Eagle VS. Prevost for conversion.

[Phil]

Hello everyone, I'm new and starting on the bus conversion journey. My first decision is probably the biggest decision. I need to decide on an eagle or prevost le mirage. These are really the only two I like as I want my conversion to look more like a tour bus than an RV.

It may all boil down to personal preference, but I need some fresh thinking. I've done quite a bit of research on both, but I haven't been able to find too much information on some items.

I'm fully aware of possible rust issues on eagles but I know they can be an issue on the le mirage. I intend to get one with no or very little rust. Clean it up and treat it to prevent it.


Ride quality, I know torsilastic is smooth and I know the air ride is smooth, but is one really noticeably better than the other?

Also I can't seem to find any specs online between say a model 15 and a le mirage, which has more headroom from the factory?

Any other differences I'm not thinking of would be helpful.

[Cary and Don]

I know this isn't going to answer your question, but.....  Why are you planning on doing a conversion instead of buying one?  It will cost much more to do one from scratch than buying one and remodeling it to your tastes. So many people get started, run out of money, and their dream ends. Prices are good on completed conversions and remodeling doesn't cost that much.

Don and Cary

[John316]

Grace,

I'm going to jump right in here, with something that I see as a very big deal. Eagles are old. You have to know how to get parts for them. You can call up Prevost, and place an order, if needed. Plus, I have yet to work on an eagle, that I find easy to work on.

If you love working on antique cars, consider the eagle. Me personally, I do not like working on old vehicles. I would totally go the newer Prevost route.

And yes. I STRONGLY suggest buying a conversion. I will never convert another bus. It takes WAY too much time.

Cheers and welcome!

John

[muldoonman]

John did you say "You cannot call up Prevost, and place an order, if needed." I have a 91 XL and they can get any part you want if your pocketbook is large enough.

[luvrbus]

I have owned both brands,you can usually buy a Model 15 Eagle on a motor home chassis which has more headroom with a factory conversion,rust free with low mileage well cared for cheaper than you can convert one.
Me for the same vintage year I would go for a Eagle to convert plenty of parts around for a model 15 new or used,fwiw nothing rides like a Eagle or has the curb appeal IMO  

[lvmci]

Hi gracep9, why are you not considering a MCI? Stainless steel  running gear, 102C3 and beyond came with more headroom, y ou could start with a smailler bus conversion, until you know what you want and need, I would definitely get a south western bus, for rust reasons, that was never a passenger bus,  that is 102" wide,  has plumbing, electrical, ACs in.  But besides that any bus will do...lvmci...

[chessie4905]

If you are financilly serious, don't even mess with an Eagle. Torsilastic is expensive to rebuild. How long will those parts still be available? At least airbags are used a lot and are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. And drop boxes...siding....windshields......But many owners love them like GMC's but both are out of business and many parts will slowly dry up as the years pass. Early Eagles rust;on a quiet night you can hear the rust bugs munching away if you stand near one. Probably the deciding factor is how much money are we talking. The others are right;go find one already converted. Much cheaper in the long run.Plus if your conversion skills turn out to be sub par,could be impossible to sell except at a greater loss than we see. Try to get one without a tired driveline and worn out chassis/ tires. You can drop a small fortune taking care of those issues. You can shovel your money into the bus conversion pit up front or the whole time of ownership. Just remember that a lot of rust is in the wall structure behind the siding, not just underneath.

[eagle19952]

if (and there are) there is an Eagle with 1 inch of adjustment left on the torsilatics... and you intend to drive less than 20,000 miles annually... the eagle will out live you..

And you will own a classic with the best ride out there.
A 1000 entertainers wish they could still have one.

[luvrbus]

The Eagles 01 made in 60's are the Eagles hard to find parts for the 05,10,15 and 20 are not that hard to find parts for plus a Eagle you can upgrade the engine and transmission  so easy in a Eagle and cooling is never a problem.

[John316]

John did you say "You cannot call up Prevost, and place an order, if needed." I have a 91 XL and they can get any part you want if your pocketbook is large enough.

Thanks. I was typing too quickly. Fixed.

[Phil]

Hi gracep9, why are you not considering a MCI? Stainless steel  running gear, 102C3 and beyond came with more headroom, y ou could start with a smailler bus conversion, until you know what you want and need, I would definitely get a south western bus, for rust reasons, that was never a passenger bus,  that is 102" wide,  has plumbing, electrical, ACs in.  But besides that any bus will do...lvmci...

h

I'm not going the MCI route because I don't care for the styling of the MCI.

[DoubleEagle]

The fact that you have focused on either an Eagle or Prevost indicates to me that you are also concerned about good looks, rather than just practicality. These are the two most attractive coaches (sorry MCI, GMC fans) in my opinion. As far as interior height goes, the stock older Eagles are about 6' 3" and up, but any conversion of either may be increased by 6-12". Getting an already completed conversion is the best value, you can always modify it to suit you if you want. It is not really necessary to start from scratch. Torsilastic suspension is the best available for good cornering and soft ride, in my opinion, and the opinion of many hundreds of entertainers that appreciated not rolling out of bed when going around a corner. Setra coaches in Mexico use it as well. If there is adjustment left as was mentioned, it will last a long time. The Eagle frame is the most easily modified and repaired of all the buses. Check Dave Galey's books on bus conversions. Yes, Eagles are no longer made, but they are still loved, and there are parts around, and some good ones for sale. The newer Prevosts are excellent coaches, and that is what the stars use now, but they will cost serious bucks.

[Boomer]

There are Eagles out there with zero rust in them.  I know because I own one, with bare frame photo documentation to prove it.  Not the norm though, for sure.

[DoubleEagle]

There are Eagles out there with zero rust in them.  I know because I own one, with bare frame photo documentation to prove it.  Not the norm though, for sure.

Which points out that the Eagles that are remaining after all these years, are the best ones!

[Phil]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm planning on going conversion route as I want to have exactly every single part I want and where I want it without having to rip out someone else's design, just a blank slate. Due to the layout I want I'd have to end up stripping it down to bare shell anyways except for maybe the genset. If I go with something already done I'll have to wait a number of years just to purchase it, then rip it apart, and then save up for a number more year to put it back together with new parts. It makes sense to me to spend less on a shell now and take 4 - 5yrs getting the parts I want, rather than to save up for 5yrs to buy a bus with a bunch of stuff I'll just end up spending more to replace, spending more money and much more time. Now If I could find an entertainer for about the same cost as a passenger shell, I'll certainly go that route to save the effort of skinning the side windows and reworking the coach door on the eagle. But some of these already done look like crap and they want an arm and a leg for them.

Yes, I'm well studied on the rust issues. The only eagle I want is a model 15 which weren't as bad as earlier models for rust, but certainly still can rust.

Again, my main questions are ride quality difference between a model 15 and a le mirage, is it really noticeable either way?

And headroom, which has more headroom from factory? Because I do not intend to raise the roof.