Eagle VS. Prevost for conversion.

[TedCalvert]

How can an inanimate object, such as a bus, have a personality?  Or did you mean their owners, lol.

Ted

[Jon]

I'm a Prevost owner and I am so stuck up I won't even talk to myself.

[scanzel]

I have a Prevost bus with all the side windows still there, just covered them up on the inside as needed. The only way you can probably tell it is a motorhome is all the stuff attached to the roof. I would probably never go to or be invited to a Prevost Proud gathering because I look to much like a bus and not a million $$ plus coach. Would I do it again NOT ! Too old and takes to much time when working full time. Mortgage was paid off so we did not want to take out a 15 year loan so we chose to do it this way, spend as you go, has worked out good so far. If I did do it now it would be a Prevost H45, series 60/B500. Huge bays flat windows etc.

[Scott & Heather]

No offense at all intended to anyone here, I am going to try to answer the OP's actual question:

I have been in a lot of eagles and Prevosts. I've ridden in Sean shanks eagle (his is nice and rust free) and I like both of them. Prevosts are really nice if you are going for a slightly more modern look and feel...definitely nice coaches. They ride well from everything anyone has ever said about them. The Eagles ride really nice too. Suspension isn't air bags so you never have to deal with air leakdown. But if you want to have a leveling system you'll need hydraulic levelers installed. You'll find more Prevosts in nice rust free condition than you will Eagles. But Eagles are timelessly beautiful. Really they are.


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[Oonrahnjay]

For what its worth I did my conversion my way and did it in a little over a year.
Would I do it again, HELL NO!!!!!!!!     Wes 

    Same here (except for the "one year" part).

[Jon]

I have a Prevost bus with all the side windows still there, just covered them up on the inside as needed. The only way you can probably tell it is a motorhome is all the stuff attached to the roof. I would probably never go to or be invited to a Prevost Proud gathering because I look to much like a bus and not a million $$ plus coach. Would I do it again NOT ! Too old and takes to much time when working full time. Mortgage was paid off so we did not want to take out a 15 year loan so we chose to do it this way, spend as you go, has worked out good so far. If I did do it now it would be a Prevost H45, series 60/B500. Huge bays flat windows etc.

Steve, you are a member of Prevost Community and you are encouraged to come to our rallies. We encompass every group of Prevost owners and our tolerance for BS is extremely limited. We don't take ourselves seriously.

[muldoonman]

Steve, you are a member of Prevost Community and you are encouraged to come to our rallies. We encompass every group of Prevost owners and our tolerance for BS is extremely limited. We don't take ourselves seriously.

Yeah Steve, just remember to buy and wear a smoking jacket at all prevost events. Tie optional.

[robertglines1]

There are @$#-oles with all kind of buses. Their loss if they don't want to converse with me.  The bus selection should  depend on what you find in the market and you $$$ tolerance. Prevost parts and service reps are available,just a call away.  I would have one of each. I would try to get a 60 series and Allison if budget allows.  you can go camping with a air mattress ,porta poddy  and coleman stove.   Enjoy the ride!!  If you need help on basics just ask.. We all have screwed up so can help minimize that .

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Phil - Want some non-biased info on both Prevosts and Eagles by several different people? I will provide you with tons of info that will help you narrow down your choice.  Purchase these 26 print issues of Bus Conversion Magazine we have left in stock for $100 which include all issues with Eagles and Provost in them and I will toss in free S&H.  Then by next week you will have tons of info at your disposal to help you make your decision.  Email or call me if you are interested at Gary@BusConversions.com or 657 221 0432.  This is some excellent reading and all of these magazines are like new.

Prevost Articles

1999   Jun   Michael Kadletz         2000 H3 - 45 Prevost
1999   Aug   Garret Shanks         Angola Coach & the Snow Castle 2000 45' Prevost H3-45
1999   Nov   Mike Kadletz         The Prevost Prestige - Where It All Started
2003   Oct   Annette Martin         The Trials of a Bus Nut and a Bus Widow (The Conversion of a
                                                                                       1987 Prevost LeMirage XL)

2006   May   John O'Keefe         1990 Prevost LeMirage XL
2006   Nov   Mary Barton          This Prevost XLs Not So Extreme Makeover      
2013   Feb   Bruce and Linda Fay       Prevost H3-40 Conversion
2014   Jul   Dale Houston          Prevost XL Gone Country

Eagle Articles
1999   Jan   Richard Kuisey         Building Up A Drivers - Up Eagle
1999   Jun   Michael Kadletz         Shell Review: Eagle Model 10 Suburban
1999   Aug   Garret Shanks         My Grandparents Eagle 5
2000   Apr   David Gregory         Re-Powering A 1964 Eagle
2000   Jun   Eberhard Schreck      1967 Eagle 01
2000   Jul   Mike Kadletz         Eagles: Some Pros and Cons
2000   Oct   C.A. Howard         This Ones a Keeper: 1976 Eagle 05
2001   Feb   Eberhard Schreck      The Wounded Eagle
2001   Apr   Mark Rosenthal         The Man Who Could Have any Bus (The ABC's of This '79 Eagle 05)
2002   Sep   Lloyd and Wilda Koepke      Building the Eagle's Nest (Converting a 1979 Bluebird)
2003   Oct   Unknown         Wayne Schell's 1972 Eagle 05
2003   Dec   Cecil McClure         Reality Exceeding the Vision (The Conversion of our 1988 Eagle       
                                                                                       Model 15)                   

2004   Jan   James Lowe         From an Ugly Duckling to a Castle on Wheels (The Conversion of a
                                                                            1989 Eagle 20)

2004   Feb   David Anderson         Curing the Bus Nut Disease (The Conversion of our 1985 Houston
                                                                                       Metro Eagle 10)       

2005   Jan   Corrie Bumann         1984 Eagle Model 10 ("Alotta")       

2005   Nov   Jan Corbin         The Odyssey - 1982 Eagle Model 10     

2006   Mar   Michael Kadletz         The Eagle: Pro's and Con's   

2006   Apr   Charlie Brown         1978 Eagle 03                 

2007   Apr   Gary Kennedy         The Eagle Soars Again in Europe

2009   Oct   Dan Lenz         Eagle Suspension and Alignment Procedure

2009   Nov   Dan Lenz         Part 2:  Eagle Suspension and Alignment Procedure

2010   Jun   Wendy Crosby         Full Steam Ahead...The Steamin' Eagle

2010   Oct   Paul Lawry         How to Fix an Eagle With a Weak Wing

2014   Jan   Wayward Wulf         Converting a Model 10 Eagle

2014   Mar   Cary McCart         Call of the Eagle

2014   Apr   Bruce Fay         Iron Horse - Wild West Elegance - Model 10 Eagle

2015 Aug/Sep   Gary Hatt                     Eagle Radiator Repair

2016   Apr   Bruce Fay         A 1969 Model 07 Eagle Conversion

[Phil]

Thanks to everyone for the replys. A number of you asked me about $$$ encouraging me to go with an entertainer and remodel. I might very well do that, but I have seen some low prices recently on good shell busses. I've recently come across some model 15's one had motor and trans recent rebuild no rust issues in great shape it was less than $8k. Another with minor rust issues, but new torsilastic on all 4 corners and strong running motor for $7k. And there's been some others. A decent Prevost le mirage shell with good power train I've seen in the $12-15k range.

I just know that buying an entertainer, I'll be paying for old RV toilets, sinks, holding tanks, labor, etc, so at a minimum I'll be in at 25-30k just as a starting point. If I can get a model 15 with a good power train, good suspension, and no rust issues to speak of, for less than 10k the next 20k will go a good ways to get me closer to where I want to be instead of starting out at 30k just to gut it and start over. I know that I'll spend more than that for the whole project, but I'm not spending $150k on a bus, not even close.

I've been researching parts, design, conversion, etc, exhaustively for over a year now, so I have a pretty good idea that the project will take me 3+ yrs and a good chunk of money. I can do plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc... So I am confident I can do it. My layout will be a bit different not drastically, but enough that the inside would need to be mostly gutted. Hybrid between entertainer and RV, entertainer has too many bunks, RV tends to not have any but some do. Entertainer kitchen is too small, most rv's do too much kitchen. For me, front 1/3rd of bus living and kitchen, then hall with bunks on one side, bathroom and shower room on the other side. Bedroom in rear with another bath and another shower. So my layout is a bit different, two bath, two shower. Showers separate from baths.

My questions in the original thread were due to not having personally ridden in and examined a model 15 and a le mirage, I wanted to know personal experience with ride quality and headroom. We aren't tall people so we don't need a raised roof, but still factory headroom is a factor in the decision. I know I can research them all day long, but that's no match for getting on the bus, seeing it in person, and going for a ride. But I am surprised, since this is a bus conversion board, I didn't know there would be so many against doing conversions. I know of at least one guy that decided to go the pre-converted route and remodel, but he soon became frustrated that he seemed to be just ripping out a conversion just to re-do it all again.

And yes I've been looking online and have seen some try to do conversions and the stuff they've been doing, I just shake my head. I will take my time and do it right, but I'm a very particular kind of person and detail is very important to me.

[luvrbus]

A Eagle is by far the easiest to convert,if you can find a Freedom Enterprise  model 15 Eagle from Columbus In.it will have a Cummins engine and will be well cared for under his watch some even have Stainless siding.
There are some 15's out there with 60 series I heard Bollman maybe selling his off they will be 94, 95 or 96 models.When it comes to converting you will love the Eagle 12V system

good luck    

[Phil]

A Eagle is by far the easiest to convert,if you can find a Freedom model 15 Eagle from Columbus In.it will have a Cummins engine and will be well cared for under his watch some even have Stainless siding 

I know a lot of folks that swear by the DD and wouldn't have a Cummins. You prefer the Cummins?

Yeah, blanking out the windows on the le mirage with metal is certainly more of a challenge than the eagle, but the prevost does have the one piece coach door, so that part is a bit easier than an eagle. The auto adjusting and leveling airbag suspension is also very attractive to me. Torsilastic may be a bit better ride, but it just sounds like more maintence to me, and more individual repair cost rather than the smaller cost of airbags spread out. I certainly love the look of the Eagle, and my wife prefers it too, I just wonder if the torsilastic suspension is just amazing enough to justify its manual adjustment and replacement cost.

[luvrbus]

 A M11 in Freedoms coaches are not a bad engine they were electronic over 400 hp and the fuel mileage is good around 8.5 mpg on my buddies x Freedom model 15.In your search you are going find Eagles can have a CAT,Cummins,Detroit both 2 stroke or 4 stroke .That is a good feature about a Eagle bus you can install about any engine in a Eagle you are not limited      

[buswarrior]

But I am surprised, since this is a bus conversion board, I didn't know there would be so many against doing conversions. 

Hahaha... yes, strange, yet true...

The swamps and fields of the continent are strewn in partially done conversions... all started with a gleam in the eye and the couple still talking... relationships destroyed, bank accounts emptied, children crying, hopes and dreams crushed flat like a squirrel on the interstate...

You don't convert a bus to go camping.

You don't convert a bus to go driving.

You convert a bus, to convert a bus.

Only these last ones are happy.

Be sure to warn any significant others who may think is about #1 or #2.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[dbldragon]

    Hello,   We did our conversion for some of your reasons. We wanted it done our way and did look at getting a previously  done unit but after looking at a gut job to change things we didn't like the math was better in getting a seated coach.  The big ? in doing a conversion your self to me is your talent level in getting things done to your satisfaction. You say you are picky, can you do all the systems to your level. If not high quality work can be high cost as well.
   If you have to change engine ,tranny more big cost items that may need to be done in a older conversion. Time is $ if it is yours or someone else s working for you.
  We  got our bus imported from US all fees and inspections done and in our name for just under 18k. doing 95 % of all the work myself and only paying out less than 1k$ for outside labor from friends.  In the end wife says we are into it for 35k and we went on our first 35 day trip in less than a year. All be it it was not totally finished , no built in gen  no roof a/c and no cupboard doors. All will be finished this year at no extra cost.  I also bartered for some things (2 sinks toilet genset dinette ) This is a very low tech bus with propane and 12 v only . Gen is for roof ac in case we have to leave the dog in bus .
  This was built as a 5 year bus to travel with son so 2 bedrooms. At 5 year mark we will look for another bus and will do it again to suit our needs at that time . Likely a H3 for its higher bays.  In the end I think get the newest drive line in a bus shape and size that suites you the best and  fits your budget for time and $.

  Chuck