Can a high end Spartan K3 Chassis be better than a Prevost?

I've owned 6 coaches…..one 40' class A with 2 slides….one 45' class A with quad slides and a custom made truck conversion that was 45' with 4 slides. All of them bought new and each was very nice. BUT when I bought my '05 prevost XL II there simply wasn't anything I've owned previously that could compare in ride comfort, fit and finish AND durability!

Anyone who tells you that a King Aire (a wonderful coach) is "better" than a prevost simply smoked their breakfast. I have friends who own a 20 year old and one who has a 26 year old prevost conversion and after all that time they are still silent when you drive them (no rattles or shakes) and solid coaches with over 250K miles. My only suggestion would be to DRIVE one and that is all that will need to be said.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Mark,
That was the problem. The facility that suggested it would fix the issue could not guarantee it would fix it and they were not sure that all of the current gauges would still work with the new equipment. The cost would be on me and the results would be the results.
I would love to replace the coach but simply cannot afford to do so. My only choice is to keep the vehicle as I don't have a funds that would allow or a replacement. Even if I could find a good replacement no one seems interested in an '88 in trade and since I could likely only afford the monthly payments on a coach in the late '90's I likely could not get that one financed. I like this one. I would like to keep this one. I just wish I could find someone who actually knew how. I just find it so hard to believe that the people who built the coach and the people who built the engine do not have any resources of any kind to help.

It may make sense to cut your ongoing losses and downtime by getting out of that coach, Bill. I too use my coach for my road trip business travel, but not to the extent that it could be considered that many miles of usage over the years I've owned it. In 2008 my coach's steel fuel tank's inside rusted out to the extent that the fuel tank and the fuel pump had to be replaced, all to the tune of $5,000.00. There was no predicting this breakdown/parts failure on a coach of it's age and only 70K miles on it. This was a coach failure/repair out of left field that took me by surprise. Neither the coach manufacturer or engine and components manufacturer could account for the why it happened, but obviously neither of them volunteered to stand behind their product's failure. There's absolutely no guarantees that just because any of us buy a coach new, or give perfect care and maintenance to our coaches bought near-new as I did, that failures are not going to either recur or not be able to be fixed. Unfortunately in my coach's case - I have both types of product failures at work.

Mark,
That was the problem. The facility that suggested it would fix the issue could not guarantee it would fix it and they were not sure that all of the current gauges would still work with the new equipment. The cost would be on me and the results would be the results.
I would love to replace the coach but simply cannot afford to do so. My only choice is to keep the vehicle as I don't have a funds that would allow or a replacement. Even if I could find a good replacement no one seems interested in an '88 in trade and since I could likely only afford the monthly payments on a coach in the late '90's I likely could not get that one financed. I like this one. I would like to keep this one. I just wish I could find someone who actually knew how. I just find it so hard to believe that the people who built the coach and the people who built the engine do not have any resources of any kind to help.

Bill, I don't have 'mechanical' abilities to fix and/or diagnose a problem. I would have to depend and be at the mercy of the Prevost/Volvo repair facilities to fix anything that comes up.

I was just wondering if the facility that says that you need a DDEC 3 setup would guarantee it 100% ? If it didn't work, they should take it back. I think you mentioned that your coach is an '88 model. Since it ran so well for so long and now the lack of power and having no fixes is extremely frustrating.

Personally, I couldn't keep the coach if it didn't run like I wanted it to. I hope that one day you come back saying that you finally have a fix.

Good luck,
Mark

The Prevost Community, iRV2, POG (Prevost Owners Group) and many other forums are there as profit only sites and that's OK, you just have to understand what you are dealing with.
I did get some help from a few of the Prevost Community members but most of them gave responses that indicated that somehow my Prevost not running correctly was my fault or I really didn't know what I was talking about. Then they got mad that I was negative. I am a working man trying desperately to make a living on the road. That means I have very little time available to get things fixed. That was the whole point of our Prevost purchase. It should be a very dependable coach with multiple factory service centers around the US. That worked well for about 5 years and then when an engine issue developed we started with Prevost, tried Detroit recommended service centers (there is no Detroit factory repair facilities) replaced the engine due to....OK...can't prove my opinion there....but replaced the engine. Still no fix which leaves only the Detroit electronics or a wiring issue which to this day no one has been able to address. Some have claimed moving to a DDEC 3 setup would fix it but no one will assure me it will fix it. At $6000+ for an update it would like at least the tiniest of assurances before dropping that money.
I can't stay in one place for much longer than a week to 10 days if I want to make money so I can't just sit a wait at one location watching the techs scratch their heads.
I described all of this on the Prevost Community forum and they turned it around to me not being happy about anything so they banned me from posting but said I was still welcome to read the forum. Thanks for the consideration folks.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Be careful not to complain about your coach or their owners. The Prevost Community folks will ban you from their site. I have a Prevost with many issues and I have many issues with Prevost owners who tried to turn the problems I was having back on me. I used to be a member but now I have been banned.
Mr. Mark who can afford to buy a new 2.2 million dollar Liberty H3 will always be considered a stellar member. I, struggling to find an answer to why my coach no longer runs properly, get banned. I fully understand. This site makes their money from their Prevost related sponsors and they sure don't need anyone like me posting that the Prevost is not as perfect as they would like you to believe. It is a great RV, don't get me wrong. However, when "stuff" goes bad the various suppliers point fingers at each other leaving the owner in a void. Maybe I should be more patient. I have only been dealing with my current issues for about 10 years. I am sure that eventually Prevost or Detroit will step up and help me get the coach working properly again. Sigh!

Bill,
I too, have in the past pivoted on banning from my brand of coach's owners club forum. Many, many brand-specific coach owners will simply not hear of their brand having any issues. They are like ostriches sticking their heads in the sand. This doesn't make issues go away. For some owners it's simply their lack of tolerance when they won't stand for anyone reporting actual breakdowns of their coaches. What I've learned in the 11-years since buying this 12-year old coach, is that the factory will definitely not stand behind their repairs or their coaches when out of warranty. Every single email I've sent to the CEO and his dept. managers has been totally ignored for nearly 10-years now. They have no interest in making my coach right. For this, I am deadset against ever buying another one, or recommending their brand. Considering trading out to a newer brand or model of coach may not always be the right move. The devil you know may not be as bad as the devil you do not. This can apply to automobiles, as well of course.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Be careful not to complain about your coach or their owners. The Prevost Community folks will ban you from their site. I have a Prevost with many issues and I have many issues with Prevost owners who tried to turn the problems I was having back on me. I used to be a member but now I have been banned.
Mr. Mark who can afford to buy a new 2.2 million dollar Liberty H3 will always be considered a stellar member. I, struggling to find an answer to why my coach no longer runs properly, get banned. I fully understand. This site makes their money from their Prevost related sponsors and they sure don't need anyone like me posting that the Prevost is not as perfect as they would like you to believe. It is a great RV, don't get me wrong. However, when "stuff" goes bad the various suppliers point fingers at each other leaving the owner in a void. Maybe I should be more patient. I have only been dealing with my current issues for about 10 years. I am sure that eventually Prevost or Detroit will step up and help me get the coach working properly again. Sigh!

Bill, you have every right to speak your mind. I just wish that your service had been better as I would be yelling at the top of my lungs if I had unresolvable issues. You have been a saint to put up with what you have had to deal with. I certainly wish there was a magic wand to make everything better again, especially the power issue.

And, I didn't know that you had been banned. This is America, you have a voice.

Also, our new one will be 20 years old one day and I hope the new owner is not booted off a Prevost site if there is a problem.

MM.

Be careful not to complain about your coach or their owners. The Prevost Community folks will ban you from their site. I have a Prevost with many issues and I have many issues with Prevost owners who tried to turn the problems I was having back on me. I used to be a member but now I have been banned.
Mr. Mark who can afford to buy a new 2.2 million dollar Liberty H3 will always be considered a stellar member. I, struggling to find an answer to why my coach no longer runs properly, get banned. I fully understand. This site makes their money from their Prevost related sponsors and they sure don't need anyone like me posting that the Prevost is not as perfect as they would like you to believe. It is a great RV, don't get me wrong. However, when "stuff" goes bad the various suppliers point fingers at each other leaving the owner in a void. Maybe I should be more patient. I have only been dealing with my current issues for about 10 years. I am sure that eventually Prevost or Detroit will step up and help me get the coach working properly again. Sigh!

Mr.Mark wrote:

Skid Row Joe wrote:

I'm very interested in learning about the different nuances of the Prevost, Prevost shells, as per slides, and the chassis differences between their own product line. What better a font of information here, than an actual new buyer of a Prevost conversion - Liberty, in this case. 25 years ago, a friend of mine here in Dallas, Texas bought a new Prevost, Liberty conversion custom-made of course. It cost him just under $400K. 14 or so years later he had it up for sale, in it's very used condition with lots of miles and wear on it for as I recall; $120K or so. At the time, I went and looked at it from the exterior and decided against it because of it's worn look after being ridden hard for all those years and miles. It was a 40'er with the Detroit Silver 92 labeling on the rear exterior of the coach. The lower sides were the polished aluminum. The diesel generator was located in a left side, front compartment. It's good to read here that the Prevost is still in my estimation the top of the heap. Were I to upgrade from my lowly fiberglass diesel rig, I'd feel that if I were to go Prevost, it would be a once and done decision - as I am reading your outlook is for a 20-year timeframe/ownership horizon of your new Prevost.

The quality of the Prevost shell is what helped me make my decision. The prices of a new Prevost conversion with all the amenities are ranging from $2.2 to just under $2.7 MSRP.

They are a commitment for sure. I don't see any reason to trade, ever. :)

Mark

Skid Row Joe wrote:
Mark,

Do you know of a Prevost forum that doesn't have an admission annual fee? I'd like to pursue my interest in purchasing a pre-owned Prevost, is why I am asking.

MrMark wrote:
SRJ, yes, you can go to www.PrevostCommunity.com and sign up as their site is free. There is a delay as they check out your info (how I don't know). The guys over there are full of Prevost info and helped us tremendously with all of their knowledge and experience.

Also, since I've been reading the PC website, there has been a surge in used Prevost sales. There is also a guy that owns a Prevost service center that chimes in with repair answers.

Good luck and safe travels,

MM.

Mark,

Thank you for the lead. I just cannot justify buying another fiberglass unit after owning them since 1987.

Skid Row Joe wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:

Skid Row Joe wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
Crah, yes, the slide-out's have inflatable seals. It also does not have slide topper awnings which I will definitely not miss (flapping on windy days). It will have four large roof awnings, 2 on each side for shade and will auto close if windy. I'm not aware of the inflatable seal on the front door on the Prevost, I do have it on my Dynasty. I have an adjustable valve for it in the generator compartment. The Liberty Coach will have 3 ipads through-out the coach to control the systems (awnings, air, heat, floor heat, window shades, TV's, satellite, etc.) It will also connect with an iphone (which I don't have yet) where I can control the functions remotely.

We will NOT have Over-the-road-air on our Prevost. You cannot have it with four slides, two slides max with OTR. Some people love it and will not have a coach without it. I would rather have four slides. We will have dash air along with four roof airs that will run off the four inverters without running the genny (if I want). Our coach will be equipped with 3 Lithium Ion house batteries that have a 10+ yrs. life expectancy ($7,000 each). When new batteries are needed, these can be rebuilt at significantly less money than replacing. The genny and motor will have their own AGM starting batteries.

I really don't know much about Kevlar only hearing the word for the first time when speaking with the Marathon salesman. I saw on the Liberty Coach website that they do use Kevlar. All I know is that it does make for a nice finish.

Prevost makes two chassis, the H3-45 and the XLIII. The XLIII (newest model), has the stainless metal lower sides and the whole coach is at one level inside. On the H3-45, the driver cockpit is set a few steps lower being separate from the salon. It does give you a commanding view out the front window with this set-up. The TV is on a lift in the ceiling in that area so the TV viewing is nice. The new XLIII will only offer two slides max as the wheelbase has been extended (compared to the XLII) and can't handle the weight of four slides, only two. Still a nice chassis if it works for the customer.

MM.

I'm very interested in learning about the different nuances of the Prevost, Prevost shells, as per slides, and the chassis differences between their own product line. What better a font of information here, than an actual new buyer of a Prevost conversion - Liberty, in this case. 25 years ago, a friend of mine here in Dallas, Texas bought a new Prevost, Liberty conversion custom-made of course. It cost him just under $400K. 14 or so years later he had it up for sale, in it's very used condition with lots of miles and wear on it for as I recall; $120K or so. At the time, I went and looked at it from the exterior and decided against it because of it's worn look after being ridden hard for all those years and miles. It was a 40'er with the Detroit Silver 92 labeling on the rear exterior of the coach. The lower sides were the polished aluminum. The diesel generator was located in a left side, front compartment. It's good to read here that the Prevost is still in my estimation the top of the heap. Were I to upgrade from my lowly fiberglass diesel rig, I'd feel that if I were to go Prevost, it would be a once and done decision - as I am reading your outlook is for a 20-year timeframe/ownership horizon of your new Prevost.

The quality of the Prevost shell is what helped me make my decision. The prices of a new Prevost conversion with all the amenities are ranging from $2.2 to just under $2.7 MSRP.

They are a commitment for sure. I don't see any reason to trade, ever. :)

Mark

Mark,

Do you know of a Prevost forum that doesn't have an admission annual fee? I'd like to pursue my interest in purchasing a pre-owned Prevost, is why I am asking.

SRJ, yes, you can go to www.PrevostCommunity.com and sign up as their site is free. There is a delay as they check out your info (how I don't know). The guys over there are full of Prevost info and helped us tremendously with all of their knowledge and experience.

Also, since I've been reading the PC website, there has been a surge in used Prevost sales. There is also a guy that owns a Prevost service center that chimes in with repair answers.

Good luck and safe travels,

MM.