ecause of the explosive popularity of the recreational vehicle, and the luxurious treatment seen in today's motorhomes, the intercity bus has become a logical choice for the individual converter to direct their energies. By this, I mean the brave soul, unable to afford a professional conversion, attacking the problem head-on.

I have seen bus conversions attending rallies with nothing more than an air mattress, a porta-potty, and a camp stove, while its owner is in the process of converting it into a rolling luxury suite. It has been fascinating to see the metamorphic change as these sow's ears turn into silk purses. The variations are limited only by the imagination of the craftsman doing the work. Moreover, the owner will develop skills he didn't earlier possess.

The most popular coaches for conversions are the venerable GM4104, GM4106, The Flxible VL-100, the Oh-one Eagle, the Oh-five Eagle, the MCI-5, the MCI-7,-8, and -9. I have purposely omitted the newer coaches such as the Prevosts, the model 15 Eagles, the Neoplans and the MCI A102s. These bare bus shells are quite expensive. If you have the capability of affording these newer coaches, you can probably afford to have a professional conversion company do the job for you. On the other hand, if you are the type who takes pride in doing a certain job and can afford these newer coaches, good luck and thank you for buying this book.

What will a bus shell cost, and where can it be obtained? This can vary on the low side of a few thousand dollars, upward to nearly three-hundred thousand dollars. Buses are continuously being replaced by charter coach companies, and of course there are the big re-sellers such as Hausman and ABC bus. Look in the National Bus Trader, and Bus Conversions Magazine. These magazines advertise coaches for sale every month. You may also look in the FMCA magazine and Motorhome magazine classified section.

This book is not designed to be read like a novel. Jump around. Look for the subject which interests you at the time. Since it is designed to be used as reference material, occasionally you will find subjects repeated so you will be sure to get the message. Some of the topics covered will not interest everybody, but there is something for all.

One cautionary comment I wish to stress is safety. Every state has its own rules about motor vehicle safety. In addition, most states have regulations concerning the combining of a motor vehicle with living quarters, hence a mobilehome, or a motorhome. For example, in the state of California, the Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of codes and Standards is a regulatory agency that will, for a fee, inspect your coach, leave you a pamphlet with the rules to follow. They will then re-inspect your vehicle for compliance and issue you an RVIA decal.

If you wish to obtain a copy of these standards write to National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269, or Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, 1896 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 22090. Ask for Bulletin ANSI A119.2/NFPA 501C, Recreational Vehicles Edition. This is a 38 page booklet which is tantamount to the Uniform Building Code for the RV industry.

By following this code, you will not only provide for your own safety, but also your subsequent buyer, assuming you can part with your labor of love. And, as a seller, you assume a level of liability with your buyer. An approval from your state safety agency and this decal will go a long way to mitigate this liability.

A number of years ago, before the RVIA became recognized, it was suggested that when you sold your conversion to issue a bill of sale reading "An unfinished housecar," regardless of the level of completion. This admonishment put the buyer on notice they were not buying anything but a home built conversion. Although this may still be done, be safe; check with your state's safety agency and comply with all the requirements.

This book will take the reader through the concepts for structural modifications. Many of the ideas are unique, and all of them have been done with success. Many of the structural alterations have been applied to the Eagle, but virtually all coaches have a similar design philosophy. Elevating the roof of a coach, regardless of its make, will simply increase its bending stiffness and torsional resistance, within limits. This, of course, demands equal or greater skin and structure be used. Many of the chapters in this section have appeared, in some form, in earlier Bus Conversion magazine issues.

I cannot emphasize too strongly structural modifications without a working knowledge of stresses and strains, or a close acquaintance with an engineer who can assist, may lead a person into problems. So, be very cautious when making any radical changes. Keep in mind much of the skin of the MCI series is also working to keep the bus together, that is, stressed skin.

Sections on Plumbing and Electrical are really quite common to residential or earthbound buildings. Of course, there are some things unique to the motorhome such as carrying your water and waste with you, that are normally taken care of by the public utilities. The electrical section also includes both alternating and direct current, along with the instructions to size your anticipated loads.

Heating and Air Conditioning are unique to the motorhome concept, except that the basic laws of physics still prevail. That is, heat loss and heat loads are still subject to insulation factors, and configuration.

A small treatment on interior design is included but will not train you to become a bus architect. Nor will the section on exterior design teach you to become a body and fender man, a graphic artist or an automotive painter. These sections are included so you might discuss various approaches with any professional you might decide to employ.

Finally, under exterior design, I have included some thoughts on the primary power plant, your engine. I discuss some of the options on re-powering, and some of the things to avoid.

The thoughts here are my own, and not all the experts will agree with me. But, after all, this is what bus converting is all about - DOING IT YOUR WAY!!