2010 Liberty Coach

[Kenneth Brewer]

"Makes me proud to own a simple no slide OTR equipped prison bus....."

What he said, I think.

[garyde]

The 2006 Country Coach I almost purchased in 2005, had a 500 amp Alternator to run the A/C system. I am assuming that is what Liberty is doing. The A/C units, if they are split systems would still draw air from under the bus.
Did Liberty ever have the roof air units?

[Coloradobus]

The new LS series of Country Coach busses have an "Auragen" brand name- style belt driven generator off the enigne. I believe Millennium has a similar set up. That might where I remember the name of the generator. Terry Ferrell help us out?, or BoB-08?


http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2003triservice/gold.pdf

[jack14r]

Prevost states in their specs that OTR weighs 700 LBS in the new shells.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Which confirms that eliminating it, adding four more batteries and two inverters is not to save weight, but to allow AC operation from inverters.

I really believe that OTR ducting is a challenge on a non slide coach, with 2 slides it becomes a serious issue, and more than 2 slides it just borders on impossible. I think when other converters leave off OTR it is more because it complicates the design due to ducting requirements more than any other reason no matter how they try to spin it.

[jack14r]

I agree with you Jon on OTR ducting in slide coaches,my 2 slide coach has all the window ducting on the curb side there is one overhead duct aimed at the drivers area.I was told that the 09 3 slide that Liberty sold a few months ago did not have OTR because of weight considerations but I now believe that there are also other reasons.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

I suppose it could be a Prevost decision and not the converters option!??

JIM

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jim, long before slides other converters were spinning tales of how much valuable space OTR takes up, how much HP is lost driving the big compressor, and how heavy OTR is. For all but Liberty OTR was something that had to be ordered by the customer.

The converters would do other things to further cheapen the purchase price of the shell (which I really believe was their actual reason for omitting it) such as leaving off long range fuel aux tanks. At one time Angola and Liberty (If my memory is correct) were the only two converters that were ordering Prevost shells with all the options.

OTR is and always has been a serious design problem for converters. before they design the interior, they must give consideration to balancing air flow within the coach and providing the plenums for that at the rear of their cabinetry such that there are no hot and cold spots (without the benefit of dampers) and securely attaching the cabintery really requires a lot of engineering effort. Leaving it out makes the cabinetry design and installation no more complex than that of a plastic motorhome.

But now with 3 or more slides the choice may now be Prevost choice. They can no longer have one side of the coach available for ducting, and to run ducts vertically into a ceiling plenum eats up even more valuable space than just providing for the slide mechanism.

[Alek&Lucia]

Also all H3-45 Centurions from Royale have Prevost OTR.

Alek

[jack14r]

I understand that Liberty sold this coach yesterday,this is coach #715 which if I cipher correctly means that they have sold about 20 in the last 12 months.A Liberty is not cheap but when you buy one you also get a group of trustworthy people that stand behind their product.