It is often said a picture is worth a thousand words. For this particular picture, every one of those words might well be “awesome.”

            Anyway you look at it, Liberty Coach’s aptly named new “Super Suite” is like nothing the motorcoaching world has seen before. Framed by a stately dark wood pillar and soffit treatment and offering a seemingly impossible amount of bedside space, it looks and feels more like a five-star hotel suite than the rear of a motor home.

            Of course, this is not just any motor home. It is a 2021 Ravello SS Triple Slide Edition (Stock No. 867) – the very latest from premier Prevost convertor Liberty Coach and first to be built on a specially-modified version of Prevost’s new Super Slide chassis.

            First introduced at the 2019 Tampa RV Super Show, the Super Slide chassis added a stunning 40 inches of width to the rear driver’s side slideout to create an extraordinarily large rear bedroom space. Liberty managing partner and design engineer Kurt Konigseder wanted more.

            “In the initial configuration, the slideout window was positioned toward the rear of the coach, which is not what we had in mind,” Konigseder explained. “I wanted them (Prevost) to build with the window in the center of the slideout, so the bed could be centered in the slide room.” Prevost agreed, and after working together for nearly a year, the first modified chassis was delivered to Liberty’s production facility in North Chicago, Illinois.

            The results speak for themselves. The Super Suite’s bed-forward positioning leaves ample floorspace for the rear vanity and shower area, while the facing floor-to-ceiling closets on the passenger side mirror the slide room’s symmetry and add a significant amount of closet space over prior coaches.

            That is matched by a host of new systems and features throughout the rest of the coach, including Liberty’s exclusive Blindspot Detection System and 360-degree exterior camera system as well as a breathtaking Artisan Series exterior design by renowned automotive artist Dean Loucks.

            The bottom line: Liberty’s first “Super Suite” coach is a super achievement in any every way. Of course, that is just business as usual for the world’s premier manufacturer of Prevost conversions, and you can expect more of the same from Liberty’s design team for the remainder of the 2021 model year and beyond. In the meantime, savor these images of Liberty’s first “Super Suite” Elegant Lady. And keep your eye out for more in the months to come.

       Liberty Coach #867, the 2021 Ravello SS ­Edition shown here, is under contract and not available for sale. The next Super Suite model, a bath-and-a-half 2021 Serrado SS Edition (LC #871) is now in production. For updates and more information on Liberty’s 50+ year history of innovative leadership in motorcoach conversions, visit LibertyCoach.com.       

On Sunday, May 10, 2020, Kirwan Elmers passed away in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 91. He was perhaps best known for being the co-founder, along with his father Miles, of Custom Coach Corporation in 1955. In 2020, Custom Coach Corporation celebrates its 65th anniversary.

            It would take a book to document all of the achievements, innovations and accomplishments of Kirwan Elmers. When you asked him, Kirwan would comment that he was particularly proud of having installed the first automatic transmission in a motorcoach. One of my observations is that Kirwan knew how to relate to everyone. In the morning he could explain bus things to my children, at noon he could speak with entertainers about building their next conversion, and in the afternoon he would meet with a prince from Saudi Arabia who wanted a coach. But my personal observation is that his greatest achievement was in creating the new converted coach industry and in beating a path that the RV industry followed. Having been blessed by owning three Custom Coach conversions over the years, I was aware of much of this and was lucky enough to be among Kirwan’s friends.

            Today, it would be difficult for many younger people to imagine our world without motorhomes and the RV industry. But powered motorhomes were essentially unknown prior to the mid-1950s. While there were a few isolated examples, they were all built individually and for highly specialized purposes. Most were owned by companies or used for various commercial purposes.

            The earliest example we know of was a 1917 Packard that was converted by Pickwick Stages into what might be called a bus route scouting bus. Pickwick was an early bus operation that was founded in California and began expanding routes north and east. This early conversion did have a bedroom, restroom, galley and small living area and could be sent out to explore potential new bus routes. There are records of various circus and show acts traveling in modified buses. We might consider them as the earliest examples of today’s entertainer coaches.

            In 1928, Orville Caesar, general manager of Greyhound, had a Will bus outfitted as a traveling office.  Later, in early 1956, Greyhound had a PD4104 modified for a similar purpose. What may have been the first example of a coach with a simple motor home interior came in 1931. It was a new Yellow Coach Z-250 converted for Augustus Bush of the Anheuser-Bush Brewery in St. Louis. It was used during the 1930s and survives today in the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.

            What we today might call the camper industry first started in 1928 when tent campers began moving into small trailers. Some were too short to allow people to stand and almost all were small and offered little beyond sleeping and cooking accommodations. Campgrounds began turning into trailer parks as these trailers multiplied. Many were originally home-built but factory versions soon became available. It was with this as a background that Custom Coach was born.

            Miles Elmers, Kirwan’s father, was somewhat of an inventor and entrepreneur. In the post-war years, Bendix and Westinghouse built new automatic washers but encountered difficulties because of the high amount of suds generated by existing laundry detergents. Miles developed a new low-sudsing laundry detergent for these machines called “all.” The small “a” permitted the name to be registered.

            Initially, none of the major soap manufacturers were interested in the product so Miles developed his own marketing and soon had 17 branch offices for his fast-growing detergent business. Miles spent most of his time on the road monitoring his enterprise. As a result he began to tow a house trailer behind his car and bring his family along when he could. Since the available house trailers were small and primitive, Miles built his trailers himself to have more quality and refinements.

            When school was out in the summer, Kirwan along with his mother and sister would travel around the country with his Dad on his rounds. Kirwan said that he had been in 45 of the 48 states before he started high school. (Alaska and Hawaii did not become states until 1959.) Miles began looking for better ways to travel because everyone had to ride on the car when towing a trailer.

            Meanwhile, the Flxible Company of Loudonville, Ohio found in the post-war era that there was interest in using their coaches for various unusual commercial purposes. In 1949 Flxible created its Land Cruiser Division at its Millersburg, Ohio facility to provide these interiors in order to sell more coaches. The buses would be built as shells at the plant in Loudonville and then moved to Millersburg where a special crew would install the interiors. Initial applications included things like X-Ray units and mobile showrooms.

            When Miles Elmers learned about what the Land Cruiser Division was doing in Millersburg, he paid them a visit in 1951. He asked them about building what today would be called a motorhome interior. The Flxible staff was initially skeptical since their experience to date was all with commercial interiors. In the end they agreed, possibly because Elmers already had some experience with building travel trailers. In 1952, Elmers took delivery of the first commercial converted coach with a motorhome interior, a Flxible Visicoach.

            The family took it on a shakedown cruise to Fairbanks, Alaska and back. One of the biggest concerns was the original power train that consisted of a Buick Straight-8 engine and a five-speed manual transmission was a challenge to most drivers. Kirwan, who previously had experience with custom cars and engine swaps, installed a new power train with a big Cadillac V-8 engine and an automatic transmission. This was the first automatic transmission to go into a coach. It was years before automatic transmissions became optional in commercial coaches.

            Two things happened at this time that set the stage for future developments. The first is that Miles Elmers sold his detergent company to Monsanto in 1953 and had more free time. An Ohio State football game at the Rose Bowl prompted driving the Flxible to California. The second thing that happened was when the coach was taken to the Ridings Cadillac dealership in Los Angeles for service, Mr. Ridings was impressed and asked to buy it. Miles and Kirwan flew home after selling the coach.

            Once back in Ohio, they visited Flxible to order another coach. Management at Flxible was somewhat reluctant because these special interiors required more engineering skills and management time than they wanted to invest. The Flxible people suggested that they would rather provide the coach shells and have someone else do the custom interiors. Since Miles had past experience with building travel trailers and Kirwan had experience with custom cars and power trains, they became interested. Miles and Kirwan had come to order a new conversion coach but ended up buying the Land Cruiser Division.

            The new Custom Coach Corporation was established in a small auto service garage in Columbus, Ohio on October 1, 1955. It was a different world back then. Parts of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the first real interstate highway, were open but it was not yet completed. Most motel chains we know today did not exist. McDonalds had opened their first franchise only months previously and fast food was still new. While campgrounds existed, they were geared to small trailers and not for the big Clipper coaches. Customers had to be sold on the concept of converted coaches as well as the vehicle.

            As an industry pioneer, Custom Coach found it necessary to blaze a trail for their converted coaches as well as the RV industry that followed in their wake. The first problem was obtaining components and systems. At first, Custom Coach used a lot of boat and yacht components because the RV industry did not yet exist. Getting financing for a converted coach (then $25,000 to $75,000) was an uphill battle. Bankers would exclaim: “You want to buy a what?”

            Pioneering work also had to be done with government agencies. State licensing bureaus were confused because a converted coach was not a trailer, car, bus or truck and most had no category for powered recreational vehicles or private buses. Insurance was also an uphill battle for much the same reason. Insurance companies had never insured converted coaches in the past simply because they did not exist. Most people fail to understand the amount of pioneering work that had to be done in the later 1950s to make converted coaches viable.  And, it was this work that opened the door to the RV industry that followed.

            A major turning point came on June 20, 1963 when a group of “house car” owners met in Hinckley, Maine to watch an eclipse and ended up founding the Family Motor Coach Association. They were called “house cars” because they were hand made and the earliest recreational vehicles. Kirwan Elmers drove a converted 35-foot Marmon-Herrington to the gathering and was the only commercial company there.

            This founding of FMCA soon sparked the start of early factory RV units that appeared on the market. They were viable only because Custom Coach had already created a path through components, financing, insurance and licensing. Kirwan Elmers was active with FMCA for years, serving on its Commercial Council from the mid-1960s and as chairman of the council from 1990-1999.

            Custom Coach installed the first back up cameras in 1965 and the first cruise control in 1967. There simply is not enough room to list all of the accomplishments of Custom Coach nor the memberships of Kirwan Elmers over the years. However, I do want to mention two things. The first is that in about 1985, Custom Coach developed what came to be called the Q/C or Quick Change rear bedroom. It offered two couches for an executive interior for daytime travel. These could be turned into two twin beds at night or moved together in the center of the bedroom to make one larger bed. This was a great innovation for people who used their coaches for multiple purposes.

            The second item is that in 2013, Kirwan Elmers was inducted into the Recreational Vehicle / Motor Home Hall of Fame for his work at Custom Coach. He was nominated by Charlie Schrenkel and endorsed by Karl Bade, Bob Lee and Larry Plachno. This was long overdue in acknowledging the pioneering work he did in making converted coaches and recreational vehicles viable.

            From a corporate standpoint, Miles remained active with the company for about 10 years after it was founded. Kirwan stepped in during the mid-1960s and purchased the company. In the 1980s it was sold to Alco-Standard but Kirwan remained active. In 1989, the company was acquired by Greyhound and later spun off in 1993 with MCI. Following several years under private ownership, Custom Coach was acquired by Farber Specialty Vehicles.            

Located on the east side of Columbus, Farber specializes mainly in commercial interiors and body-on-chassis shells. Hence Custom Coach, with its private and executive interiors in MCI or Prevost coaches, was a welcome addition to the product line. Kirwan continued to be active with the company well into his 80s and had an office at the Farber location. His accomplishments will be long remembered in the converted coach and bus industry.

It was a long time coming. As the creative force behind Liberty’s award-winning interiors since 1991, Kim and Kurt have probably designed more coach interiors than anyone in the Prevost bus conversion field. “We’ve been wanting to make this change for a long time,” she exclaims. One glance at Liberty’s “New Look” tells you why.

Clean, modern, light, airy, smooth, swanky – we have heard it described a hundred ways, but most importantly? It feels like home.

Creating that feeling required considerable thought and design – savvy, on Kim’s part as interior designer and Kurt’s as the design engineer. Modern is great, but it has a reputation for being cold and industrial. Both Kim and Kurt wanted to clean up the lines of the classic Liberty design, but make their “New Look” feel as warm and cozy as ever, if not more so.

A redesigned lighting scheme is central to this achievement. Giving the illusion of heightened ceilings that “just fade away” not only brightens the space, but quite ­literally elevates the coach. Kurt calls it a “glow” and that feels right on the money.

That glow is what illuminates miter-folded countertops with sharp edging, and continuous slabs with veining that looks like real stone. It shines on the wide variety of textures, tones and materials that Kim has chosen, giving the coach an incredible amount of dimension and detail. It is one thing to see it in pictures. In person, it is really something to behold.

When it comes to developing and refining her design approach, Kim is not that far off from the rest of us. Scrolling Instagram and combing the Internet for new and interesting makers, she finds and cultivates relationships with the multiple vendors that bring each coach to life. For Kim, it is not so much about brand names as it is about quality. If she (or a creatively-minded client) can dream it up, she can find the right person to craft it. Is this the future of design at Liberty Coach? Well, there will always be a place for the timeless, classic Liberty style that purists have come to know and love. Judging by the overwhelming reception to date – since its unveiling last spring, it has been virtually impossible to keep a “New Look” coach in inventory for more than a few days – the “New Look” of Liberty Coach is here to stay.

Bradford, frustrated with the buying experience of traveling across the country to look at one motor home at a time coupled with the lack of comparability, decided it was time to host an event where he could house 20+ motor homes for sale in one place. Since Florida has an extensive motor home owner community, and all the major converters have an established presence there, Bradford decided Florida was the optimal location for hosting an expo. “No one had ever held a show with all the converters together and I figured if I can make a show like this work, it would be a win-win for everyone – converters, dealers and customers,” said Bradford.

In January 2013, Bradford hosted the first Motorhome Expo at the Tampa Convention Center and was met with immediate success. All the major converters, several pre-owned dealers and a handful of vendors attended and were excited to take part in a new motor home buying experience. The Expo was held at the Tampa Convention Center for another four years, where attendance and vendor numbers continually rose. Due to the popularity of the event and limited parking, ample camping spots were becoming an issue so in February 2018, the Expo was moved to the South Florida Fairground Expo Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The new location boasts 84,000 square feet of indoor, air-conditioned space and accommodations for more than 50 Prevost motor homes, more than 30 vendor booths and 140 full hook-up camping spots – taking the exposition to the next level and doubling attendance rates. At the 2019 show, almost 200 Prevost motor homes were present – including motor homes for sale and people attending in their own motor homes, proving the move to West Palm Beach was instrumental to the success of the event.

Since its inception, the Motorhome Expo has displayed roughly 300 motor homes, selling nearly half each year and generating sales for new production motor homes – custom-made for each client. “This show is so important for clients and potential buyers because it gives them the unique opportunity to interact with the converters, salespeople and perhaps most importantly, fellow owners who are more in-tune with their own needs and concerns. The Expo has provided clients with the buying process I was so eager to have and I am proud I can offer that to them,” says Bradford.

In response to attendees’ desires to spend more time at the event, Bradford created the VIP Camping Package in 2018 – and quickly sold out for both 2018 and 2019. The package includes camping for four nights, industry seminars hosted by Prevost and converters, receptions, dinners, nightly entertainment and “sneak previews” of the expo hall. Although this package is extremely popular, Bradford ensures the Expo is not limited to those who purchase the package. In fact, numerous people from all over the world travel to attend the event every year.

Each Prevost Motorhome Expo brings different elements to the show to ensure customers, converters, vendors and dealers obtain the most out of the experience, year after year. However, each expo takes place in February for two days and showcases roughly 50 motor homes, with dealers bringing three to five motor homes each and converters typically showcasing one pre-owned of their choosing and a few new motor homes. Additionally, each expo hosts between 25-30 vendors booths from insurance companies to motorcoach resorts.

Since moving to West Palm Beach in 2018, the Expo has provided seminars to participants – hosted by both Prevost and converters. Bradford felt the necessity for educational seminars because he wanted to offer attendees, especially those who participated in the VIP Packages, a deeper and more comprehensive experience. Each converter, as well as Prevost, presents a seminar on a topic of their choosing, which can vary widely – from the history of the converter to unique motor homes that have recently been converted.

The 2019 Motorhome Expo produced the biggest turn-out in the event’s seven years of running, with more than 500 attendees, 280 of which arrived in 140 motor homes for the VIP Package. This year 52 fully-customized Prevost motor homes, ranging from $200,000 to $3,000,000 and from a 1998 XL to the 2020 H3-45, were showcased. Overall, almost 200 Prevost vehicles were in attendance. All of the major converters were in attendance including Liberty, Marathon, Millennium, Emerald and Featherlite as well as several pre-owned dealers. Additionally, this year’s expo hosted almost 30 vendors while several Prevost and converter service vans were on hand to assist with maintenance.

The seven seminars presented at the 2019 expo were no less than extraordinary, educational and exciting. The seminar topics included: quality of care by Liberty Coach, exceptional approaches by Millennium, the uniqueness of a Featherlite by Featherlite Coach, a behind-the-scenes look by Marathon, tire care dos and don’ts by ­Michelin Tire and network and service/maintenance by Prevost.

“The Prevost Motorhome Expo stands as the premier event for Prevost and our motor home converter partners,” says Steve Zeigler, director, bus shell sales division. “Jamie Bradford has created a quality environment for “Everything Prevost” in which he provides a first-class presentation that allows all supporting motor home lifestyle businesses direct contact with Prevost owners and potential owners looking for the finest in luxury motor homes and services.”

Initially, the Motorhome Expo was intentionally held alongside the Florida RV Supershow as it is the largest RV show in the U.S. – hosting roughly 15,000 attendees annually. Albeit a highly beneficial and rewarding show, Bradford and Prevost alike saw the need for customers to speak directly and intimately to converters and vice versa. “Prevost needed a way to better support our converter partners in their marketing efforts since they produce the final product. We felt partnering with Jamie Bradford was an excellent opportunity to connect with our converters on another level and with clients who are serious about buying our products,” said Michael Power, director of marketing for Prevost. “We knew immediately that partnering with Jamie had the potential to be astronomically beneficial – and it has been. Prevost believed in Jamie and in turn, we wanted to help his show exceed ­expectations.” Although the Expo is a Prevost-branded show, the event itself is run by Bradford.

The Motorhome Expo will be held at the South Florida Fairground Expo Center in West Palm Beach, Florida in early to mid-February until at least 2025. “As for the future, I am looking forward to continual growth in attendance and the Expo itself as well as creating new and exciting events during the show to ensure customers, converters, dealers and vendors are fully enjoying their experience,” says Bradford. The 2020 expo will take place on Wednesday, February 12 and Thursday, February 13, with the VIP Camping Package event running from Monday, February 10 through Friday, February 14.

1. How sound is the overall structure?

 The safety of our clients is key. We, in partnership with Prevost, produce the strongest, safest and most durable bus conversion shell built specifically for the RV industry. Because the Prevost coach was designed for the business of transporting people hundreds of miles each and every day for years on end, its structure is durable with a longevity missing from the typical RV. The stainless-steel, fully-welded integral construction, reduces noise as well as expansion and contraction problems, plus it adds significantly to a coach’s stability and safety. Prevost’s “zero tolerance” system of assembling its welded components ensures perfect alignment while welding the stainless structure. The composites and stainless siding, not aluminum, make for lasting durability that is both structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. Few, if any, RV companies have seen their vehicles reach, much less exceed, the two million mark. Prevost has. That is what you get with a Prevost coach, a tried and true pedigree that has proven itself over years and over miles.

2. How many engineers are supporting your high-tech coach?

The electrical system is the brain and backbone of your coach, so quality matters, especially where wiring is concerned. With a foundation based on an electrical engineering plan, thorough documentation, easy accessibility and system redundancy, we ensure that you have what you need through every phase of your coach’s life. For Marathon’s team of 12+ engineers and 24 electricians, good is never good enough. When it comes to the quality and outstanding performance of your coach’s wiring, they are uncompromising in their pursuit of greatness. Visionary in nature, their approach and philosophies stem from a desire for resolute reliability, ease of customer use and long-term integration.

3. What is hidden behind the walls?

We invite you to look behind the walls to see the difference. Yes, the wiring is neatly done, but there is more than that. It is highly functional, planned, organized and serviceable, even decades down the road. With the infrastructure engineered and documented, you can bring in your 20-year-old coach and we will still have the plans, making your improvement or repair simple and safe. You may have noticed our ceiling designs are created to be remarkable, but did you know they have also been specially created to allow access to the wiring systems? Every single bell cap and junction box is always accessible, and that is not all. There are hidden panels installed throughout the coach to provide easy access behind the walls when needed. For example, unlike some coaches where a surface may have to be partially demolished to allow access, in a Marathon it may be as simple as removing a shelf in the half bath or pulling out a drawer in the kitchen. With every wire neatly labeled and every detail mapped out in the master plan, there is never any guesswork.

4. Is it truly customized?

 When you order a custom designed coach, you have the opportunity to choose everything from the floorplan to the fabrics. Whether you choose one of Marathon’s diverse floorplans or work with the experienced engineering team to design your own, you can enjoy unsurpassed luxury as you vacation, conduct business, provide transportation or entertain guests or clients in your custom-outfitted coach, fully equipped to provide a comfortable environment for family living and entertainment or for corporate use. We understand that people have different hobbies and lifestyles, so when a customer has an idea for a custom coach, Marathon listens and tries to accommodate any request – no matter how unusual. From creating stairs to a basement office or spaces for grandkids and pets to installing wine cellars and bidets, ideas for custom coaches are only limited by one’s imagination. For example, inside the coach, customers have requested 14-karat, gold-plated sinks and valances, crib and playpen, heated towel bars, a bird cage and treadmill. Our professional engineering, interior design and exterior paint departments have the experience, knowledge and resources to implement your unique vision. We have unparalleled skill and expertise in building the most complex, technologically advanced coaches on the road today.

5. Is it a sound investment?

Marathons hold their value. With a coach built to travel more than a million miles, at 60,000 miles coaches are just broken in. When it comes to depreciation, with a Marathon, depreciation on a percentage basis is usually quite a bit less than a standard luxury class A RV. This is partly due to the custom nature and our overall lower production volume versus the growing demand for the product.

6. What kind of craftsmanship goes into it?

We believe it is important to craft every part of your coach correctly, even if you can not see it. From the aircraft-style wiring behind the walls to the hand-scribed cabinetry to each and every ceiling treatment and more. For instance, did you know that a skilled team of Marathon craftspeople custom builds each sofa for every luxury coach from scratch? Marathon Coach provides its valued customers with the finest and most well-crafted designer furniture in the industry. The residential-style sofas are custom built using the highest quality of wood and fabric materials available. In addition, the flexibility of building to suit allows Marathon’s customers to choose from an array of standard designs and virtually any color or style of fabric. Our exceptional and unique paint designs are also created by hand, produced by the nation’s finest exterior paint artisans. Our modern facility houses four full-service painting booths, making it one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. Doing everything in-house gives us complete control of the entire process from the prep and body work to the design and color creation. From top to bottom, Marathon bus conversions are unmatched for quality and style. Every department creates and produces the most exclusive RV in the industry.

7. What kind of space do you need?

Whether choosing an H3-45 or an X3-45, Marathon coach owners know they will have abundant basement storage for whatever they need. Some select the H3-45 for its contemporary lines and full body paint – others choose it because it offers approximately 500 cubic feet storage and conversion space. Of course, those who decide on the classic styling of the X3-45 with its polished stainless-steel sides enjoy the highest interior headroom as well as an ample 400+ cubic feet of storage space. Although the dimensions vary depending on the type of coach, the space underneath can be transformed in a variety of interesting ways, from installing wine coolers and freezers to storage cabinets and closets. The ways to personalize your experience are endless. Plus, Marathon’s team of engineers think through your entire exterior design. For example, on new quad-slide coaches, the 55-inch bay TV will pull out of bay two and swing in front of bay three. Why is this important? Bay three houses the audio/video equipment rack. This means if you have entertainment items – outdoor refrigerators, barbecues and the like – your large screen television is not going to block access. Flip that burger or grab that cold beverage, because you have everything right where you need it. Although it sounds simple, you might be surprised at how many luxury RVers have to actively work around their outdoor entertainment bays. In addition to ensuring client convenience, Marathon “finishes” the bays, covering all utility items. Not only are we safety conscious, we want you to be proud of every aspect of your coach; leave your bays open – they look that good.

8. How are you going to use it?

  Those who choose Marathon span the gamut. Those with lots in luxury RV resorts, staying in the same area for long periods of time, for example, tend to appreciate quad-slide floorplans with augmented space. Others who actively travel the U.S. often find double or triple slides a better fit because they can more easily traverse the coach with the slides in. As a result of Prevost’s patented system, these bus conversions provide more square footage and include more slides without taking away from the ample storage space below, which has more than any other type of motor home. Whether you are into golfing or racing, cooking or art, Marathon’s engineers can create an ideal space for you. Of course, there is more to life than where you are going. If you travel with large dogs or small children, designers can guide you in selecting ideal fabric and flooring materials. If you entertain often, additional accommodations can be worked into your custom plan. Perhaps you are a dry camper, cold-weather camper or desert dweller: Thoughtfully designed and expertly executed, your luxury coach will have the tools you need to maximize your experience.

9. Do you appreciate a good back-up plan?

We believe in redundant systems and excellent plan Bs. For example, Marathon Coach intentionally designed the food grade stainless-steel water manifold system to simplify the coach experience. With each fixture having its own individual shut-off valve, should there ever be an emergency situation, coach owners can easily shut water off to the affected area, yet maintain water service in the rest of the coach. Since all waterlines are seamless, with no elbows or joints, directly running from the manifold in the water bay to the appropriate appliance or fixture creates less potential for water leaks. Another example is the Jump Start feature, which was designed to combine the charged house batteries with the depleted coach batteries so you can jump start your coach pack. Even if both your coach and house batteries are depleted, the system can combine the generator power as well, getting you back on the road in no time. These are just a couple of ways Marathon ensures your every coach experience is memorable for all the right reasons.

10. What kind of service are you looking for?

 Marathon continues to cater to our owners’ interests long after a coach is purchased with personalized service, repair and remodeling available at our three locations across the country and with Marathon Coach mobile service. A specialized technical support staff is readily available for troubleshooting or to ask questions. In addition, after-hours support is available for emergency situations. The same design and engineering staff that create new one-of-a-kind coaches for our valued clients are available for upgrades and remodeling. This ensures that the same detailed attention is given to our clients at any stage of their coach’s long life. Whatever your coach needs, Marathon is committed to providing the exceptional service you deserve.

Featherlite Coaches (www.FeatherliteCoaches.com) handcrafts bespoke motorcoaches for the consumer market combining the finest materials with high-tech features designed and engineered in 3D CAD to deliver the finest coach on the market. Building on the Prevost H and X chassis, Featherlite Coaches offers customers coaches with two to four slides and is the only converter whom also offers an in-house slide system that provides increased living space with flush-floor slides deeper and wider than offered elsewhere. Floorplans offered include multiple bath-and-a-half configurations, bunks that power convert to become expansive hanging storage all with king master suites. Leveraging the massive storage available in the Prevost chassis, the coaches offer power sliding trays with available exterior entertainment features such as refrigerator, ice maker, power liquor dispenser and 4K UHDTV and surround sound. Control systems range from simple remote control operation of AV and lighting up to voice control of all systems.

Amadas Coach (AmadasCoach.com) offers the finest in marketing, executive and seated luxury coaches. Marketing coaches provide corporations space for product exhibition, product training and client entertaining space and can be custom designed to meet a client’s unique needs. Executive day coaches can be configured to suit but traditionally offer a choice of couch or single seats in the salon, galley offerings, full baths and a conference room that can convert for overnight accommodations. Seated luxury coaches offer the finest in luxury travel.

FAIC seating with space for up to 34 customers with custom lavatory, galley and full AV suites to ensure the finest in luxury travel. FAIC Seats (faicseats.com) provides the ultimate in passenger comfort during line-route, tour or charter operations allowing for higher revenue and increased customer loyalty. These luxurious seats are available in multiple material choices including custom dyed leather or customer supplied choices. The seats can be configured with USB and 120-volt power, adjustable recline, leg and foot-rest options, cupholders and tray tables. FAIC Seats offers a solution in three-point and two-point seats for both new and preowned coach outfitting and have been the seat of choice for operators who want to stand out from the crowd ensuring repeat customers.

The unique combination of offerings created with the grouping of Featherlite, Amadas and FAIC Seats ensurescustomers from both the business and consumer markets are provided the ultimate coach be it for personal enjoyment, brand recognition or revenue generation. For information on coach offerings or service on existing coaches visit www.FeatherliteCoaches.com, www.AmadasCoach.com and www.FAICSeats.com.

Emerald Luxury Coaches, the Texas-based luxury motorcoach convertor that since 2015 has been building a unique industry niche around its highly distinctive Prevost X3-45 coaches, has added Prevost H3-45 conversions to the mix for the 2020 model year.

It is a move that vaults Emerald to the forefront of the Prevost conversion field. The H3-45 is Prevost’s “touring bus” platform, one that wit

h its higher profile, panoramic windows and larger storage capacity has long been the standard for the industry’s elite coaches. That, combined with Emerald’s reputation for offering high-quality Prevost conversions at exceptionally competitive prices, is raising eyebrows throughout the industry.

As well it should. A quick look at Emerald’s initial offering of completed H3-45 models reveals a product that more than holds its own in t

he extremely competitive Prevost marketplace. “We surveyed customers about what they want in a coach, and we listened,” says John Walker, Emerald’s owner and president. “We started by redesigning all of our bays, to increase storage, reduce maintenance costs and just make them easier to work with. On the inside, we worked to open things up and use every inch of the floorplan, to give the design a chance to shine.”

The H3-45 series also reflects Emerald’s commitment to incorporating cutting edge technology and premium quality components. Of particular note is the 58-volt house electrical system features Volta Power System’s automotive-grade lithium ion batteries, the most advanced energy system available and one that cuts hundreds of pounds of total weight from the coach.

Other noteworthy features include oversized HD LED TVs throughout – 49-inch displays in the living room and bedroom and an enormous 65-inch unit in the lower bay entertainment center – as well as a Creston-based control system that may be the simplest, easiest to operate ever designed.

“Simplified operations have always been a priority for us, and a characteristic of the Emerald brand,” Walker says. “We program the Crestron ourselves with our own interface, and combine everything into one central control panel. You can also run it through your phone, tablet, or smart TV. Again, the idea is to keep it simple.” They have kept it affordable, as well. Even with the new advanced features, the price of a new Emerald’s H3-45 remains below the average Prevost conversion and competitive with many high-end Class A motor homes.

“In terms of value, the Emerald H3-45 is like no other vehicle in its price range,” says Frank Konigseder Jr. of Liberty Coach, which provides sales, service and marketing support for Emerald. “The quality of the workmanship is obvious. The same goes for the technology and design work. And there’s no comparing any Class A chassis to a Prevost.

” Walker agrees, pointing out that Emerald will continue to build coaches on both Prevost platforms. “H3-45 or X3-45, you are talking about a million-mile coach. And we want to give everyone in the market the chance to experience it.

” Emerald’s new H3-45 coaches are offered exclusively through Liberty Coach of Florida in Stuart, Florida (LibertyCoach.com) and TransWest RV in Frederick, Colorado (transwest.com). Contact them directly for information on current inventory and to arrange a test drive.