New member from Florida with questions

[Mark]

I began my Prveost research about six weeks ago and I need actual personal feed back (good or bad ) from those of you that are owners and have the experince that I do not have. I sold my 40' triple slide Fleetwood coach and I am looking for (at least at this point, I believe this is what I want) a 2001 - 2003 single slide Prevost. I am getting conflicting information depending on the sales person and what coaches they have to offer. I know from my research and from what I have viewed in the POG forums that the OTR air is the best way to go BUT my question is: If a 45' bus has 3 roof a/c units will it properly cool the coach both driving with the generator running and when hooked up to power? I do live in Florida and will also travel in the southwest. Some people are saying no and those that are trying to sell a bus with 3 roof units are saying no problem. I have also inquired about a couple buses with 4 roof a/c units which obviously if 3 are functionaly acceptable 4 will be fine. Your personal feed back, good or bad, regarding 3 vs 4 roof a/c buses is greatly appreciated.

[Donnie_M]

Welcome! Absolutly no way 3 roof airs will cool that bus in Fl! Especially on a day like today!

[Mark]

I see so many buses with three roof airs. What are they doing during the summer months? I guess they are just unable to cool them during the heat of the day to any reasonable temp?

[jack14r]

If you look at the non slide coaches some of them even have 4 cruise airs,I am with Donnie on this, no way 3 roofs will cool a single slide coach.I have tweaked the freon in my cruise airs to put out the coldest air possible and on the 95+ days I can maintain 72 in the coach,this is with 4 very well maintained 3 year old units.I have a roof air on a Renegade and I am on my third one in 14 years,cruise airs will last 15+ years.I really like the cruise airs over roof airs because of no holes in a roof and a very high quality home like unit,but others do admit that the roof airs are cheap to replace and do cool OK.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Sorry, no. Perhaps for a 35' metal coach ( I still have mine), but not 45'. Not in the south, and certainly not the southern border states. Not if you want temperatures inside to be in the low to mid-seventies, with no shade trees, and outside temperatures in the mid nineties up. Even 4 units can have difficulties. That is my experience.

[Pete]

Mark, here we go again. This subject has been debated many times on this forum. I have owned both. A coach with Prevost bus air and heat,and 3 cruise airs (a 40 footer), and a 45 footer with 4 (four) roof airs and with dash air. If I had my pick again I would go with bus air. The 45 I presently have is ok, but is not as comfortable even running 4 roof airs and the dash air, especially when driving into the sun. When parked, the coach with 4 roof airs is ok, and comfortable, but you need to run all you have during the day when on the road. Soooo, in my opinion, go with the bus air. Also, you should keep in mind that in the case you should loose your Generator when you only have roof tops, or cruise airs,and maybe dash air you are out of Business while on the road. If you loose your bus air, you do have backup with the Generator and your roof or cruise airs.........Ask Andre and Ann, they just had that situation. My two cents worth! I think I hear INCOMING! I have said before, three things you don't discuss on this site are religion, politics, and BUS AIR!

[Danss]

i have 4 roof airs that cool great. when running I can run one roof air without generator. I close door to back area and turn on dash air and one roof air and away I go. Dan

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Mark you have really opened a can of worms. Next your going to ask everyones opinion on Slides or Non Slides in Buss's..??? Just kidding you.

This is really a tough question to answer and there are right answers from every side of the equation.

I don't have OTR air, and in Texas I sure wish I did have it driving down the rode. I do have 4 roof airs, and when in the heat of the year, I drive with the generator going and all A/C's running and the blinds down most of the time, which keeps me cool going down the road.

There aren't too many OTR equipped buss's out there ( IMO ) compared to the NON OTR bus, but that is just a convertors decision. Some convertors refuse to use up the valuable space for OTR and feel they have the proper cooling power with what they put in?

I believe more convertors choose not to use OTR, but for example Liberty ONLY uses OTR in their buss.

OK, now lets talk about your color preferences !!!!

What ever you decide, and you have a long list of options and wants that must be narrowed down, Your going to have lots of fun.... Good Luck and keep all of us in the loop.

Gary S.

[ajducote]

To add what Pete said, we have 3 brand new 15K BTU roof airs and on the way thru Tennessee I lost my generator due to a $16 start capacitor. All we had was the dash air for 2 days on the road. Now we got a little lucky, it was only in the mid to high 80 deg's and we made out ok with just the dash air while on the road. We stopped at a campground and ran the roof airs on 50 Amp shore power for the night. I have never had a bus with over the road air or cruise airs so I can not compare them to roof air. Right now I seem to be making out OK with my 3 roof airs, but they do run a lot when the temps get over 90 deg. or so.

[Pete]

Mark, I failed to tell you that I can run 2 roof airs on the inverters while going down the road, but I feel it over works the alternator and batteries, so I Just fire up the genset, and run all four rooftop a/c's and the dash air if need be. You will be fine with 4 roof airs, but I feel it is easier to regulate the bus air (just a simple twist of the dial on the drivers dash) than to regulate 4 t-stats on my coach. The engine generates a fair amount of heat in the bedroom that you have to contend with when you stop for the night, if you don't run an a/c in the bedrooom.