looking for a recommendation

[Shoeshiner]

I'm new to bus conversion. I am handy and want to do my own conversion. I don't want a large 40 footer as it is just two if us traveling.

I found a 1990 diamond coach made by Coons of Oswege Kansas with 16,000 miles

Any thoughts or recommendations

[gumpy]

Never heard of it.

Post some photos and more information if you have it.

[scanzel]

Making recommediations is something that most won't do because only you can decide if it will meet your needs. Are you going to part time of full time travel. What necessities are you going to want, will you mostly stay at Rv parks or dry camp. Do you want all the comforts of a home etc ?  You need to look around and see different size vehicles and see if you can make it work for you. I have a 40' and have been working on it for 9 years part time hope to have it finished for retirement by 2016. Good Luck on your venture.

[chessie4905]

   Stick with one of the popular brand models. You'll go crazy trying to locate items for an odd ball. Plus they are harder to unload if you go a different direction in the future. Since you don't want 40 feet, a converted 4104 or 4106 would be a good place to start. Prices are great for what you get. Plenty of challenge to do tweaking, upgrades, etc. to keep anyone happy. Also you can enjoy taking it out for a run when you get tired working on it.

[luvrbus]

Those are really not buses most are on the 450 Ford Chassis like a class c motor home,dealing with the floor levels could be a nightmare for you,me if that is what you want just buy a upper model class C

[eagle19952]

you would have little to no storage....

[shelled]

I'm new to bus conversion. I am handy and want to do my own conversion. I don't want a large 40 footer as it is just two if us traveling.

I found a 1990 diamond coach made by Coons of Oswege Kansas with 16,000 miles

Any thoughts or recommendations

Jos,

From the looks of it, you are looking for something smaller than the 35 foot and up size range of the intercity "Greyhound-like" coach.  You seem to be looking at newer buses built for school and shuttle-bus use.  A better forum for this is <www.schoolie.net>.

That said, many of the buses in this class have front engine snouts which cost you 20% or more of useable square footage and make the bus that much less maneuverable for a given length.

This all assumes that doing it yourself from scratch is more important to you than either cost or getting on the road.  By the time you finish you will have spent as much or more than purchasing a completed unit.  The appearance of savings is that costs are spread out over time.  Some participants on this board have spent over a decade saving money and still don't have an operable conversion.  Many others say your first conversion is just a trial run.

I second Lovrbus's advice.  That way you get a useful setup and with your skills can tweak, modify and upgrade with experience as your guide.

edward