The Custom Motorcoach Experience

Marathon Custom Luxury Coaches Focus on YOU

One of the core philosophies at Marathon Coach is our belief in proper engineering and design, rather than building “on the fly,” as others in the industry may do. Going beyond colors and patterns, Marathon joins you on an incomparable journey – one in which your dream coach comes to life.

Over the last two years, our design and engineering teams spent a combined average of 1,600 hours on every custom coach, separate from the more-than-10,000 direct production hours that have gone into each unit. After building 1,350 luxury motorhomes – no two of which are alike – it’s easy to see that tailoring a luxury bus conversion to meet the specific needs and lifestyle choices of our diverse clients is our forte.

What truly sets Marathon apart from other converters is the pride we take in the concept that YOU are the driving force behind your custom luxury motorhome. Maybe it’s a high-end, electric barbecue grill specially built in the exterior bay, or a spacious walk-in closet adjoining the master suite or triple bunk beds … Marathon can do that. And with interior design possibilities that are virtually endless, the look and feel of the coach is designed to reflect your exceptional life.

Innovative Engineering

Our clients who have experienced the ordering process are keenly aware of the level of innovation that goes into their coaches – after all, they have thousands of different colors, materials and styles to choose from. But it all begins with the floorplan, and while Marathon Coach provides a wealth of popular, time-tested and user-friendly floorplans that our customers continue to enjoy, we are the only company that will allow comprehensive customization with their coaches, even if it means starting from a blank sheet of paper.

“Marathon allows floorplan customization to nearly any level,” said Jay Graham, Marathon’s Director of Innovations, “from minor modifications on existing floorplans to fully-custom floorplans, in order to accommodate the client’s specific requirements.” This translates into a genuinely unique experience for the owner. Whether you desire an en suite bathroom, a cozy fireplace in the salon or a custom computer workstation, Marathon Coach is clearly your best choice.

How can Marathon take on such modifications when other converters can’t? Just look at the numbers. We have a full-time engineering staff of 20 professionals – including 10 full-time 3D CAD designers – to design, develop and model any potential customer request. What’s more, Marathon has a project engineer, interior designer, paint designer, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and audio/video designer assigned to every custom bus conversion.

“With in-house cabinetry, woodworking, countertop, upholstery, and flooring professionals, there is virtually no interior design style, fabrication or design Marathon cannot produce,” said Jay Graham. And with our extensive and experienced purchasing department, there is practically no material, equipment or product Marathon can’t acquire to meet any unique request. It’s no surprise then, that Marathon is the most experienced converter in the industry, with hundreds of custom-order coaches delivered.

Buyers usually come to Marathon’s World Headquarters in Oregon for their design meetings, but improved digital capabilities and video conference technologies make long-distance collaboration easier than ever. If you can’t make the trip, we can conduct the entire specification process remotely without missing a beat.

Full-Service Interior Design Studio

If engineering is the “yin” of a true custom build, interior design is most certainly the “yang.” Marathon’s interior design team works closely with clients to help them envision their ideal interiors, and then collaborates with other engineering and production personnel to see those ideas come to fruition.

Alan Christianson, Vice President of Interior Design Engineering, has been working with clients on their custom dream-home-on-wheels for nearly 40 years, and considers the relationship between designer and client more of a partnership than an assignment. “It’s so fun … you’ve got something in common you’re talking about – their coach – and the whole process is just really enjoyable,” said Alan. “It’s a journey. You’re trading ideas, and it’s like a synergy between the client and the designer.”

The challenge of examining each client’s unique perspective is really at the heart of every custom Marathon. If you have a specific vision about your coach, our interior design team has the knowledge and experience to guide you to the realization of that vision. Alternately, you may not have a clear idea of exactly what you are looking for, or perhaps you just “know it when you see it.” In that case, our team has the training, skill and creativity to help you conceive and develop your dream coach. A full-service design studio with massive libraries of colors and textures, as well as the latest digital resources, is at every custom client’s disposal to help them unlock their creativity.

No matter how undefined the client’s vision might initially be, Marathon’s interior designers are with them every step of the way. In fact, they consider this partnership with their clients a fundamental part of their work. “It’s just the people,” said Alan. “You develop a rapport with them, and you want to succeed, you want to really hit the mark with them. You want to hit a home run.”

What does a ‘home run’ look like? You can always peruse finished custom coaches in Marathon’s online gallery or in their elegant coach videos. But for Alan, success is gauged simply by a client whose needs and desires have been fulfilled. “That’s our frosting,” Alan said. “When they come in and say, ‘Oh, this is exactly what I wanted,’ or ‘This is more than I expected.’ That’s success, as far as I’m concerned. That’s the whole goal.”

With these elite teams of engineers, interior designers and craftspeople ready to meet you, find out what you are looking for and accept your challenges, Marathon is the clear leader when it comes to custom-ordered luxury coaches. These parting words from Alan Christianson say it all: “You start on this journey with a client … and it’s really rewarding to go on that journey together.”