VANTARE SLIDE ROOMS

[rfoster]

Just my 2 cents. When I had a rear slide seal rupture thru either age or wear and tear or both, the Prevost slide seal being over engineered did not allow any daylight or moisture into the bedroom area. The design of the seal has a wiper blade both sides of the inflatable center and that contributed quite a bit to keeping things okay till the inflatable seal was replaced. I did see some dust on trhe rear wardrobe mirror, but that may have been from action the previous nite.

In addition - I learned early on in the ownership of slides that it is necessary to lubricate the slide sockets with graphite lubricant- otherwise the pins can have a hard time retracting - when that happens the pins sound like a gun going off. I believe the pins have a tendency to want to stick to the rubber recesses in the slide room if not exercised often.

[BenC]

The Vantare/Featherlite Cresco approach to slide seals was to put a flange on both the outside and the inside of the coach, and to have double (inner and outer) D-seal molding that the flanges would compress to keep out air/moisture/critters. The flange approach does not present the slick/clean lines that the use of a pneumatic inflatable seal does, but with the lack of compressed air, it DOES certainly remove the issue of seal ruptures. Vantare slides that were pre-02 (approx) utilized HWH hydraulics and two ram I-beams underneath the coach to move the slideroom in and out, and also hydraulic locking pins which engaged both with the room in and out. The only two major issues with the hydraulic system is that, on occasion, debris could prevent a valve from seating properly, letting hydraulic fluid to pressurize lines that weren't "supposed" to be pressurized...the worst case being the lock pin entend lines, causing the pins to protrude and puncture the outer skin of the slide room while the room was in operation. I have seen this on occasion. The other major issue is that of the synchronizing cylinder. If the cylinder was to fail, and the owner was not paying close attention upon extending or retracting the room, could get the room rams moving at an uneven speed and get the room lodged in the hole, possibly causing distorsion or damage to the room, the frame, or cabinetry inside the coach. This issue was uncommon, but happened a few times and was the prompting factor to Vantare's move to the twin electric motor setup. Bear in mind that while the "aftermarket" slides have some advantages over Prevost slides, they ALWAYS increased the weight of the coach by up to 1500lbs more than the equivalent Prevost slide. If you are considering buying a coach with slides, regardless of who did them, have the coach weighed on certified scales before you purchase. The coach may very well be overweight empty, especially if it was produced in the late 90's or this decade.
Hope this information helps.
Ben Cummings
Coach Worx

[Pete]

I think we need to hear more about Roger's "action from the night before" statement. Makes me wonder about the bedroom slide seal rupture having to be repaired.
Roger?

[kenrobertson]

Pete -
I agree on needing a little clarification about the " action the night before ". Did Roger say dust.....or rust? Just askin'

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

I think what Roger is trying to say is, " He is so old when he gets some action the dust flies".

Gary S

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Pete -
I agree on needing a little clarification about the " action the night before ". Did Roger say dust.....or rust? Just askin'

Perhaps this is the guiding principle for Roger......."Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Use what God gave you or its going to rust."

What does Ken know? Perhaps he has some inside information.

[garyde]

I Roger must have a wood shop in the coach.

[truk4u]

Lust would cause the dust, but wouldn't have anything to do with rust.

So if it was rust, resulting in fuss, then the dust and rust must have been the cause of lust!

OK King, we're waiting!

[bonhall41]

Jim and Chris,
We have a 2005 Vantare conversion with two slides. We have been in some heavy rainstorms with the slides in and the slides out and have never had a leak. We have also washed it with the slides in and the slide out. We were told that the Vantares led the way for the slides in Prevosts. Don't know the whole story on this but do know that ours have had no problems in the 2 1/2 plus years that we have owned it. Whatever you decide to do, good luck in your search and hope you enjoy your new bus.
Bonnie

[Coloradobus]

Thanks Bonnie. We have a few coaches on our list, but that can change overnight. We are currently thinking about a 2001 Classic Lady Liberty, and a 2001 Marathon H3-45, and a 1997 Hoffmann XLV. OR, keep what we have. Beaver Bus #34 now has travelled with us for over 15000 miles since Sept 2009. Runs flawlessly but has a small quirk we have become accustom to, it tells us when the primary fuel filter needs changing. When the telltale sign occurs, we change it and all is happy.