How Many Bus Conversions Have You Owned/Or Built?

[Dreamscape]

After reading so many posts lately with some of you building one or on their 6th!

I was wondering if you would provide the following information:

How Many:
       
      Year:

      Make:

      Model:

And why? Too big, too small, different style, different coach etc.

Detail as much as you would like. It does not matter if the current coach if finished or not, most aren't!

I think it will be interesting to find out the answers, don't you!

Thanks a bunch fellow Bus Nuts!

Paul

[Ace]

3 buses owned 2 converted by us.

Started with a 67 gmc 4107 mini buffalo already converted

Sold it and

Bought a 65 Eagle model 01 completely converted by us

Sold it after purchasing our present bus as a shell which is a 92 Prevost H3-40 and I would say it is about 90% done.

Would I do another? Yes if the guy with the H model shell with slides sitting in his yard going to h--- would come off his rediculous price! Other than that, were happy with what we have now!

[robertglines1]

I'll start...thomas school bus 655 Cummings auto--first jump very simple---2nd 78 Mci crusader.. nice coach ozite ceilings upholstery walls oak cabinets....Wanted slides...purchased 89 Prevost Xl 40 ft has granite floors with brass strips between tiles..buttoned ultra suede ceilings ,two slides 15 ft in front 8 ft in bed room,island kitchen 3 refers one large box and a small one just for drinksand one in entertainment bay out side,basement air----now doing a 98 45XLE Prevost ,will have three slides bigger engine,Eaton auto shift.much more,bath and 1/2--washer drier...well why...I Like to build     Bob

[ccbmster]

I have owned one.  Bought five years ago.  MCI MC9 that was already converted into a cross between an RV and a day coach.  I have added an 8.8cf ref/freezer, some counter tops with cabinets underneath and closets.

Looking for this ones successor right now and was motivated to do so only when my mechanic told me that this on is rusty enough that I need to think about retiring her.  She was a hound in PA when she was young.

As long as I am going to switch I am looking for something with more power than this 8v71.  Would also like to move up to a 102 with a jake or retarder and would LOVE to get into a cummins or a 60 series but cost of that may end up being prohibitive.

I full time in mine most of the year.

[Just Dallas]

Removed

[Ed Hackenbruch]

When i was 9-10 my dad bought a Chevy or GMC shorty bus from the 1940's i think. I remember helping him take out the seats and building the interior out of plywood and 2X's. We only had it for 2 summers and then he sold or traded it away.  7 years ago we bought our 68 MCI 5A that was converted in late 83. Have made some updates since then and always have a few things that i want to do/change as time and money allow. We have fulltimed since Jan. of 04, and i still work during the summers. If something were to happen to this bus i would buy another 5A already converted......would just have to find one i liked.  

[rip]

My one and only,1985 Prevost,40ft.XL.I bought it in 1999, and started fulltiming in 2003. During the conversion we said this would be are one and only conversion so we put a ton of money in it.At this point I would loose to much to sell and we do not have a place to convert another.My wife would like slides and I would like a series 60 but I do not think that will happen.We love fulltiming and do not regret the decisions we made. We just did a remodel of the interior and we figure it is cheaper than starting over.Also it keeps my wife happy.
    Don

[David Anderson]

We love fulltiming and do not regret the decisions we made. We just did a remodel of the interior and we figure it is cheaper than starting over.Also it keeps my wife happy.
    Don

Way to go Don.  I hope to full time, too, someday.  The happiest day in my life will be the day I sell my lawnmower, (already bought and sold the boat).

Back to the thread:
1985 Houston Metro Eagle 10, 6v92, bought in 2000, completed in 2003.  60k miles so far. 
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=2547.msg590#msg590

This will be my only one to convert.  I can't see myself ever doing another one.  Way too much work and way too much cost.  There are too many out there already completed that can be bought at a fraction of the cost, and you can spend the "conversion" years traveling instead of, well, converting. 

Like Don said, remodeling would be cheaper since I have a good platform to work with.   There isn't much one can do differently with a different bus.   They are all about 320 square feet. 

I have future plans for a digital flat screen TV.  It will require a total rebuild of the front cabinets, but for now I continue to use the converter on the old analog set.  I hate to discard something that still works. 

[Gary W]

I converted a 1973 MC-7 in 1993, sold it 2004 and bought a 1986 MCI 102A3. I was  going to do it myself but decided to have it professionally converted. It turned out great.

Gary

[belfert]

This will be my one and only bus unless it gets totalled somehow.  Even then I don't know if I would do another.

If I started over I might do a truck conversion because it is so much easier to work on the engine and to find places to do service.  The bad part about a truck conversion is I don't know if I would have enough interior and cargo bay space.  If I had to sacrifice 5 to 10 feet for the engine bay I wouldn't have enough interior room unless maybe I stacked bunks three high.

[cody]

I've had 3 buses over the years and a few other kinds of motorhomes, I've got no idea how many interiors I've worked on over the years, a bunch I guess, some I did a few repairs on, some I did the majority of the work, some I did some of the work, some I wished I hadn't done lol.

[Chopper Scott]

My first and it was already converted. With what it had I got it for 30 cents on the dollar not counting labor. Slowly but surely I have been making it mine and eliminating some of the crude work but still have a ways to go. I already had a 16' enclosed Haulmark trailer that I converted into a modest toy box that I can pull behind the bus and haul bikes in and also others can sleep in.  If I was to ever do something on my own it would be a truck conversion with a trailer. Starting out with an almost 40 year old bus with a Detroit and thinking you are saving money probably isn't a wise move. Newer buses cost a lot but there are a lot of trucks out there for sale.

[usbusin]

One, 16+ years in our 4104.  http://usbusin.blogspot.com/

Chopper Scott said; "If I was to ever do something on my own it would be a truck conversion"

I wanted something new, but a bus shell was out of the question, so I went this route  http://www.ustruckin.blogspot.com/

I really enjoyed converting our 4104, but we really wanted something new for our music ministry and at my age I just didn't want to spend the rest of my life doing another conversion.  So, we designed our new rig and had it built to our specifications.  As TomC knows, specing out the truck was a blast!  Got everything we wanted.

Nine years and 115,000 miles. Heading from California to Indiana to South Dakota, Idaho, Washington, Oregon in two weeks.  Leaving at 3:00 AM to cross the Mojave desert to Las Vegas and on across I-70.  The first two days will be real hot!

[gmorton]

My wife and I have owned and converted three coaches over the last 34 years. 
Our first was a 1952 Beck converted in 1976.  Beautiful stainless exterior! Made a side aisle.  Great fun for two 20 year old kids!  Used whatever material we could scrounge! 2x4's and 16 penny nails! We thought it was the most beautiful coach ever!
Our second was a 1961 4106 converted in 1986.  We did a much nicer job on the '06 than the Beck. Oak interior with grey and mauves, a real 80's rig. 
Our most recent is a 1984 Prevost Lemirage.  Our dream coach for many years. Now in our middle fifties we're having the most fun ever with this coach!  Building all the things we wished we could before.  I think the most fun part of these three projects has been working together, fashioning a dream that very few people understood except us two.     

Is this our last coach to convert?  We hope not!

   

[muddog16]

I'm not even finished converting my first!.................Would I do this again?...........Hell no!  I know there are many, many levels of conversion I'm convinced that its a total and incurable sickness!  If the urge ever hits me again (if I get this one finished) I'm going to stick my hand in the door and slam it about a dozen times or until I hollar "uncle"!   It's to late to turn back now.......go back it's a trap!

After serveral day's of reflection, I came back to change this, (i dropped a piece of sheet metal on my toes in the shop, I have to stop wearing sandals I'm going to lose a toe) toes are much better and my outlook on the bus is much better today!   Another tip while bus building, try wearing sandals while you are welding.......its darn near impossible!!!!