1954 Tourliner Chevy COE
Russ Moen of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada discovered the perfect method of getting his vehicle to classic car events across the country. Instead of rolling his classic onto a RV-attached trailer, he decided to keep it simple. He made a one-of-a kind classic RV that he drives to car shows. Although “his labor of love, a custom 1954 Chevy COE named “Tourliner,” took five years to build, now he has a vehicle that is not only a one-of-a-kind showpiece, but it can also serve as transportation and living quarters.
Recently, we saw this unique creation in Reno, Nevada, where Russ was attending one of the major car events of the year, “Hot August Nights.” Out of the thousands of impressive vehicles at the show, Tourliner was a finalist in the highly-coveted Barrett-Jackson Cup competition. Although his RV didn’t take home the top prize, it was one of the top 25 vehicles in a field of competitors that included many of the top builds in the country. Here’s a closer look at his special creation.
Russ began with the cab of a 1954 Chevy COE and the chassis of an RV, he hand-built both the shell of the living quarters and the running boards in aluminum, and he constructed the fenders in fiberglass. To make traveling safer and easier, Russ installed three backup cameras, and equipped it with air-ride. It’s powered by a turbo charged inline-6 Cummins diesel, with 400 HP and 800 ft-lbs. torque, coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Russ told us it’s a very stable and fun-to-drive vehicle that gets 20 MPG. The interior of the living quarters has all the modern conveniences. It is all custom made and includes A/C, a bed, fridge, stove, toilet, shower, LED lights, stereo, and a flat screen TV. It has nautical-style wood trim throughout.
Of course, he certainly enjoys all the attention his creation gets where ever he goes, but what he likes best is the pleasure it brings to so many. We certainly saw a lot of smiles, as people passed Russ’s RV at Hot August Nights, then did a double-take, and returned to get a closer look at this special and very cool creation.
