First time Prevost buyer here, going to inspect and pickup the coach this Monday

[GoneCrazy]

Things to look at on a Liberty of that era. Based on My limited experience with My 96 Liberty 40'XL

1) Generator bay foam sound deadening insulation. If it has not been replaced , It is getting close to being aged out. If You can rub Your hand across the foam and get little particles falling off. Then it needs replaced. Debris from it will ruin the generator windings if it goes too long in that condition.
2) Amana Refridgerator, If it is original it is going to need to be replaced soon.
3) webasto heater / Water heater. If they are not run and maintained regularly , It will need attention.
4) Pneumatic systems on chassis and auxiliary air. 4A) Have the Norgren valves ever been replaced ? When ? They get problematic and stick or leak with a lot of age on them. 4B) Does it have DOT fittings ? 4C) does it hold air in the Primary and secondary tanks for a long period of time ? There are 2 gauges on the dash for them. 4D) Does it lean overnight from air leaking out of one side or the other ? 4E) The auxiliary air compressors are notorious for creating moisture. Has the auxiliary system been upgraded and or maintained ? A lot of little things work off of the air system. Drivers seat , sliding floor , Bathroom pocket doors, Air actuated dump valve, Gray water by-pass valve. Generator air bags , Belt tensioning air bags, entrance door lock. And might have an air lift bed.You should check them all for operation.4E) Tag Lift ? 4F) Level-Low system. Check that all controls will work in Manual mode. Allowing You to raise and lower the front. And the right and left rear independently. Check the auto level function. And the ride heighth position. Do this after the two air gauges are up to cut out pressure. Mine is set at 125 PSI
4G) have the air bags and brake chambers ever been changed ? Probably not with the low miles. I think if memory serves Me correctly , The owners that have had multiple coach's over the years recommend that the air bags life is 10 Years, And the brake chambers some have said 5 year intervals ? They might go much longer than that ? Stopping is important ! Does the Jake Brake WORK ? Or does it have a Trans retarder , Does it work ? The pneumatic system on the Prevost is very extensive. Someone here that knows all about them could tell You 20 more things to check. My knowledge is very limited on it for sure. I am however studying and trying to learn the basics at least. 4H) ask the current owner if he has ever drained the 4 air holding tanks underneath ? Wet tank , Primary , Secondary and Auxillary ? There is an order that they need to be drained. There is an article in the archives about it. The pneumatic system could turn into a novel. Ride height valves, check valves , multi port valves , Protection valves Etc......
5) Do the fresh water and waste holding tank gauges work , and are they accurate ? They can be very troublesome and expensive to repair. Kinda important when spending a lot of time in the coach as You are talking about doing.
6) Fresh water 12V pump and 110V water heater. If there has ever been any leaks in that bay there might be rust around the bottom of the WH. $1500.00 for a new water heater. It is usally tied into the webasto and a engine loop that will heat water when the main engine is running. It would give a regular household plumber a migraine. A new Graco water pump like is in mine cost Me $2,500.00 if You want the same direct replacement.
7) Most Prevost's coach's of this age will have condensation between the panes of glass that are stationary in the entrance door and drivers side. Paid Prevost 800.00 to replace My drivers side. A Year later it is doing the same thing. Some have had good glass shops place single panes of safety glass to fix the problem. Still have to do mine.
8) Original headlights are Dim and something all XL owners end up wanting to upgrade. Also on My list.
9) Things that are popular upgrades are LED Lights throughout interior. And LED marker lights and tail lights and docking lights.
10) if the tires have a date code in 2014. The safe date to replace them will be 2019. That would just give You 2 years out of a 5 year tire.
11) since You are going with Li and solar panels. I assume You will be replacing the inverters as well. Most likely has Heart interface. That are not true sign wave. If You get Your coach setup with Solar and Li. I hope You will share Your experience with the members. If the heart inverters are good. You can sell them to other members. Or Donate them to a member who needs them. Thats what I asked to be done with Mine. Help a brother in Need right ? It will come back to You.
12) Maintenance records on engine and chassis are very comforting and desireable to have.
13) If You do end up purchasing the coach. Prevost will give You all the history that they have on the maintenance of the coach. That has been done in their facilities. If the current owner does not have them. He can get the info from them. That includes all the work done by previous owners in any Prevost shop. They pull it by serial # . And they are more than happy to set You up an account and work on Your coach. And send You on Your way. They email You a bill later. This keeps owners from having a heart attack in their office or making a scene I guess.
14) Roof coating ? Might need re-coated unless it has been stored indoors its entire life. If there are small spots that the clear coat is lifting or flaking. It has been out in the weather somewhere during its life. There is a lot to learn about them , and a lot to check out really good before purchasing. You are wise to try and hire one of the experienced coach owners to help You do a PDI. If You cannot find anyone , and the owner will allow it. I would request to spend several days staying in the coach and using the systems before purchase.
15) TV upgrades to LED flat panels.
16) Toilet work ? Can cost 3K to replace one in a Liberty.


Hopefully a more experienced and knowledgeable owner will chime in and help You. I know there are several things to look for that I have missed. I have spent 45K on mine this year. And still have several things I need to do. And lots of things to learn. But I love the ole Gal !
There is loads and loads of information on both sites that will help potential owners of these elegant beasts. Search the archives and wade thru all the BS , There is loads of great information available to You. Prevost's are the safest RV conversion on the road. Liberty is a High Quality conversion. Warning ; You will get asked often.... Are there any singers on the Bus ? Who's on the Bus ? I just got to where I tell them " Sorry Sir I am not allowed to tell You "
There is a mighty fine looking 96 XL Liberty on San Antonio Craig's list. Look at it and all the upgrades He has done. It will give You something to go by.
Apologies for the punctuation errors.
Good Luck,
BSafe