Since we are going to be using the motorhome eventually for travel and not our primary residence, we felt we would eliminate one of the most troublesome parts of any motorhome, the slides.  We wanted to stay with a well known converter and one that had the type of interior that made us feel comfortable.  Since mirrors and flashy decor isn't our style we decided to opt for a Royale.  They are one of the only bus conversions that use hardwood for their cabinetry instead of high press laminate.

We also plan to have some creative fun with this coach since our company,  Custom Coach Connection  has expanded into renovation of RVs.  We plan to update the kitchen with an untraditional flush mounted ceramic cooking counter that doubles as a cooking surface as well.  We also plan to completely customize the entertainment system in this traveling home to be the latest technology.  Of course before any of this we must ensure the chassis is strong and the support systems are in perfect working order.

This particular bus came to us from the second owner with only 60,000 miles on the clock.  It appears that none of the interior or major systems have been changed so we are starting with a bus that is well documented and is exactly like it left the Royale plant.  We are slowly working our way through the years of neglect from non-use and system-by-system renovating.  As we research, plan and implement improvements we will document the journey for others to read here on this page.  

EXTERIOR

PLUMBING SYSTEMS

                                                    new set of water pumps                        deionization system

Fixing or upgrading the tank sensors so they work and are accurate.  The original Headhunter sensor system was still in place but like most I have talked to, the measurement you get as the tanks fill up is inaccurate at best. This called for some heavy research to determine what system was best before proceeding. After studying all the systems available, I decided none of them were built well enough or work accurately enough for my taste.  I went in search of someone that knows how to build electronics and have found Glenn, the original electrical engineer for Royale that was already building a good system. He designed a complete system called the Phoenix Monitoring system, made up of a Sensor box, and a very nice display panel.  He also has designed a optional bay display panel if you are like me ad want the convienence of seeing the tank levels while dumping.  The sensor box contains all three tank sensors and necessary hardware to make them work and it is now located in the overhead of the bay where the tanks are located. This box was designed to work with the existing headhunter air tubes already in the tanks so installation was easy.   I would suggest replacing all of the original air tubes for dependability and accuracy.  He even included the ability to control the fresh water tank auto-fill.  Now when the tank hits 20% it fills and shut off when it reaches 95% full.  The next step will be to write more code in the firmware to detect if there is city water connected to the inlet fresh water hose before the system activates the Fresh water fill valve.  What a nice convenience when you busy and not checking the water tank. This is going to make the tank management much easier in the bus.

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

                The Prevost facility in Nashville is the nicest I've seen anywhere in the nation.  The floors are spotless; the mechanics are courteous and very knowledgeable and we are able to freely walk around the shop to see what is happening and gain more knowledge about the Prevost chassis.  The first order of business was a complete tour under our bus.  The two hour guided inspection of everything revealed what I came into the shop for.  I needed front link (dogbone) bushings but to my surprise the rears were bad too.  All bushings that were removed were poly and had crumbled and in some places fallen out since they were last replaced three years which was 20K miles ago.  For that reason, I decided to go back to good old fashion rubber bushings.  I've heard that Prevost owners enjoy extended life from poly but since we squat our bus when leveling it, I feel it distorts the poly bushings beyond their capability making them prematurely fail.   When the dogbones were all back in place squatting the bus put a bind on the rubber but didn't permanently distort the bushing when the chassis was back up to normal ride height.  Only time will tell if rubber will outlasts the poly bushings.   

The next item on our long list of Prevost needs found during the inspection involved taking the transmission out.  While making a thorough inspection during the purchase of our bus, we noticed the transmission was leaking from the front sea.  We negotiated the repair of this seal into the purchase price and I can't stress enough the importance of a thorough inspection before negotiating the purchase on any bus purchase.  This repair is a major job but is made much easier when you have the right tools.  It took two mechanics here at Prevost about 40 minutes to drop this transmission.  That has to be a record but having the knowledge of exactly what to take loose makes this job very easy.  When the tranny was out I wanted it partially taken apart for a thorough inspection so I knew everything inside was good.  With only 68,000 miles on the seal I figured something must be wrong for it to be leaking so soon.  I was hoping all that is wrong is a seal that has set too long and dried out but I wanted to know for sure.  The technician is suspecting a bushing has failed as well since the leak comes and goes as we travel.   Unfortunately when the transmission was pulled apart it was bad news!  Before I owned this bus, someone that had no business working on this item had assembled it wrong and messing it up pretty bad.  It is now painfully apparent that they have made some novice mistakes that are going to cost us a new transmission to repair this right.   Not only had they destroyed some of the external wiring harness when they removed the transmission but they have left necessary parts out of the transmission that has caused excessive wear in the transmission internal surfaces & sent catastrophic metal filings throughout the unit.   We've decided to have a certified remanufactured Allison transmission sent in and installed to ensure dependably for a long time.  What a shame that someone hired an inexperienced mechanic to work on such an expensive and sophisticated part.  A good lesson here is to never allow price to be part of your decision in picking a mechanic.  Find out what their experience is before they touch your bus. 

BODY AND PAINT