CC XL45 with 2 slides

[rmboies]

Larry,

You have been given several good suggestions regarding slides and I would like to give you our viewpoint. The best suggestion, in my opinion, is to go to the converter and HWH and ask a lot of questions.

This is what I can tell you first hand. We have HWH slides in our Vantare. They have been in and out at least 50-60 times since we have owned our coach and we usually store our coach in our building with at least the salon slide out. We have never had an issue with them getting "stuck" in or out. If you follow the correct extension and retraction protocol, they have always worked. The previous owner related the same experience and he and his wife traveled the country with this coach. The only slightly negative point we have seen is that if you retract the slides when they are wet they will squeak just a little until they dry. Not annoying and not for long. Other then that, no increased road noise, the coach is steady, balanced, and drives like a dream. I personally thought our H3 and our Liberty had much more road noise with the built in cabinets in the stateroom rattling

It is just logical, that if you cut holes in the side of a coach, you will have to install extra bracing and support. We used to have a Featherlite Trailer dealearship that our son-in-law managed. Many times customers would ask that a side door be installed for vending, etc. When re-inforced properly, the side door was never an issue and we never had a trailer returned for that reason.

Is there a certain risk involved with a coach with slides--sure. Is it a greater risk then any other conversion issue--I don't know, all I can say is that it has not been for us.

We have also been told by a well known converter that when Prevost wanted to engineer their own slides they asked HWH to come on board with them and work on it together. For whatever reason, and likely we will never know the real reason, they parted ways and Prevost decided to do it themselves.

As with any new engineering change the only true test is time. I would ask as many folks as I could who DO HAVE PERSONAL experience with owning a slide coach what type they are and what their experience has been. Law of averages may give you an accurate idea of the positive and the negative.

Best of luck with your search and please share the news with us when you find the one that "fits"

[merle&louise]

Larry,

Welcome to the forum. I have a 99 Country Coach 45XL that I am very happy with. With granite tile floors and other misc inventory and tools I am at the GVWR without slides. I think a valid concern for you is the weight of that coach without your personal belongings on board. I think the after market slides add a lot of weight to a chassis that might not have been designed for the slides.

Larry,

Jim brings up a very good point; weight. As I understand, the slides can weigh from 800 to 1000 pounds each depending on their size. As other have posted, the addition and location of this weight is important. Also, added support is necessary to reinforce the structure which can not be done after the coach is assembled. So the result would be a bus that would not be adequately reinforced to receive the slides.

[maxbeer]

To ALL that replied to my query, Thanks Very Much. All good info and just the type I was looking for, no BS , just straight forward answers---Great.

I have not joined this group for sometime, delaying because I wanted to own a bus first. And I apologize for jumping in and bringing up a subject that I'm sure has been beat to death. Glad I didn't wait. My wife and I set up a set of 'pros' & 'cons' on the bus in question. I believe the 'cons' won out. Other than the slides, there were just too many negatives, for us, that entered into the mix.
We are continuing our search.

Thanks again, Larry

[MangoMike]

MAXBEER = ?

• Largest beer distributor in the area.

• Reads Maxim while enjoying a frothy libation.

• Relates to reason for gut size.

• Originally favored MAXwell house then made the switch.


(Welcome to POG, where there are no secrets).

Mike

[rvbus01]

Bob Lee, if I remember made a total of six 99 Shells with them installing the slide rooms, all kitchen slides (not as deep as what Prevost is doing now) complete with drive locking pins. Two for each slide room located towards the top on the sidewall. I always considered these slides a prototype for what Prevost does today. Very good slides, I even believe Prevost came down to CC to look at them. Country Coach called these six coaches a 2001 model. This was just about a year before Prevost came out with theirs.

Since you are saying your looking at a 99, I believe Panterra Coach, Bob Makin of Angola, IN had a double slide room CC bus that he installed the slide-rooms, at the Prouds pre-rally in Charlotte. I remember the bays doors as you describe.
Sorry, but I know nothing of these slide-room installations. But, if they are Bob's, he would be more than happy to educate you on the process.

[JIM KELLER]

Larry, Didnt you just love Mango Mikes welcome !

Look at www.kenrobertsonrv.com on the internet. He has two great looking Prevosts for sale. One is a 99 Country Coach with a side isle which we almost bought. The other one is a Liberty previously owned by Mango Mike.

[maxbeer]

Shall I explain 'maxbeer' or leave MangoMike in suspense?
Larry

[maxbeer]

Opps! Got carried away with the smiles, sorry, still checking out on this forum.
Larry

[Jon Wehrenberg]

No matter what your decide Larry, apparently you and Mango have an interest in beer. Mango's interest can be seen on numerous posts showing CK.

[maxbeer]

Jim, you say you are at GVWR without slides on your CC XL45. What are the axle weights of your bus? A friend's '95 CC XL40 has a front axle wt. of 14100 which really surprised me. My current coach, a CC Affinity has a front axle wt. of 16500.
I'm a weight nut, so with the possiblilty of an over weight problem, that seems to me good enough reason to pass on aftermarket slides.
thanks for the info.

Larry