Road trips are the vacation of choice this summer, and now you can upgrade your adventure from your standard wheels to a decked-out tour bus that’s normally used by celebrities but is now available to us mere mortals since live gigs, festivals and music tours have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nashville-based company Hemphill Brothers, who usually cater to the likes of Beyonce, Cher and Paul McCartney, are now renting their entire fleet of more than 100 luxury RVs to the general public. The interiors of all of the vehicles are handcrafted and custom made and can come kitted out with heated marble bathroom floors, Apple TVs and power blinds, surrounded by hardwood floors and genuine leather and granite detailing. They’ve even fitted out their tour buses to accommodate a treadmill for Taylor Swift and an upright piano for Harry Connick Jr. Other bespoke additions have included an indoor fireplace, tanning beds and a recording studio.
Joey and Trent, the two Hemphill brothers who started the company more than 40 years ago, are something of celebrities themselves, having been included on the cover of Billboard magazine as well as regular appearances on VH1, HGTV and the Travel Channel series “Extreme RVs.”
It’s estimated that 95% of tour bus trips have been cancelled since mid-March, with most of the year’s income coming from trips between March and June, which has left transport providers reeling and scrambling for alternative ideas.
Prices for the luxury RV rentals from Hemphill Brothers vary based on the length of the rental, the destination and other factors.
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