This is your chance to design your dream coach

[andy]

Okay gentlemen I have some idea of what I would like but it will be interesting to see what experts at convertions have to say. I will be boondocking at times for a week so put on your thinking caps and spare no expense. You are designing a 45' Eagle. This will be interresting!!!!!!!

[tekebird]

Sell Eagle immediatly and buy an MCI or Prevost......LOL

[bobofthenorth]

WTH - I'll kick it off.  You need lots of water storage both fresh and colored - can't have too much.  Depending on the climate where you plan to boondock you probably need a pretty decent gennie and good insulation, maybe some solar backup and a huge battery bank.  If you don't want to run for groceries every day then you'll need a big fridge. 

[andy]

Come on guys how big of tanks What type of fridge gas or elec or both. This post could help me make up my mind. I need your help to a beginner reading all you guys write is confusing. And sorry Tbird I love my Eagle

[Lee Bradley]

How many people on board?
Where are you boondocking?
Are you afraid of propane?
Are you going to be bring game home?
Winter/Summer? All year?
What hobbies?

[JerryH]

Andy:
Lee is right ... you need to provide parameters before the answers can reasonably fly.

(these questions in no specific order)
1.  How many adults?_____ Kids?_____
2.  What part of the country will you be traveling?_____"Boondocking"?_____
3.  What time of the season(s) do you plan on traveling?_____
4.  How long of duration?_____
5.  Fuel source, do you have a preference?_____ (all diesel v. LP & diesel)
6.  Cooking...type of meals?_____
7.  Let's talk cargo...what are you going to be taking with you?_____
8.  Interior type.  Are you a marble floor and leather person or pine and shag?_____
9.  Are you short ... tall ... big ... or small person (family)?_____
10.  Pets?  Any pets in tow?_____
11.  A tow vehicle... you want one?_____
12.  What about reading, TV, work on the road?_____  Do tell.
13.  Are you going to be the on-road mechanic ... and to what end (might determine how much space to allocate for tools)?_____

Help us out.
Jerry H.

[andy]

Remember this is your coach.  I thought this would be fun for other people to see what you would like in  a coach.  But, I'm 45 years old have a wife, no pets, not afraid of propane, could be snowing when I boondock or could be hot.  I want 4 roof airs, a furnace, an inverter, and a battery bank.  I just thought if I saw everyone else's idea of a perfect coach I could pick what would work for me.  I don't want this to be a complicated process, I wanted it to be fun for everyone, and it would also help me very much.

[tekebird]

Andy,

I think you ask to broad a question......No Need to have people tell you want they want in yours........build yours the way you want it.  for every aspect there are at least 100 different possibilities. for components alone, let alone how they are configured in a conversion.

[andy]

I just wanted to know what would work best maybe I should talk to a conversion company and explain what I want to do there are so many differant opinions a newbie doesnt know where to start.Your write this was a bad idea.

[H3Jim]

Go to a rally and walk through everyone's coach that you can.  Floor plan, equipement etc.  We all love to talk about our work.  Its probably better and more informative for you to see everyone's than to just read about them. Almost every piece of equipment has tradeoffs, weight, size, power consumption, cost, where it will fit and what resources it takes that limits some other part of your conversion.

What part of the country do you live in?  come by and see mine sometime.

[andy]

I live in Indiana any body close!!!!!!

[H3Jim]

Also, I  found Gumpy's website to be very good because although you and he have different coaches, he is very methodical in his approach.  He says what worked for him, what mistakes he made, and most importantly, what he was trying to acheive and what blend of tradeoffs he made.

http://www.gumpydog.com/bus/site_map.htm

And even if you have to fly to a big rally and stay in a hotel, it will be money well spent for your learning process.

[H3Jim]

And not to slight Sean Welsh's conversion.  He and his wife have been full timing it for several years, they have a beautiful coach with a lot of great ideas incorporated in the build. 

He has thoroughly documented his conversion at    http://www.ourodyssey.us/, or at least you can follow the links to the pages you want.

There are probably others as well, lots of smart folks  here.

[JerryH]

OK Andy -- I agree with Teke... but here goes.
I'll share the parameters so it makes "some" sense.
We're a family of 4 (me, wifie, and 2 kids).  Adults in their 40's with children under 12.
We love to travel...we are destination people, but like the journey.  We don't fish or hunt ... we ski and like the ocean.  So our climates can vary.

We'd own a 45-footer x 102" wide.
We'd have ample power by CAT (C-15)
The exterior would NOT be fiberglass.  It'd be paint over polished stainless.
The paint would be eye-catching, but NOT look like an off-the-rack wannabe bus.
We'd have all Alcoa's all the way around.
Awnings all the way around.
The windows, tinted, would open and with screens (insulated glass).
Ample GenSet, PowerTech 20kW.
140-gal Waste (divied gray and black) with 160-gal Fresh.
Fuel tank 150-gal.
Exterior slide-out grill and TV (local, on unit, small LP fuel source).
Webasto unit for coach and cargo bay heat, engine pre-heat, and domestic hot water.  With electric cargo bay heaters on thermostats as well (redundant?  Yes!).
NO basement airs -- (4) low profile, ducted roof air.
(2) Trace 4000 watt inverters, with ample battery source on slide-outs.
Exterior water source, hot/cold hose bib.
Retractable waste pipe.
Retractable shore-power electrical cord.
KVH A-7 "in-motion" satellite.  2 or 3 receivers.
"Joey bed" slide out in forward cargo bay.
**A place for everything in cargo bays**
Screen door for entry.
Tiled steps.
Drop down pneumatic floor for buddy seat.
Retractable step at entry.
Air ride drivers seat.
Solid bulkhead behind drivers seat for privacy with speakers.
AM/FM, CD, Satellite radio wired throughout the coach.
Color monitor backup camera(s).  Yes "plural".  A few views -- why not?
Privacy curtain from drivers bulkhead, covering access to coach interior.

Working from the back of the coach to the front...
Rear sleeping area with Queen (or) Double bed.
Ample storage.
LCD TV.
Intercom to drivers seat.
Hinged access door -- not pocket door.
Bathroom, not wal-thru type.
Bath includes decent tiled shower, glass door, vanity & bowl, toilet (china) with direct drop to holding tank.
Fantastic vent and skylight in bath.
Shower could be in separate compartment from toilet and sink.  But would not want to block access to the rear bedroom with a closed bathroom door.
Bunks (x4).  Yes, we have 2 kids, but like to travel with another family.
Bunks have ducted air and heat.  Flip down LCD TV's with DVD.  These TV's to have switchable source for SAT and video games.
Bunks to also have speakers for LCD TV and audio source from front of coach.
2-bunks over storage one side, 2-bunks over storage other side.
Ample storage closet(s) with drawers.
Kitchen with all-electric standard home-type refrigerator.  Refrig. to operate on shore power and inverter.
Advantium microwave oven.
2-Burner electric cooktop.
Single bowl sink.
Trash to drop straight to collection area in compartment bay.
**Somewhere in coach (kitchen or forward) to have a built-in stainless/insulated ice chest for drinks (a must!).
Drawers and doors are lockable.
Built-in dividers in needed drawers.
Slide out shelves for cookware.
All storage compartments and roll-out shelves to have inserts to secure dinnerware, etc.
Bottle roll-out storage.
Place for the coffee maker and toaster oven.
Pantry storage.
Floors in kitchen and bath to be porcelain tile.
Carpet in bedroom and bunk area.
Seating to consist of 3 or 4 swivel chairs, 2 couches and dinette table with seating (combination of leather and fabric).  (1) Couch to turn into sleeping, likewise with dinette if possible.
Buddy seat a must.
Tables and end tables to feature oversized cup holders.
**Oh, this will just make some of you cringe ... "some" mirrors and lighting on the ceiling.  Yes, I like the look -- makes it look more spacious and like the lighting too.
Control panels to offer display of many functions, electrical status, holding tanks status.  Amp and voltage meters for all power sources.
Lighting in coach to be a combination of 12volt and 120vac.  24volt to be minimal, used for coach operation where needed.  All exterior coach lighting to be 12v LED type.
Electric mirrors and heated.
Air leveling system.
Plumbing to be connected to air system (psi dialed down) for blowing out the lines after a trip for quick partial winterizing.
Cargo bays are insulated for cold climates.
Compartments in baggage bays for skis and poles (out of the way).
Solar collectors to provide power to house batteries and power 'float' or coach starter batteries.

Ok, I've sucked up enough of this thread ... and I am not even done.
See Andy ... with no budget, the skies the limit.  I go there all too often, especially when I buy a Lotto ticket and wait for the numbers to be drawn.  They when I realize I have no winning ticket, I smile and still love my (antiquaited by todays standards) MC-8.

But it really doesn't matter what "I" want ... it's what "you" want.
Oh, and one more thing... I never mentioned the actual coach brand.  Well, it depends which Lotto I win.  But suffice to say I'd like to stick with MCI, probably a D4505 "New Look" (stainless) or a Prevost XL-II.

Jerry H.

[andy]

Jerry thats what I was talking about I got some good ideas and you had fun dreaming I cant afford all you said you would like either but with a few more responses like that I"ll be on my way. I am going to make a rally I wish I could have made it to arcadia  Thanks , Andy