Info on professional converters - or, at least, more professional than me

[roxnadz]

Hi,

(Not sure whether or not this is the right forum; mods, please move as you see fit. I know this is mainly an RTS question and I will crosspost on the appropriate boards, but figured I'd get input from everywhere.)

Okay, so I've made some headway into my RTS conversion. By 'headway' I mean I've torn pretty much all of the insides out and can at least set up minimal living facilities in the coach.

However, a few conundrums present themselves to me at the moment:

1. There is a lot about my RTS that I just don't know all that much about. In particular:

• How to deal with the wiring around the drivers' surround area and make sure I don't break my bus pulling wires out
• How to deal with rearranging the air and fuel tanks underneath the bus to create some storage and bay space
• How to get the bus's wheelchair lift and rear HVAC out without permanently maiming myself and others
• How to plumb this thing properly
• How to wire it for electricity properly

...among other things.

2. I'm finding myself in a serious crunch for time, with the amount of traveling that I do, both in and out of the country.

You know what this all adds up to, right?

A pretty penny. Which, of course, I don't have a ton of.

But, I'm realizing in advance both my capability and bandwidth, and I admit that at this point, I'm willing to at least pay someone who's done these sorts of things before, to help me with the big things.

The question is, who's doing this sort of thing nowadays? And more importantly, where are they doing it?

Obviously, anywhere in California or the West Coast is ideal, but I'm willing to take it anywhere. If anyone has any leads as to who's converting buses at least semi-professionally nowadays, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Obviously this is a really vague, open-ended question. How can I make it much clearer? I don't really know. I know that I want to be able to drive the thing around, park it at places (sometimes with shore power, sometimes boondocking), and be able to have it be my primary living space when I'm in the country (there will be plenty of time where I'm not). But this is where aspirations of full-timing butt up against what is realistic during the construction phase.

I think I've reached the point where a lot of converters throw up their hands and punt...and I'd like not to do that. I just need some guidance (and some leads to some nuts who have been down this road!)

Thanks in advance,
-Malcolm

[Boomer]

Larry at Paradise Coach Interiors, Coburg, Oregon (Eugene).  He has been doing beautiful work for nearly 20 years.  He and his entire crew are ex Marathon, Country Coach, Legendary hands.  He just finished an RTS for Terry Salinger and is working on my Silverside.  I highly recommend him.  His shop rate is really low and his quality really high.   www.bestcoachconversions.com  No sales tax in Oregon.

[Geoff]

I do conversion work on RTS's.  In fact, I have an RTS that I converted myself.  I'll be up in the SF Bay Area and Sacramento between Dec 18 and Dec 24 with my bus if you want to see it.

Have you joined the RTS Bus-Nuts Group:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/RTS-bus-nuts/

--Geoff
'82 RTS
Prescott, AZ
Telephone 928 771-0045

[Oonrahnjay]

Okay, so I've made some headway into my RTS conversion.  (snip) 

   I suggest that you send a private message to "Garhawk" on this website.  Gary's been working on an RTS for a while and the work he's done (and the thinking that's gone into it) is really first rate.  He's in Tenn but he may be able to give you tips and share photos.

[roxnadz]

Wow, guys, thanks for the help. Just hearing back from you with ideas helps a whole lot.

I'm actually a member of RTS Bus Nuts as well as RTS-Bus.com, and I will get additional information from those boards, but this is a great start.

Geoff, I'm gonna miss you by a few weeks, man! I'm headed to SE Asia for a few months beginning December 7 :/ I would love to see your bus...maybe I'll make a trip out to see you when I'm back in the states in February. And, of course, if you have any pictures, please feel free to PM me links We should likely talk, anyway...I'm looking for help from someone who knows RTSes and who'll be able to help me with my 06.

Cheers everyone, and thanks again,
-Malcolm