[Susan]

I have never converted a seated coach, and have never had anything to do with body panels on a coach, but if I had to determine how to replace windows with an outer skin the first place I would ask the question would be either by calling Prevost engineering and getting their advice, or contacting Prevost approved collision repair shops such as we have advertising on this site.

The quality of the conversion is dependent on doing this right because as we owners of rivet coaches know the heat absorbed by our body panels on the sunny side of the coach does a lot to the skin and we can hear it growing and shrinking as it heats and cools. That suggests the installation of the skins requires consideration so water tightness and future potential damage to the paint job is addressed.

[gary]

thanks. i will contact prevost and see who if anybody they can recomend in my area of northern alberta

thanks petar

[Robert]

Peter

Jons advice is sound but I can tell you what Prevost said since I have done what you are asking. On the drivers side of my coach, I left the first 5 and the last 2 windows. On the passenger side, I left the first six and the last 2. Some try to leave the windows and frames in place but I removed them by removing the rivets. That left only the frame to rivet new siding to. I went to a local metal shop, bought 4′ X 9′ 4052 aluminum sheets 3/32″ thick. I made a template of the shape of the side frames. I took the sheets and the template to a local sheet metal shop that roll formed the the sheets to match the frame template. I obtained 1/8″ thick by 2″ wide roll mastic tape from an internet provider. I rolled the mastic on the outside of the frame members. Once that was done, I lifted the rolled sheet up on the side and attached the upper left (could by any upper corner, left or right) with one rivet behind the “H” molding that has to be raised to remove the window frame. Then my lovely wife stood inside the bus with a propane weed burner purchased from a farm supply store blasting on the aluminum sheet. After about 10 minutes on high and moving back and forth along the sheet, when I thought it had expanded as much as it would, I riveted the opposite upper corner, and both lower corners. My advice, if you’re going down this road, go to Harbour Freight, get on their website or a rivet company website and buy yourself an aircraft air riveter. It is a work and time saver and only cost about $50-90 US. Then while she kept the heat in place but not blasting it, I moved to the center and riveted top and bottom. I then split that distance, again with heat. After that, I gave her a break and just finished riveting the sheet using the same pattern as the window frames that had been there before. BTW, size the sheets to fit your window frames before starting the rivet process. Other self converters set the coach in the hot summer sun and let it do the work. That would be great in places like Arizona/Florida but I wasn’t sure it would work in Missouri, where I live, especially when I was doing mine in September, so I went with the burner. I see you’re in Canada, so you will have to use your own judgement. One other self converter I know used three diesel fired space heaters on high by setting them on sawhorses along the sheet but it is much more expensive than my approach unless your have the spaceheaters or can use them afterward. It worked well for him. I also raised my coach 9 inches since mine was a seated coach and I needed the headroom. Putting 4 panels on my coach took me 2 weeks working evenings for a few hours and weekends. Others do this in a few days but I was particular and getting she and I working together at the same time took some coordination and extended the time to complete.

Some things to think about. you must use some kind of tape to separate the aluminum sheet from the steel frame or you will get corrison. You must have something to heat the aluminum sheets or when the coach gets in the hot sun in an RV park, the sides will wave like crazy. You need to get the rivets from a reputable rivet company who can also sell you drill bits that are the right size (not more than 1/32″ bigger than the rivet) and the bits are razor sharp. With the steel frame, the bits would drill about 10 holes before they went dull. I bought a “Drill Doctor Pro” sharpener and 8 bits. I still have the bits and the Drill Doc after nearly 4K of rivets.

HTH. If you would like to ask more questions, contact me off board through the board, love to share. No pics were taken when we were doing this as she and I were both busy. I regret it but that is the way it is.

Rob

91Prevost LeMirage XL40 “Olga”

Missouri

[Archived]

i will get ahold of you. that sure sounds like a procedure. i get maybe 3 months of good summer here and i dont have a shop. i may go with a plan b if i come up with one

thanks. petar

[Archived]

no not all some XL have single pane on sides of coach and drivers and passenger side are dual pane , on XLll they are double pane on side of coach , some XL’S have double pane on sides two I think not 100% on that mine did not single pane on sides