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cbigham's avatar
cbigham
Explorer III
Oct 22, 2013

Older bus style class a? As durable as they say?

Hey all,
Interested in a bus chassis older, pref. mechanical motorhome, so prev1998, thinking country coach or maybe Monaco if they made one?

Can you tell me th pluses and minuses of such a coach, knowing its an orphan? I see a couple around here with 120k plus on them with the Detroit 6v92 and an Allison 754 five speed. How are those numbers for longevity? I used to work on detroits mannnnnyyy years ago in the service. Are they still cheap to overhaul if needed, ESP. In a bus chassis? Know nothing about the Allison. I currently have a funmover 39c, cat c7 had it for 8 yrs. Momma is looking for a little more luxury and if momma isn't happy....

Any tips on what to look for would be great, suggestions on th engine, fuel mpg, etc would be great. I can do most minor repairs and sort of enjoy it, but don't want to pump $$ into it to find it needs a new engine, parts are not there, or the two stroke is being legislated out of existence. Some real nice older stuff out there, thanks, especially interested in 6v92 info.
Class A

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  • Mr_Mark1's avatar
    Mr_Mark1
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2013
    I've been 'living' over at the Prevost sight for the last few weeks and it has really opened my eyes tremendously. Old Prevost shell coaches as far as the running gear seemed to be fairly easy to find parts for (from what I've been reading). There are upgrades to suspension, bags, etc.

    All the suspension parts will need attention depending on age. The Norgren valves along with the airbags need replacing every 8-10 yrs. as preventive maintenance. Air leaks seem to be the biggest issue I've read about with the older coaches but are certainly fixable.

    Join the 'prevostcommunity.com' and you can read until your hearts desire.

    Another thing I've learned is that each Prevost converter does things differently using different components such as batteries, heating systems and location of these items.

    MM.
  • paulcardoza's avatar
    paulcardoza
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2013
    Assuming you can either get maintenance records, or have the unit carefully inspected, the chassis will be the least of your problems. Remember, a 1998 coach also has 1998 house components which have gone that same 120k miles over 15 years. You need to carefully inspect any coach that old, from top to bottom. Drive it, try all the house components. The older high end coaches can be terrific deals, but it all depends on how well the previous owners kept up with them.......

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