[Reagan]

I am not sure what you are starting out with to convert, however you need to have a clue about weight and layout of a coach to some amount before jumping on this path….Are you planning on doing a conversion yourself?????

[Harry]

If you are planning to make a 3d model of the layout you also have the option to have a scaled model made via 3d printing so you have something to hold in your hand and review.

[Kevin]

Thanks Jeff. No, I am not intending to go about the conversion myself as I am certainly not qualified. But for layout purposes, and potentially to be able to speak to Liberty/etc about it, I’d like to do some layout beforehand. I did find a 3D sketchup model of a newer prevost model with slides, but figured someone here might know a program or resource to use.

Separately, is there a person (private individual) who does conversions on a one-on-one basis that is respected in the community? If there is a MacGyver type for this work, I’d love to know who it is. Thanks!

[Archived]

What year coach do you have that you are wanting to convert? Is it a old seated coach or what…That determines layout as the motor home shells are differant from entertainer from seated coaches….

[Archived]

Unless you want to piss away a substantial amount of money to get a layout you think you want your best choice would be to buy a professionally converted coach in your price range with a layout that best suits your needs.

The fact you are asking about the best means of doing a layout is a strong hint to me that this will be your first conversion. Trust me when I say this……..until you have lived in a coach and used it knowing how a layout will work for you is not something you can design on paper. I say that as someone who spent years envisioning and designing products including our home and even if you posses those skills there are going to be things that did not show up on paper or a 3D model.

The professional conversions are all very well thought out and are based on years of development, None are perfect for any one single type use, but all are excellent compromises given the limited number of cubic feet available. Every one of those likely lend themselves to refinement to suit specific needs, such as bunks for kids, or space for a large number of pets.

Jeff is on target with his early remarks regarding weight and balance. The interior layout of our coaches is only a part of the equation. A great deal of what makes our coaches work is what is in the belly of the coach and the house layout influences the layout of the systems in the bay to an extent. A great coach can be horribly screwed up if weight and balance issues are not considered while the floor plan is being designed.

Then there are the little issues that a new design often fails to address that tend to drive owners crazy until the design has been refined. How should the doors open? Should they be hinged or pocket doors? If hinged which is the best way for them to swing? Where should the switches be located so it is convenient for performance of certain functions? It may not seem important to have switches for the generator or Websto next to the bed as well as in the kitchen, but it is. Where should the various dials and gauges be located so systems can be monitored? Does it make sense to have single systems like a water pump, or is it advantageous to have back up for critical items?

Start with a completed coach. Cheaper, you will be on the road right away, and if you insist on a new layout it becomes the foundation.

[Andrew]

Personally, I think that having some sort of drag and drop layout program that starts with specific shells and allows a basic birds eye view to add and move around interior components is an excellent method of designing a coach or being the first step of a remodeling project. Of course, once the desirable floorplan has been achieved, weight distribution and other considerations would have to be evaluated by a converter, remodeler or expert.

This way, the converter can see which components and interior functions are important to the customer and then work around them to find a floorplan that is not only balanced for weight purposes, but takes in mind the needs of the end user. Surely, a program like this could speed up the design process and give the converter something to start with.

[Chip & Pam]

Thank you everyone for the input. I was sort of into the idea for layout — would get my wife and I excited about the prospect and then let the converter company reel us back in. You guys all know far more than me about this stuff!

Andy, I followed your search on YouTube, you ended up with a Prevost? I remember you Newell factory tour which was pretty awesome. (I hope its not bad form to mention that name).

Finally, is there an obvious choice for converter if I bought an early 2000 Prevost and wanted to gut it?

Thank you all for your input and guidance on this. Andrew

[Archived]

I will restate now that you are getting specific in that you will have a converter do the work on a coach that sounds like it might have been a seated coach.

Don’t. Once you get the quote from a converter you will choke. You don’t need to give them a floor plan, just ask if a converter is willing to do the project and what the cost will be for labor and materials.

And if you are starting with a seated coach, keep in mind it will have been beat to death and is being sold because it is no longer suitable for commercial service.

[Harry]

I would doubt it very seriously if a converter would do a coach like described…Especially not Liberty, Marathon,Millenium……It is too big of a time commitment for them……As Jon said you will have a lot of money in something…You are better off to get something you like that is already converted and then have it remodeled to fit your needs..

[Archived]

yes the plan was to get an existing motorhome – then renovate it. Who does that sort of work?

[Harry]

Jeff’s shop, East TN Lux Coach does excellent work.

[Andrew]

Instead of listing the reasons why this is a bad idea, I’ll take a different tact and state why I feel this is a good one.

There’s no shortage of home layout programs and apps that allow the user to enter the dimensions of a house or a room and then place furniture, fixtures, appliances, doors, hallways and even windows on the plan. Some programs allow the sure to import an exisiting floorplan and use it as the basis for modification or a creation of a new layout.

It seems that to make this work for the OP (Andrew), an overhead view of the interior of the various shells is all that’s needed for this project. Then Andrew and his Wife can have some fun experimenting with designs and layouts to find floorplans that suit their needs. These programs utilize sofas, beds, counters, cabinets, appliances, etc., that can be resized and simply dragged and dropped into position. While it won’t take weight considerations into place, they created floorplan seems like a great way to start a conversation with a converter or remodler to let them see at a glance, what the customer is seeking and then modifying it to adhere to the weight and space considerations of that specific coach. Surely there will be tradeoffs in the final design, but seeing them graphically and having the ability to instantly change them on a tablet is somethign that could create positive layout results.

It would be nice to have the raw (empty) floorplans in both a slides-in and a slides out scaled drawing so that Andrew can see how the design is affected for traveling or camping.

While this isn’t a Prevost, the image above can give you an idea of what a basic program or app can generate without requiring much skill level.

These programs have come a long way over the past two decades and now require a minimal skill level to use. If a user takes the time to create the floorplan, it seems like it’s an ideal way of letting a converter or remodler know what’s desirable to the user and assist them in modifying an exisiting coach or starting from scratch with a new coach and creating one that takes into consideration the needs and wants of the user. And yes, based on the detail inputted by the user, some of these programs allow for CAD style views and some can work with 3D printers to create actual models.

It seems what Andrew is seeking is the dimensions of the interior of the coach shell, having the driver and non movable passenger cockpit and the rear engine areas already on the plan is a good start to create a plan for his specific coach or one that he’s considering for purchase. I’ll add this could be a fun family project as it’s like assembling a puzzle.

Andrew, is this what you’re seeking?

[Bernie]

Andy, yes exactly.

its gets us started down the trail. And my wife excited about the idea. We would buy an already converted bus (in mech good shape) and bring those plans to a conversion shop to customize. I can operate a number of programs you described including OmniGraffle, Visio, and Sketchup, but I need the dimensions of the shell.

i also need to find a bus (!), and a good shop to convert it for us over the next year. We are hoping to do something g honey and not too flashy.

[Dick]

Andrew,

The people on this site giving you advise are far to polite to tell you that playing Ken and Barbie on the inside of an older Prevost is a pipedream not a reality. Let me give you some numbers to mull over.

Marathon, Liberty and Millenium build about 36 buses a year combined. They charge between 1.6 to 2.2 million dollars to do that with a seven month window to build. Also Emerald and Featherlite and Parliment are building some but I don’t know how many per year.They won’t stop that for you so you would have to go to a independent shop for a remodal.

The 100k to 200k you will pay for the bus you would need to add at least another 150k to get someone to even take on stripping a bus and redoing it. The more I think about it 200k plus is more likely. The money just doesn’t work. If someone tells you they can do it for 50k, you need to run.

You may take my writings to be harsh but we have all been there. The people giving you advise have been around a long time.

If you want to look at new floorplans of shells to get an idea go to Marathon home page and scroll to the bottom and click on Coach Floor Plans.

Later

bv

[Dick]

Free advice if you continue on your project.

At the very least spend some time in a coach before you do a floor plan. Unlike a house where a foot here or there is a small margin of error you are dealing with the need to consider dimensions in fractions of an inch. The bedroom of the typical coach is a good example because not a single coach has a standard queen or king bed or mattress. They are all some bastardized size so there is enough room to move around, yet as large as possible. They are described right or wrong as short queens or California Kings, but in reality they are whatever dimension is left after the space to move in the alloted bedroom square footage has been determined.

I’ll be impolite also and wonder how much experience you have to know more than the professionals who have done these conversions for decades? They have done layouts to accomodate special needs such as handicap, bunks for kids, spaces for pets, tall people, short people, and for all sorts of uses. I would love to know your budget because unlike starting with an empty shell you are starting with a shell that already is going to have roof pentrations, specific window locations and probably has a layout for air and plumbing that is not likely to meet your needs, plus you are taking on the challenge of designing your layouts, up and down to address weight asnd balance.