{"id":1415,"date":"2009-01-01T11:58:26","date_gmt":"2009-01-01T19:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chilltravelers.com\/chill\/?p=1415"},"modified":"2015-06-29T13:49:40","modified_gmt":"2015-06-29T20:49:40","slug":"grizzly-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chilltravelers.com\/chill\/grizzly-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Grizzly The Build and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Grizzly<\/a>
Grizzly in Borrego<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The expansion of our business in 2009 created the need for a bigger, more reliable and powerful coach. \u00a0We began our quest in earnest to replace our Monaco with a coach that could climb the mountains of the west and provide us an off-grid base of operation.<\/p>\n

Our first attempt was to find a full-production coach that we could build out differently. \u00a0The timing was poor because even the powerhouse Monaco was in chapter 11\u00a0bankruptcy. \u00a0We talked to a number of custom conversion companies as well as drove some very impressive coaches like the Prevost based Teschner. \u00a0None quite fit the bill.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Dynamax Ultra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our game plan changed to make a trip to Indiana to visit Dynamax and Farber. \u00a0Farber was open to a coach as long as it looked like a bomb squad truck and Dynamax chucked us out saying “no custom!” \u00a0While at Dynamax, we saw a prototype version of their Ultra being built on the Mercedes-Freightliner Cascadia. \u00a0Wow!<\/p>\n

Sitting in the KOA in\u00a0Middlebury\u00a0Indiana the evening before we were to leave, in rolled a monster with sides painted with logos named ProBar. \u00a0This monster was built on a Fredightliner Columbia 18-wheeler cab. \u00a0Being in the same industry as our business, we chatted with the CEO owner about the truck and our industry until it was dark. \u00a0He said, call this guy name Lonnie and he will show you what they can do.<\/p>\n

The next morning, we called Lonnie at a company called ShowHauler that is based just a few miles from where we were staying. \u00a0He said come on over and I can give you a tour. \u00a0Well we spent most of the day there and learned all about what they had done for entertainers, racers and other business people. \u00a0We told him what we wanted and needed. \u00a0About five of the things we wanted were firsts for them and their attitude was, “bring it on.” \u00a0We asked the all important question….How much? \u00a0To my pleasant\u00a0surprise, it was less than half the price of a high end Monaco that we had looked at. \u00a0Do you take American Express?<\/p>\n

We left Lonnie armed with a book full of information and even more important, an Excel spreadsheet with the many options they already offered with a few blank fields for us to fill in our wants and for Lonnie to fill in the prices. \u00a0So, withing a few weeks, we had a deposit down and began the build.<\/p>\n

Below are some pictures of the process of the build and our finished coach. \u00a0First though, it is important to understand why and how we went about this.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Show Hauler Factory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When we started Keys Care, we had never imagined that it would grow so large and qucikly. \u00a0Unlike most companies, as founders, we were in the field traveling around the US more than 300 days a year and we just wore out our Monaco. \u00a0As you can imagine, everything was a compromise on the production coach and we modified it as good as we could for desks, storage for products and the all important internet connections. \u00a0We knew we had to stay state-of-the-art and that it would be difficult. \u00a0 With production ramping at the factory, we found ourselves starting to design the ideal coach based on our needs.<\/p>\n

As we would drive our Monaco from meeting to meeting we started to compile a list. \u00a0Even though we had not discovered ShowHauler at the time, it became a notebook \u00a0full of thoughts and ideas.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to our visit at ShowHauler. \u00a0Lonnie spent the better part of the day showing us what they had done, toured us through the production facility showing us what they were building and walked us through the many pictures of actors, musicians and racers whose coaches filled the walls.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
844 First Meeting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The a walk to the holding pen where various truck chassis were parked. \u00a0Freightliner Columbia’s and Volvo’s filled the yard and Lonnie told us of the features and benefits of each. \u00a0In the back row, we spotted a Mercedes-Freightliner Cascadia with the number 844 written on the window. \u00a0It was beautiful and Lonnie told us that it was the first wind tunnel designed truck and was the first since Mercedes had acquired Freightliner. \u00a0It is 14″ wider in the cab, quieter, smoother and more\u00a0luxurious\u00a0than any other built to that date. \u00a0It also had a new\u00a0monster\u00a0Mercedes Detroit Diesel DD15 engine with huge horsepower and even more torque<\/p>\n

Then we sat in his office and told him what we were looking for. \u00a0We said:<\/p>\n