New Member Needs Advice

[dale farley]

I just joined POG today after having significant interface with some of you guys on the Prevost Stuff forum during the last couple weeks. I am 59, retired, poorer now than before I bought the Prevost yesterday, and live in Pensacola, FL. I have read many of the threads on this site during the last few hours, but have some quesitons.

On Saturday, I took possession of a 93 Marathon that I've been considering for a couple weeks. It is a beautiful coach and seems to have been well cared for. So far, everything seems to be working except the fuel gage and turbo booster pressure gage. The owner pointed out these two things the first time I looked at it.

In October, the last owner went through the unit and replaced 6 tires, all awning fabric, 3 Cruise Airs, fantastic fan, one water pump, and had a complete filter & fluid service and serviced the generator. I am sure there will be other things that will surface that need repair/replacement, but at the present, everything looks good.

I now have to figure out what I am going to tow with it, and who I will get insurance with. I have a quote from GMAC and Progressive, and I am waiting on one from Explorer.

I have a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport, 2 wheel drive but don't see in the owners manual that I can tow it. I don't know if I will be better off to get some type driveline disconnect or get another vehicle. I know a dolly is also an option. I welcome any suggestions on either of these issues.

Also, is it worth setting up an LLC in Montana in order to offset/reduce the 7.5% sales tax I will have to pay in Florida when I register the coach?

One last and very important thing. What is the proper, and hopefully most common pronounciation, for Prevost? I saw somewhere on the internet that it is Pray vo, but I have heard several different variations from other owners. I don't want to have to keep slurring it when I say it because I am not sure what it should be. Thanks. Dale

[Denny]

Dale

Congrats. on the new purchase. I have been reading your posts from the sideline and you made the correct choice in getting the Prevost over the plastic coach. I just purchased mine this past August so I know how excited you are. I am very jealous though, I just turned 59 this past Tuesday and I am not retired.

I live in Ohio and have a LLC from Montana and it has saved me thousands of dollars in sales tax over the past two coaches. There are several attorneys in Montana that advertise in the RV magazines to establish the LLC. I used John Bennett to set up mine and I think several others on this site also have used him. Be sure that this loophole is legal in Florida.

As for Prevost - Prey vo. If you call the factory in Canada they answer the phone "Prey vo" with a French accent.

As for insurance I have mine with Explorer and they seem to be the carrier of choice with many POGers.

Enjoy your new toy. It will serve you well over the next several hundred thousands of miles.

Denny

[garyde]

Try; Twin Peaks Insurance Agency. They know Prevost Conversions. 1 800 507 8467.
As far as Pronunciation of 'Prevost' , I guess it depends what part of the country your from.
The Last POG , they spoke about replacing Rubber on the Front and back suspension which need attending to on older Coaches.

[MangoMike]

Dale,

Welcome to POG, did Terry Powers follow you in?

Re: The LLC contact:

Bennett Law Office
135 W. Main St.
Missoula, MT 59802
866.543.5803

Alain B. Burrese - attorney

Ask him about Florida because as I recall it was an issue. Hopefully I'm mistaken.

Pronounciation - Mayn Go

Tow Vehicle - I tow a Honda Element, one of the uglier cars on the road (according to my girls), but doubles as a trailer behind the bus.

Mike

[dale farley]

I plan to check with Explorer, Garden City, and Twin Peaks tomorrow and see what they quote on insurance. I will call the lawyer in Montana about the LLC. I will be surprised if I can do it without a big hassle in the State of Florida, but I really need to establish it for liability purposes. At least I know to call it a Prey vo.

[Ben]

Dale,

Congrats on getting the Pray-vo. Just call any Prevost service center or the mothership in Canada... they will say it when they answer. It will be too fast to be sure, so simply ask them what the proper way is to pronounce it. They always say Pray-vo.

I'd get a different car unless a driveline disconnect is something you can do with just a switch on the dash. I can hook or unhook my Jeep in 2-3 mintues (that includes switching it into neutral, hooking up the low bar, cables, wiring, etc.), which means that I never mind doing it. Skip the dolly... who wants to figure out where to park it when you're in an already cramped spot.

I did the Montana LLC thing... but you'll have to check if it will work being a resident of FL. Check with a tax attorney in your area after checking with a Montana law firm (I used Bennett Law Office www.bennettlawofficepc.com). If any law office tries to have you just talk to an assistant instead of one of the lawers, then don't go with them... that's what I found with some of the Montana offices... but Bennett always let me talk to the actual lawyers even on a casual call. It's not just about sales tax. Some states also have personal property tax that they will want to collect each year (Montana doesn't). Also, keep in mind that any coach that is over 10 years old can be registered permanently in Montana, which should save you some bucks over time... and their registration fees are very low.

[Just Plain Jeff]

Welcome to Roadrunner and all the other new members who have recently signed in. Perhaps some of the 'lurker' will pony up to posting status.

Couple of things: People say here that there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers. Here is one of my classics (circa 1999).

Jeff: What's that big silver dealie in the back that gets hot?
Salesman: Wellsir, that would be your engine.

As to insurance: My advice would be NOT to evaluate carriers based upon price quotes alone. We did that and found that a) the coverage was not comparable and b) the claims process various insurors use is quite different. We went with Explorer and here's why...the companies they use were built on insuring commercial coaches. They understand buses. If you have a claim, especially a sizeable claim--and hope you never have one--you will find that the people who understand a commercial chassis bus are going to make a huge difference in the way the bus is repaired, by whom and at what price.

Far as I can figure, and I have limited intelligence, no one has yet been able to get on the road with a Pray-voh on the cheap and be completely happy with the experience.

My 2 cents (which is all that is now left)

[truk4u]

Dale,
I big welcome! I'm 59 also, but unlike your lucky self, still working trying to make enough money to keep the bus going. Like Ben, we're pro Jeep, being on our third and the towing couldn't be easier. If you can, post some pic's of the Marathon..

Mango - Terry Powers here! We have to much fun and entertainment.

[merle&louise]

Dale:

Welcome to POG and congratulations on the new Marathon. I am also 59 and semi retired (I only work 5 days a week; used to work 7 ).

Be sure to sign up for the Kerrville rally (POG 3), April 23 - 28. I promise you will have a good time and will learn a great deal about your bus.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Dale,

You definitely made the right choice. I do have some bad news that nobody else seems willing to pass along. Every single one of us has bought a coach and then reached deeper into our pockets to fix the little things we found wrong with it, or to just bring the maintenance up to where it belongs.

But do not despair. If you are moderately handy you can do a lot yourself, and if you choose not to get dirty fingernails, you will learn here how to self direct those who you will have do the work.

I guarantee we will be hearing a lot from you and I encourage you to take advantage of the collected wisdom on this site. Our resident Marathon expert Tom will give you a lot of help with house questions, and we all will try to help with bus questions.

You will learn new words, like "the leans", you will quickly get involved in issues that involve DDEC, and as you get comfortable with your new coach it will take weeks to get the grin off your face. And as a last warning, do not take anybody in this group too seriously. Almost every single one is a nutcase.