I made a mistake

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Thanks for the welcome, Jon. Every asylum can use another inmate!

I have NOT driven a Prevost yet, but did mention that in my OP. We were at the show, and they weren't about to let anyone drive anything there.

Prepared to spend. Yes, that is the question. I can certainly spend more than I am willing to, but want to keep it reasonable. Mid 6-figures would be reasonable to me. Now what I want to figure out is what I can get for that, should my test drive at the converter go well and I don't decide to splurge and buy new. Are there rules of thumb on years, models, converters?

I am absolutely interested in getting the best mechanically sound coach possible. Not looking at paint reminds me of house shopping with my wife. Many times I gave her that advice! Assuming I got a coach 5-6 years old, the main upgrading I would be interested in is a basement bedroom. We discussed this with the salesman at the show and found it a very interesting proposition. We have two kids who will be willing to fight over it.

The last line of your post is what I am most afraid of, which is why I am here! Thanks for the response so far. I look forward to the next.

For mid 6 figures you are going to get a lot of coach and a fairly new one. A quick trip through the various sites listing Prevost coaches for sale will show you that.

So that being said, you now have a lot of work ahead of you. You and your family have to decide on the things that are important to you. First you have to define how the coach will be used. Will you spend a lot of time on the road, or parked? Will you be hooked up to shore power and other utilities or will you dry camp? Where will you be traveling? How many will be on board?

Then you have to decide what features work best for your use of the coach. Private toilet or open plan? Separate sleeping areas, both with access to the toilet or no? Slides? Over the road AC? Etc. Read all the posts on this site to get a sense of the importance of the various ways converters design a coach. Listen to the salesmen, but keep in mind every single one will sell you what is on their lot. You have to sort out the fact from fiction.

If I were to give you any advice it would be to rethink the basement bedroom. Any converter can create one, but to start with give some thought to how much space you give up for storage of stuff. The importance of that relates back to how you use your coach. I don't know of a single owner that has ever said they have too much bay space. I would look for the more conventional (but rare) bunk coach that can be converted back to closets or a space for a washer and dryer when you no longer have the need.

From a purely mechanical perspective a basement bedroom presents some serious design issues, not the least of which is access from the house made more complicated by considerations such as other mechanicals interfering with the access hatch location. That might make a non slide coach a more serious candidate due to the slide having the need to occupy bay ceiling space for mechanicals. Further, it might make some conversions more practical due to the need for heat and air.

[jack14r]

I think that there are some important chassis features that you should consider,the 2004 shells have 365 tires on the steering and tag axles,the steering axle is rated at 18,000 Lbs instead of 17,200 lbs. also the gross is 54,500 verses 51,500 lbs.It is also important to know how to read the year code in the serial number,(any salesman can show you where it is) count 8 digits from the end of the serial and that is the year of the shell.If that number is a 4 then the shell was manufactured as a 2004 and the conversion should be a 2005,do not let a salesman sell you a coach that is more than 1 year different from the shell unless it is priced accordingly.Also Prevost has constantly updated their slides and the 2004 shells have the next to last update,the 2007 have the "no pin slides"and are still the latest series.

[garyde]

So much to learn and so little time! The one thing I can suggest is to hang around a while ask questions and do your research. There are many choices of convertors and many very good used coaches out there. So, take your time and enjoy the journey.

[Alan__]

Also, some conversions have Vorad--think code M. Don't know how many they made but I have it and agree to its value.

Good luck on your search.

[Sawbonz]

Also, some conversions have Vorad--think code M. Don't know how many they made but I have it and agree to its value.

Good luck on your search.

Where does one find this code?

[jack14r]

The 365/70R22.5 tire is rated at a maximum carrying capacity of10,500 LBS,the 315/80R22.5 has a max rating of 9090 LBS.If the converter is trying to sell you a coach that is called an 06 but it is a 2004 shell I would value it as an 05 because if you ever want to sell or trade it that is what it actually is.There is a used coach for sell by a used dealer in Florida that is titled as an 07 but it has a 2003 shell,if someone buys it and does not understand the date in the serial number they will be surprised when they decide to sell.There are some converters that have been guilty of not titling a conversion until it has been purchased,therefore the title can be 2-4 years newer than the actual shell.

[Sawbonz]

The 365/70R22.5 tire is rated at a maximum carrying capacity of10,500 LBS,the 315/80R22.5 has a max rating of 9090 LBS.If the converter is trying to sell you a coach that is called an 06 but it is a 2004 shell I would value it as an 05 because if you ever want to sell or trade it that is what it actually is.There is a used coach for sell by a used dealer in Florida that is titled as an 07 but it has a 2003 shell,if someone buys it and does not understand the date in the serial number they will be surprised when they decide to sell.There are some converters that have been guilty of not titling a conversion until it has been purchased,therefore the title can be 2-4 years newer than the actual shell.

Thanks, clear as day! That is also NOT something I would have thought of on my own. I did have a converter at the show tell me about another company that had a lot of left over shells, and this is probably what would happen...

[Sawbonz]

So much to learn and so little time! The one thing I can suggest is to hang around a while ask questions and do your research. There are many choices of convertors and many very good used coaches out there. So, take your time and enjoy the journey.

So far, so fun! I hope that we can take a little longer to do this than we did to buy the Monaco, just to make sure we get the best we can. It also will give me a chance to save some $ for a down payment!

[scott13]

Karl, Take your time and look at everything out there. There are some great deals on coaches but you need to check them all out. There are several good converters out there and even some that are not in business anymore made good conversions in there day, and there are still people out there that know the coaches as far as repair goes. It seems like the best deal shows up right after you buy. I was lucky enough to be able to hook up with the previous owner of my coach so when I have a problem I can call him. That is a great resource to have, he owned the coach for five years and really knew it inside and out. Remember a beautiful paint job overwhelms a guy but it can hide a lot. I went in them, under them, and through them. I made six trips to Florida from Iowa to look at coaches. That said I never wanted anything other than a Prevost and the first motorhome I have ever owed. I sure hope I find out that I like camping.

[Sawbonz]

I sure hope I find out that I like camping.

Me Too!