Prevost Shell Prices

[Just Plain Jeff]

Last time this topic was discussed I was of the understanding the converters have no out of pocket for the shell until it is sold to the buyer of the conversion, so the price to you should be the same.

The cost to you would be greater if you bought it and then let them have it for the conversion since you have your money tied up.

I think they get the shell for free for six months. Correct, JPJ????

Most converters have to put down a deposit on a shell. You are right that your 'cost' would go up as you would have several hundred thousand tied up for 5+ months while the coach was in production. Not fun to sleep in some other guy's factory on plywood floors.

When the coach is done, which is tracked by Prevost on a monthly basis, the converter has to cough up the cash, often by means of a floating line of credit which is referred to in the biz as a 'floor plan.'

I haven't checked in the last couple of months, but usually there are about 70+ completed coaches on the lots looking for new homes, which strikes me as a lot of coaches in a fairly small market.

[garyde]

Hi Jeff. 70 plus Conversions! Is it possible to break that down per converter. Not totally specific but just to get a sense of who is doing what. I have to assume they are not all being advertised on sites.

[Just Plain Jeff]

Gary: I don't have that information. I had the same reaction you mentioned. The same report noted that there were 235 preowned coaches on the market. At that moment, I went over to www.prevost-stuff.com and found we had 72 coaches for sale right there. (Head scratching...) and it made me wonder where they got their numbers for that, considering that there was no way to accurately collect that number to include private sales, those with a sign on the window at the hangar, etc.

I asked a VP of Prevost about the new coach number, and I ain't much at speaking French and he said, "That is about average." It may well be that this is a technical report and may also include some coaches which have been ordered but not yet paid for/picked up.

There are quite a few coaches that we don't see on the radar being converted in smaller shops. While in Nashville a few days ago I was surprised at the number of conversions by companies I had never heard of that were motorhome shells as 'star coaches' that were being done by entertainer converters. So it wouldn't be too weird of a number if there were say, at least a couple dozen or more of those coaches that would be captured in the new coach number making it more understandable. Then you throw in a couple of the larger converters with a dozen or so each, some with show coaches that are on the road for promotional purposes and it likely makes more sense.

Like all corporations, it's hard to figure how they figure. If you know what I mean?

[Danss]

On www.busforsale.com there are 28 entertainer and 6 Star coaches which I would class as an entertainer. One that one site you have 34 for sale, but prices are high enen high milage