Then I realized I was putting the cart before the horse! The usual conversion seems to take from 2 to 4 years. Shells lose many thousands of dollars in value during those years. Why empty my wallet on the most expensive part of the project years before I can use it? The shell has only one real purpose - - carry a volume of space 8 feet wide by 40 feet long by 7 feet tall down the road to new and exotic locations.

That is when I decided to build and furnish a full size living space mockup before buying my shell. This put the project in a whole new light for me. I can now take my time to hunt for bits and pieces at bargain prices rather than race the clock against shell depreciation. I can pre-build most of the interior without being mocked by my RV from the side yard. I can measure my favorite shell at the bus yard and build for the available space without owning one. Against her better judgment, my wife will become committed to the project if I say things like, "honey, I sure could use your advise on what color pallet to choose!" and "what do you think about this fabric choice?"

The experienced hands in this hobby speak of "getting it right on about your third conversion". Building one coach will be enough for me! What takes three tries? The shell is a success if it rolls down the road under it's own power. One try should do for that. The essential RV sub-systems are well defined with limited choices. One try should do for them too. The floor plans from all major conversion companies are very similar. No way I can mess up there if I follow the accepted industry standards.

The big questions come when I try to visualize how I want the coach to "feel" when I turn my head left for the first time after climbing the steps. Yikes! This is interior designer, girl stuff territory! It's also what makes the $1,000,000.00 coaches worth the money. Meticulous attention to detail and fine craftsmanship cover every square inch of the interiors of the high-end coaches. The materials are relatively inexpensive; it is the craftsmanship that costs the big bucks. This is the part of the conversion that makes people ooh and ahh. Normal people do not ooh and ahh over insulated holding tanks. (Busnuts know we are a little different than normal people!)

My conversion journey has begun over masking tape on my garage floor. 2x4's form my walls and ceiling joists. Furring strips act as stringers. The interior is skinned with cardboard stapled to the furring strips to complete the illusion. Do I need to move that window? Another piece of cardboard will fix that initial positioning goof. My wife still knows I'm nuts, but by the time I have the interior pre-built, she will probably be begging to help find the perfect shell.