To buy or not to buy that is the question

[steamguy56]

Found 1997 Pevost (smile when you say that) LaMirage XL bus just out of service it is 45' long, series 60 engine, overall aperance is exalant. ?? What is roof materal, stainless steel is the sides(natually) but could not make out above windows. can windows be replaced with sliders for fresh air while boondocking. Is there enough insolation above or would roof raise be nessisary mostly mild weather use. 
    Thanks guys  Danny

[brojcol]

Personally, I would think long and hard before purchasing a 45' model.  That extra five feet can be a pain, plus I know a guy who has a 45' eagle and once, we had to unload his sound equipment to a pickup because he couldn't get up a MODEST incline in that thing. 

However, it can be done and Prevost is the King of buses AFAIC.

Jimmy

[belfert]

If the 1997s still have those funky curved windows, someone here or on BNO had Peninsula make special sliding windows to fit those openings.  OR, maybe I'm thinking of a H3 someone had Peninsula do.  Not real sure.

Brian elfert

[H3Jim]

I believe the roof is aluminum, as it is on my 1995 H3.  Skin over square tube grid.  If its like mine, 2" of good foam insulation from the factory.  I live in San Diego area and have not really come close to wanting additional insulation - although there are some that want more.

The series 60 is a great engine, and the 12.7 which that bus  has is much better than the newer 14 liter - they put so much smog stuff on the new ones, the 12.7's get better mileage and run better.

Those curved windows are really pretty, but to get the ones that open I think there are two choices, one is to spend the big bucks and buy the ones they use for motor homes.  The other is to have that tempered glass cut horizontally about midway up and have someone like Peninsula make sliders for the bottom half.  its very spendy to have that curve reproduced.  Peninsula can't do the curve.  The cut can potentially break the window, but if you are skinning over some of them, you will have some extras.

I have a 41 ft H3, and I'm glad I don't have the 45er.  But then it depends on how you want to  use it and where you want to go.  I like getting out in the boonies, and I can just barely fit in the state parks.  I'm out west, so its less of an issue.  For my trip back east next summer, it will likely be a problem at some point.

I love that stainless steel, they are a very attractive bus!

Brian, I had peninsula do mine, I have a more gentle curve, and we did it in two flat sections.  I'm very very pleased with the way they came out.

[edroelle]

I had a 40' MCI 8.  It was destroyed in a fire due to a lightniing strike.

I replaced it with a 45' Prevost.  There is a MAJOR difference in getting around.  I would not have expected that 5' longer would make that much difference.

The Series 60 would be all the power you need.

Ed Roelle
Flint, MI

[buswarrior]

Hello Danny.

That Prevost is a nice machine.

Hey, Ed, remember you were double whammied: you went wider (96" to 102") and longer (40' to 45')  all in one move!!! It isn't as bad if you took each of those steps one at a time!

As to the length: Danny, whether that 45' length is a problem, depends on where and what you will do with the coach. If small older parks are your destination, you either can't go, or you best be a bus roadeo champ!!!

If you stick to truck stops, large parking lots, open fields, Bussin '07, music festivals, etc, then the size of your bus won't matter much.

Prevost, from the factory, sent those buses out with sliders for conversion and entertainer use. Check their prices, and then check the others.

As for roof raise, again, depends on what you are using the coach for, and how tall are you and the intended users?  You have to be careful with your overall height, depending on where you want to be able to fit vertically.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[steamguy56]

Thanks for advise so far, use will be general we do alot with the steam engine shows most of the time pretty wide open. a 40' Vanhool sitting beside the Prevost it does seem exta long. Will it open up the floor plan that much or is the extra length in engine compartment and drivers area.

Danny

[H3Jim]

The extra length is usable, but how much space do you need?  I have more than enough room in my 41 feet, I guess if it were bigger I might add a bigger closet, and perhaps a laundry.  Neither of those things are high on my list though, being able to maneuver better would be higher on my list.  Another reason i went with the 41 footer was there was not as much competition from the operators when I went to buy it, so I paid less.

More bay space too!  Now thats the most valuable of all.

[gumpy]

For my next one, I'd like it to be 45' x 102". The extra length would not be an issue with the way we use our bus. Having the extra room in the interior and bays, and the extra 6" width would be awesome. Hoping to find a DL3 I can afford in about 10 years.

[busguy01]

Not to add fuel to the fire BUT -- my 45' EL3 turns sharper than my 40' 01 eagle!! Of course the EL3 tag axle steers.
JimH

[Homegrowndiesel]

Go for it, thats a nice bus, you will get used to where you can and can not go. the difference is not that much

Bill

[prevosman]

We had a 40 foot Prevost XL for about 16 years, and about 2 years ago we got a 45 foot XL to replace it. After all the miles I put on the 40 I had to adjust to the slight difference in wheelbase for the 45 and it took a while, but now it is second nature. I have not had any issues due to the extra length. The turn radius seems about the same as the 40, maybe a little less. The only change I noticed is I must be more aware of the longer rear over hang and the potential to high center it, but with the ability to manually raise it up I can avoid problems.

My wife will never allow me to get a shorter bus again because she can really cram a lot of stuff in the extra five feet and it makes a lot of difference in livability.

[edroelle]

I had talked about length before in an earlier post.  Now ...

We went to the annual CCO Halloween Rally in Mason, MI this last weekend.  30 buses in attendance.  One got stuck in the mud.  Guess who.

Yes it was wet.  Yes,  a 45' is heavy.  Yes, there was any area that was softer because of a water line.

But, you must weigh the disadvantages of a 45' also.    I parked in the wrong place but 29 buses did not get stuck.

I would still have chosen the bus I did.

[H3Jim]

Raunchy says his 45 footer has  longer rear overhang.  I'm not sure about the XL's, but the H models, the only difference between the H3-41 and the H3-45 is 4 feet in the middle.  The front and rears are identical.  The 45 has about a 4 or 5 foot longer turning radius, the overhangs are the same. and of course the rears cut more off the corners due to the longer wheelbase.

[RJ]

H3Jim -

When the industry switched to the Series 60, nearly every manufacturer had to lenghten the chassis somewhat to stuff it, plus the newer B500 World auto tranny, in the tail.

If you really want to see some major differences in rear overhang, park a V-drive GMC PD model (4104, 4106, or any Buffalo) drive axle-to-drive axle next to a Prevost, Setra, Eagle, or MCI.  Very eye-opening!

FWIW & HTH. . .