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Drumming up Membership
11-01-2017, 11:38
Post: #1
Drumming up Membership
Guys and Gals,

I'd like to kick around some ideas on how we can get more discussion and membership on this board. Just a quick data point. This past summer I placed an ad in the FMCA classifieds section advertising Prevost Gurus. It ran for four months and ends in November's. November is the last issue it will appear in. The cost is about $20.00 per month. Frankly, it wasn't worth the money. Looking at the statistics provided by MyBB, there's been no membership spikes during that time frame; if anything, the registration rate has leveled off. I'm open to any ideas on how to increase forum membership and participation. Thanks!
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11-02-2017, 08:29
Post: #2
RE: Drumming up Membership
I wish some of the Prevost community would come over here. Their new website - I don't like it
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11-02-2017, 10:31 (This post was last modified: 11-02-2017 13:10 by travelite.)
Post: #3
RE: Drumming up Membership
I know Ernie. That website is a mess. Unfortunately Jon has his loyal following which he robbed from POG under the banner of no-annual-subscription-fees, ad nauseam. Really sucks how they log you out all the time so you have to go back to the Home page to login and by design take in another round of ads.

The thing is, there aren't enough Prevost owners to go around, between all the various web forums, add to this the fact that there are relatively few issues as compared to SOB's. The biggest and most recurring discussion theme is wannabe's asking for advice on what to buy and what PPI's to pursue. Perhaps all we can really hope for is to capture the BB owner moving over to Prevost land, but that really hasn't materialized. Wanderlodge owners are fiercely loyal to the brand, and there really isn't a Prevost that can match their dirt-floor low entry prices, so I'm afraid that's pretty much a dry pool with one or two exceptions per year. Anyway, FMCA advertising is worthless. The magazine and the organization have been in decline for years. I suppose we could pursue advertising elsewhere on the web. Anyone have any sites that are a must for our advertising?

david brady,
'02 Wanderlodge LXi 'Smokey' (Sold),
'04 Prevost H3 Vantare 'SpongeBob'

"there is no perfect forum there are only perfect forums"
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11-02-2017, 14:15
Post: #4
RE: Drumming up Membership
[quote='davidbrady' pid='1818' dateline='1509629497']
.......The biggest and most recurring discussion theme is wannabe's asking for advice on what to buy and what PPI's to pursue. Perhaps all we can really hope for is to capture the ........

I guess we qualify as wannabe's, as we were too busy all of our lives with work and raising a family, and had no time or use for a coach. Now, close to retirement we are interested in joining the touring fun, but have absolutely zero knowledge about the Prevost coach. We realized a while back that no matter how much we read and tried to learn, we are absolutely clueless about these houses on wheels, but we are not too bashful to make our ignorance known. That's the reason we thought it'd be a good idea to join a forum and ask the experienced owners. Never crossed our mind that this decision would be a hardship for the membership as we don't have any good info to share with all of you. So very sorry! Please forgive us for not considering your point of view any earlier. We never intended to make enemies, only friends.
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11-02-2017, 18:04 (This post was last modified: 11-05-2017 21:47 by travelite.)
Post: #5
RE: Drumming up Membership
Sorry, I didn't mean it as a hardship. Quite the contrary, we love guiding new folks into bus ownership. Between the top five forum contributors we probably have collectively over a hundred years of busing experience, so please don't be bashful, ask away. What I was trying to convey is that the typical conversion on a Prevost chassis is so good that we're light on fixit type discussion threads leading to the most popular thread category being wannabe questions, which are most welcome by us! Smile Didn't mean wannabe in any derogatory way.

david brady,
'02 Wanderlodge LXi 'Smokey' (Sold),
'04 Prevost H3 Vantare 'SpongeBob'

"there is no perfect forum there are only perfect forums"
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11-02-2017, 18:19 (This post was last modified: 11-02-2017 18:30 by Dan Young.)
Post: #6
RE: Drumming up Membership
(11-02-2017 10:31)davidbrady Wrote:  I know Ernie. That website is a mess. Unfortunately Jon has his loyal following which he robbed from POG under the banner of no-annual-subscription-fees, ad nauseam. Really sucks how they log you out all the time so you have to go back to the Home page to login and by design take in another round of ads.

The thing is, there aren't enough Prevost owners to go around, between all the various web forums, add to this the fact that there are relatively few issues as compared to SOB's. The biggest and most recurring discussion theme is wannabe's asking for advice on what to buy and what PPI's to pursue. Perhaps all we can really hope for is to capture the BB owner moving over to Prevost land, but that really hasn't materialized. Wanderlodge owners are fiercely loyal to the brand, and there really isn't a Prevost that can match their dirt-floor low entry prices, so I'm afraid that's pretty much a dry pool with one or two exceptions per year. Anyway, FMCA advertising is worthless. The magazine and the organization have been in decline for years. I suppose we could pursue advertising elsewhere on the web. Anyone have any sites that are a must for our advertising?

I found Prevoistgurus in Family Motor Coaching didn't know it exited have be own Community 5 or so years good info on both sits more Bs om other Dan

Again I am New on site have shop in Lawton Okla lots of tools privet shop I am of some help any need place to service or repair Dan
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11-02-2017, 20:01
Post: #7
RE: Drumming up Membership
That's great news Dan. I pretty much gave up hope with FMCA but maybe I'll renew for a few more months of advertising. Today I spoke with Bridget and she generously offered me the personal ad rate which is currently fifty cents per word but increasing to sixty cents in the coming new year. That would put my ad at $10.00 per month. Thanks for the info on your private garage.

david brady,
'02 Wanderlodge LXi 'Smokey' (Sold),
'04 Prevost H3 Vantare 'SpongeBob'

"there is no perfect forum there are only perfect forums"
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11-02-2017, 21:20 (This post was last modified: 11-03-2017 15:14 by cmillsap.)
Post: #8
RE: Drumming up Membership
(11-02-2017 14:15)cattfuu Wrote:  [quote='davidbrady' pid='1818' dateline='1509629497']
.......The biggest and most recurring discussion theme is wannabe's asking for advice on what to buy and what PPI's to pursue. Perhaps all we can really hope for is to capture the ........

I guess we qualify as wannabe's, as we were too busy all of our lives with work and raising a family, and had no time or use for a coach. Now, close to retirement we are interested in joining the touring fun, but have absolutely zero knowledge about the Prevost coach. We realized a while back that no matter how much we read and tried to learn, we are absolutely clueless about these houses on wheels, but we are not too bashful to make our ignorance known. That's the reason we thought it'd be a good idea to join a forum and ask the experienced owners. Never crossed our mind that this decision would be a hardship for the membership as we don't have any good info to share with all of you. So very sorry! Please forgive us for not considering your point of view any earlier. We never intended to make enemies, only friends.
cattfuu,

No need to apologize for asking questions. We’re here to help any member that asks for advice, especially regarding the issues involved in purchasing a Prevost. Many of us have gone through the same process of purchasing our first Prevost and we understand how overwhelming it can be.

Just be aware that finding a 17 to 20-year-old Prevost in perfect condition is next to impossible. Usually, they all, even newer models, have things that need repaired, replaced or upgraded. These are complex machines with many, many parts that need attention sooner or later.

The first thing any buyer of a Prevost should ask to see is the owner’s maintenance records. The best indicator of a Prevost’s condition is the maintenance records kept by the selling owner. The more detailed and lengthy these records are, the better they indicate the owner’s dedication to keeping his Prevost in road worthy condition.

Conversely, if the maintenance records are non-existent or minimal and unorganized, it would indicate to me that the upkeep, maintenance and repairs of the bus are suspect and therefore the physical inspection process will require greater scrutiny and more attention applied to the items that could be a major cost to repair. Hiring an experienced & knowledgeable person to help you perform the inspection may be a wise investment.

So, please don't hesitate to ask your questions here. They are certainly welcome and we will do our best in trying to answer them. That's the purpose of this forum.

Here's a list of items that should be inspected when looking to purchase a Prevost

OUTSIDE CHASSIS & DRIVE TRAIN
1) Maintenance & Service records
2) Wheel Hub Seals
3) Upper Control Arms Ball Joints & Grease Cap Seals (Any Wear?)
4) Any Oil Leaks?
5) Brake Lining Thickness
6) Brake Chambers (When Last Replaced?) Slack Adjusters (if equipped) (When Last Serviced?)
7) Air Bags (When Last Changed?)
8) Engine Oils & Filters (When Last Changed?)
9) Transmission Oil & Filters (When Last Changed?)
10) Hydraulic System fluid & Filters (When Last Changed)
11) Batteries ( AGE & Condition)
12) Tires (Age & Condition) (Any Irregular Wear??)
13) Belts & Hoses (AGE & Condition)
14) Fuel in Tank (AGE ) (Winter or Summer Grade Fuel?)
15) Check Shell related items such as; lights, door air lock, Chassis heat and air (A/C),fast idle, Mirror controls, seat controls, wipers brakes, leveling system, (Operate Auto & Manual ) (Any settling?)
16) Check F& R Cap at point of attachment to shell (any cracking, especially bottom of Rear cap)
GENERATOR
1) See Service Records.
2) Check water and oil levels ( any Leaks?)
3) Belts and hoses (Replaced When?)
4) Cooling fan for proper Function
5) How many run hours?
6) Genset Battery (Age & Condition)
AQUAHOT or WABASTO
1) Check for proper diesel burner operation
2) Valve location and function
3) Hose condition to radiators
4) Servicing access
5) Service records (Last Time Serviced)
6) Heat Pump? Heat Strips?
PLUMBING & WATER BAYS
1) Water Pumps location
2) Hook Up Locations
3) Dump Valve Locations and Operation
TEST DRIVE
1) Normal Readings on all gages (Engine & Trans Temp?)
2) Watch Air Suspension System Gauge (Air Pressure Remains Fairly Constant? (No Leaks?)
3) Air Brakes & Park Brake functions properly
3) To the nearest truck service center and have engine codes read
4) Cruise Control Operation
INTERRIOR
1) Check all Switches, Lights, for Proper Function & Location
2) Run all Heaters (AquaHot), Electrical Heaters & Air Conditioners
3) Operate Water Pumps, TV, Radio, Toilet, Tank Monitors


Chuck & Tela Millsap
Arizona
2003 Marathon XLII S/S
2000 Wanderlodge LXi S/S
2004 Wanderlodge M380 D/S
2000 Wanderlodge LXi N
/S
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[-] The following 2 users Like cmillsap's post:
cattfuu (11-03-2017), Ernie Ekberg (11-03-2017)
11-03-2017, 17:02 (This post was last modified: 11-03-2017 17:02 by cmillsap.)
Post: #9
RE: Drumming up Membership
"Prevost Inspection Check list" added to post above


Chuck & Tela Millsap
Arizona
2003 Marathon XLII S/S
2000 Wanderlodge LXi S/S
2004 Wanderlodge M380 D/S
2000 Wanderlodge LXi N
/S
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[-] The following 1 user Likes cmillsap's post:
cattfuu (11-03-2017)
11-03-2017, 20:31
Post: #10
RE: Drumming up Membership
(11-03-2017 17:02)cmillsap Wrote:  "Prevost Inspection Check list" added to post above

Thank you so very much for your kindness and for posting the check list. We copied it into our folder to be sure to have it with us when we check out the next bus. So glad to have joined this forum.

We might not have anything helpful to share with the membership yet, but hope to learn enough ten years down the road to be of some help to others. However, I have seen several coaches with stained glass panels in kitchen cabinets with some of them broken/missing. Most stained glass artists closed up shop about 20 years ago when this art went out of style and cheap Chinese imports took over the remainder of the market. I used to have my own little studio on the side, so if there is someone out there that needs something repaired in their coach and can't find another artist, then I would be willing to take a look at it. Glass colors are hard to match as each sheet has a different composition of chemicals and each glass manufacturer has their own secret recipe for colors. However a close match is better than pointy shards or having to remodel the entire kitchen.
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