ome Pitfalls and Guidelines for the "Wannabe" Coach Conversion Enthusiast.
The most important part of the conversion process is the purchase of a coach to convert. The philosophy of both National Bus Trader magazine and Bus Conversions magazine is to purchase the best coach you can afford. I agree with this statement, however, in the same breath, they indicate that a person should stay away from the older coach.
Last summer at Amboy, Illinois, Larry Plachno (Editor, National Bus Trader magazine) and I had a discussion about this subject, as some of the people who attended a workshop on Coach selection came away with their dreams badly shaken because they felt they could not afford a post 1980 platform (bus). The interesting thing was that a look around the campground area revealed that there were likely more older GMC and MCI 35 foot and pre-1980 models sitting there than post 1980 units, and they were all well kept and pretty to look at.
I suggested to Larry that slamming the integrity of the older coach was not in the best interests of the industry. If that were to continue, then the very function he promoted would cease to exist. Out of that conversation several issues were brought to light.
he Individual's Purpose for the Conversion.
If you are going to do a conversion on an older coach, use it for a year, then expect to sell it at a profit, you had best get a very new unit. You will not get your money back otherwise. We have all heard of the couple who sank the bank account into the project, and one of them passed on. The remaining spouse then tries to sell it a price that is far too high for the year of the coach involved. Larry indicated that he gets several calls like that a year. He published an article relating to acquiring and/or building and making a profit from resale in the July, 1997 NBT.
Most of us build a conversion because we want to. I don't know too many conversion enthusiasts who haven't done most, if not all the work themselves. They locate the unit, engineer the body upgrades (if required), design the floor plan, do the electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and finish the interior. Most develop those talents as they progress from stage to stage.
Not every one wants, or can afford, a 40 - 45 foot coach. We have to assess our life styles. Do we want to stay in small out of the way campgrounds? Do we want to travel from one RV resort to the next? Do we want to boondock by a lake, stream, desert? The bigger the coach, the heavier it is. It is harder to maneuver into tight spots, and it is more costly to operate. Unfortunately, there are no 35 foot model highway coaches made today. If you are interested in that length, the only alternative left is to find an older coach and make it a labor of love.
This brings into play the value of the older coach. A person with the above talents will recondition his own unit, and do the interior. It becomes a hobby, an obsession or a labor of love. For some, it takes years to complete; for others it may be two to three years.
or those of you who are considering doing a conversion I would like you to consider a few points.
1. - If you are going to buy it, convert it, and sell it for a profit, buy the newest bus available. This is a conversion for profit. This is how "Custom Coach", "Vantare" and the likes got their start. I wish you success in you endeavors.
2. - If it is a conversion done by yourself and for yourself, get the coach roadworthy, and use it as you build it. Take the furniture off the back deck, throw it into the bus, nail it down and go. Don't forget to take the family with you (and the porta-potti).
3. - The amount you want to sink into the coach is your decision. If you bought a coach for $10,000, reconditioned some areas (body, undercarrage) for another $10,000, and the interior cost you $25,000 dollars, that is your business. If you do a first class job you will likely get your money back on resale. Nothing says you have to spend $25,000 on the interior. You spend what you can afford.
4. - Don't even think about getting the price of your labor out of it. That is why a professional conversion is so costly. Think about it this way. If you take the coach mentioned in part 3, the component cost is $45 - $50,000. If you own and maintain the coach for 10 years and at the end of that time you elect to sell, you will likely get $25-$35,000 or more, depending on condition of the unit. Just make sure you have all the maintenance records. I don't know of anyone who has a 25 year old motor home who can do the same. Think of the enjoyment you have received.
5. - Make a deal with your spouse. If you should die, make sure you have an agreed upon sale price for the coach. If you had sunk the whole bank account into this unit, she must understand that she will not get it back if she sells. I had occasion to look at a 1960 GMC coach that was immaculate, in great condition, and beautiful to look at. The seller wanted to get her money back. She wanted $85,000 for the coach. To the best of my knowledge she still has it.
6. - Don't be afraid to ask questions. Form alliances with people who have "been there and done that". Bus Conversions magazine is a good source of info. RV Coach Online has a chat group that can give you any information you may want. RV Coach Online and Bus Conversions magazine's web sites also have newsgroup forums, so you can ask a question and in all likelihood someone will reply. Dave Galey has his book "The Bus Converter's Bible" in electronic form here on Bus Nut Online and it is a good source of information.
7. - Not everyone can afford a $40 or $50,000 dollar platform on which to build the motorhome of their dreams. No one says you have to. You must be prepared to choose a unit, rework the body to make it sound (if required), plan and construct the interior depending on the size of your budget. Remember you can be the contractor, subcontractor or the laborer, depending on the job that needs to be done and your knowledge/confidence level.
8. - After you have your project up and running you will be able to stand there beside it with pride and say, "I engineered and built it".
