Newb General Question -- Prevost vs. MCI

[Sebulba]

Aahhhaa, Gotcha

I think he meant to check to see if it was ever in service as a school bus. Blue Bird buses were made for both the Wanderlodge and for school buses. A Wanderlodge would have been made on a new chassis specifically produced to be a motor home, but if there is yellow paint under the top coat that would be a good sign that you're looking at a 'schoolie' conversion and not a true Wanderlodge.

[robertglines1]

prevost has frame--have built 2 of them--  Mci is as you described..   I'm sure you have a strong skill set:so choose the one you feel more comfortable  working on.  I have built a mci 8 also.   I love all of them.  The one that says I gotta have that! is the one you get.

[Jim Blackwood]

The one that says I gotta have that! is the one you get.

Gotta agree with that.
There's a ton of work that goes into doing a conversion and it takes time. So look at the time value of your money. If you can afford to buy the nice finished conversion you can use it right away. That has significant value, as do the costs associated with every component and supply already installed.

OTOH, the advantages of doing the conversion include knowing intimately what everything does, having all systems work exactly as you want them to, and of course the brag factor. Not to be discounted either. You just have to decide what fits you best.

The newer buses are the best in a great number of ways but the old ones have appeal for completely different reasons. Somewhere you have to strike a balance of features against what you can afford. Then you can look at brands, models, and personal preferences. Prevost is very nice but MCI generally gets you more for your money. What'll it be then, a GM or a Mercedes?

Jim

[windtrader]

While mulling over pre-purchase considerations much like you are now, I was swayed from initially doing a conversion myself to purchasing an already converted coach.


Two significant factors need thorough pondering. How long, as in possible years are you willing to wait until the conversion becomes fully functional and roadworthy? How confident and patient are you in yourself and deal with the frustrations and expenditure of resources during the build process?


Adding to Jim's point about time value. The total reason for a bus conversion was to transport us across the country for our enjoyment rather immediately. This was not an initial criteria but after delving into the various paths forward as you are doing now, it became very clear there were many unpleasant scenarios coming with a multi-year full DIY conversion.

Additionally, it became clear that in today's market, there is far greater value in purchasing an already converted coach. Even with plenty of time and the value of your time worth less than flipping burgers, it seems highly probable a DIY spend will be more than what you can buy already converted.

As mentioned before, you need to first establish a firm and realistic budget of time and money. That will narrow your options quite a bit. An factory conversion on Prevost may not be a viable option based on your budget. Work on that first and things will become clearer. Good luck

[chessie4905]

Correct

[JT4SC]

How much mechanical experience do you have?  If very little then buy the newest PROFESSIONALLY converted bus you can afford.  That was my biggest mistake - I bought a bus that was converted pretty nicely by an individual but not professionally converted, and I naively bought the bus with basically no knowledge of bus mechanical systems.  Needless to say it's been a tough learning curve fixing things that have broken along the way and adding things I've wanted.  Professionally converted buses generally have things you don't even know you need or want already  thoughtfully laid out with solid craftsmanship, and the bus itself will usually have low miles and still be as good as new. 
Hope this helps. 

[Sebulba]

Hello,

I do pretty well.  I restored a GTO Judge when I was 16.  Replace numerous engines and everything else in every car and I've owned.

I even converted my F350 to run on straight vegetable oil in below 0 temps.

I have also built and rehabs many houses.

I can pretty much handle or figure out anything.

Seb

How much mechanical experience do you have?  If very little then buy the newest PROFESSIONALLY converted bus you can afford.  That was my biggest mistake - I bought a bus that was converted pretty nicely by an individual but not professionally converted, and I naively bought the bus with basically no knowledge of bus mechanical systems.  Needless to say it's been a tough learning curve fixing things that have broken along the way and adding things I've wanted.  Professionally converted buses generally have things you don't even know you need or want already  thoughtfully laid out with solid craftsmanship, and the bus itself will usually have low miles and still be as good as new. 
Hope this helps.

[steve@teamameritest.com]

Just a thought.... Do you want to drive it?  Or do you want to work on it?  Seems like a simple set of questions, however if it's a unit you expect to take on week long vacation trips, renting an RV or bus conversion would be much cheaper.  If you love to work on stuff and be creative, buy something that captures your imagination, because your joy will be the trip rather than the destination.  Generally a bigger budget means newer unit and less maintenance.  There's an old boating saying, "if you enjoy going there, buy a sailboat, if you enjoying getting there, buy a power boat".  Kinda the same thing with buses.  I love the hunt more than the kill.  My choice was a 1989 Prevost H5-60 articulated bus.  There were 46 made.  She is my "big mama".  She is gobbling up lots of love from me and soon, she will be parading "her stuff" proudly down the road.  That's fun for me.

[Jim Blackwood]

Now that right there is ambitious. Proud of you Steve, get-er done!

Jim

[Sebulba]

Well, we live in Europe now and this research is for a time in the future we may decide to return to the states.

It would be to live in.  We have nothing in the states, so would be starting fresh.  I can't think of anywhere in the states I want to live.  So, I want to be mobile and go where I please on a whim.

Seb

[luvrbus]

The MCI's have a frame from the C model up.Eagles have always had a frame,the MCI D or DL is the best buy out there because so many were manufactured it has a 4 stroke engine Cat,Cummins or the Detroit series 60 with the world Allison pretty much maintaince free.FWIW more MCI D's have been manufactured than Prevost or Eagle entire production 

[chessie4905]

Eagles probably had to have some sort of frame to support the torsalastic suspension. The part that is attached to the chassis needs substantial support to absorb road shock torque generated without evential fatigue to the body. As all these coaches keep getting heavier, they need substantially better designs that uni-bodies aren't supplying. Witness the bulkhead cracking on many coaches of all makes over the years from harsh operating conditions. Add corrosion from road salt to the mix.

[Jim Blackwood]

I'll vote for the D or DL, you can get a lot for your money if you're buying a seated coach. OTOH, not so many RV conversions have been done on that chassis that they reflect the same price drop. The market is not flooded. Which is to say the completed conversion will not represent the same bargain that the seated coach will. As a more desirable chassis it will tend instead to draw a premium. Now if you happen across a partially completed conversion OTOH that situation will tend to be much more favorable to you, and with the number of DLs coming on the market the chances of that are improving. Then of course you have to deal with someone else's failed project.

Jim

[steve@teamameritest.com]

Regarding bus frames, I would like to point out that a Prevost H3 is all stainless steel unibody with fiberglass/gel coat panels.  That removes almost all the rust problems associated with older coaches.  The H3 has all disc brakes.  If you would prefer fiberglass repair over metal working, that could be a consideration.  BTW,  if you want a ground up project, I was attempting to make my own version of an H5-60 before I found the real thing.  I took two Prevost leMirage bus to bare steel, raised roof 12", engineered both walls to hydraulically slide open two feet each, cut the back of one bus off and turned it around to connect to the rear of the other bus.  Since I now have a real H5, I'm willing to pass my leMirage-60 to another ambitious person with thoughts of wanting a "one off" showpiece.

[steve@teamameritest.com]

I visited Prevost factory in the French speaking area of northeastern Canada, prior to starting the project to get advice from their engineers about structural integrity of bus.  After reviewing my plans to a conference room filled with their engineering staff, they talked among themselves (in French) and there was were more than a few  outbursts of laughter the room got quiet as the chief engineer addressed me.  He gave me the greatest advice I could hear.  He said,"Mr. Campbell, we have considered your plans to cut down the middle of the roof and make both wall/roof sections slide out.  And we understand you would have a roof platform that would cover the resultant opening.  Of course, this transformation would be done only while the bus is parked.  We find no structural reason why this would cause our bus to fail.  However we do strongly urge you to put the bus back together again, tightly before you drive it on the highway.  A carnival ride manufacturer confirmed that he could make the clamps to accomplish that task.