Roberts Brothers Coach

[AmeriStar]

Has anyone had any experiance with a Roberts Brothers conversion? They primarily do band/bunk/star coaches, but we've spotted a 2008 motorhome coach we might be interested in.
Any input with your Roberts Brothers coach would be appreciated.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I have no clue about Roberts Bros conversions but since you are not unaware of coaches or conversions the best way to answer your own question is to bring some tools and take a look at it. Obviously the first phase is to review whatever paperwork is available to learn its history. You want some assurance it has no acident history and it has been maintained regularly.

But to judge any conversion all one has to do is look behind the surface. Open up access panels, get down in the bays and look at the systems and look in places there would ordinarily not be any reason to look. I have had the opportunity to look at the innards of a lot of conversions and it is very revealing. Is the plumbing properly supported and does it look like it was assembled in a professional manner? Is the plumbing marked and are there shut off valves for every fixture. Is the wiring neat, run in bundles and protected from chafing? Is the wiring marked and are the runs unbroken from the source to the device? Is the wiring the right type for the application?

How does the quality of the cabinetry appear? Is it made with tight fitting glued joints or does it look like it was slapped together and stapled? How consistent are the cabinetry joints? Are they all even or do they vary showing lack of care?

I think anyone with the desire can make a conversion, and with care can make one that is well assembled. But one thing that separates the men from the boys is if the conversion is well thought out. The converters of entertainer coaches have a different focus than the converters of motorhomes. An entertainer converter builds for commercial use and in my opinion the systems tend to be simple, serviceable, and robust. They are going to be used by people who view the coach as nothing more than a business tool and aren't going to be as careful as an owner may be. So the conversion is likely to be built for long life, but may lack some motorhome features that add to the enjoyment of the coach.

The bottom line is you have to do the evaluation from your perspective. Those of us only have experience with the coaches we have owned and unless we have the ability to do side by side comparisons by extensively using a Liberty, a Marathon, a CC, etc. we can only say our experience with Brand X was good or bad but with no benchmark for comparison.

Where an owner, even with limited experience can offer solid gold advice is in information about customer support. Does the converter support the coach? Even a simple coach requires some support from the converter. Just having access to build information such as sources for fabrics, surface coverings, etc is important if a new owner wants to make a repair. Is there a system that needs programming and will the converter make the information available? Are there any custom components such as a molded front cap that cannot be duplicated except at great expense but is avalable through the converter?

Just my Tuesday brain dump.

[Sawbonz]

Is there a system that needs programming and will the converter make the information available?

FYI, Liberty wouldn't give up the Crestron programming so that Uii Gui could do an upgrade!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Not defending Liberty, but no converter is going to reveal proprietary infomation. There have been too many past instances where converters have stolen other converter's ideas and technologies. The key is if an owner can get access to support for their proprietary coach systems.

As coaches get more technologically sophisticated that ongoing support is critical and a lack of that support renders an otherwise excellent coach a ticking time bomb in the sense that if something pukes an owner is either going to have substantial expense associated with repairs, or has a coach whose core operating system has to be replaced.

[AmeriStar]

I have no clue about Roberts Bros conversions but since you are not unaware of coaches or conversions the best way to answer your own question is to bring some tools and take a look at it. Obviously the first phase is to review whatever paperwork is available to learn its history. You want some assurance it has no acident history and it has been maintained regularly.

But to judge any conversion all one has to do is look behind the surface. Open up access panels, get down in the bays and look at the systems and look in places there would ordinarily not be any reason to look. I have had the opportunity to look at the innards of a lot of conversions and it is very revealing. Is the plumbing properly supported and does it look like it was assembled in a professional manner? Is the plumbing marked and are there shut off valves for every fixture. Is the wiring neat, run in bundles and protected from chafing? Is the wiring marked and are the runs unbroken from the source to the device? Is the wiring the right type for the application?

How does the quality of the cabinetry appear? Is it made with tight fitting glued joints or does it look like it was slapped together and stapled? How consistent are the cabinetry joints? Are they all even or do they vary showing lack of care?

I think anyone with the desire can make a conversion, and with care can make one that is well assembled. But one thing that separates the men from the boys is if the conversion is well thought out. The converters of entertainer coaches have a different focus than the converters of motorhomes. An entertainer converter builds for commercial use and in my opinion the systems tend to be simple, serviceable, and robust. They are going to be used by people who view the coach as nothing more than a business tool and aren't going to be as careful as an owner may be. So the conversion is likely to be built for long life, but may lack some motorhome features that add to the enjoyment of the coach.

The bottom line is you have to do the evaluation from your perspective. Those of us only have experience with the coaches we have owned and unless we have the ability to do side by side comparisons by extensively using a Liberty, a Marathon, a CC, etc. we can only say our experience with Brand X was good or bad but with no benchmark for comparison.

Where an owner, even with limited experience can offer solid gold advice is in information about customer support. Does the converter support the coach? Even a simple coach requires some support from the converter. Just having access to build information such as sources for fabrics, surface coverings, etc is important if a new owner wants to make a repair. Is there a system that needs programming and will the converter make the information available? Are there any custom components such as a molded front cap that cannot be duplicated except at great expense but is avalable through the converter?

Just my Tuesday brain dump.

Jon,
My question was simply if anyone in this forum had experience with this company's conversion.
Just trying to get a actual hands on opinion. Not a lesson on how to buy a coach.

[Aircover]

Has anyone had any experiance with a Roberts Brothers conversion? They primarily do band/bunk/star coaches, but we've spotted a 2008 motorhome coach we might be interested in.
Any input with your Roberts Brothers coach would be appreciated.

I am very familiar with RBC. If you are looking to convert a Prevost my suggestion would be Integrety Interiors. I have used both as interior builders and I think RBC is basically a leasing company now. For a beautiful and functional interior that you will have support after the sale I've had better luck with Integrity... Again I think RBC is primarily leasing.