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For those who are seeking a new Prevost conversion, uniqueness of style, comfort, ease of operation are important. More than that, the owner is seeking to make a personal statement. We want to acquire a coach which represents not only quality, reliability and the features of the magnificent Prevost bus shell, but something, well, a little extra; something more than just another conversion.

At a gathering of buildings in Clearwater, Florida, over 30 artisans and technicians are hard at work building individualized coaches, never two the same, at Parliament Coach. Here, a blend of old-fashioned family values and the latest in coach technology come together in a dramatic statement of one-of-a-kind coaches.

The first stop most 'customers' make is with Steve Mitchell, President of Parliament Coach. Steve assists the buyer of the coach in two ways: He helps them decide whether they would prefer the XLII Mirage, an H3-45 or even the ever-present, but still available 40-foot Prevost. But more than that, Steve introduces the 'customer' into the Mitchell family's long history of producing the highest quality conversion that will assist in the comforts of Prevost living and makes the 'customer' part of the Mitchell family

After determining the type and style of coach which matches the new member of the Mitchell family (no longer just, "the customer," the next stop is the design shop, to review the wide variety of materials, flooring, wall treatments, furnishings, lighting and all the interior and exterior schemes which make up the individualized coach for which Parliament is so well known.

Here, the new family member spends one to three days, mixing and matching, checking fabrics, colors, textures; the artistic and fashion statement which will become part of the process of creating that special coach.

Not surprisingly, the Design Shop at Parliament is manned by Steve's mother, Pat Mitchell. The shop is chock-filled with dozens of shelves of fabric samples, tile, stone, lighting accessories, catalogues and pieces of this and that which help the new Mitchell family member help select just the right blend of style and personality into their new coach.

While this is happening, in a back room, quietly at work are CAD designers, assisting the new owners with their designs; what can work best, how to put it all together.

Together with Pat's designs and the state of the art CAD designs for construction and mechanical design, a plan is finalized. This complete plan lays out the entire order for production of a new Prevost conversion. It will become the order of business for the 30 production people for the next six months of their working lives as the shell, specially ordered from Prevost, comes to life.

But it is the the story of the people who create the shell and how their work together, which is the real story.

The plans for the new Prevost conversion at Parliament become the responsibility for the entire production staff. Anyone walking through the manufacturing process at Parliament is struck with the open, friendly attitude, a sense of humor, people helping each other in a seamless, constructive manner. Remember that old work ethic we like to believe in? Here it is, alive and well.

Now that the shell is on the way, individual materials are ordered for the specific coach. Today, some conversion firms prefer to steer customers to fabrics and materials already on hand to cut costs and speed production. Not so at Parliament. The materials for each coach are individually ordered, from way back at the first meetings with Pat and Steve.

To the uninitiated, the inside of the Prevost shell may cause one to wonder, "how in the world is this going to become a luxury coach? The outside, which may already be painted, looks finished and complete; the inside is, well, just the inside of a great big bus. But this is where it gets interesting.

This is where the beginnings of the plan are started. All the hard work and decision making of the now-slightly-greater Mitchell family are taking shape. The foundations of machinery, wiring, plumbing and design features have to be built with the same precision of the Prevost shell; to do it justice, so that layers and layers of further construction can take place, to create the completed personal statement.

There are seemingly miles of cable, wires and connections to be made at every location in the shell. The huge harnesses specially constructed for each bay must be precisely located to accommodate the demands of new technology and the comforts of the Prevost conversion.

Many Prevost owners often wonder, "What is up there, just behind that soffit or corner? The answer: Plenty. And placement of the massive system is both technology and art. The challenge of placing wiring for safety and efficiency so that it is 'transparent' to the shell's new owners is the art in itself.

While the shell is being prepared, woodworking, upholstery and metal shops are busy developing their own contributions to the new coach.

Each and every component, slide, drawer, mechanism, mount, wire, pipe and fixture is made by the Parliament crew to the original specifications for the new owner. It's a busy place where large capacity water tanks rest next to huge diesel generators, ready for installation into the shell.

This is no task for the faint-hearted or the indecisive thinker: This is the merger of high technology, art, mechanical expertise and down and out experience at making a machine and its many pieces into a single statement of art and design; rugged enough to roll down the road for many years, but graceful and quiet as a refuge and a place of welcome for the Parliament owner.

Since Parliament has become a very busy shop, with demand ahead of production (The Mitchell's won't be rushed), new technology has entered even into conventional areas.

A new CNC router graces the production facilities at Parliament to increase productivity and at the same time raise the bar for precision components in the manufacturing process. Predictable results from solid plans. The router, programmed at the computer station, picks the right bits for each cut, makes the cuts, drills holes in both wood and laminates.

Even "Buddy" the conversion Dinosaur, produced as a test of the new CNC router attests to both a little sense of humor and the capabilities of the new machine.

Not a single job is 'sent out' or expected from any other suppliers. Parliament makes everything itself.

Every detail is checked, double-checked in the production process against the plan, fit and finished at every step of the way.

Parliament's paint booth is a busy place as well, for those shells which arrive without paint from Prevost as well as those in need of repair or repaint from other manufacturers. Parliament's service department itself is a busy shop which performs insurance and repair work for individuals, other convertors and for Prevost Car itself.

Exterior of the completed Parliament double slide

So how does a company produce such a wonderful, graceful machine? Well, it certainly helps to have the Prevost shell to begin with...and then a family operation; not just a little family, one which is growing just about every day, as Parliament's "customers: become part of the larger family.

And to boot, the Parliament Coach club, is open to anyone who wants to come along. Is it possible that Parliament knows, well, that sooner or later, it's just a matter of time until one of us calls Steve and says, "Been thinking about a new coach....."