VANTARE SLIDE ROOMS

[Coloradobus]

Recently, we were told Vantare builds their own sliderooms. This we knew. Further in the discussion it was added that Vantare was using HWH mechanism but no longer does.
The most interesting item, we were told Vantare doesn't use the air-filled-bladder iinner tube seal around the slides, instead uses a series of inner and outer squeegee rubber strips. Come to think of it, we have never heard or read any Vantare owner complain about their sliderooms or slideroom seal replacement. Anyone with a slideroom equipped Vantare shed some light on this?
And yes, we are bus-shopping again, going back to a 45 footer for more room for next summer's Alaska trip and taking Chris' mom.

[jack14r]

I have seen some from the early version of their slides that I could see daylight in a few areas,I do know that they have a good service history of few repairs.

[merle&louise]

Jim,

I spoke to Granvil Tracy at the POG 9 rally about his slides. He confirmed that there are no air filled gaskets; only the squeegy type that you described. He has NEVER had any leaks! His Vantare is a 2000 model (I think). For an 11 year old bus that is a pretty good record. I think that it is a real advantage not having the air gaskets. When you think about it car doors and car windows open and close and they don't have anything more that a rubber seal and they don't leak. So why go thru all of the expense and hassle of having an air gasket on a slideroom? Vantare has rung the bell on this one IMO.

I also spoke to Frank Maltex (the guy who won the skeet shooting award) and he told me that the best Prevost he ever owned was a Vantare. He says it was a great bus; simple to work on and great workmanship. Frank's Vantare did not have slides. I can't remember what year model it was.

BOB- 97,99,00,01,02,03,04,& 05 had a 2000 Vantare with 2 slides and Debi told me the slides were trouble free.

You guys are going to love Alaska; try to make the trip with another bus or two. It makes it much more fun.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'm the last one to ask about slides and their seals, but I can say this.

I know of coach owners who have had slides leak. Those owners are wisely not saying anything about their problems because it diminishes the resale value of their coach. There are in addition to Prevost a number of manufacturers of slides. The approaches those folks use for the mechanisms vary as do their approach to sealing out the elements. What everyone has to realize is that sealing a slide room is not like sealing a car door. The manufacturer of the slide doesn't have the ability to develop the method and then do extensive cycle testing to prove its merits or find its faults. Our coaches are built in such small quantities all any owner can hope is that his particular slide room works. And because of the limited production it is a safe bet the manufacturing controls that are developed when producing hundreds of thousands of cars or trucks are not going to be available to a company producing slides for coaches one at a time. The human element is going to determine how well the slide room seals.

If anyone really wants to know how well a slide seals the only true way is to spray it with a hose. Spray it as though the wind is blowing the rain sideways. Spray it when the coach is not level. Spray it when the coach leans so water rests against the seal. And no matter if the seal is inflated or is a wiper, at some point it will need to be serviced or replaced. If you think about our biggest problems, air leaks and the leans, you will realize all of those problems are associated with aging rubber components.

BTW, the Prevost slide seals appear to be well engineered and capable of doing a good job as long as they are inflated. I have no knowledge of or experience with wiper type seals but it seems to me they can be equally effective as long as they are in constant contact with the slide.

[jack14r]

The Prevost slides have a wiper and a inflatable seal,I have never seen daylight through one of these.

[Coloradobus]

I understand from some Vantare people that their slide rooms are able to be "teased" and "run" into the coach to get at the inner rubber squeegee. This is similar to the Prevost slide. Just curious about their slides, but the coach of interest now is a Vantare H, model year 2000. Another coach we were interested comes with damage history. so we will walk from that one.

[garyde]

The inflatable slide seals keep a air tight seal inside the bus , the same as in an airplane. In fact, when I am opening the bus slide, I have to open one of my front driver windows to allow the slide to open.
Yes, the seals do have issues. The sequence of the opening and closing is computer controlled , the pins can get stuck if not cleaned and maintained, and you do need a certain amount of air pressure in the system in order for the slides to open and close.
All in all it works fine.

[Coloradobus]

You are correct Gary. Our XL II Marathon 1 slide had the first generation of pins. P.I.T.B (Pain in the Butt) Our 2001 '99 shell CC 2 slide had HWH slides. It had pins too, and an air seal like the Marathon. We had more issues with the Prevost slide than the CC HWH slide. Was intersted in hearing about the Vantare Squeegee seal, because it is so simple.
Our contenders are 2001 Classic Lady no slide, 2001 XLII Marathon no slide, a 2000 Vantare H3-45, and 2000 Marathon H with single HWH flat floor slide. We leave Monday for a 3000 mile roadtrip to see 2 coaches in Texas, one in Arizona and one CA. Be interesting for sure.

[grantracy]

As Tuga says we have the HWH slides, it is pretty airtight going down the road. I mispoke however when I said it never leaked. There was an occasion where the bus was parked with the slide side upgrade and some water ran along the bottom and into the coach. We replaced the lower seal and that seemed to cure the problem. I dont have any experience with Prevost slides but aside the complexity of their slides it sounds like they are engineered well. BTW Kim and I took my 89ytr old mom on a 1,000 mile trip a few months ago, she loved it and it was pretty easy on us.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I cannot speak about all generations of Prevost slides, but on one that had a stuck pin there was several hours of frustration and multiple calls to Prevost techs about how to get the pin to retract.

The advice was all over the place with nothing working until Bill Jensen was asked for his help. His advice was to just jump up and down in the slide room, and in seconds the stubborn pin retracted. I suspect that the pins may require some occasional maintenance such as cleaning or lubing, but I also suspect most of the issues also have some very simple solutions.