Last updated on September 21st, 2023 at 01:25 pm
All of our reviews are based on exhaustive research, industry experience and whenever possible, hands-on testing. When you make a purchase using one of our chosen links we’ll receive a small percentage of the proceeds. This supports the site and keeps Jeffsetter running. You can read more here.
Coaches, (and no not the sports type), are a vehicle classification used for both buses and Recreational Vehicles or RVs. A coach, mini-coach, and motorcoach all refer to the various types of buses and RVs one will see on the road.
Yet, why are RVs in particular, called coaches?
The word coach to describe buses and RVs today is a carry-over from the times when horse-pulled coaches and carriages were the main forms of transportation. When buses were first introduced, they were also called coaches and the name made its way to larger RVs which share a lot in common with buses.
Still, there’s more to the story, and the first important distinction to make is that while all motor coaches are RVs, not all RVs are motor coaches. What makes an RV a motor coach is also what makes a bus a coach, and to understand exactly why this is, let’s take a closer look at the horse-drawn carriages of the 15th century that they were named after!
Historical Background Of Coaches
The terms coach and carriage were once interchangeable. They both represented the horse-drawn vehicles that defined the latter half of the pre-modern era. With their origins being in Hungary, they quickly spread into England in the mid-15th century, the rest of Europe in the 16th century, and colonial America in the 17th century.
Cabs for hire, political figures, and royalty all used them. They were the primary source of travel, with most carrying up to 4 people and some being able to carry 6. This made them suitable for long distances, especially when traveling between cities. Similarly, today’s coaches, RVs, and buses, are great for long distances, vacations, and even full-time life on the road.
What About Coaches Today?
The use of the word coach today to describe buses and RVs is a natural progression from their use in describing the primary forms of transportation that preceded them. What makes an RV or bus a coach is essentially what makes a horse-drawn carriage a coach.
Buses today are an important form of public transportation, so important in fact, that in 2020 and 2021, the Congressional Research Service noted funding for buses and bus facilities was increased by about $300 million dollars.
It’s no wonder buses are so busy. From stop to stop they are often crowded with passengers going to and from their destinations. Bus coaches offer more privatized services and long-distance travel without routine paths and stops. They are also not confined to certain counties or districts making them perfect for travel between different cities.
Sound familiar?
The same qualities that made coaches what they were in the 15th century are what define coaches today. While the vehicle specifications of a bus and a bus coach are similar or at times seemingly identical, their functionality is what separates them. The same rule applies to RVs and their own classification of coaches, motor coaches.
How Are Motor Coaches Different?
We’re all familiar with the different classifications of RVs. Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheelers, Class Cs, Class Bs, and Class As all make up the traditional RV family we are used to. However, when an RV is called a coach or a motor coach, it references a type of RV not included in the aforementioned grouping.
Motor coaches refer to a type of hybrid rig between a Class A RV and a bus. They are larger (both in terms of length and their average height) than typical Class A RVs, generally being around 40-plus feet long.
This allows them to feature all the normal amenities one would expect in an RV but with lots of extra gadgets and additional space like the mighty rig in the below video:
A great example of this is the American Eagle by American Coach. The resemblance to coach buses can be clearly seen when looking at the American Eagle’s exterior. But this goes beyond just the surface as the vehicle’s chassis is custom built by Freightliner, the same manufacturer for many coach and commercial bus chassis.
Are All Motor Coaches RVs?
All motor coaches are RVs but not all RVs are motor coaches. What makes the American Eagle a motor coach is that it’s built from one, not just in appearance, but in everything from its chassis, engine, and functionality. Traditional motor coaches are also recreational vehicles and are great for use in comfortable long-distance transportation.
An RV, however, becomes a motor coach when it infuses on-the-road living, with the luxurious comfort of a coach. When looking at motor coach RVs like the American Eagle, we see comfort and luxury taken to a new level that rivals the luxury of RVs from any class! The interior living spaces often come with heated tile flooring, theater seating sofas, and large sofa pull-out beds, along with a kitchen, bedroom, and lounge space.
Comfort extends beyond just the interior spaces though, even when driving RVers will often find the driver’s and passenger’s seats to be heated. Long-distance comfort defined the horse-drawn coaches of the past. Just as it now defines both the coach buses that take passengers between cities, and the motor coach RVs that bring luxury to camping also helps to keep the name alive.
What’s The Difference Between A Motor Home And A Motor Coach?
RVs can be called many different things, including a motorhome and a motorcoach, but what’s the difference? The term motorhome is a less common way of saying the word RV. Typically campervans, or Class B RVs can be called motorhomes, and larger rigs such as Class A RVs are referred to as motorcoaches.
Motorcoaches tend to be far more luxurious and expensive, they also come equipped with more features, such as multiple TVs and comfortable seating compared to motorhomes which tend to be built on a smaller chassis.
Additionally, motor coaches have the power and maneuverability required to safely tow heavy loads like horse trailers, while not all RVs have the same towing capacity. Nonetheless, both motorhomes and motorcoaches are fantastic vehicles for getting out into nature, even if they are very different in terms of finishes, capability, size, and cost.
Closing Thoughts
RVs are called coaches when they are built with the qualities of a coach in mind. A coach and ease of traveling go hand in hand, it applies to carriages, buses, and RVs alike. This is not to say that the only comfortable RVs are coaches, but that coaches prioritize comfort to the point of luxury.
They also prioritize having a steep price point, but that’s to be expected as they sit proudly at the top of the RV food chain. RV coaches are impressive in their size, appearance, and all the amenities and features that are included. With 40-plus feet of pure comfort, we’ve come a very long way from the coaches of the past!