down to Costa Mesa and talk to Steve Bennett owner of California Coach Company 3030 Pullman St. Ste. B,
Costa Mesa, CA 92626, Toll Free - (800) 460-7989. Steve is a POG member and very knowledgeable on Prevost's. You won't find a more honest straightforward dealer than Steve.

Hello Elliott,

Thanks for your recommendation and I wished I could drive down and talk with Mr. Bennett but I live in Tennessee. I will give him a call though.

Woodscrapper

Woodscrapper,

The questions you ask are all the one's we have all asked about and been thru in our decision to buy a Prevost. It might help get you some better answers if you could narrow down the approximate year of conversion and possibly if you have a particular convertor in mind. There are some basic differences that could possibly change the answers to your questions such as 8V92 vs. S-60 engine, straight front axle vs. IFS, XL (rivet coach) vs. newer XLII (non rivet coach), XL vs. H3, Slide vs. non slide. Well you should get the idea anyway.
In the most basic round numbers I use 5K a year for projected needed maintenance and upgrades. Some years it is more, some years a little less. And there is a lot of discretionary spending for upgrades of things like satellite dishes, TV's, stereo upgrades, etc. Some things you have to spend money on, Tires over 6 or 7 years old HAVE to be replaced, house and chassis batteries can get expensive, new air bags and shocks for older coaches (over 10 years old or since last replacement). Most people agree that an 8V92 gets about 6 to 6.5 MPG and a S-60 gets about 1 MPG more.

BUT, when it is all said and done, it is worth it. Nothing drives or rides like a Prevost. Good luck on your search and welcome to the group.

Welcome to POG, Woodscrapper! A little hint here. We have our 97 royale 40 ft no slides and completely remodeld with neutral colors inside. Maintained well and service records in hand. All oil & transmission fluids checked with analysis each change. One of the most beautiful exterior colored buses you will see. We just need to sell it due to -- Ed had to have a 45 ft! I stll love that bus and wish we weren't selling it! She is simple and open space.
Sandy

Woodscrapper:

Another hint. I have 2001 Liberty, 45 ft in perfect condition that needs a new home. I do mean perfect. Call for details 940-663-2900.

Thanks

Woodscrapper,

I live in Knoxville. Where in TN are you. Maybe we can get together.

Welcome to the POG,

I was in your very shoes about six months ago. I wanted a prevost in the worst way after owning several glass coaches. We looked long and hard and found just what we were looking for at a price we could afford. The thing is I checked this Prevost front to back and still ended up getting a bus that needed a major repair. The bus drove perfect and every mechanic that looked at it said they couldn't believe how nice it was kept. after a couple of days of crawling all over it and even spending a night dry camping in it, The only items I found in my prepurchase inspection was the front sway bar busihings, the transmission was leaking from the front seal nad the autofill was not working. The maintenance records were all there, so I thought and all looked very good. Five months after buying it, I took it to Nashville Prevost to have the swaybar busings and tranny leak fixed and ended up replacing the transmission! From what I can tell someone had removed the tranny and didn't assemble it right so it was filled with metal fillings. A tranny fluid analysis would have caught the problem so I would suggest fluid ananlysis before purchase. Moral to the story, buying used is always a crap shoot.

I can tell you the coach I left is a 2008 HR Navigator 45 foot quadslide completely customized inside and out for fulltiming. It is out at Steve Bennet's showrooms and he will tell you it's the cleanest used coach he ever had. It's for sale at the wholesale price! If you give up on prevost and I'm not suggesting you do in any way, make sure to go see my Navigator, it's the cleanest and nicest we could find in the glass coach industry.

Gary,

Thanks very much for your insight. Practically everything I have brought used has turned out to be a disappointment. So, I totally
agree with your "moral." Never-the-less, buying a new coach is out of the question for me. I am looking at buying either a pre-owned Prevost, Foretravel, or Country Coach because of their chassis construction and reputation for quality.

Best Regards

Hello Sandy,

Regarding the 97', could you provide: photos? Mileage? Generator hours? Tire manufacturer and last four digits of tire number? Type and model of engine and transmission? Thank you for providing this information.

Tom

Hello Garyde,

Thank you for your response. The tip regarding driving skills is well received - have not thought of this. Once we get a coach, plans are to join FMCA.

Best Regards,
Woodscrapper

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woodscrapper

Gary,

Thanks very much for your insight. Practically everything I have brought used has turned out to be a disappointment. So, I totally
agree with your "moral." Never-the-less, buying a new coach is out of the question for me. I am looking at buying either a pre-owned Prevost, Foretravel, or Country Coach because of their chassis construction and reputation for quality.

Best Regards

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Woodscrapper,

You certainly are looking at apples and oranges. When you compare the CC and the Foretravel you are comparing similar products. A Prevost is not comparable to the vehicles designed exclusively as a motorhome. As a bus chassis that has been converted it is an assemblage of two products, the chassis made by Prevost using the same standards as motorcoaches designed for durability and millions of miles of service in commercial use, and a house built into that chassis by a converter.

For your quest you need to set a budget and with that in mind start seeing what is available. For value for the dollar nothing compares to a good used Prevost conversion. It will still be running when a lot of purpose built motorhomes are in the scrap yard.

But like anything there are good coaches out there and there are some not so good. The key to success involves some homework on your part. That homework should include a serious look at what you need based on how you intend to use your coach, a decision if you are a "keeper" or if you trade often, the types of systems you want, and a list of important things to you such as floor plan, type (XL, XLII, H3), engine (Series 60 or 8V92), length (40, 41, or 45) converter (if you have a preference), etc.

You need to consider your ability to maintain a coach. If you like to do mechanical work and are capable, a coach with little or no history may be a good deal. If you are uncomfortable with the whole concept of maintaining a coach then focus solely on one with a proven and documented progressive service history. If you live with easy access to service facilities and have the pockets with sufficient depth to make use of those facilities, you may wish to be a risk taker and look for the cheapest possible price. If you wish to avoid the potentially huge expenses in restoring an underloved coach make price the second consideration and look instead for impeccible maintenance history. Even then you will be spending some money so make sure your budget reflects the hidden or unknown problems.

Have fun.

Welcome Woodscrapper,

I was also in your shoes a couple of months ago and today I'm 1 month into a 3 month tour in my "new" coach. I bought mine from Steve Bennet at California Coach and can't say enough good about him. He's is about the best person I could ever recommend to buy a coach from, period. His support, both before and after the sale, have been phenomenal and trust us when we tell you, you're going to need some.

Also, joining POG is also the best thing you've done as well. The collective knowledge here is unmatched in the Prevost community (okay, so I'm sucking up a bit... :-)

My coach is a 1997 Liberty. It has just over 100,000 miles on it and the engine runs as strong as when it was new. I have proof of that by virtue of a computer readout that shows engine RPM, Torque, Horsepower, fuel flow, everything. And, it doesn't leak a drop of oil. It's one great driving machine that is perfectly at home going down the highway. A Prevost is like the BMW of coaches, as far as I'm concerned.

I've never owned a bus before and although I have had some big rig experience in the past, nothing really prepared me for this ride. It was all learn-as-you-go, and by-the-seat-of-the-pants (with a lot of help from POG and Steve) that has gotten me down my first 2,000 miles of highway. Some things, however, you have to learn yourself, like, how to make wide turns and how to judge whether a given parking lot is big enough for you to turn around in. You get really good at this when you're towing a vehicle because in that case, there is no backing up.

There is a whole heck of a lot more to think about when operating a Prevost. It's not like a pickup truck where you just sit down in, buckle up and turn the ignition key. There is a checklist of things that you have to be aware of at all times. There are systems, systems, and more systems to learn. Some of them don't make any sense and most coaches have no "operations manual". In my case, the manufacturer has been very good at answering the phone and taking my questions, even though this coach rolled out of their shop 13 years ago. Kudos to Liberty!

Are you confident with basic hand tools? Good, because you're going to need them. Otherwise, plan on never driving more than 500 miles between repair shops of all kinds. Your coach will need electrical work, cabinet work, door hinges, window shades, latches, plumbing, batteries, tires, oil, and diesel. You probably won't need any engine work. You can forget all those if you like and just remember the 4 things that keep a Prevost running: $10's, $20's, $50's, and $100's.

I highly recommend getting a box of disposable rag terry cloths to wipe your hands on because every time you go outside your coach, you will get your hands dirty. Unhooking the toad is fraught with the danger of getting oily black soot on your hands, clothes, and shoes. Track that back into the coach and be prepared for the fallout! There is no avoiding dirt on the outside of the coach.

When I was searching for coaches, I had my pick of this one, a 1997, and one that was 5 years newer and cost two times as much. After my first month on the road, I'm completely certain that I picked the right one and saved a bundle of money by buying the older, cheaper coach because I probably would have had the same or similar problems with a newer one. Both coaches had the same ride going down the road, and both were awesome in their own right.

The most difficult part of owning the coach so far is the steep learning curve and the inevitable disappointment that comes when things don't work like they are supposed to. It takes a certain amount of faith in knowing that you WILL sort out the problems and soon, real soon, everything will be "normal", more or less. At least that's what I'm telling my wife, who swears that we bought a lemon. Lightning shot out of her eyes last night when the hot water ran cold while she was in the shower. There had been some electrical problems earlier and the heater had not been turned on for a while - oops. In addition, the toilet wasn't working correctly and let me tell you, nothing makes life more miserable in a coach than a malfunctioning commode. Second on the list is poor A/C.

Today, at least the toilet is fixed. The electrical problems stem from a campground whose 50 Amp breakers keep blowing when I try and run more than half my equipment. Of course, the campground owner thinks it's my fault because other (non-bus) coaches don't trip it. He doesn't seem to appreciate that this is the first such easy-blow breaker system that I've hooked up to since my trip started a month ago. Fortunately, we're in Minnesota and we can survive on 1/2 AC availability as there is no point in arguing with the campground owner.

Good luck on your search. Be sure and look at a lot of coaches. You'll need to really understand them before you throw down the big bucks. Know that you're buying a house on wheels, and not just a vehicle. Like any house, this one needs a fair amount of upkeep and maintenance and you'll be happy that most have a nice slide-out toolbox for a reason.

Finally, make sure that your co-pilot has a camera ready when you drive it off the lot. There will be a big smile on your face that won't wipe off for quite a while, and you'll want to have a picture of it.

-fred

Don't let Fred scare you. I know he is part tongue in cheek, but there is some truth to what he says. All of us owners initially end up tweaking our coaches, finding stuff to repair and in the end we get to know our coach very well and recognize that any house going down the road is being shaken apart and needs occasional TLC.

But the reality is that these homes on wheels are truly very reliable.

Woodscrapper,

I don't agree with Fred's assessment that you can't get beyond 500 miles of repair shops. If you buy a bus that has set around for a bunch of years, you will have problems. Buy one that is run on a regular basis and properly maintained and you will have a good experience. The cheapest price is not always the best deal. Do your homework and ask lots of questions on this forum, the knowledge here is endless.

Hello Fred,

I enjoyed reading your message and know exactly what you mean regarding up-keep and maintenance. Fortunately, I guess, I am blessed with basic skills in plumbing, electrical, cabinetry (wood working is my primary hobby), mechanical repairs, and an innate ability to ferret out problems. I despise plumbing and electrical work though. My wife is a nutritionist and is very handy with interior design, decorating, and sewing so we make a pretty good team in managing and maintaining our properties. I admit I am a perfectionist and this drives my bride crazy so we do have our spats at times but love conquers all and I loose a few battles. Thanks again for your input and advise. We love Minnesota - especially Duluth and north into Canada along Lake Superior. Beautiful country! Happy trails!

Woodscrapper

Fred said:

"I've never owned a bus before and although I have had some big rig experience in the past, nothing really prepared me for this ride. It was all learn-as-you-go, and by-the-seat-of-the-pants (with a lot of help from POG and Steve) that has gotten me down my first 2,000 miles of highway. Some things, however, you have to learn yourself, like, how to make wide turns and how to judge whether a given parking lot is big enough for you to turn around in. You get really good at this when you're towing a vehicle because in that case, there is no backing up.

There is a whole heck of a lot more to think about when operating a Prevost. It's not like a pickup truck where you just sit down in, buckle up and turn the ignition key. There is a checklist of things that you have to be aware of at all times. There are systems, systems, and more systems to learn. Some of them don't make any sense and most coaches have no "operations manual". In my case, the manufacturer has been very good at answering the phone and taking my questions, even though this coach rolled out of their shop 13 years ago. Kudos to Liberty!"

Perhaps the hardest thing for a new owner to deal with is stepping away from the purchase process and looking at these coaches as complex systems that require not only a good inspection while in buying mode, but being assured that after the sale and during the whole process this is a learning experience that cannot be avoided. A lot of owners just want to know where the ignition key is. They or the people that end up buying their coach soom regret that method of operating. Few of us on this forum, regardless of how much experience we have know everything about our coaches so it is important to get as much knowledge as possible. And please, with all due respect to those selling coaches, that knowledge needs to come from the converter or someone who knows the particular conversion intimately.

Jon,

You offer good advise which I appreciate. I know the Prevost out ranks the Foretravel and Country Coach in terms of structural integrity and durability, quality of construction, appointments, etc. We have set a budget figure, have a basic feel for a desirable floor plan and needed systems, and have started development of a checklist to follow when we view postings/ads and go for a first hand inspection of selected coaches. When I mentioned these three I did so in the order of preference which is based on user ratings and rankings. While the selling price is important, a well maintained coach (which is supported by records and history reports, inspections (even if I have to pay someone qualified), and my gut feel) is my first priority . Thanks to you and others I am gaining knowledge as to what to look for in any coach I buy.

When I started on this adventure, it did not take long to realize that I wanted a coach with a monocoque structure because of safety concerns. Many of the motorhomes today do not provide sufficient protection to the driver and passengers in the event of a head-on collision. A bus type construction is no panacea but it does afford more protection and improves one's chances of survival. I am now trying to ferret out the best or most desirable choices for heating, AC , supplemental power ( i.e. generators), converters, water heaters, etc.. Any help in making these choices would be appreciated.

Thanks for your input.

Woodscrapper

Woodscrapper, I'll save you some time and point you in the right direction. The posts that are sure to follow should be considered as background noise.

There is nothing available from any converter that can keep you more comfortable than OTR while driving down the road. That alone will eliminate almost every converter except Liberty. On occasion you will run across and OTR coach converted by other than Liberty, but they are rare. It has so much capacity that the hottest days in the southwest or the coldest ones in Minnesota will not make it difficult for you to remain comfortable. There may be other systems that are capable, but they may require you use not only the driver's air or heat, but you may have to run a generator while trying to cool the whole coach.

As far as generators are concerned I have never in 20 years heard any owner say their generator was inadequate for their needs. The brand of generator and the output rating is likely unimportant unless you have some specific needs beyond running all the coach systems at once. I have had 12.5 KW and 20 KW generators and the 12.5 was more than adequate. The 20 KW is overkill unless I want to run all four Cruise Airs, the Jenn Air BBQ, the stove, the HW heater, the toe space heaters, and the dryer as well as attempting to charge fully depleted house batteries. Not likely.

As to concerns about individual components such as water heaters, unless something is wrong such as a failed electric element I have not heard anyone complain about inadequate capacity.

The bulk of negative comments is clearly associated with cooling. If you need to prioritize your wish list research the posts on this forum and sort out what you need for heating and cooling. Those comments far exceed the number of comments about plumbing or electrical systems. If I were to guess satellite and entertainment systems such as HDTV come next, but those are easily changed. Changing AC or heating systems is likely not practical. On that you have to be right.

Other things to consider are IFS, which lately has gotten a black eye due to failed bushings, but allows a tighter turn radius. Consider long range fuel a real plus. Try to get a coach with decor and paint you like and in good condition. It is amazing how much you can spend refreshing the decor, and a quality paint job will equal the cost of a very expensive car. Forget low miles. A frequently used coach with good maintenance records will provide greater reliability than a low mileage coach that has spent its life sitting. These coaches were designed to run long and often. Sitting will create a shopping list of issues including hub seals, shortened tire life, and potential internal engine corrosion.

Woodscraper. I recently traded in a 1989 Prevost Executive Coach Conversion to Mr Olivers RV in Texas. He has it listed on EBAY at $109,500. I owned this coach for 8 years. It was a one owner coach when I purchased it in excellent condition. I invested $75,000 to $80,000 in updates and maintenance to make it look like a 2000 model. Since I know this coach, I think he has it listed at a bargin price. Send me a PM if I can help with your search for the right bus.

Woodscrapper,

First, welcome to the wacky and wonderful world of POG. Second, TRUK4U (Tom Chilcotte) had his Prevost for sale recently. You might just want to start with a call to Tom to see if he is still the owner. Tom really looked after his coach, doing some neat enhancements along the way. If you call him tell him I said, "Hey!"

I was in your shoes a couple of years ago when I started casually looking at buses, and then in serious shopping mode early last spring. I did a lot of study on this site, asking questions both on the forum and by email of some specific owners. Jenny and I then flew around the country looking at buses at the convertors (Marathon, Liberty, and Parliament), consignment dealers, and private party sales. Prior to the trip we made a list of what we thought was most important to us in terms of coach needs.

We ended up with a coach that fit all of our needs perfectly, was in great condition, was the exact model we were looking for (2000 conversion with OTR - last of the rivet coaches), but it needed some interior remodeling to fit our eye. In the end, the remodel still kept us in a very good price range, so we got the exact coach we wanted at what we feel was a very good value.

Now after passing the 20,000 mile mark, I am still a newbie, but have some observations to make. First and foremost, it is overwhelming at first regardless of who you buy from and what you buy. No matter how much you study, there is a steep learning curve. I don't mean that in a bad way either. Just make sure that the seller will be available to answer questions and help out for at least a few weeks. Not a warranty, just a willingness to help and provide guidance. I think all the convertors have demonstrated that willingness, and Steve Bennett at California Coach who I bought my bus from, still takes my calls! This site is also an exceptional resource as you can see.

We put several thousand miles on the bus before a few items of repair showed up. I truly believe this is a direct result of buying a coach that had not been sitting for years or used seldomly. It is counter intuitive since when we shop used cars, low mileage is a premium. Dealers even advertise low mileage buses. Prevost will tell you, the Entertainer Coach manufacturers on this site will tell you, essentially anyone that knows anything about these things will tell you as Jon says above they are made to be run (and he knows a helluva lot about them).

It sounds like Fred has had a tough go of it early on, but I am betting things smooth out pretty soon as he gets all the systems working and cycling more consistently. I know he bought from the right guy to be dealing with those type of issues. Soon enough, that 500 miles between mechanics will go up dramatically I am guessing. And Fred, drop a pair of mechanics type gloves under the front seat of your tow vehicle. When hooking up or unhooking, use those to keep the soot and road grime off your hands. As you have found, that stuff spreads like the plague when it gets on you.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Make it fun. Take Will's advice and check into the vaunted Green Machine. If it is still available, its provenance is outstanding and I bet it would be a sweet ride from the start.

Gordon,

Thank you for your refreshing response. We plan to look at two coaches soon that are offered by fellow POG members. This will be our first look-see of the Prevost. We are looking forward to this journey.

Best Regards

I am not a H3 kind of guy but one on RVONLINE.COM looks real interesting price wise,1999 Vantari estate sale for $165,000 OBO.This coach is also on PrevostConversions.com for $265,000.If it really has been garaged and is in great shape and the price is negotiable this might be a very good buy with a series 60.

First of all, I should apologize for writing in a comical style. I have actually gotten much more than 500 miles between mechanics with my new coach. Mechanics have only touched it once and that was just a transmission oil change. The rest of the repairs I've done myself.

The point of my sarcasm was that if a new owner was not at least somewhat mechanically inclined that he or she would inevitably need frequent help from various types of handymen and mechanics. Fortunately, I'm a handyman and so I've not needed their physical help. The knowledge, however, is another thing and as we've all come to appreciate, POG is the place to get it.

Today, without warning, I heard a crash and looked over at the kitchen sink. One of those mirrored tiles simply fell off the wall and down onto the sink. This is the second time that it's happened. Luckily, there was no breakage. I'm going to try and glue it back using Liquid Nails. The humidity has been very high here and since we came out of a super-dry climate, there may be some expansion issues.

Never a dull moment,

Not Floyd but Fred

-fred

Fred,

I don't know of any way to predict when it will happen, but since we have the same vintage with the same type mirrors throughout I can tell you the mirrors will come loose. The vanity door mirror which is quite large came loose a couple of years ago and miraculously did not break. It appeared to have been secured with liquid nails which had hardened, so I used a combination of double faced foam tape and RTV silicone. So far so good.

Since I am a mirror manufacturer I have dealt with several adhesives,some work and others that will destroy the mirror over time.The worst is liquid nails because it has solvents in it that will attack the paint,the second on my worst list is silicone because it will actually pull the paint off the mirror over time,the best that most of us can find locally is double faced tape,I know that there are various adhesives on the tapes but in general they work very well.The absolute best is a product made by Gunther called Ultrabond,doubtful that any of us could find it locally but it will not attack a mirror.There are many other products out there that are designed for mirrors that will work very well and will not cause failure,I suggest that your local glass shop will have one that they have used successfully for years.

Fred

Sorry for screwing up your name. You might note I wrote Fred first and then went back and changed it to Floyd after looking at your handle. Got it right now, and I like your humor by the way.

While you're looking, call Gary at Liberty ( Prevost conversion company) 772-349-7019. Tell him Sticks ( Bob Brown ) told you to call and after he raises the price 10% for just telling him that he will take good care of you. Seriously they're customer service is second to none , they go through their used coaches real well, and yes they're a little more money but worth it. "You only go around once".

we here at coach worx welcome you to pog ,we are service only ,i welcome you to call me rick may 813 833 2284 ,i will help you with the questions of buying the right coach for you

This is an old thread, but I was intrigued by a question the OP put forth:

"I have found several coaches with rebuilt engines - some with as few miles as 88,000. Is this common for a DD engine and what is the average life (in miles) of a DD engine assuming it has been properly maintained?"

I've noticed the same thing, actually looked at a Prevost last summer 1981 which had the engine and trans replaced in 1996. I'm also looking a heavy duty trucks (like the big Peterbilt 379) with motorhome conversions and I see the same thing.

Does anyone have any insight and/or experience with early (less than 200,000 miles) engine/transmission replacement?

Thanks!

There were some problems with some DD engines in the 90's. Some were replaced under warrenty. From what I remember, Detroit never did send out a recall on the engines. Now, its not possible to get help on the repairs. There are some early threads on this issue.
Having said all of this, there have been very few POG owners who have posted that they have had this issue.
The issue with any engine will be how the previous owners maintained there engines during ownership. You have to keep up on the maintenence and the cooling of the engine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dick in Wisconsin

This is an old thread, but I was intrigued by a question the OP put forth:

"I have found several coaches with rebuilt engines - some with as few miles as 88,000. Is this common for a DD engine and what is the average life (in miles) of a DD engine assuming it has been properly maintained?"

I've noticed the same thing, actually looked at a Prevost last summer 1981 which had the engine and trans replaced in 1996. I'm also looking a heavy duty trucks (like the big Peterbilt 379) with motorhome conversions and I see the same thing.

Does anyone have any insight and/or experience with early (less than 200,000 miles) engine/transmission replacement?

Thanks!

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With prices the way they are right now, there is really no reason to buy a coach that old. Buy one that has the Series60 motor and have no worries.