The EaglePalooza Rally 2025 in Gallatin, Tennessee author

This year's EaglePalooza rally was held at All Access Coach in Gallatin, Tennessee. There were 22 Eagle coaches in attendance.

Last year, when I heard that Daniel Lenz was putting on a rally just for Eagles, I knew I wanted to go and started planning to attend. And as the time drew closer, I got the bright idea to change the brakes on the bus to bring it up to date. This involved changing the brake pads, air lines, etc. The only problem was that I didn’t give myself enough time to complete the process, and didn’t end up making it last year. I was so disappointed! I didn’t realize all that was involved in updating my brake system.

Needless to say, when the talk of this year’s rally started hitting the wire, I once again made plans to attend, and I’m so thankful that this year, my wife and I made it! Our trip up and back was flawless. We even made it over Mount Eagle. I had heard about that mountain, and I have to tell you, I was a little concerned about it, you see – I have an 8V71 Detroit Diesel engine but no Jake brakes, so I’m not a big fan of any elevation, but we made it up just fine (going 30 mph) and back down (going a bit faster, LOL!)

Along our journey there, we met another Eagle owner, Michael Chaddock, also from Florida. We were able to convoy part of the way up to Gallatin. We arrived on Thursday, mid-morning. There were a few other Eagles already there. Daniel greeted us with a smile and helped us park. He took a lot of pride in how he lined us up. That was just the start of a great rally weekend!

Altogether, 22 Eagles attended this rally, and some had fascinating stories to tell…Barbara Mandrell previously owned one bus, which was for sale. There were also five Marathon Eagles there. They were beautiful and in excellent condition. Did you know that only six Eagles were ever converted by Marathon, and that one man owns the five that were there? Two of them were for sale. We also got to see and meet the owners of The Yellow Bus! You can learn more about that bus and its history here: https://www.facebook.com/MARK209.YellowBus/ or here: http://www.mark209.com/

It was exciting to see so many Eagles lined up in one place, and it was great making new friends; in fact, the only other Eagle owner we had previously met. The rally was held in the city's downtown, and we quickly learned that Gallatin is a charming town. My wife and I visited the local shops and eateries each day, and as a bonus surprise, on Friday evening, the downtown district hosted a Trans Am Show. There were 84 Trans-Ams there from all over the US.

So, needless to say, it was a great rally! I want to thank Daniel Lenz for making this happen and putting this rally together, he did an excellent job! He is very passionate about Eagle buses and has worked for the company in varying capacities for many years. He desires to keep the history of Eagle buses alive.

I would also like to thank All Access Coach for hosting this rally. They have quite an operation going there – they lease entertainment buses and do their own interiors. They gave a tour of their facility; it was very impressive.

On a personal level, I’d like to thank Daniel. He has been a tremendous help to me throughout the years. Whether it has been about the history of Eagle buses, a mechanical issue, or even what parts to order, he has been the man to go to. His wealth of knowledge about Eagle buses is unsurpassed, and his passion for them is evident in everything he does.

On a final note: I took several videos of the individual buses and their owners at the rally, in hopes that this event could be documented and that those of you who were not able to attend could, in some way, experience it. The videos were posted on Daniel’s Silver Eagle Facebook page, and we will also try to attach them to this newsletter article.

Here are some photos of the rally.

Article written by Manny Montesino

Hello, Bus Friends. Some of you know me, but for those who don’t, my name is Manny, and I’ve been asked to write an article about this year’s EaglePalooza.

I live in Central Florida with my wife, Darlene, and we are the proud owners of a 1972 Eagle 05, which we purchased from a private owner back in August of 2006. Our bus was built in Belgium and used by the Trailways Company for many years. In 1988, Hercules Coach in Kentucky professionally converted it into a motorhome.

We have been campers since we first married back in 1976. We started out in tents, then a pop-up when our boys came along, then we upgraded to a Class C in 2005. I quickly learned that the Class C was not built to last, so I started researching buses that had been converted into motorhomes. I discovered that buses had actually become quite popular as motorhomes.

Since I had always loved buses as a child (and never really outgrew that), it sounded like a good idea, so I began doing my homework, trying to learn as much as I could about them as motorhomes. I researched the different bus brands (MCIs, Eagles, etc.), and they all looked and sounded good to me. I was actually quite comfortable operating heavy equipment because I had experience driving tractor-trailers, even doubles, so thankfully, that was not an issue.

I have to say, I don’t think you really understand the ins and outs of owning a bus until you actually own one. We were blessed that the one we found we really liked was in reasonably good condition. Oh, it’s had its issues (don’t they all?), but overall, it’s been a great bus, and we’ve had it for 19 years now.

During that time, I have swapped out the engine, rebuilt the front and rear ends, and recently updated the brakes to a Model 10 Airbrake system, installing all-new parts (pedal, airlines, brake pods, valves, etc.).

I’m so thankful I was introduced to John Batten with Eagle Classic Coach shortly after we acquired our Eagle. ‘JB’ (as he goes by) is also located in Central Florida, and he has assisted me with most of these mechanical upgrades. He knows Eagles inside and out and has helped me tremendously through the years to keep my Eagle alive. Cosmetically, we installed new porcelain tile, added a backsplash in the kitchen, updated the interior lights to LEDs, reupholstered the dashboard and entry door panel, and put new wallpaper in the bathroom.

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