Hemphill brothers pivot RV rental from rock stars to tourists during Covid

The Hemphill Brothers Coach Company knows a thing or two about how celebrities live on the road. The Nashville-based RV company, run by brothers Joey and Trent Hemphill, has been building and equipping luxury tour buses for 40 years, promoting a list of List A customers ranging from mega stars like Taylor Swift, Oprah , Dolly Parton and Beyonce to former US Presidents.

“2020 would be our best year yet. It was already booked as our biggest year in our company’s history,” Trent Hemphill said when CNBC first met Hemphill in October.

But when the coronavirus pandemic caused abrupt cancellations of concerts across the country in early March 2020, $ 30 million in vehicle rentals reserved for touring musicians came out the door. “My brother and I, we’ve been through a lot of things together in this business, but nothing like that,” Trent Hemphill said.

Data from the American Bus Association estimates that between 75% and 80% of the reduction in bus travel has been canceled since mid-March 2020 due to the pandemic, a loss of nearly 5 billion of dollars for the U.S. entertainment coach industry, which includes coaches. operators and tourism companies.

The Hemphills grew up traveling as a successful family gospel group before borrowing money from their father in 1980 to buy their first bus to rent. They now have more than 100 buses. The Hemphill Brothers Coach Company is located in Nashville, Tenn.

During the first five months of 2019, business grew at a boom: 95% of Hemphill’s fleet was on the road. But in early 2020, “not a single RV left the field for three months,” Joey Hemphill said. “They considered us an essential transport for the government. But there was no business.”

“The most painful thing we’ve ever had to do was lay off employees. We had to be very agile and reduce costs immediately and figure out the way to get to the other side,” he added.

So the brothers put their heads together and decided to do something they had never done before: create a presence on social media and start marketing their buses to the masses.

“We deal with tour managers. Dealing with the general public is something we’ve never done in our 40s. So everything was new to us,” Joey Hemphill said.

“We’ve said our team can be used by the general public who don’t even know we exist. We just have to get the message across,” Trent Hemphill added.

To provoke the rumor, the brothers proposed the phrase “travel like a rock star” to market their luxury motorhomes to American tourists and travelers looking for an alternative to air travel during the pandemic.

“It was a way to generate revenue not only for the company, but also for our employees and drivers,” Trent Hemphill said. The “rockstar experience” went viral and the Hemphills said they have completed dozens of roadside tourist rentals last year and in 2021.

The buses are very similar to a five-star hotel circulating and pilots can choose from several floor plans. The “star bus” can accommodate up to 12 people and even pets, and each part of the bus can be closed for privacy. The brothers said each bus is “very personalized” and that “no two buses are alike.”

In true celebrity fashion, Hemphill buses offer travelers a ride on the lap of luxury: each motorhome is equipped with unique finishes such as genuine leather, hardwood floors, granite, marble and quartz.

The cost of renting campers starts at between $ 1,200 and $ 1,500 per day depending on mileage. Drivers, fuel and accessories are included and drivers can meet travelers at home anywhere in the continental US

Trent Hemphill said the advantages of traveling on the road compared to an airplane are plentiful. “You only have to pack once,” and passengers wake up at their next destination in the morning while the bus travels at night, “he added.” Our drivers are so good at offering you such a smooth ride. You don’t even know you’re moving. “

“I personally sleep better on a bus than at home,” Joey Hemphill said.

So who else has slept on a Hemphill bus? The same company that turned superstar Taylor Swift’s first tourist bus produced the country’s latest legend Merle Haggard.

Coaches are sterilized before each trip and drivers are subjected to Covid testing before any trip and are accommodated in pre-arranged accommodation between destinations. Prices may vary depending on a person’s schedule and itinerary, or travelers may choose to make a tailor-made travel route.

The Calderon family said that when their trip to South Africa was derailed due to the pandemic, renting a Hemphill bus for the same amount of money and taking a road trip was one of the best decisions they have ever made. .

“We’ve been all over the world and had an amazing vacation. I think we had no idea we’d come back and say of all the trips we’ve made in life, that this was our favorite,” Karla Calderon said.

Karla, her husband Rafael, and their two young children took their Hemphill bus west for a 12-day trip, starting in Nashville and ending in Yosemite National Park. “We always want to travel outside the US and see all these things. That [trip] it reminded me that this country is amazing, ”Rafael Calderón said.

The Hemphill brothers said they have also increased other revenue streams by selling used equipment and custom interior modifications and conversions for external customers. The company said this has helped offset some of the loss of rental income during the pandemic and has allowed workers to return to work.

Even when live concerts return, the Hemphills said they plan to keep a portion of their fleet for tourists.

“We crashed into a storm and had to regain control of the company. And we realized we could still do it.” said Trent Hemphill. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s also been a little stimulating for him and me to see that the decisions we make on a daily basis can affect the outcome of our business. Just like they did in the beginning. You feel young again.” .