I got an E-Mal back from Triton.

[Racerx]

I sent an E-Mail to that link for Triton Motorcoach. I got a response, and they did confirm that they are just starting up. They apparently had some orders (two) they said, and they tried to get Kingsley to build them as one of their shells, but they could not get the construction they wanted.
I asked them if they knew about this site, and they said they knew about it and would send something in when they are ready. He told me that he doesn't want to promise anything he can't deliver and they are taking things slow.
Well, that all I know for now, if anybody else wants to write to them, this link worked for E-Mail. Tritonmotorcoach@att.net

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

.....what part of t he world is he in I wonder?.....geofkaye

[5erFool (John)]

I got a reply from triton motor coach just now and I have edited the two emails together to increase clarity and delete firvality (sp?) and repetition.
John,
Thank you for your E-Mail. Triton Motorcoach is currently building our first coach on a 2004 Volvo 780.
The actual truck is not really important, as this is a personal preference. The chassis and rear cab profiles are similar in most trucks.
Some things that you need to know about Triton, we are building a very limited series of very high end Motorhomes. Our Coaches start at $700,000.
There are many other less expensive manufacturers such as Showhauler, Kingsley, Powerhouse Coach as well as other specialty companies that address different parts of the market, and range in price from $175,000 to 600,000.
Since all of our coaches are expected to be very custom, I will describe the unit that is currently in production as an example of what is possible. Additionally, we can make units with upstairs and downstairs bedrooms as well.
The current unit is being built for a racer of rare vintage motorcycles. He intends to live in the coach full time and does not want to pull any trailers or cars behind this rig. The total length is 45 ft.
This being the case, he needs to carry 3 motorcycles and a Mini Cooper S inside the body of the coach. The motorcycles will be on a lift above the car which is driven in to the coach with it's front wheels over the back of the coach rear wheels. He is keeping the full twin screw tire set-up in the rear.
Where most builders either build what we call a styrofoam body, that being one that has minimal aluminum or steel structure thin plywood and fiberglass skin over a styrofoam core or light weight steel construction with aluminum skin, ie, .060 thick steel and .040 thick aluminum, we have taken a different approach.
Triton does the following:
Our walls are made from 2X2 .125" thick aluminum box tubing members on 16" centers. We use 2X2 .25" thick in areas of special stress. The floor and other areas use either 2X3 or 2X4 aluminum sections. Brackets and reinforcements are usually 1/2" thick Aluminum.
The wall is then insulated the full 2" with rigid foam insulation. The outside skin is 1/8" thick aluminum plate, except for the doors which are 3/16" thick. The roof is covered with real industrial non-skid diamond plate. This isn't the shiny stuff most people use that is slippery and dangerous to walk on.
The inside of the walls is 1/2" thick baltic birch plywood specially glued with waterproof glues and typically used in marine applications. Our floor, is made up of a sandwich starting with .060 aluminum skin on the bottom. Then we have 2X3 .125 and .250 thick floor joists filled with foam insulation. This is then topped with 1/8" thick aluminum sheet. Then 5/8" thick plywood is added. To this we then put the finished flooring of Ceramic Tile, Granite, Marble, Wood or Carpet. There is no stronger structure in the industry.
The builder of our bodies has been in the business of building Rescue Vehicles and Fire Trucks for 35 years. They know what works and what doesn't. The body structure has been tested multiple times by actually placing a 15,000 Lbs load, with no deflection in any of the doors windows or storage compartments.
The accommodations are as follows.
The unit has three slides. The ceilings are 8' high. We have a Hydrohot oil fired heating system and (3) 15,000 BTU roof mount A/C units with heat strips.
Our Generator is a Powertech 17,500 Watt and we have a 3000 Watt true-sine wave inverter.
The kitchen has;
Refrigerator with Ice maker. FisherPaykal dishwasher, Broan trash compactor, Advantium 240V oven, Kenyon flat touch screen cook top, a Franke SS sink. The counter space is over 25 sq.ft. The kitchen has (2) large dual pane insulated windows.
The living room has a Lazy-boy recliner, 6' fold out bed, and a 6' convertible dinette.
Entertainment is a 30" LCD with motorized lift and full surround sound. The living room has (7) large insulated glass windows with electric blinds. Halogen and mood lighting is provided.
The bathroom has a porcelain toilet with built in macerator pump. A full 32x42" shower with Hans Grohe fawcet and full tile surround. The sink and vanity are imported glass. There is a stackable washer and dryer as well as a wardrobe in the bathroom.
The coach carries 200 gal. of fresh water in stainless steel tanks, waste tanks and macerator pumped output are 200 gals. as well. Water and electric cord reels are included.
The bedroom has a full residential 60X80" queen size bed. Significant drawer space as well as storage for shoes, bookcases...
The bedroom has a 23" LCD tv and full surround sound DVD player. Both systems are fed by an in- motion satellite TV system. There is access to both sides of the forward facing bed with a full 3' from the foot of the bed to the wall. There are two large egress windows with electric blinds in the bedroom.
The rear garage has tool storage, a hatch made from stainless steel and glass normally used in super yachts for going to the observation deck. A recessed storage compartment in the roof, holds a canopy and railing for the deck. The coach has a dual 7" LCD 4 camera observation system.
The market we are after is people who want or need the best and are willing to pay for it. In many cases the vehicles carried inside are worth more than the coach.
This part of the market is not well served at the moment.
It was late last night when I answered you, but some other requirements from our customer included, special lighting to highlight their art collection and storage for musical instruments.
As far as all aluminum box construction is concerned, I had my doubts, but after reviewing the data and looking at the actual product, I was convinced. But then again, not all aluminum construction as not all steel construction is created equal.
The customers I spoke to who bought rescue vehicles would only buy aluminum, but of course, they need something that will be very strong and be mistreated every day. They said they can get 25 years of day to day use out of this type of construction no problem. I guess that says something. That went a long way in convincing me to go this route.
If you feel that the people at Truck Conversions would benefit by seeing this info. then you can post it. Our ability to deliver our coaches to current customers will have to take priority over responses to questions, but as long as people are patient I'll get back to them.
I am sure that I have missed something, but I hope that you get the idea of what we are building.
We are not trying to match the glitz of a PREVOST conversion, our interior style of construction is more what you would find in a private jet or super yacht. Real honest luxury, not just a bunch of beveled mirrors and rope lighting.
If you have any interest in talking about whether Triton should be working with you on your project, drop me a line and we can talk by phone. By the way, what time zone are you in? We are in Florida.
Best Regards,
Triton Motorcoach

Know anyone who is willing to sell me some champaign at the price of beer?
John

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

......where in Florida?....I'll be there in June for a look see....geokaye

[Blue Skies]

Originally posted by 5erFool (John):
The market we are after is people who want or need the best and are willing to pay for it...

The Triton box structure sounds very impressive and I look forward to some pictures.

There is another market out there that no truck conversion manufacturer is serving:
People who want the best and are NOT willing to pay for it.

Looks like John and I (along with many others) will be looking for awhile for "anyone who is willing to sell champagne for the price of beer."

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

.....that makes 3...."heapassed GeofKaye"can be included into that group......I spent 50k and whined about it to my employees till they were sick of hearing about it.....geofkaye-Meanwhile I'mon the road.....unlike our fearless leader[warpath] who has to wait till June or July and has no fingernails left......]

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

anyone got a phone number on TritonMotorCoach?.....geofkaye

[Warpath]

Blue Skies I think they call that Do It Yourself Incorporated.

With a 8' ceiling and roof top AC's you are going to be hovering real close to the 13' 6" max height.

Being the devils advocate. Is there even a market for this thing? If your selling on the concept of a 25 year rig, what rich guy is going to keep a rig for more than a few years before he dumps it for the newest technology. So why am I spending $600,000 extra? Who is going to buy it as a used rig (no resale market) so your going to end up taking a 1/2 million dollar plus bath.

Once you get to this price guys are going to a million dollar Prevost with a driver who places the rig where he wants its. And the crew follows with the big rig and trailer full of toys. And the owner flys in by chopper.

Bill

[Camping Dutchman]

They seem to be going for a very minut and specific market. While "super c's" are becoming more popular I can't see someone spending that much money on one. even the big race outfits, I can't see how you could even justify the depreciation and have a resale market for a unit that pricey. I f you look most people who buy a truck conversion flip in 4-5 years.. So if you figure half it's value in 4-5 years that's still almost 300,000. WHY would anyone buy it when you could get a new custom unit for that... JMHO

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

....if it is a corporate owned rig you rite it off as the cost of doing business-advertizing-promotion of sales-perks.etc etc etc....A friend who ownes a trucking company here in Ohio writes off his whole beach front condo hotel as a perk for his drivers-company business sales associates and perspective clients on the Fort Myers Beach in Fla....I think the total cost was somewhere around $20 million give or take.....Larry didn't give me a exact answer to my question....he does it with the helicopter and a few other toys.....The cost of a vehicle is just one factor in getting to the bottom line......just like company profit sharing....we used to share that was left after we bought all new equipment with the employees kicking in 33 1/3 %.....it's just another tax loophole that is used by business.....It is a different set of tax regulations for corporations than individuals.......geofkaye

[Camping Dutchman]

In today's business climate really think stock holders want to see that??

[Racerx]

I actually did ask how high and long it was when I sent my E-Mail, they said 12' 10" at the satelite and 45' long. Weight was around 38-40,000 lbs, 52,000GVW.
I wish I had the money. On the other hand, Plenty of PREVOST sell for 1.5-2.0MM.
This is a million less, these numbers are making me dizzy.
I guess if a person making 125K per year spends 250K on a Showhauler why is that different than a guy making $400k per year buying a Triton?
Or a guy like me buying a used winabego...

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

Racerx....send me a addy or a phone number for Triton I want to stop by in June for a look see....geofkaye

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

....stock holders don't look at how they get to the bottom line-just if there is a bottom line and how much is their share of the sheckles-and of course how much has their shareds value gone up......ever been to a shareholders meeting.....more boreing than a 11:00 church service.....geofkaye

[Racerx]

5erFool and I have gotten E-Mail back from them.
I never spoke to them, just the guys building the body. The truck is in Lake Park, FL. At least it was on the day after mothers day when I got those pictures.
They did send me a E-Mail, so I know it works.
Tritonmotorcoach@att.net

[Warpath]

I just love posts about a phantom company building a phantom motorhome.

Anyway it looks like EVI in Lake Park is building the aluminum box or maybe more?

Other than that it looks like this project is top secret so they may have to kill ya if you actually see it.

Ridiculous

[5erFool (John)]

Racerx,
Pictures? did you say Pictures... where are they... can I see them.. huh? huh?.... I just love pictures... can I see 'em.. please can I see 'em....???? ???

Just kidding but they would be nice to see...
John

[Warpath]

John -

They have been here since last week, right here --> Triton Spy Photos

Bill

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

.....OOOOK....evi + Emergency Vehicles Incorp?.....If this is a Company that is doing Fire/Rescue/Hazmat/Command Vehicles....that means that it is vertually impossible to purchase a vehicle without a bond/prepayment/special order....and the prices are beyond reason....manufactures/NFPA/FEMA have control over the market. A good Friend sells Seagrave-he's fixed for life!....It's a liscense to steal without using a gun only a pencil and paper.......geofkaye