Entertainer vs Motorhome

[gershwin]

What are the differences generally w/ an entertainer vs a Prevost motorhome conversion. Not really talking about the obvoius possible issue of a previously rented coach - I can flush that out.

I'm more interested in what prevost motorhomes have generally that the entertainers do not. Are there deal breakers w/ an entertainer? Is it just not built to the same standards - ie. insulation, operational issues and such.

Thank you,

[travelite]

From my experience, things like: size of battery bank, size of inverter, size of tanks, cabinet and drawer space, lack of finished basement space, wall separation between driver and house, small shower sometimes combined with commode, tiny bathroom, sometimes two toilets, small kitchens with no counter space and no food storage area, small refrigerators, typically no slide although that's changing. If a slide is present it's a bunch shorter in the entertainer shell than in the motorhome shell. You can be sure that most of the other electronic features we're used to are missing: Crestron, Power Management, Load centers with fancy resettable fuses and circuit breakers, etc. Entertainers don't really live in entertainer coaches. I've been told that doing number 2 in the toilet is generally forbidden. Generators are relied upon 100%. Usually just one small inverter, and a battery bank of just a few hundred Ampere-hours. Lots of sleeping space, but little in the way of cabinets or drawers for clothing and personal stuff. Entertainers and their helpers live out of suitcases stored in the basement. The basements look like OTR touring bus basements, nothing finished, no built-in storage, no entertainment centers, or refrigerators, etc. IMPO, there's a lot of work needed to turn an entertainer into a motorhome. To me, it just isn't feasible.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

David pretty much nailed it. The difference is in how an entertainer coach is used. It is not uncommon for the driver's seat to be isolated from the front stateroom. He needs some provision for keeping the lights in the rear of the coach from interfereing with his visibility via reflections in the windshield when he is driving at night.

The interiors are generally durable but lack design features we have in a MH. It is not uncommon for the interior to be modular. For example it may take little effort to convert a pair of bunks into a full height closet and vice versa.

It may have OTR, but it is likely to have at least 5 roof airs. It is likely to have 2 gensets. While we can dry camp and want the battery power and inverters to do that, it is not uncommon for the generator on an entertainier coach to be turned on at the start of the tour and kep running anytime the group is in the bus or about to be in the bus. The second genset is backup. Ditto with the 5th roof air.

Expect very little water and waste holding. The group uses the bus to travel, they do not live in it. Some leasors of entertainer coaches will not permit anyone to do #2 in a bus toilet. The kitchen if you want to call it that is for snacks, not for cooking. The rear stateroom is not likely to be a bedroom, but a second sitting area. The entertainer coaches see a lot of miles so in two years it may have the same number of miles typically found in a 10 to 15 year old MH.

The shell is not the same as a MH. It has a longer wheelbase, although future MH shells are going to have the same wheelbase as entertainer shells so that is not likely to be a show stopper. But bottom line, as David says is an entertainer coach has a significant number of changes that have to be made to it to have one begin to match a MH. But the reverse is also true. Our coaches and interiors will not meet the requirements of the typical group that leases an entertainer coach, nor will it have the durability or redundancy those coaches require

[TG Transport]

These two fellas nailed it. I've owned two MH Prevosts and traveled in quite a few entertainer coaches. That being said, entertainer coaches generally have 12 bunks, a front and rear salon, and a bathroom usually without a shower. A star coach is set up more like our coaches typically with 3-6 bunks, bathroom with shower, and a rear bedroom. Google Diamond Coaches in Nashville to see the differences.

[michaeldterry]

These two fellas nailed it. I've owned two MH Prevosts and traveled in quite a few entertainer coaches. That being said, entertainer coaches generally have 12 bunks, a front and rear salon, and a bathroom usually without a shower. A star coach is set up more like our coaches typically with 3-6 bunks, bathroom with shower, and a rear bedroom. Google Diamond Coaches in Nashville to see the differences.

Towson! Where the hell you been? I need to know when either of your bands is playing in my area again! Oh yeah - these guys did nail the differences between a motorhome conversion and an entertainer conversion. I've owned both and can testify that an entertainer conversion is built for utility and durability foremost, where our motorhome conversions are built more with luxury in mind. A leased entertainer coach will get a lot of hard use by people with no vested interest in taking care of it, whereas our motorhomes are usually pampered and treated with kid gloves by the owners who absolutely love them.

Towson - get in touch, man!

[gershwin]

Expect very little water and waste holding.

The shell is not the same as a MH. It has a longer wheelbase, although future MH shells are going to have the same wheelbase as entertainer shells so that is not likely to be a show stopper. But bottom line, as David says is an entertainer coach has a significant number of changes that have to be made to it to have one begin to match a MH. But the reverse is also true. Our coaches and interiors will not meet the requirements of the typical group that leases an entertainer coach, nor will it have the durability or redundancy those coaches require

Well you hit on an interest item there I hadn't thought of - holding capacity. That is a problem.

Also what do you mean future MH's will have a longer wheel base and why are the entertainer coaches based on a longer w-b?

[gershwin]

From my experience, things like: size of battery bank, size of inverter, size of tanks, cabinet and drawer space, lack of finished basement space, wall separation between driver and house, small shower sometimes combined with commode, tiny bathroom, sometimes two toilets, small kitchens with no counter space and no food storage area, small refrigerators, typically no slide although that's changing. If a slide is present it's a bunch shorter in the entertainer shell than in the motorhome shell. You can be sure that most of the other electronic features we're used to are missing: Crestron, Power Management, Load centers with fancy resettable fuses and circuit breakers, etc. Entertainers don't really live in entertainer coaches. I've been told that doing number 2 in the toilet is generally forbidden. Generators are relied upon 100%. Usually just one small inverter, and a battery bank of just a few hundred Ampere-hours. Lots of sleeping space, but little in the way of cabinets or drawers for clothing and personal stuff. Entertainers and their helpers live out of suitcases stored in the basement. The basements look like OTR touring bus basements, nothing finished, no built-in storage, no entertainment centers, or refrigerators, etc. IMPO, there's a lot of work needed to turn an entertainer into a motorhome. To me, it just isn't feasible.

Thank you David - very helpful and comprehensive.

[TG Transport]

My understanding from Marathon is that the MH chassis is being discontinued and that future MH conversions will be constructed on the entertainer platform which has the longer wheelbase.

[BenC]

I did not see anyone mention the horsepower difference of the two models, due to lack of radiator/cooling in the 40 ft and entertainer shells. The last published specs said 455HP/12.7L version of the Series 60, versus the 515HP/14L version of Series 60 the the MH shells were equipped with. I have not heard of what the engine HP difference will be yet for the Volvo Engines versus models, but there has to be a difference for the same fundamental reason as before with the Detroit engine use.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ben, I think that is dependent upon whether the shell is an XL or XLII. The XLII on a MH has a much greater area for cooling air flow essentially using the space behind the tag all the way to the rear. On the entertainer the XLII loses that 18" due to the longer wheelbase. The XL only has the shorter open area for cooling because on those shells the 18" area behind the tag is usually used for something else, such as the Webasto on my Liberty.

What all POG members should realize is Detroit (and probably Volvo) will certify the engine installation and the amount of horsepower will be dependent upon the ability of the coach to cool as required. At one time owners were getting their HP "turned up" but with no other modification to the coach or the cooling system. When the HP was needed such as climbing a long hill, if the coach could not get rid of the heat produced the computer just started removing HP from the engine which negated the increase in HP.

When a coach is sold by Prevost with a given HP, the cooling system for the engine can remove the heat produced so the HP is always available.