Contemporary Coach Corp. 17' van with flush toilet

[AnthonyT]

Hi all,

Can someone tell me anything about Contemporary Coach Corp.? Did they build quality coaches or well thought out or were they a bargain outift? From what I gather, they were a short lived company. That’s all I know. I’ve looked for others, to find additional information. I found another, only 5 hours away, but it’s been gutted. It has the same high-top. I also found a post from someone in England, also looking for information.

I found locally (by locally, I mean 5 hour drive and 5 hour ferry) a camper-van built by Contemporary Coach Corp, which we are going to look at this weekend. It caught our eye because it’s only 17’ but has a dry bath with flush toilet. It’s based on a 1989 Chev G20, an era of vehicle I’m comfortable working on.

This is my first time posting, so I’ll include an intro. I’m very new to RVs. My wife and I have been using a basic teardrop trailer for a few years but find towing to be cumbersome in the city, where we like to explore. We’d also like to be self-contained, washroom wise - despite the additional maintenance water will entail. All this to say, we are keeping our eyes peeled for a vintage class b/camper-van.

Any information about Contemporary Coach Corp or this layout (flush toilet and shower/bath in the rear) would be appreciated.

Now, I’ll go back to lurking, until I can make some claim to being a tiny bit knowledgable

Thanks, Anthony

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...VA&oe=62089511

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...oA&oe=62072781

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...zg&oe=620790A3

[mkguitar]

Hi & Welcome


budget aside, general thoughts on shopping


see as many units as you can, we looked at about 30 units from a number of manufacturers, and when we saw the one we bought we knew it had the features we wanted. we looked at private sales & dealer lots



I found ours on craigslist, you've checked kajiji ?



watch youtube videos on units of interest to see how well, how easily people move around inside the rv



stuff like bed size- we got the biggest bed we could find fore and aft ( sideways sleepers are for short people)


Gas chev- I wanted something I could work on and get fixed anywhere by anyone with parts from cdn tire ( or napa) I have GM's with same motor and manuals and stuff. better for me than a ford or dodge)



we have no "new technology" all our rv stuff is old tech and proven. a meager 12 volt system, with propane for heavy lifting ( cooking, hot water fridge ), and a genny if we ever need
managing energy use and sources becomes a part time job



for many years the premier class B manufacturers were CDN, Pleasure- Way in SK and Roadtrek in Kitchener ( up to about 2014 when they went banrupt and a series of owners)
suggest you find a known brand with a successful record of conversions as they would have known systems and you can get help at least from other owners



also appliances should be from manufacturers such as dometic, thetford, suburban onan- that way you can get help with your fridge or toilet as someone else is likely to have same



prices are nuts the past couple of years


good luck with your search


mike
( former Haligonian)

[mkguitar]

I had a look at kajiji and see a number of rv's at atlantic Rv in Jeddore


even if there is nothing there that works for you or your budget, looking at the offerings will show you various layouts.


they have a pleasure way excel widebody on a ford



they have a winnie rialta on a VW, I like those things alot


mike

[N147JK]

Originally Posted by AnthonyT

Any information about Contemporary Coach Corp or this layout (flush toilet and shower/bath in the rear) would be appreciated.

We have a 17' van professionally built out by a Canadian manufacturer, also no longer in business. It's the bees knees.. a great van, and a really great value, considering what one gets for their money these days - bad layout designs, cold, lifeless colors (grey), dark and uninviting interiors that often look a lot like prison cells.

The van you link to, in my humble opinion, has a poor layout. The thing is, these vans have very little room to begin with, and when that small amount of room is clogged up with banks of cabinetry and bathroom fixtures, you're camping in what amounts to basically a cramped closet. Ours originally came with a flushing black-water toilet. A previous owner had it uninstalled, which was a strong selling point for us because that way I didn't have to do it myself. It's simple, open and bright inside (no blocked windows), not cramped, and is a pleasure to spend time in.

Just a few observations based on many years of van camping.

Good luck in your search - the good ones are few and far between.

[AnthonyT]

Hi Mike, thanks for the welcome and for your advice.

I have been searching Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace but I didn’t think to check dealerships directly for used inventory. I will keep going back to the Atlantic RV site to see if they have anything closer to what we are willing to spend. A lot of what’s on their site is listed as sold (and the asking price removed). With any luck, they’ll get another Roadtrek so that I can see one in person. I also don’t feel as guilty “just looking” as I would with a private seller.

It hadn’t occurred to me to look at the brand of appliances. I’m making note of that. The owner isn’t sure if this unit was professionally built or homemade, despite having completed the renovations. It was after I spoke to him that I noticed a Contemporary Coach Corp plaque on the dash, in a video tour given by his wife. It’s possible he misunderstood my question or that he also hadn’t heard of that company.

Actually, it was a YouTube video tour of a Roadtrek that got me interested in Class Bs. You’re right about it not being a good time to buy though. A PleasureWay out in Newfoundland was listed as sold within 10 hours of being posted on Facebook Marketplace. There were 2 Roadtreks at a dealer in Montreal I wanted to look at (one a GM), however they both sold before I was able to make the trip. There are quite a few wanted ads for Roadtreks. There are a couple Roadtreks out in Alberta and BC but I should know exactly what I want before making that sort of journey. Just now, a new RT was offered for sale out Windsor ON. 7000$, gutted.

We moved to Nova Scotia (Wolfville) just over 6 months ago. Previously we were in Cleveland Ohio, though we are from Ontario originally.

I will report back once we see this one in person. It’s on the Magdalen Islands, so regardless, it will be an interesting holiday.

Anthony

[AnthonyT]

N147JK,

Thanks for sharing your experience. What do you have for overhead storage in your current van?

Before seeing this coach, I didn’t know that a 17’ van w/bathroom ever existed. The owners are selling because they want something bigger. We may soon find out why. Or we may find that the bathroom and length outweigh the tiny interior.

I have noticed similar vans, where the washroom/toilet have been removed or relocated. One gentleman on YouTube (Rainfall Projects), built a custom blackwater tank so that he could relocate the toilet to one side of the van and had it facing the middle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tvd9RaSfAc

Our current experience is with a teardrop towed by a Miata. It is surprisingly airy but not really a hang-out. We also spent a few nights in a 35ft Bluebird Wanderlodge, with rear bath, which we loved staying in. We got the feeling however that we would be biting off more than we chew and it probably wouldn’t be much easier in the city than towing a teardrop.

Before we ruled out building our own van, I wondered about using cargo nets rather than cabinets. The rational was to avoid exactly what you mentioned about them making the space feel crammed. Anyway, we’ll see what it’s like.

[mkguitar]

NADA lists Contemporary for 1985~1989 models- sparse info.


over hanging cabinets are a turn off for me


here's a model similar to mine- I like this lay out alot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_x70iywTsc

the more familiarity you can have with different models and manufacturers the better, usual or expected features

spend time on youtube
another manufacturer pre 2004 is Chinook, they had cool designs



It's a bad time to be a buyer though



Mike

[AnthonyT]

That looks like a very nice layout - finding something similar would be my ideal.

It’s probably a better time to sell my teardrop than to buy a van.