The Birth of a Bus

here's the answer to all your storage problems: ;D

https://www.prolinetrailersales.com/enclosed-trailers/enclosed-stacker-trailers

If I was much younger, absolutely.  But now? The DW would kill me!

Thanks for sharing, we just bought our new to us 2005 Beaver and I can really respect the work that goes into these coaches after reading your thread.
Brad

I finally got around to looking at the pics on Diane's blog. That's a sweet lookin' coach! 8) I really like that floorplan.

Thanks! That was one of the things that sold us too. The funny part is, the first 1/4 of the coach floorplan was the same as the Phaeton.  Still figuring out the whistles and bells though. 

Sarge, did I miss the final coach birth?

Don't remember seeing any overall images of the inside and then the outside.
Did you take possession of the coach yet?

There are gorgeous pictures of the new coach on Diane's blog:  http://www.mytripjournal.com/rvnchickTNG

I just saw this post and read through it. All I can say is CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Bill

RedandSilver said:

Sarge, did I miss the final coach birth?

Don't remember seeing any overall images of the inside and then the outside.
Did you take possession of the coach yet?

Click to expand...

Yep, you got me! I have been so distracted doing projects and reorganization that I got side tracked. I will follow it up soon!

And the build rolls on.....

Another one of the little mystery's of building the rig. How do you get the refer in so easy?  You put it in first.

#1- One worker with the refer on a lift puts the unit in the open wall and places it on a "slide sheet" to push into position later.

#2- Another worker prepares to set the first slide. He does it by himself with use of a crane lift.

#3- And then it is slid into place.

#4- Big slides took more horsepower.

#5- Preparing to set the front cap.

#6&7 - The start of day 3 was the adding the roof rails, and the install of the basement storage doors.

#8&9 - And the interior finish work starts, adding drawers, and cabinet doors.

After the finish was was nearly done, I left for home while the Bus went to the Belmont facility for paint. 

#10- This is the first photo of the completed rig at the dealer, Sherman RV in Mississippi.

Next are the inside finish pics!

Very nice rig, very nice indeed.

Thanks for the additional pics, Marty -- and she does look mighty nice.

Fantastic pics, Marty! It's pretty amazing seeing these beasts "come alive"...

Where are you heading next? I know a nice campsite in Grapevine Texas.
Bill

We just pulled into Hungry Mother state park in Virginia. Pretty nice place!

Let the adventure begin.
Bill

Beautiful Marty!  I like those colors too!

Thanks for the images - so I wasn't crazy  ;D

Will be interested to hear how it drives/handles and if you have any problems with it.
If you don't have any problems I wonder if it could be that you were there for a lot of the build process and they
knew you were watching and so did an extra good job and didn't cut any corners - whereas someone that just orders
one and then shows up to collect it probably didn't have the same interest in it and with no one watching - does that make a difference?

Either way - congrats on the new coach and thanks for letting us in on the build process - as I doubt I will ever be able to buy a new coach.

The differences between this coach and Phaeton are many.  Some are wonderful, some I haven't decided yet.  The most dramatic is the ride and handling of this coach.  I have to attribute it to the Independent Front Suspension (IFS) as opposed to the Freightliner solid front axle, the longer wheelbase, and the bigger motor. This rig has a Cummins ISL 450 HP and 1200 ft lbs of torque. 

This suspension floats over most road imperfections, and the Freightliner "banged" over them. This rig will power up most grades without downshifting or slowing down.  If I do slow it usually because traffic in front of me has slowed.  But there is a price to pay for all that power, and that is usually reduced MPG. But would I give it back to get better MPG? Nope. 

I love the added room inside the coach. It is just roomy.  The Phaeton wasn't exactly small, 37'.  But the extra 4' is noticeable, and I like it. It is noticeable when driving though. Mostly when turning tight corners. And when pulling out of a driveway onto a two lane road, I really need to clear traffic because I will be  taking both lanes for a bit to get pointed in the right direction.  Again, I still wouldn't go back to the smaller rig.

Lots of new storage space, but I had to figure out how to best use it. Every new coach I have ever had was always a puzzle to figure out how to fit stuff into. Now that I am getting it figured out, I have lots more outside room than I did before. 

Lots more observations, but I don't want to turn this entry into a novel. But one more question I will address, because I think it is relevant.  Yes, I truly believe that being there for the build and following it down the line made a huge difference.  I chatted with the workers, smiled a lot and took a genuine interest in what they were doing. Most of them were extremely nice, and took a few minutes to explain the process of what they were doing. Every 4-5 "stations" had an inspector that met and chatted with. Their job was to scrutinize the build process, and identify and mark with a colored masking tape any slight imperfection they saw, and get it addressed immediately. Some marked dozens of slight adjustments that were addressed.  Some I couldn't even see, and I am a critical son of gun for doing things right.

By the end of the 5 day build, I was totally satisfied that my coach was as good as it could be. When it got to the dealer, Sherman RV in Mississippi, their PDI was extensive.  They had a 130 point inspection list that they do on every coach, and I saw mine.  They told me that the PDI flew by because they found nearly nothing that needed addressed. My experience after delivery has been similar. I have addressed a few minor issues, tighten a screw, adjust a latch.

The issues I have had or still do are more to do with the function of a new system and learning how to make it work. There is a learning curve on any new or used rig.  There has been a few systems that I will talk about in future post that I haven't decided about yet.  But the overall impression so far is, I LOVE IT!

Nice to see an update.  Glad it's working out well so far!  I'm really looking forward to reading your future adventures....

and enjoy Hungry Mother's
reminds me of a fun trip I took there years ago...just a day trip up from Williamsburg where I lived at the time to attend some festival in the park.  Flew along with a friend in his Cessna 172, while another friend flew along with us in loose formation in his Pitts special (red aerobatic bi-plane).  He gave us quite an airshow doing loops and rolls around us to make up for our slower speed so we could keep up with him....