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I was shocked at the abysmal quality of RVs in their construction and assembly when I was the Chief Engineer for a high-end RV manufacturer. We could borrow the RV whenever we wanted, and I took it on a few vacations. I also worked at a heavy-duty truck manufacturer, which interested me in the ruggedness of a bus conversion. In terms of construction, rigidity, and build quality, with its unibody construction, a bus conversion is no comparison to manufactured motorhomes.
I'm an engineer who has worked for several OEM car manufacturers and truck places and was involved in 2-stroke diesel engine designs. I have done work for Aston Martin, along with Indian motorcycles and Acura/Honda Racing, which is why there’s a custom silhouette of an Aston Martin Vantage on the side of my coach. When I worked for Jaguar Cars in the UK, we all marveled at the renowned noise of the U.S. 2-stroke 8V Detroit engines! I’m an engine nerd, and that’s how I got into 2-stroke Detroit’s.
I never knew back then that I’d be living in the United States one day and would help develop conceptual 2-stroke diesel engines. That story is a little longer regarding how I got into bus conversions over more conventional RVs.
I bought my MC-5 in Nebraska in December of 2012. My understanding is that my bus was once a church bus in Ohio. However, it was originally owned by Western Greyhound Lines in San Francisco and was one of the first MC-5 buses built at the Pembina plant in North Dakota. When it was a church bus, I believe it was named “Heavenly Reign”.
When I first bought my bus, it had a functional but work-a-day character. I had a dream of enhancing it significantly with an eye towards full-timing. My vision was like a mini-sized but vintage luxury motorcoach, like a Prevost without the complexity and all the craftsmanship.
The powertrain is an 8V71 with C60 injectors and a Spicer 8245, 4-speed transmission. This setup makes about 280 BHP and gets 8 to 10 MPG average on the highway, which I measured and averaged over two trips across the USA. For me, 35 feet is the ideal length for a bus conversion, as it's easier to maneuver into many public lands for boondocking and the like but still big enough for full-timing.
I've had Amish craftsmen build a big desk unit and a kitchen counter, and I used quartz on the piano black-colored units as countertops. I mainly fly solo and do a lot of work while on the road. I don’t need extra sleeping space or bunks, but I need a good solid work desk.
I have a Waterstone 1600 kitchen faucet and a Dometic C120 2-burner induction cooktop. I replaced the older A/C units with Dometic Blizzard NXT 15,000 BTU units to survive in the desert heat if needed.
I had special overhead custom aluminum cabinets made because I wanted to avoid most RVs' usual interior wood look. A fabricator who used to work for me undertook this work.
I've also installed twin electric Carefree Altitude awnings and leather custom-made seats, including a sofa and recliner. The carpeting came from my old house; I thought the edgy look would complement my plans. The driver’s seat has a built-in massage function. There is also a Boss Elite full audio system with Bluetooth installed.
The interior ceiling is trimmed in suede/Alcantara. The window blinds and seats are a deep red/burgundy to add warmth to the gloss blacks and alum metal finishes. They are not electric, keeping with minimizing electronics for long-term durability, but raise and lower without tangling strings.
The blinds were custom-made by Levolor. They slide up and down (from the top down) but don’t use ropes or slats to avoid rattling and tangling. The deep red or burgundy color matches the leather suite and adds a colored accent to the interior's otherwise blacks, aluminum, and greys.
For the exterior, I have a custom exterior paint job with my own custom livery. The colors used are 'Delphin metallic,' an 80s BMW color. I grew up around London, morphing to metallic anthracite—a Jaguar color—the color of my Jaguar XJR, a vehicle I was involved in engineering, with red borders or 'Cinnabar Red,' another 80s BMW color.
I had a Jaguar-style leaper motif painted on the side, where the Greyhound normally goes on a Greyhound charter bus, along with a silhouette of an Aston Martin Vantage—a car I was deeply involved in engineering.
For the Future
I will get the mirrors on the rear walls as originally intended (A supplier broke them, so currently, we have suede on the rear walls, like the ceiling, as an interim). I also hope to develop a more powerful 2-stroke V8 solution engine that can dissipate the heat and be durable and efficient. It may take some time as my current 8V71 only has about 80-90K miles on it. The combustion burn on the old Detroit 2-strokes is inefficient compared to the 2-strokes I've helped design. Maybe one day, I'll tackle that.
I intend to super-polish the stainless portions of the exterior. I'd also like to do something interesting with the headlights. They’re currently 12-volt units wired like an MC-9, and I'm thinking about using adapted Halogen ellipsoids from an '80s BMW and the high beams from a Jaguar XJR. I hope to get a solar/inverter battery solution that allows me to boondock in the desert for extended periods. Likely I will get 2400 watts plus of solar and two 3000-watt inverters. In addition, I may get a center console built near the instrument binnacle and dashboard and perhaps some overhead units up front.
To watch a bus tour of this 1964 Greyhound bus conversion from a few years ago when it was 95% done, click HERE. To see how this bus appears now, click HERE.
Rupal Paul, who often goes by Marcus online, was born and raised in London, United Kingdom. A qualified Mechanical Engineer involved in many engine and vehicle designs, including Jaguars, Aston Martin, Acura, Honda, and heavy-duty truck engines. He currently works designing and developing racing engines. Marcus also writes Sci-fi Novels in his free time.
He emigrated to the USA about fifteen years ago. He’s always been strongly drawn to the nomadic lifestyle in the States. He travels alone across the USA in his 1964 MCI MC-5 tour bus, “The Dreadnought.” Marcus owns several vehicles, some of which he was involved in designing, and several projects, from Jaguars to old classic Mopar muscle cars.
His current nomad lifestyle involves many stationary periods. He will transition to a more mobile lifestyle in the bus in the future. It’s been said that a nomad doesn’t feel stable when stationary but feels stable when experiencing velocity. This quote encapsulates Marcus to a Tee.
Marcus acquired Dreadnought, a 1964 MCI MC-5, in 2012 when it was already converted. He finished tailoring it to his specifications and style in 2022 using a combination of his own design work and work from various suppliers. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s mostly done now.
You can follow Marcus and his Dreadnought MC-5 on YouTube.
You can also email Marcus at DreadnoughtMC5@gmail.com
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