New to us 1985 Prevost XL

[Joe Camper]

"Six momentary switches for level low"

Please take and post a picture of that we would love to see whats going on there.

My 84 had 3 seporate air controlled buttons like old scool air seats control. I was of the understanding they went from that directly to the current 4 position selector and singular momentary up and down button.

What u have described I've never seen.

[sandz]

Here is a pic of the level low switches
20181028_123246.jpg20181028_123236.jpg

[Joe Camper]

Judging by your controls that chassis may not have spool valves for suspension control. It's equipped with earlier diaphragm type control valves, I think. Is the chassis an 84 or 85?

Very convenient to have the house control panel within reach of the driver, they all should be like that or duel panels one midship too, that's my preference.

[sandz]

It is an 84. E-772. In the steering compartment there are no valves, just a aux compressor and a tank. When a leveling button is pressed I hear a pop or click and the bus goes up or down.

The wiring compartment above the steering bay has schematics dated 1983.

Right now headlights and horn don't work. Inner pass side dual valve stem loose and tire won't hold air

Fantastic fans don't work and toilets need to be replaced or fixed. (Old raritan crown heads).

Some of the lights for pushbutton controls don't light. Needs new belts. Genset water pump leaks and the. Generator airbags look pretty decrepit.

All in all though not bad considering age of unit. We can keep it at the dealer as long as it takes to fix it up and work on it there.

We are getting some stands welded up so I can get under it to check stuff out and do repairs to chassis.

All the fluids look good and engine starts right up and runs smooth. Recent fluid and filter changes. Air comes up well and stays up.

Brakes pass dot tests no hickups. Trans shifts through the gears and the parking brake works. Webasto fires right up.All 3 cruise airs work and blow cold.

So we will kerp chipping away at the list with the help of this board. Having a good time getting to know the old bus and enjoying California.

[Joe Camper]

Mine was an 84 too. I know who owns it i still service it. I gotta call him see how close the 2 are.

The way they controlled going from manually getting level and the ride height valve for driving.

Very Simple. The design must have slipped by. It's a set of 24 volt solonoids that shuttle a 2way air valve. 1 left 1 right 1 front. The front 1 could be on the ceiling of the steering bay. The rear ones r in the cavity with drive axle front air bag, hidden by the inner forward mud flap forward of the drive axle that shields the bag and the shock and the ride height valve too.

Mentioning the ride height valve brings another thing to mind that you certainly want to take a look up at right off. if you lay on your back and scoot your head under the bus in front of the drive tires and look straight up with a flashlight you can see everything in that space forward of the inner flap. That valve the airbag the shock the ride height valve. Do this, be careful support the bus correctly. Take a close look at the linkage for the ride height valve you've got a vintage that used some really Antiquated stuff and it might still be in there if the ends are all wore out and it's sloppy that bus is going to feel like it's all over the road and I can't tell you how many even way newer buses I see with the ride height valve linkages deteriorated the bits and all bent over and screwed up. That's an easy fix the linkage kits are 15 bucks a piece and it makes a HUGE difference if they r bad. If you've got the old steel ones with the rubber eyelets in the end of them and their one piece get rid of them get a new set just buy a universal kit for ride height valve linkage get three of them any fleetpride.

U might see a threaded post out the bottom pointing down at u. If u have those u have old school. U do have the option of rebuilding them too prevo still has those if u r a purist.

Take a picture of that too, if u can. The ride height valves themselves went through 3 generations too. I can tell u if u still have the original style or not.

Raritan makes great stuff I had that toilet I called it "the growler" most girls didn't care for it but I liked it. Unless one of those two toilets is directly over the holding tank they're probably macerator toilets anyway, bith of them and are going to have to be replaced with another macerator. Those bases, the housings r solid brass do not throw that stuff out.

If it's 102 wide and I can see it is, 84 was the first year for the wider bus.

[sandz]

Thanks Joe. I will crawl under there as soon as I get some stands made and take some pics.

The raritan toilets are both macerators. The rear one fills and flushes but flushes very slowly. A clog maybe or the impeller. I am going to pull it and take it apart.

The front one fills all the time so we put a lever valve in the line. The flush button causes a loud click and dims the lights but no action in the hole
That one will also be pulled. I am going to try to get them both working without spending a fortune. The parts are real pricy.

[Joe Camper]

The one Raritan that is stuck. When u take it apart if the shaft is pitted or corroded where the seal rides u r in deep dodo, and that was no pun intended in more ways than one. It will leak to the floor and motor will need rebuilt.

Mine was stuck, I freed it up but then the seal was always dripping couldnt use it without additional motor repair, and yes it was a bunch of lew bucks.

[sandz]

Motor shaft repair...
One of the rooftop a/c on the landyacht had a badly worn shaft on the blower motor and made a real racket and would bind sometimes on startup.
I pulled the motor out to replace it but the idea struck me to try to fix it. There I go again.
I chucked the motor in a drill and used a file to roughen up the worn area. Cleaned it with laquer thinner and alcohol.
Then used metal mender epoxy to build the shaft up and used a razor blade to scrape it to a proper fit with the bushing.

I figured I might get a month or two use but that was a year ago and it is still running quiet and smooth.

If the raritan shaft is bad I might just dig out the epoxy again and give it a shot.

[GoneCrazy]

Stephen,
FWIW , I have a fantastic fan that has problems. Someone told me that they have a lifetime warranty and they will send you replacement parts for free. Haven’t tried myself yet , i need a new motor that raises and lowers the hood. FREE.99 ?

[sandz]

Stephen,
FWIW , I have a fantastic fan that has problems. Someone told me that they have a lifetime warranty and they will send you replacement parts for free. Haven’t tried myself yet , i need a new motor that raises and lowers the hood. FREE.99 ?

Good tip Rocky,thanks!