Coach floorplan and mechanical questions

[merle&louise]

Thanks Tuga - A/C is a big deal to me. I like it cold!! That is a serious issue indeed.

Is this an XLII of the type you like? This is a nice looking 03 Country Coach over on Staley Coach's website. Love the paint and stainless. Very nice looking unit inside and out.

Gordon,

That's what POG is for; helping members learn more.

That CC looks beautiful; does it have any slides? OTR AC?

You might want to get together with some of the Country Coach guys and they can give you some more info. I'll try to list them from memory: Mike Simmons, DaleJ, Ken Zitter, Denny, JamesJ, Jim Keller, Mike Kerley, Ray Davis, Reelentless, Will Garner. If I have left anyone out, I apologize; my memory is not what it used to be.

I have spoken with Mike Simmons (Buster) and he has told me that he likes the simplicity of the systems on his CC. I have also heard some negatives about CC service; one CC owner had AC problems and CC told him to come by in 4 months for AC service (not good). So you will hear good and bad; ultimately, it is your decision. Just take your time and ask a lot of questions.

[garylstevens]

Now that is what I call a GEORGEOUS XLII.

It even has an electric 60" Drop Down TV Projection Screen in the Salon, WOW wish it was in my budget. and a make-up area sit down for Peg in the bedroom, for when we are attending Formal POG Affairs ?

Hey Joe, there is a picture on the Staley site, that shows what looks like a small radiator, could that be CC's version of OTR A/C? I have heard that some of the newer CC prevosts have OTR air?

Hey Tuga, this beauty has two slides, just look at the pictures, they say it all !!!! http://www.staleycoach.com/48727.htm



Gary S

[garylstevens]

Hey did anybody notice, that our names and #'s of posts has changed, since the revamp of the Prevost-Stuff web site? Or was it something I did ??? AGAIN

Gary S

[garyde]

Thanks Tuga - A/C is a big deal to me. I like it cold!! That is a serious issue indeed.

Is this an XLII of the type you like? This is a nice looking 03 Country Coach over on Staley Coach's website. Love the paint and stainless. Very nice looking unit inside and out.

Country Coach has their own version of OTR but it is not Prevost Factory OTR. That is what you want. CC has very nice Graphics. My own experience is exterior graphics, and interior design will be the first items which draws you to a Coach.

[GDeen]

Thanks fellas - learning a lot here.

So Garyde - the Prevost OTR air is far above the others?

It is a good looking coach isn't it Gary S?

Tuga - as the man said, 2 slides. Nice looking interior to boot. Overall very nice but clearly lacking the Prevost OTR air.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The advantage of OTR is its ability to bring the heat soaked coach down to a comfortable temperature in a relatively short period of time and then maintain that temperature regardless of the outside temperature.

It is strictly for use while traveling and does not assure comfortable temperatures while parked in a campground.

From personal experience I know Cruise Airs do not work well while traveling on hot highways, but they work very well when parked. I also know roof air units work well while traveling if enough can be run at the same time to overcome the outside temperatures.

If OTR is a requirement then the list of coaches is reduced to Liberty and a few rare ones from other converters.

[merle&louise]

GaryS and Gordon,

The XLII CC on Staleys website is nice, but it is out of my price range by about 300%. It sure would make a nice Xmas present tough.

Gordon, one thing about OTR air, I spoke to a fellow POG member at POG II in Santa Fe (Carl ?) and he had to replace the compressor on his bus. He told me that the compressor cost $2500 plus the labor to change it.

Some Marathons have a different type of cooling which does not use the Prevost OTR air but instead uses smaller automotive type AC compressors in the center and rear of the bus as well as in the dash. This seems to me as the best option; you have the redunduncy of 2 compressors without the high cost of potential replacement of one large one. I think that some of the '94 vintage of Marathons had this arrangement. If you search the posts of PetervS you can read how this arrangement works.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Before casting stones at the replacement cost of the OTR compressor it should be noted that the compressor was built to be fully field serviceable.

A new or rebuilt replacement is in the price range Tuga cites, but in order of frequency the typical repair required is a replacement of the seal behind the clutch or the replacement of the internal reed valves.

The system can be shut down to isolate the compressor, and to replace the seal or the reed valves is a half day task at worst. Once repaired the compressor can be vacuumed to remove all moisture and a small replacement charge can be added to compensate for the small amount lost when the compressor was opened.

My point is that Prevost or a repair facility will be tickled to sell you a new compressor, but rarely will that be required. I know the current customer choice is a converter installed AC system for all sorts of reasons, but the cost to maintain the Prevost system is not one of them.

[Denny]

Gordon,
CC uses their own OTR air rather than Prevost because the Prevost ac is designed to cool a bus with 50 furnaces (people) in it rather than 2. It also takes a lot more horsepower to run which relates to less engine efficiencies.

Over the years CC has had some problems under the leadership of its past owner, National RV, but now that Bob Lee is involved once again with CC that may change.

As far as service, yes, a POGer did have a problem with the service dept. but that has to be looked at in the proper prospective. I live 2500 miles from Junction City so I am not concerned about a wait time for service. There are many authorized CC service centers much closer to me than the factory. Many truck service centers, Freightliner, Kenworth, Detroit Diesel, etc. are within 15 minutes of my home and they work on buses.

CC factory tech. support is also available. I have used is several times with great satisfaction.

As previously stated, many CC systems are a lot less complicated than other converters. Roof airs, for example, are used by CC. They are almost bullet proof. They cool and have a heat pump in them for limited heating purposes. If one fails, replace it for lot less $$$ than other complicated systems.

I have had my coach for nearly a year and am very satisfied with it.

Denny

[GDeen]

Thanks for all the info fellas....

So, last year in Utah when we were parked next to a Prevost / Featherlite bus and had to spend our outside time on the drivers side of our rv due to the hot air blowing out of the Prevost basement drivers side - is that cruiseair at work?? Does that type of arrangement take up lots of basement storage that is freed up by using roof air?

(By the way, now that I know what MPD is I believe I can trace the beginnings of my affliction to that very day - pulling our camper up next to that regal piece of work - one of my sons said "are you going to get one like this when you grow up dad?" I just walked circles around it checking it out.)