Bus Review | 2020 Prevost H3 45 | Love and Hate
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- This is a review of a Prevost H3-45 motorcoach. After 5 years of not driving one, I got to take this 2020 Prevost H33-45 out for a 4 day trip to Branson Missouri. Being more used to the MCI J4500 and logging most of my hours and miles in a MCI, Here are my thoughts of the 2020 Prevost H3-45.
The I Love's and the I hate's
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Check out my 3 episode vlog of my trip to Branson Missouri driving the Prevost H3-45
• Heading to Branson Mis...
• Day 2 in Branson Misso...
• My last day driving a ...
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Checkout the video made a while ago that i mentioned in this video. MCI and Greyhound's G model.
• G is for Greyhound | T...
Clips used from other RUclips Channels:
2016 prevost H3-45 driving
• 2016 Prevost H3-45
old Prevost bathroom door
• Northwest Bus Sales Us...
Hey James, next time you drive the H, utilize your daytime running lights during the day. To do this, you’ll need to set the light switch in the middle. This will turn on all of your marker and clearance lights like normal, but it will leave your headlights off. This does 2 things, it preserves the lifespan of your low beams and it also changes the screen on the dash from a dark background with orange lettering (night mode) to a bright orange background with black lettering (day mode).
As for your daytime running lights, they will automatically turn on whenever the parking brake is released and will turn off whenever the parking brake is set. Hope this helps!
Hey Marquis. Thank you. This is great advice! Much appreciated! I will pass this along to other drivers as well... Appreciate it.
@@MotorcoachWorld The other thing you can do in daytime is only click your lights on one notch. Gives you all marker lights, and will keep display in day mode. I run mine all lights on all the time. Brighten display with the rheostat on the right side of the dash. Also, you can access the menu for display settings and switch it to day mode. Much easier to read.
The purpose of that fixed vertical blind is to cut down the sun when you are at an agnel to it that your motorized blind will not cover. You wear a hat, and don't notice that part.
There is something extremely nostalgiac about 90's H3-45s. I went on a number of long school trips in those. They always seemed really comfortable and quiet.
I have always thought Prevost coaches looked cool! Also..didn’t realize that you were a licensed pilot! That’s awesome! Nice video!
When are you going to come over to the motorcoach side
@@MotorcoachWorld Who knows..maybe one day! It seems like it would be fun to travel out of town sometimes!
@@MotorcoachWorld it’s funny, I started watching BDL when I first got my CDL and started doing transit, then I found yours and now I do coach. You gotta join the club BDL, the grass is much greener. At least in my experience it is.
The similarity between the H3's is why it's easy for veteran Prevost H3 drivers to switch from an older model year to a newer model year and vice versa; so that is one reason for loving Prevost H3 buses.
Motorcoach companies can completely upgrade the exteriors and interiors of an old H3-45 bus to look like the newest model, as long as the frame is in good condition. It is possible to have a 1999 to 2002 model look like a 2022 model, with new synthetic floors, the latest overhead luggage racks, flat-panel screens, sound system, usb and 110volt outlets, wi-fi, washroom, the latest seats with seatbelts. However, the powertrain (though overhauled) and dashboard almost always remain unchanged.
That vertical visor comes in handy for when the sun wants to peek around the side of the main visor. I wouldn't mind another vertical visor down the centerline of the coach to cover the area between the two main visors. Our older H3s didn't have the vertical visor, and believe me, there were times I wished they had.
One of the dumbest things, in my opinion, is the placement and layout of the TPMS screen. It's in a bad location which requires one to look away from the road for a longer period of time, and whoever thought that black numbering on a gray screen would be easy to read... uh, no.
Otherwise, the H3-45 is my favorite coach to drive. Luggage space is outstanding and the coach handles like a dream.
The first time I rode a H3, i was amazed of the space in the cabin and ride. To me, the H3 rides better than MCI, Van Hool and Setra. Hopefully when I start my bus company, I'm going with Prevost
They are very roomy in side
I like the older face of Prevost coach
I find driving the H3-45 still requires more reliance on traditional coach driving equipment and less automation, rather than technology such as cameras, advanced dashboard screens and passive-steering tag axles of the J4500. Although the tag axle had to be raised manually on the H3-45 for most tight turns, carving nice turns around corners is easy, particularly with a set of superb mirrors, and a set of bright sideways-facing lights that illuminate the curb and the whole environment (!) on the left and right of the bus. The H3-45 rides nicely, and quite stable, swallows all the bumps on the road, although I find the J4500 suspension quieter, firmer and even more stable.
Even with its imposing size and weight, the H3-45 and picks up speed quickly (unless you had the old 11.1L Series 60 engine). Any and all of the engine choices were quiet. The Volvo D13 and old 14L Series 60 both have monstrous torque, but matched with typical tall drive axle ratios, they accelerate smoothly and evenly. H3-45 coaches with their original axle ratio and 400hp older Series 60 12.7L had a wicked jet-like acceleration that builds up quickly when the turbo spools up, flying up hills and on-ramps, but only the pre-EGR Series 60 had a turbocharger spooling noise that made the coach sound like it had a jet engine. The Series 60 averages 9.1 US mpg in mixed highway and city driving. I'm betting an H3-45 with a Volvo D13 has even better fuel economy.
The square holder for beverages is likely for juice tetra boxes or milk carton type containers perhaps. Just a thought. I enjoy your content.
Thank you posting my video James!
Hey, what kinda truck you use to drive dude
The fact that you're also a licensed pilot is so cool! Haha it seems a lot of people who have love of one form of transportation have a love of many!
Hi James. I've been around Prevosts here in the USA for around 30 years, and here's my input. I completely agree with you on the driver's cupholder. It blocks the air vent, and I've had drinks topple out of the cup holder. The left side sunvisor does help, albeit somewhat. I guess it's better than nothing. If anything, I wish there were some kind of visor or blackout film between the two power sunshades. I don't know how many times I've had the sunshades lowered, but the sun peeks between them. A similar statement can be made about the upper-left driver's window. Our H3s have the "dotted" treatment, but the sun can still come through and heat up the driver's area.
Probably my largest complaint is when I get the "click click" and Luggage Door open warning on the dash despite all doors being closed. With all the technology, I wish the system would tell me *WHICH* door is ajar.
Otherwise, I love our H3s. They're smooth, comfortable, and easy to operate. Very good video! Cheers!
I drive Setra S417s and they tell you exactly which luggage bay doors are open. Terrific tool for when one has a faulty sensor and didn't get closed hard enough to trigger it.
Very true. Been the only issue with my year on the road with my Prevost . Have to be careful of a drink turning over
You're spot on with your Prevost dislikes. One you forgot was no slot to hold your paperwork like on the MCI. One thing I really like about the Prevost is the rear view mirror placement, especially on the left side. I find MCI's higher placement creates an obstruction making it harder to check for traffic coming from the left especially in urban driving. I also prefer the Prevost lift tag axle over the MCI steerable one. Love your channel, keep up the great work.
Do you think Prevost is superior to MCI?
@@707SonomaComa My company only has a couple of Prevost coaches, and all of them are "older" models. Overall, they appear to withstand the wear and tear better than the MCI with fewer rattles etc. I can't legitimately speak to any maintenance issues, but they don't seem to have any more age related problems then the MCI. They are a nice bus to drive, but generally I prefer to drive the MCI. That is probably due to the fact that it's the coach I'm most familiar with rather than because it's any better than the Prevost. It's kind of like comparing Ford, Dodge and GMC trucks. They are all good and they all of their quirks, so it's really about personal preference.
@@GrampaMike100I trucker that just got passenger endorsement. A (dispatcher) friend of mine put in a reference for me and landed me an interview next week, the company drives Prevost fleet. So serious question, need help.
What is a Prevost tag axle? What is it used for and why?
I like being able to go into the menu on the dash using the steering wheel paddles.
A few cool items:
In the gauges menu, flip through them and you’ll find your bus knows where it is! It knows its latitude and longitude down to several decimal points. A double lane change will trigger a change in the bus’s location. And it’s very accurate. I’ve compared it to some surveyed lines and it’s bang on.
Also: the pretrip assistant. You can use this to help you with your air brake test, or to do your exterior light check (which can also be triggered by flipping your high beam lever three times).
Your mechanic can go into the dash computer to see exactly what’s wrong with the coach.
It’s a terrific tool.
H3-45s are the Cadillac of the bus world. That being said, before I started my own charter business I drove for the largest family owned company in my state. They had a fleet of 80 H3-45s and about 20 short buses. Their experience with Prevost has been strained to say the least for the last ten years due to huge issues with new coaches that they were purchasing. They buy at least 5 new H3-45s every year and retire two of their oldest coaches. The running joke among drivers when the new coaches came in was “when will we get them back from theVolvo dealership that was attempting to fix everything that was wrong with them?”
The second issue is that drivers are going to tear up things like side glass, and body parts regularly. It’s no simple task finding used side glass and luggage panels . It’s a lot easier to get used parts for an MCI.
Late 90s through early 2000s was the pinnacle of Prevost reliability. I have a love/hate relationship with Prevost. I think that they are best motorcoach made for large groups going on overnight trips with tons of luggage. I also think that they are the prettiest coach on the road by far. On the downside the newer ones are really suffering from reliability and QC issues and the Volvo D13 is the most expensive engine in the marketplace to repair when they break.
Very insightful read. Thanks for taking the time to write this. I knew that older models were more reliable then the newer ones but I did not know to what extent. Reading this gave me a much better insides. I feel like all coach manufacturers are going the way of less reliability. What you said about the newer Prevost is what I feel about the new or MCI J models.
A fair number of motorcoach carriers are starting to lease new Prevost coaches rather than buying them outright, particularly due to the Volvo D13 engine and the maintenance requirements of its emissions system. In your case, do you find the engine/powertrain problematic? The electrical system?
@@texasabbott The company that I mentioned pays cash for every bus that they purchase and they’ve always averaged putting about 800K on one before they sold them. Their fleet of D13 equipped models are just now approaching the 500K mark in miles and they’ve had a ton of issues with the DPF/DEF systems. I think they had a few of the first D13s that were having injector cup failures and getting them repaired was a real eye opener cost wise.
Youre talking about UFOs lol...J models, Hs, compared to what I was driving...the D series, which I thought was ultra futuristic. My bread and butter was the MC9. Toggle switches everywhere!
Glad to see you posting a vid
Prevost is owned by Volvo, which shows. The dash is 1:1 the same one that was used on the B12B/B11R chassis that all Volvo coaches are based on, Volvo trucks also used that same dash. Since the late 2010's the dash was updated around the world with a larger screen and giant speedometer taking center stage, but I guess Prevost hadn't updated their design to use the new dash yet as it seems to still be the previous dash design in your video. Also the old model you showed in photos uses the older early 2000's volvo dash with the original volvo steering wheel. The new one uses a different wheel.
I’m like a kid at Christmas every time I see a new motor coach video has come out! I also like the yellow and black “chapter” titles you put into your videos. I always think of Charlie Brown’s shirt when one pops up. Keep up the great content!
I have a 97 H3 45. Really like this bus. Love the huge bays. Dont like the two speed clutch fan set up on the engine.. They are a weak point and tend to break down. Overly complex. I bypassed it and run the fan at all times. No more overheating when the system decides to quit. I am also a commercial pilot. It seems a lot of bus nuts have an affinity for aviation.
Could you please elaborate more on the heating issue?
Would this issue make MCI a better bus?
Thank you.
Prevost are known to be excellent busses and they are particularly good with the Series 60 Detroit engine. The clutch fan can be an issue in time. They have a sensor that can be hard to get at. When the engine gets hot it sends a signal to the solenoid. As I understand it this ungrounds it causing the other half of the solenoid to ground out allowing power to the clutch fan which activates one of two sets of magnets. Low speed and high speed. If on low speed the magnets drag the fan but does not lock it up completely. On high speed with the second set of magnets activated and the fan locks up to the full speed of the clutch. There is a low and high speed solenoid. When the sensor stops working or a wire breaks the fan may not come on unless the emergency bolts are installed on the fan clutch or you cut two tabs on the solenoid to over ride it.
@@WRCWPLX
Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.
I am with you on the cup holders too. I can’t tell u how many times I have hit a bump and my water bottle goes down the steps leaving me drink less til the next stop. And during the winter the heat out of the vents makes your drink hot
Great commentary on the Prevost. Best bus out there. At Champion Coach I’ve been blessed to be in a Prevost since March thru now. Probably clocked 30,000 miles since March love your channel . Go Prevost
Rode the Prevost H345 many times outstanding motorcoach by far.
I might be in a small minority that never would have thought the ST at the end of Prevost were silent.
The name is French, and "st" in many french words is silent.
James the way you describe the various items onboard the bus makes me feel like I am traveling down the road with you.
Caught this at the very end of the premiere. I always enjoy your videos.
Thanks David Pyne!
I am a Captain John Long Time Supporter and just started Subscribing to your Channel. Very Informative Content and easy to follow your Video Blog. Stay Safe...
James. I feel like the bus manufacturer should have the people who should work on their products AKA Bus Drivers and the mechanics explain what should be done to make the buses easy-to-use. After all they're the one's who will be living in and driving the buses and maintaing them.
Hey James. My company has about 85% H345 in the fleet. The cup holder for the driver is simply unusable. I use the larger drawer below instead. Your drinks are clear of the driver vents, size of the cup isn’t an issue, and I often put multiple drinks in at the same time. You have to be a smooth operator to avoid tipping your drink(s), but it’s a very workable solution that I use daily. The restroom door can be problematic over time. It may not close completely and stay closed. The interior locking mechanism is hit and miss, and the door may swing open when the coach makes turns. If passengers exit and fail to close the door firmly, it may slide open easily while driving. This is a very bad design, and has been this way for too long.
Hey Ronnie! Thanks for posting this! I really enjoyed reading it. You are spot on with all of these things!
I'm from Australia we don't have this model motor coach here therefore this video was very interesting. Thanks
About the pronunciation of the name Prevost: it’s a family surname from Quebec, where the official language is French. Eugene Prevost was a cabinetmaker.
In French the “e” is only pronounced “a” if there is an accent ague over the “e,” like this: é, as in resumé. It would have to be spelled with the accent ague “Prévost” in order to be pronounced “Pray-vost.”
But there is no accent ague in Eugene Prevost’s name, so the “e” is pronounced like an “e.”
Often people omit the last consonants as well: “Pray-vo.” But the last time I was at the factory in Ste-Claire, Quebec, the people there did pronounce the”st,” although softly.
“Prevost.” Pronounced like it’s spelled.
Thank you for Explaining that Norman White! I have never thought of it or heard it explained that way!
You sure about that? His name is spelled just like the town north of Montreal, and the word is "aigu" (acute) in French. Ague isn't a French word.
I guess I need to show this clip to My buds. They think I'm crazy when I drool over a coach. 😂😂😂
Lol I've always been made fun of for my love of busses.
Great job
We have 13 Prevost in our fleet i like them but I am a MCI fan personally
I agree I truly think they need better lighting as I cannot count the items left behind due to it being dark in side
MCI is a good coach to
Great review on the 2020. Our whole fleet (Arrow Coach Lines, Little Rock) is Prevost. I don’t find the vertical visor useful either. Makes a great place to attach toll tags up high though so the windshield isn’t cluttered up. Also we turn our batteries off when the coach is going to be unattended for a while and overnight so even if the key switch accidentally gets put in the accessory position it won’t matter. Since instituting the battery off policy we have not had the unwanted surprise of dead batteries on the yard or at hotels. Keep up the great work.
This is great, I’d love to see more videos where you examine specific bus models.
Super video the round side is for your drink the square is for your Jimmy John's LOL 😆 The sunshade on shade is there to James to make ask why 😆 Great job. This comment brought to by Miss Patti cakes lol
LOL Great logic my friend!
I love this man and his channel. I love busses and trains 🥰😘
I'm surprised you didn't comment on the tag that lifts entirely off the ground. Really improves the turning radius. The new exterior lighting we're seeing on our newest Prevosts are really nice. Great sidewalk illumination, and they pop on whenever you make a slow turn lighting up the curbs on the side of the coach on the inside of the turn. Very nice feature.
your an aviation geek to... man the amount of aviation channels is amazing... it would be pretty cool if you somehow got to do a video on the buses that transport people from the terminal to a remote stand... or even a cross over where a aviation channel shows you around something or visa versa
Hi James thank you for sharing your knowledge im looking forward to become a motorcoach driver
I've always loved the upper wipers! The only thing sexier is a left-side door on a school bus! I really enjoy your videos.
James, I'm new to the channel and have been on the binge-watch. I've never driven an MCI or Prevost, but did operate lots of GM 4106's, 07's, 4905's and fishbowls for a charter company in the mid 70's when I was right out of college. In those days I was rather young-looking, (like a H.S. kid) and I used to get the triple-take from passengers when they boarded and saw me behind the wheel. Cup holders and electronics? Pffft! I was happy when the sloppy trans linkage didn't jam up while I was shifting from 1st to 2nd and the coach had power steering so I didn't have to stand up to pull the wheel around tight turns. I agree with you, about the driver's alert tones sounding like an EMB's, as I'm a (private) pilot who worked airport ops for a certain Chicago-headquartered airline for 41 years and yes those notes sounded quite familiar. Everything you mentioned in your review made sense to me!
Hey thanks for the comment. That's awesome that you have been in both sides of the transportation industry.
Couldn't agree more with your assessment. The H3-45 is the best luxury motor coach in the industry.
I wish they'd have a sensor for the dash lights that allows you to run full headlights during the day but still have bright dash readout. If you run with daytime running lights only, that alleviates that problem, but I prefer full headlights all the time.
And the cup holder.... yes, comfortable placement, but ineffective for "gripping" a container/cup, and the blocking of the vent is a no-go for me.
I've driven MCI, VanHool, Volvo, and Prevost. So thankful my company runs only Prevost, all late models. No better bus in the industry!
Be safe!
Very informative James. You have some good points. I'm going to give some from mostly a maintenance, but also some from a part time driver perspectives. Each manufacturer have their good and bad points. I think Mci and Prevost are about equal in reliability. I think Prevost are the best in snow especially with the tag axle lifted going forward. They can be a little tricky when backing up when lifted (as you take a fair bit of weight off the axle). The front wheels some times don't track or they will slide with a slight brake application. Mci defrost doesn't always clear the windshield in winter. Mci has a floor access to engine compartment larger than Prevost.
I could go on more, but I will say my favourite coach is the one that goes up and down the road and makes it back home safely! Keep up the good videos James Stay Safe Rick
I find there placement of the drivers mirrors pretty good for keeping the rain spray off while driving plus I keep the heated mirrors turned on while driving in the rain and maybe someday they will put a dash from a triple 7 in there
Hello James, I'm learning something new here. I didn't know you're a pilot that's awesome! We're gonna get along really well, I'm an aviation lover for life! ✈️🚌♥️💯
I've joined a ski club many years ago that operated ski trips into Vermont and upstate New York, and the company that we usually charter with has MCI E/J4500, and Prevost H3-45.
There's some significant differences between different years of the same model, so here are my thoughts from my own experience:
* My favorite is definitely the 2016+ MCI J4500. I absolutely love the lighted seatbelt signs, mood lighting, and ergonomic driver panels.
* In general, the pros of the MCI E/J include the spiral staircase, large overhead bins, well designed toilet, and the front seats that slope downward provides a better view.
* The pros of the Prevost include good acceleration, optimized driver panel, of which I particularly love how the passenger door buttons are clearly distinctive with a different colour.
* For both: they both hold 56 passengers, has a good support network from their manufacturers, and good turning radius.
For the cons of either (again, entirely from my own experience):
* The MCI E/J definitely had quality issues for the beginning, as development was rushed to compete with the Prevost H. Eventually these issues were ironed out and the current versions of the MCI J is now on par with the Prevost H. Also, the MCI door buttons aren't of a distinct design. Having a distinct design for the door buttons is important as it is one of the most frequently used functions on a bus, and it could even be operated by passengers should the driver not be in the seat or is incapacitated.
* The Prevost has smaller overhead bins, and the overhead bin latch is more awkward to operate and tend to break more easily, as I've seen myself. The toilets are also smaller and the sliding door of the toilet is somewhat hard to operate. Also, the seats toward the front aren't sloped down and there's no spiral staircase. I also find the windshield wipers awkward, as they're so small it requires not two, but four sets of wipers, one pair for the bottom half of the windshield, one for the top. Some models also had fogging issues on the driver windshield: I recalled once being on a Prevost H that the window fog froze in -30F weather (even with the defrost vents fully on), requiring us to stop and scrape off the ice in the windshield before moving on.
But yeah, thanks for sharing your experience on the 2020 Prevost! I have a great ability of comparing airplane cabins in lots of detail so I see bus cabins of the same detail as well.
The best motorcoach i,ve driven to this day...prevost h345. Love those buses.
Yes they are very nice buses.
Hey!!! I’m also a fellow pilot ... the E-175 & E-195 are two of my favorite medium range jets!!
Oh nice. What do you fly?
@@MotorcoachWorld on a normal basis, a C-185.
Eventually I plan on flying the E-175/1-195 for a regional, the dream is to eventually fly the A-330 or 777
Great video James you answered many of my questions. I drove what are now in transportation museums PD 490s and Eagle 5s and 10s. I think I would prefer the white back lighting on the instrument panel compared to the orange. A previous commentor stated what the left shade was far and makes sense but I agree with you it needs to be move able or you can raise the shade up and down. Finally I like the dim overhead lighting on the H3-45 or being able to dim or change colors on the 4500s you can keep an eye on the passenger area. On what I drove overhead lighting was on or off. I drove with it off to reduce inside glare on my windshield. Yes I was breaking the rules
I was on a night line run I kept hearing talking getting louder and louder. Then the cussing started flipped on the overhead looked in my mirror and saw the little brow jug being passed. Well the fight was on when I kicked them off at the next stop and I had to call the police to get them off. Just another fun line run plus I was now an hour late.
Memories from the old guy.
Hey Robert. I enjoy reading your stories. I feel like bus drivers always have the best stories to tell.
Spot on! I’ve had issues with the sliding door randomly locking when unoccupied, air vents uggg, cup holders need redesigned, I’d also like a flat spot or some type of small holder on the left side to securely store a phone or glasses (without sliding off/out)
Well done as usual. I only wish PREVOST offered the CUMMINS engine since I’m a longtime stock holder. But hey can’t have everything.
James I found out that shaded strip of plastic on the leftside of driver side is a sun screen to help block out some of the sunlight in that gap.
Hi James, first your pronunciation of Prevost is correct ;-). One other thing to bear in mind with the Prevost Products is the company’s network and parts availability which is the best in the market. Great video and thanks for your objectivity.
Thanks Richard! Appreciate your comment!
The fleet I’m with are Prevost and some Tempsas I’m still a bit new to the business but the Prevost is a fine coach . We have 3 new ones not sure the total number in the fleet but old or new they handle well. I’ve driven ones with 34k and 500k drive great
Regarding the ignition positions, most school buses I rode had the same setup although this was 20-30 years ago. “Lock” was vertical, 1 click or notch to the left was the “accessory” position, one notch to the right of lock was the “on” position, and then the “start” position. Not sure what model buses they were though.
Thanks for the comment Michael Payne. Interesting. I was not aware of that. It could be a pretty standard thing for buses. I guess im just not used to this.
This applies to some of the MCI models, not all. MCI for some reason wired the interior light (Cabin) to the marker lights on the outside of the bus. I found this out one night when on I-80, When I went to flash my lights to a Semi I was passing to say thanks for allowing me to pass. Everyone reading light flashed on and off. And I made a few mad. Only because I was un-aware that it was happening. Since all my lights worked.
Not sure if this was a design issue or a bad day on the MCI manufactures floor. As they put the buses together.
But I would rather drive an MCI over a Prevost, any day,
I agree, that is annoying. We have a 2013 J4500 that does this. This happens on certain models designed with the optional "led puck" lighting instead of the standard led tube lighting. In 2018 this changed so now none of them will do it.
9:25 That's how American cars, Ford, Chrysler, GMs, traditionally work, they go Acc-Lock-Off-Run-Start. Usually there is a significant distance and resistance between Lock and Acc. 12:37 Single press should be raise and the double-click should be lower. That way you can't use the buttons without knowing how they work, preventing a situation like yours, and if the button gets stuck or accidentally gets pressed, it doesn't block your view.
Hi James, just watched this video about the Prevost. Nothing like that here in Australia! Regarding the sun visor you mentioned around about 10mins in, it looks like it’s there to try to minimise sun glare when you have the blinds down a bit but there’s that gap between the edge of the blind and the pillar. This is probably so the driver doesn’t go blind from squinting at the sun peeking through the gap. Not a bad idea. I once drove a coach that did a similar thing, only with a rectangular piece of non see-through tint stuck on just wide enough to cover the gap without creating an enormous blind spot for me to have to contend with. As you said, be nice if you could adjust or stow the one in the Prevost!
I loveeeeee myyyyyyy prevosttt featherlite!!!!!
Prevost may be known for flaws sometimes, but there's always room for improvement if we speak up.
Hey James! Can you do a video on some of your must have items when leaving for a trip.
Hey that is a great idea Mr Howard. Yes I will definitely do a video on that topic I appreciate the suggestion
Thought I'd go over the Prevost goods and bads tonight!
Thank you James I'll try not to become triggered! Lol!
I’m definitely a fan of Prevost, their placement of the Drink holder also knocked my knee and I’m thinking the square compartment is for a milk container?
Great video although I did momentarily zone out when you stated Peoria charter discontinued their Setra fleet. I have never driven a Prevost, but I know their reputation as a top of the line luxury coach. You are correct if it isn't broken do not fix it. We could all learn from that. Most importantly Mr. Sulu is not captain material!
Lol thanks John. Love your insight. I kinda felt like Sulu didn't fit the Captain's seat very well as well.
As a Greyhound driver I haven't gotten a chance to driver the H3-45 prevost only the x3 - 45
as a Brazilian used with our massive buses I always have the impression buses in USA are skinny. in Brazil buses can be as large as an Embraer E195-E2, double deckers with sleeper seats are common as hell and executive seats are as wide as the sleeper seats all with USB ports, WIFI is a common thing, bathrooms are not fancy they resemble more like airplane bathrooms and some buses have 2, drivers are isolated from the passengers (plane style) and many bus lines have their own lounges at bus stations (that resemble more like airports than regular bus stations)
buses in Brazil are literally road beasts
Man that's awesome. I wish we had transportation like that here.
@@MotorcoachWorld actually it´s interesting. in USA I always have the impression "is greyhound or nothing" because they´re the major operator, in Brazil the bus line system resembles more like an airline system because the rail system in Brazil is cargo focused only. in USA double deckers are rarity, in Brazil they´re common because lines are divided in class. Economy and executive/sleeper.
the economy is basically a simplified executive service with more stops.
the executive/sleeper has a double decker bus with the sleeper class below and the executive on the upper deck but they can have an exclusive executive service
Awesome video! I’m a bus driver in Quebec and I only drove Prevost coaches. We have 6 in our fleet (3 X3-45 2007-2013 and three H3-45 2006-2016), all powered by Volvo D13 and Allison transmissions. My favourite is by far the 2006 H3-45. Sooo sooo smooth too drive, and that engine sound is music to my ears. I find the newer D13 with the DEF less pleasant to the ears, and I really don’t enjoy those new Allison transmissions with Fuelsense 2.0. Second gear is way too short and I feel like it chokes the acceleration. It shifts to early to my taste. One thing i have to say though is that we use our coaches in a urban transit context. We operate a 50 km route, 70/30 highway and city driving. I feel like I really need that powerful acceleration in first, second and third gear while city driving with tight schedules during rush hours. That’s why I prefer the 2006 H3-45. One thing I dislike about all Prevost though is the way dirty windshield washer and muddy slushy or melted snow ruins the vision in my driver side mirror and window in winter as soon as i have to use my wipers to clean my windshield while cruising on the highway. I wish they could engineer something to prevent that from happening. In the meantime, I always have a squeegee and a spray bottle full of windshield washer near me when I drive! Can’t wait to see what you have to say about transmissions. Anyone else miss the pre-fuelsense era?
I hope your Allisons are also programmed with “PERF” (Performance) when you press the Mode button for better acceleration. On older Allisons this button affected only gears 4 and 5. I don’t know what it will do for newer models with Fuelsense 2.0. However, one issue with second gear in new Allisons is that it locks up the torque converter early (some bus companies are even programmed it to lock up in 1st gear!) and the final drive differential ratio on D13 Prevosts are “really tall” (hard for the entire powertrain to transmit torque because it’s geared for higher speeds to save fuel). Fuelsense 2.0 also reduces your fuel input during starting acceleration. Try tricking it into full fuelling, press and hold the accelerator very lightly (less than 1 cm) for about 2 seconds, then press it all the way to the floor.
As a Prevost fan, I feel that cup holder comment. I cant fit my Gatorade sports waterbottle in it or my yetti mug. It goes on the left corner of the dashboard when I drive.
Lol nice. Glad to hear in not the only one.
You a pilot 👨✈️ 👍 nice!
Well, where to start.... Ok the driver legroom is definitely longer than a mci. The cupholder square side holds a litre of soda perfectly and tightly. Try it you will love it. The bathroom door , as it wears in, it won't hold the door closed. We have some 16&17 coaches like that. Our 2020 ones are still tight. You forgot the toilet tanks, much easier to service. All access from the outside. The visors on the edge of your blinds keep the glare of the sun when the sun is offset and on the edge of the blinds. I love it! I hate when the sun.blinds you when it peeks around the edge of the blinds, it happens a lot! You need to drive it more and you will learn to love them.
The Embraer-Chime is fine, but how about the Prevost-Logo flying down this LC-Display screen and when it reaches the center the chime goes "Da-Diiiinng!" ... GameBoy Style ;)
Great video! But how do you feel about Setra just out of curiosity?
Can you give some feedback on how the update on the MCI coaches to independent front suspension affects ride quality on the (i think its 2015+?) newer MCI's? Are there any downfalls of the new suspension update such as weak points, maintenance, costs, etc?
Hey James! Love the bus world as well as flying! I am an ATP for my full time gig but have always loved busses as well as airplanes. Did you fly the E170 or any other jets? I currently fly a CRJ!
Hey Colton! That's awesome! We are a lot alike. I flew a CRJ as well. I hated not having autothrottle. You get spoiled once you've tasted auto throttle LOL
I've pick up several brand new Prevost at the factory in St. Clair Quebec and the prounounce the name as Pree voe not Pray voe. The letter T being silent of course.the vertical sun visors are to dim the sun out when it shines in the gap between the pillar and the sun shade. It's an option you can order when buying the coach. We've had them for 8 years now and we find them a good option as most of our routes are north south routes so the sun in the mirnings always finds that gap headed soth or in the afternoon's going north.
As for the computer back light your right it's aweful and we have begged Prevost to put a switch on the coach to cgange it manually, their answer is just drive with your marker lights on.
The dashboard blind switches are an option now so not all coaches have them. Our fist 4 coaches with the steering wheel switches came with out the dash switch. After that we made sure we ordered them with the dash switch.
The biggest difference I feel when driving the Prevost over an MCI is the Prevost to me feels light in the front end where as the MCI feels planted on the road, especially in winter conditions.
I thought it was just me but several of our ex Greyhound drivers who we hired after Greyhound closed in western Canada have said the same thing .
The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider need to join y'all fleet
Oh that would be nice if that bus had a nice support system here. But it would be very time consuming and costly to get parts and do maintenance on a bus like that here!
Having driven both late model Prevosts and MCIs, the design of the Prevost luggage bay door makes it less likely that you will bump your head when loading and unloading luggage.
Yes totally agree with you Brodrick!
-that Volvo D13 is just a monster of an engine, and pulls hills better than anything else we have.
-i think the dash looks like it was designed by the engineering team at Fisher Price. i know a lot of people like the simplicity, but i prefer the J’s. all those buttons make me feel like i’m flying an airliner.
-i don’t like that the driver AC comes on when you start the bus. if i want it on i’ll turn it on.
-i wish the toll window was a little bigger.
-the little storage thing on the driver’s left is a mystery to me. why not just have a lid that folds up for me to put stuff in? why does the whole damn top and side need to swing out? it’s a pain when trying to close it and something you put in there gets stuck in the hinge area.
-i wish the kneeling switch was momentary, like the J. so i can kneel part way if that’s all i need.
-the headlights just aren’t that great unless they’re led’s.
-i love how quickly the rear fenders can be removed.
all in all though it’s a great bus. although we run a mixed fleet as well, and i don’t have to drive it everyday. if that was the case i’d probably hate more about it.
Yes all your points yomade here are very valid. Iloved reading this post and your insights! Thank you 😊.
I'd be very interested to hear more about your aviation background, if you're willing to share!
Hello! Big fan from Chicago! I had a quick question?
How many days in a week do you work?
A ZF transmission is like a cat, pet it, massage it, if you don't the cat will scratch you. You need a light foot with a ZF.
Visor may be for oncoming night headlights on a feeway.
I don’t know if you had a chance to drive Neoplan buses but I hated them.Great for passengers awful for driver.Didn’t have chance to drive Prevost but my favorite is Setra.And in my opinion best looking.Love your content.Cheers.
Thanks Nate. No never have driven a neoplan. Always wanted to see what they are like. Thanks for the insight
Seems to me commercial airplanes have figured out the bathroom door problem. And the light turns on when the door is locked. But I'm guessing a lot of these passengers don't fly often
I love veteran H3 with Volvo Engine Riding them to Casino Niagara Falls With Coach Can
Any experience with the Volvo coaches? I watched a video on a 9700 for sale...looks impressive.
We need a video on trip planning and navigation. Do you use a truck gps or are you like me and usually pre-plan your route the night before on Google maps?
I made a video a while back on that very topic.
ruclips.net/video/Cma6vV4ZWPQ/видео.html
Hey man, I really want to start my own bus company now but I was wondering should I wait for the pandemic to end or should I try to start now? With all your years of experience, what would you advise?
James, did you experiment the tag axle and what are your thoughts about it
Hey Jacori. Yes I did play with them. I love this feature
Hey James, how do you turn on the top 2 wipers on the Prevost H3-45? I was just curious how you turn it on
☑️ , stay safe and prays for your families . amen
I do not know why, I am still choose MCI J 4500 somehow...
The overhead clearance being 11.10 its perfect on the low bridges clearance....
And MCI J 4500 is more stylish looking in my opinion.
Yeah its definitely easier to get a J model around cities.
I personally don’t like the H3 but the X3 is my thing, I have never driven either or a MCI but new flyers and Orion’s les goo . On top of that mta is getting new x3s so I’m a little salty
Hey James I didn't know you were a commercial pilot. Did you fly for airlines or just private jets? Do you still fly?
Hey thanks for the comment. I flew for a airline. No I no longer fly these days. Between my family, my job I no longer have the time.
I like how the Prevost H3-45? (i thinkt thats what its called)s top wipers
It always seems like nobody cares to calibrate the TPMS monitor once it starts erroring. As well as the luggage bay door position sensor switches. Once they go bad, it leaves the coconut clacking sound from the dash. A warning that has to be repeatedly cancelled and leaves the orange screen blotted out with the luggage bay warning. It covers the information you’d really like to see. The luggage door position switches are very weak and break easily. The TPMS and luggage bay close switches are real weak points and leave the driver constantly cancelling messages to have an enjoyable message free day of driving.
Where can I find some history on a 2006 prevost xl2? Pros/cons, mechanical, electrical problems, etc.
Have you ever driven a articulating bus or coach and what do you know about Bus folklore that drivers of various coach lines would run in the 3 digits back in the 40s 50s 60s in any kind of weather WOW!!!!
It's on my bucket list lol. Always wanted to drive a artic.
I’ve driven a motor coach for about 15 years,but why has the H3 cockpit not change much from the older models?