BY SUSAN ROSE
Krystal by ElDorado National K40 (white) and Federal Coach by Champion Bus Spirit 27 Executive (black) at Burnham Harbor in Chicago. Photography by Chris Weiss
KRYSTAL
and
FEDERAL COACH
have been among the most popular bus brands in the industry for many years. Krystal, in fact, was one of the first to innovate the luxury limo-style interiors that made the addition of buses not only relevant, but incredibly lucrative for chauffeured ground transportation providers. The brands are still very much in production today—even thriving—albeit in different production locations and with new corporate ownership.
Where They’ve Been
The latter part of last decade was tough on vehicle manufacturing, especially for products for this industry. In 2012, the brands each faced some separate challenges—one to bankruptcy and the other to a selloff—but the respective bus divisions were purchased and nurtured back into production by the recreational vehicle (RV) giant Thor Industries. The famous Krystal KK buses were rolled into ElDorado National, one of Thor’s bus subsidiaries based in Kansas, while Champion Bus—also a subsidiary of Thor—claimed the bus rights to Federal Coach and manufacturing was moved to Michigan. The products are now known as Krystal by ElDorado National (krystalbus.net) and Federal Coach by Champion Bus (federalcoachbus.com).
Federal Coach by Champion Bus' assembly line in Michigan
Through the end of 2012 and into 2013, the corresponding facilities reorganized their production lines to accommodate the new products. The first to make its debut was Krystal at the UMA Motorcoach Expo in January of this year, while the first Federal Coach bus was ready a few weeks later. The core products that the industry loved for many years remain, but there were areas immediately targeted for improvement. Some such points included upgrading electrical systems, access and availability of parts (especially during Krystal’s transition), and tweaks to the body and structure of the Federal Coach buses. Being under the umbrella of the much larger company also gives operators access to numerous product lines, including shuttles and specialty vehicles.
Mid-summer, the board of Thor Industries decided to refocus its efforts on the RV market and sold all of its shuttle and luxury bus subsidiaries to Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), a leader in midsize buses as well as commercial and emergency vehicles. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by November 1. The companies affected include Champion Bus (and Federal Coach), Goshen Coach, and the two ElDorado National locations in Kansas and California (and Krystal products), all of which operate independently. ASV, as the new parent company, will continue moving the brands forward and producing the vehicles that our industry has come to rely upon.
Where They’re Going
John MacKinney, sales manager for the Krystal and Federal Coach products, relocated with his family from California to Kansas late last year with the initial acquisition of the brands. He’s been in luxury bus sales for over 13 years, including with Krystal, so he is intimately familiar with the product line and the needs of the industry.
“We’ve heard from several operators who think the Krystal and Federal brands are dead and gone, but they’re alive and going strong. Both of these companies have been in transition, but we are now able to offer viable luxury bus products with support unlike any other bus manufacturer before,” says MacKinney.
Part of the shift has been helping customers who already owned products from these manufacturers, especially regarding parts. MacKinney says that body warranties on Krystal buses produced before 2013 were voided in the bankruptcy, but that their network of dealers across the country can help operators with their bus repairs and maintenance.
“Many companies, of course, still own buses that were purchased before Federal and Krystal were acquired, and we know it’s been frustrating for them to get parts and service. We have representation in all 50 states, so we can definitely help them find a local dealer that has parts and service availability. While we don’t have ties to the limousine side of Krystal, we do offer help in locating parts for these products through industry suppliers and dealers.”
Those who purchased Federal products prior to 2013 still have a warranty through the old company, but MacKinney says that Champion has also been handling some of the smaller concerns through the new Federal dealer networks as well.
ElDorado now produces Krystal buses on four different chassis: International and Ford’s F-450, F-550, and F-650. Both the F-550 and F-650 are available with gas or diesel engines. The company also kept the alpha-numeric naming scheme to represent the brand and the passenger count (e.g., K28), and they are available with either a luxury limo-style interior or as a more utilitarian shuttle.
Federal Premier 34-passenger executive limobusOn the Champion side, Federal buses are available on the Ford E-450, International, and Freightliner M-2 chassis, with model names Spirit and Premier, respectively. The Federal Coach brand has always been known for its price-competitive luxury buses, which is how MacKinney will continue to market them. Seating capacity ranges from 24 passengers with luggage all the way up to 42 passengers without. A Federal 12-passenger, narrow-body corporate shuttle called Spirit CS will debut at the Chauffeur Driven Show.
Representatives from both Champion and ElDorado spoke with customers, technicians, and dealers prior to production to assess areas that may have needed modification or improvement. While many of the adjustments were minor, it helped the brands settle into their new facilities.
Working from its 30+ years in bus manufacturing, ElDorado adapted some of its technology for Krystal buses. For example, MacKinney says that ElDorado replaced custom wiring that was unit-specific in the Krystal buses with its EP3 harness-driven wiring, which eliminates unnecessary connections and makes repairs easier. Technicians at ElDorado dealers and service centers have access to the schematics through a smartphone app.
Champion, also with 30+ years of building buses, made some refinements to the Federal products, including an improved wheel well structure and air conditioning installation. Some other smaller touches made the aesthetics a bit cleaner and helped to reduce some road noise.
Customer service before, during, and after the sale is one of the cornerstones of ElDorado and Champion, and its products are available exclusively through its dealer network—eliminating the previous practice of selling factory direct. This allows customers to not only have access to a greater array of products, but to build a relationship that lasts long after the sale and through the life of the vehicle.
“We consider our dealers to be partners, offering support every step of the way. One of the benefits of going through a dealer network is that parts, service, and warranty claims are handled locally. The dealer, in many cases, will have parts on hand to get vehicles back on the road immediately,” he says. The current warranties are also competitive: ElDorado offers warranties on workmanship for 4 years/50,000 miles and 5 years/100,000 miles on the body. Champion offers a workmanship warranty of 3 years/50,000 miles and 5 years/200,000 miles on the body for Federal products.
Regardless of the brand, ownership, or location of the manufacturing plant, there’s one thing that is immutable: safety. “To maintain the level of compliance that both Champion and ElDorado require, some products were tweaked to improve safety. We won’t allow a vehicle to leave our facilities without a certified weight ticket and a certified individual passenger capacity based on floor plan and options. We’re talking about people and their safety, and it’s something that both ElDorado and Champion take very seriously.” [CD10/11.13]