Russell Coach: ‘If You Can Think It, We Can Build It’

You can imagine that being 6 feet 8 inches tall might present a problem when attempting to
shower in a motorcoach.

For Rob Russell, however, figuring out solutions for travelers of all distinctive lifestyles is the focus of his daily work. He and his wife, Wendy, and the staff at their businesses, known together as Russell Coach, are able to meet any type of custom request– from creating an accommodating shower to covering a floor with marbles maintaining a smooth flat surface.
So, how did they manage with that shower? “We lowered the shower floor down into the bay, so he stepped down to get into the shower,” said Rob.

Rob has been learning about the needs of the motorcoach traveler for nearly 20 years. When he was in his early 20s, he was a noted local radio personality on the No. 1 media station for country music in Knoxville, TN, WIVK. He would also drive limousines, catering to the celebrities and music personalities who frequented the area. “I was the guy who would drive Reba (McEntire) back to her plane, or Elton John back to the private airport to catch his flight,” said Rob.

During the stars’ shows, Rob would hang out with the tour bus drivers and he began to develop a fascination with the motorcoaches. He also started meeting plenty of various entertainers and their representatives and he had the idea to start a coach rental company, which he did in March 1995: Russell Coach Company. With one motorcoach at the age of 24, Rob began leasing to entertainers.

As his reputation grew for providing premiere coaches with prompt, personable service, so did the business. Soon he had added more buses and began looking to expand further based on the comments he was hearing from clients looking for custom amenities.

In 2003 he started a second business, Russell Coachworks, which focuses on designing and fabricating custom motorhomes using the Prevost chassis. The company uses two essential
Prevost platforms, the XLII and the H3-45, which have slide-out configurations ranging from single to quad slides. “From there, the options are endless,” Rob said. “If you can think it, we can build it.” Not only does Russell Coachworks design and build new custom motorhomes but they remodel older motorhomes as well.

“We let our customers think outside the box,” said Rob. “We do not use stock floorplans; whatever our customers want, we can build. We have you sit down with our design staff and create the floorplan you want, because no one understands your lifestyle better than you. When you have disposable income, you should be able to choose the way you want to build the interior of your dream.”

Rob has windshield time, over (1) million documented miles. “I know what it’s like to break down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere,” he noted. “That’s why we build our systems with a lot of redundancy. If one shuts down, another still operates.”

The Russells also know what goes into each and every one of the custom coaches created through their company. “We are a relatively small company, 90 to 95 percent of the items we build are still built by hand,” he added.
Both operations work simultaneously out of a 10,000 square foot facility in Knoxville, TN. They continue to let customer referrals fuel their busy business that focuses on top-of-the-line service.

The rental side of the business is going strong , 17 years later. “Entertainers know that when Rob and Wendy Russell say they are going to do something, they know it will be done,” Rob
said. “Our proposals are very detailed.”

Clients like actor Gary Sinise and entertainers including Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Prince, Mary J. Blige and the Doobie Brothers are just a few who have regularly relied on Russell Coach for transportation. Currently, several Olympic stars are on tour with Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions traveling across the United States.

Lesser known but equally important clients are the non-celebrities who seek a reputable company to meet their transportation needs. Recently, a Knoxville doctor and his wife took their two daughters on a tour of colleges and they leased from Russell Coach a Prevost XLII along with a driver to safely and comfortably reach their destinations.

“Building relationships has been the key to our success,” said Rob. “It is a lot of fun. I enjoy the motorhome side of it. I love meeting motorcoach people and finding out their stories and why they like certain things.”

For more information, go online to www.russellcoach.com or call (865) 525-3888.

From the Web site:

Russell Coach Company and Russell Coachworks, now simply known as Russell Coach, is an entertainer coach leasing company and a coach conversion company servicing the United
States and Canada. We specialize in leasing and selling of Prevost coaches, as well as, building new conversions and remodeling older ones. Rob Russell, owner of Russell Coach, has personally driven and logged over one (1) million miles which truly is an exceptional way to understand what our clients need and expect. We have been leasing to entertainers, politicians and private individuals for over 17 years!

Russell Coach takes great pride in building custom conversions specializing in entertainer coaches and luxury motorhomes. In strive for excellence; we believe that the latest advanced equipment, in combination with our exemplary customer service is key factors in our success. Let us build your distinctively designed luxury motorhome of your dreams!

"At Russell Coach, we work diligently to acquire one of the best reputations in the business. We work even harder to ensure that our high standards will never fail the integrity of our customers or ourselves."

-Rob Russell, Russell Coach leasing@russellcoach.com