RV Roundup: RVing in the Lap of Luxury
Some of today’s most magnificent motorhomes & fifth-wheels rival the plushest of penthouses.
By Bruce W. Smith
January/February 2025
F or many RVers, there’s nothing more exhilarating than opening the door to a motorhome or fifth-wheel and stepping into a space that nearly overwhelms the senses. This occurs in the top echelon of recreational vehicles, which are filled with a plethora of luxury residential amenities, custom craftsmanship, attention to detail, unique floor plans, and design features not seen in typical production-line models.
“Imagine a five-star hotel suite that goes with you wherever you wish — for a night on the town or a week in the country, with family or friends, for business or pleasure,” Liberty Coach’s Mike Templeton said. “That’s how we convey our conversions to potential clients.”
What sets truly luxury RVs apart from most production-line units are the quality of components and how much attention is paid to even the smallest of details. Each is built like a luxurious penthouse suite. The cabinetry is usually made from real oak, maple, exotic hardwoods, or the best in modern composites. Countertops are typically solid granite, quartz, or other stone.
Flooring is often imported tile, real hardwood, or a combination thereof, and is frequently heated in multiple zones for maximum comfort. Furniture is typically custom-made and covered in top-of-the-line leathers or fabrics. The beds are the best money can buy, as are the fixtures; kitchen appliances; electronics; and entertainment, electrical, heating/cooling, water, and solar systems.
The crème de la crème of offerings in this rarified segment of the RV world are coaches that are truly custom built. These are one-offs constructed to customers’ specifications by specialty conversion companies located across the United States. They can easily top $2 million.
These extravagantly furnished RVs offer amenities, designs, craftsmanship, innovation, and creature comforts that put them on a whole different level from production RVs parked on dealer lots. Here are just a few examples of vehicles that make it possible to pursue RV life in the lap of luxury.
NEWMAR KING AIRE 4521
Newmar King Aire
“F rom Italian leather furniture and high-end residential appliances to automatic tank indicators and cutting-edge driver technology, this is an RV that takes care of you.” That’s how Newmar officials describe the Cummins X15-powered King Aire, the company’s top-of-the-line model, which is offered in four 45-foot floor plans for 2025. They include the 4521, which exemplifies the level of luxury you can get from a production-line RV manufacturer.
The new Kensington décor package, one of four interior designs, includes seats and sofas covered in real Italian leather, along with Sable Maple cabinets. Newmar’s Total Comfort central-air system incorporates three heat pumps plus radiant floor heating to keep occupants comfy. The kitchen is a chef’s delight, with residential Viking and Wolf appliances. The spa-like full bath in the master suite includes a quartz countertop, a huge shower, and a high ceiling that makes the bathroom feel even more elegant and spacious.
newmarcorp.com | $1,639,040
LUXE ELITE 46RKB
Luxe Elite
Indiana-based Luxe RV has been a unique “direct to consumer” builder of upscale, four-season fifth-wheels and toy haulers for nearly 40 years. They build four to five high-end fivers a month. The newest offering is the 48-foot, five-slideout 2025 Luxe Elite 46RKB, which is one of the plushest fifth-wheels on the market. Inside its 3-inch-thick insulated sidewalls is a beautiful, elevated, luxury rear kitchen that overlooks a spacious and elegantly furnished living room with opposing slideouts. On the opposite end of the unit is the Bed/Bath SuperSlide Master Suite. The king-size bed and dual vanities share space in one of the opposing slideouts, which makes this the largest bathroom in Luxe offerings.
Luxe Elite
This fiver is designed to surround residents and their guests with a high level of luxury. Outside the 1½-bath unit, which has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 27,000 pounds, is a 10-foot-deep rear basement cargo slide that pulls out from the rear. The RV features triple MORryde independent-suspension axles for smooth towing, or Kelderman air suspension as an upgrade. The 46RKB is fit for royalty but without the kingly cost.
luxefifthwheel.com | $306,000
LIBERTY COACH ELEGANT LADY #914
Liberty Coach Elegant Lady
Incorporated in 1972, Chicago-based Liberty Coach is the oldest bus conversion builder in the United States, rolling out a dozen or so new Elegant Lady coaches each model year. Elegant Lady #914 – built on a 2025 45-foot Prevost 9660 H3-45 triple-slideout shell and powered by a Volvo D13 – boasts the most advanced features and equipment available. The signature one-of-a-kind interior design by Kim Konigseder and the custom exterior automotive paint by artist Dean Loucks, owner of The Art of Design, is eye-popping. “This triple-slide edition showcases our familiar Serrado-B bath-and-a-half layout at its most luxurious,” noted Liberty Coach vice president and co-owner Frank Konigseder Jr.
Liberty Coach Elegant Lady
No expense is spared in Liberty’s choice of materials, equipment, and furnishings. Electrical power is supplied by a Volta 58-volt lithium-ion battery system that operates pantry-style refrigerators, Wolf and Miele cooktops and ovens, and Bosch washers and dryers. Audio systems feature audiophile-quality speakers by KEF. State-of-the-art UHD TVs abound, including a 65-inch unit in the lower bay that slides out for outdoor viewing. Interior design features include waterfall countertops, PranaSleep king beds, and custom-quilted bedding.
“This conversion exemplifies the craftsmanship, design, engineering, and innovation behind every Prevost bus conversion we do for our elite clientele,” Frank Konigseder noted.
libertycoach.com | $2,850,000
Marathon Coach H3-45
MARATHON COACH H3-45 #1393
Built on a triple-slideout Prevost H3-45 shell, Marathon Coach’s build #1393 is a rolling display of some of the finest in U.S. craftsmanship when it comes to luxury bus conversions. Among the features: soft-close electric-powered pocket doors; the company’s own Super Bath, with a stacked washer and dryer hidden behind the toilet wall; smart bathroom and shower doors that turn opaque at the touch of a button; a massive custom-tiled shower; hand-built cabinetry in the bedroom and living areas; a galley with several appliances hidden behind a pocket door; a marble-tiled floor; and an infinity ceiling for a seemingly never-ending display of light. Every aspect of a client’s build, which takes two to three months, is the best money can buy, according to company representatives. “We are the world leader in luxury motorhomes, and we take pride in our workmanship, craftspeople, and clients,” said Mal Williams from Marathon Sales, and host of YouTube videos called “Marathon Mondays With Mal.”
Marathon Coach H3-45
Since 1983, family-owned, Oregon-based Marathon Coach has produced more than 1,300 Prevost luxury custom-built motorhomes for customers across the globe. No two are the same, but each one is an example of what it means to live in the lap of luxury!
marathoncoach.com | $3,103,545
VOLKNER MOBIL PERFORMANCE S
Volkner Mobil Performance S
I f you want to make a really big RV statement, roll into the crown jewels of car and horse racing events behind the wheel of a totally custom, one-off Performance S coach built to your specifications by Germany’s Volkner Mobil. The company’s ultra-deluxe motorhomes incorporate a street-side “wall-out” to extend the living area along almost the entire length of the unit, incorporating the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom — plus a basement garage for a sports car on the curb side.
“Each one of our motorhomes is really custom-made, similar to yachts. There are no two alike,” said Stephanie Volkner, managing director. “So, the price depends on customers’ wishes. There are no models for 2025, only models for clients!”
Volkner Mobil Performance S
For example, one client’s recent $2.2 million build incorporated a rooftop terrace for watching car races, while another one had his $2 million custom motorhome delivered with a $7.2 million Bugatti Chiron in the garage. Of course, these coaches are built using only the best furnishings, solar, chassis, powertrain, and other elements that make them like no others in the world.
volkner-mobil.com/en | $2,240,000
Millennium H3-45
MILLENNIUM LUXURY COACHES 2025 H3-45 #10194
W ith quad slideouts, a bath-and-a-half floor plan, and a litany of upscale custom features, Millennium Luxury Coaches’ 2025 Prevost H3-45 build #10194 is a recent example of turning a couple’s dream vision of the perfect motorhome into reality. “The design is modern, with clean lines and bright, sophisticated finishes from the driver’s cockpit to the full bath in the rear, noted Charlotte Amy, interior designer for the Florida-based company. “This particular coach has some stunning features, one of which is the high-contrast tile in the luxury rain shower system, adding a serious ‘wow’ factor to its overall appeal. From the custom leather-covered J-lounge and the swing-out workstation to the fireplace and the full custom kitchen furnished with a full-size fridge/freezer, this couple’s coach is spectacular. The cabinetry and wood trim are constructed of Italian poplar.
Millennium H3-45
Off-grid power to the coach, and its four heat-pump/air-conditioning systems, are supplied by redundant marine-grade 24-volt electrical systems fed by solar or a 20-kw generator. Winegard, Sonus Faber, and Samsung handle the multitude of entertainment and communication systems. All are controlled by iPads, from the opening of the entry door to every aspect of the interior, as well as the lighting and cargo bay doors.
“This coach is the perfect marriage of proven systems and new technology, assembled perfectly to provide the owner and his family the adventure of their dreams‚” said Willie Dillingham, Millennium’s customer care manager.
millenniumluxurycoaches.com | $2,550,000
Powerful haulers for heavier RVs include the Ford 550 upfitted by Luxe Trucks.
GO BIG TO TOW BIG
Many high-end fifth-wheels and travel trailers are in the 40- to 48-foot range with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) in excess of 25,000 pounds. The size of these luxurious homes on wheels may put them close to the maximum gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of Class 4 trucks. The alternative is stepping up to a medium-duty truck.
The Ram 5500 Chassis Cab Limited with Rancher Upfit.
Class 5/6 trucks such as the Ford F-550, Chevrolet 5500, GMC 5500, Freightliner M2-106 Summit Hauler conversion, and Ram 5500 offer a greater safety margin when it comes to towing the largest of these custom RVs. Luxe Trucks (luxehaulers.com) is one supplier of custom-built heavy-duty haulers for fifth-wheels.
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Source: https://familyrvingmag.com/2025/01/01/rv-roundup-rving-in-the-lap-of-luxury/
