‘Land yachts’ roll into Northern Michigan
Luxury resorts lure the mightiest motorcoaches
By Beth Anne Piehl
Photography by G. Randall Goss
See also: Motorcoach Resort
So what that Dick and Stephanie Huvaere get only 4.3 miles to the gallon.
“A man’s gotta have his stuff,” laughs Dick, whose decked out motorcoach brings new meaning to the term “land yacht.”
The lot owners at Hearthside Grove Luxury Motorcoach Resort in Petoskey enjoy cruising north to the area in their 45-foot long, 13 1/2-foot high motorcoach that tows a specially designed trailer with an elevator lift that carries their two vehicles (including an SuV), Segways, and a golf cart.
Inside the numerous storage bays of the coach itself, they roll with a grill, chairs, tables, beverages and all the necessities of home. They even have a portable hot tub.
To the Huvaeres, and the many others riding the motorcoach lifestyle train, this is the modern take on camping. With Hearthside Grove and the Motorcoach Resort at Bay Harbor opening here, Northern Michigan has become an extraordinary home away from home for these travelers.
When the Huvaeres, who split their time between their Mount Clemens area home and Key Largo, are traveling by coach, up North is a preferred summer getaway. They enjoy touring with friends the Willensons, also lot owners next door at Hearthside, and they joke about “drafting” behind their equally sizeable motorcoach. “Then we can get about 7 or 8 miles to the gallon,” said Dick. “It’s just like drafting in NASCAR.”
On the highway, the Huvaeres’ coach is the maximum allowable by law in size; sometimes, Dick holds his breath and says a Hail Mary, he jokes, about squeezing in beneath underpasses.
Their 2002 Prevost opens well beyond its 8 1/2 foot-wide size when the slide-outs are activated. Inside, the pristine living areas include all the amenities of home within 400 square feet – kitchen, full bath, master bedroom with closets, sitting room, leather upholstery and televisions. There are heated floors, a dishwasher and high-speed Internet. The numerous storage units around the exterior include an entertainment center and flat-panel television, wine and chest refrigerators, stereo system and ice maker, plus a tool chest full of supplies.
“You’ve got everything you have in your home and everything you have in your car going down the road at 60 mph,” said Dick. “There’s always the potential for something to get loose.”
All the creature comforts of home help make their frequent trips around the country stylish and relaxing. And when they’re back at their lot at Hearthside, which they’ve owned since 2008, it’s another level of luxury outdoor living. Hearthside lots can include bungalows like the Huvaeres’, which is sided with cedar shake; inside, the bungalows offer a variety of floor plans that can include additional living space, beds, bathrooms, showers for some, and offices for others. Outdoors, many of the lots at Hearthside boast fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, immaculate landscaping and thick plush sod.
The resort offers a clubhouse, fitness equipment, pool, nature paths and additional community gathering areas.
“When you are motorcoaching, a lot of your living is outdoors,” said Stephanie, an avid cyclist who brings her bikes along for touring local communities.
The lot designs at Hearthside allow for capitalizing on the outdoor lifestyle this caliber of campers prefers.
“There aren’t many of these in the country, and this (Hearthside), is the epitome,” Dick said. “When you come here, it’s like family.”
Huvaere Motorcoach Stats:
- 2002 Prevost
- 45 feet long
- 13 1/2 feet high
- 8 1/2 feet wide
- 54,800 pounds
- 4.3 miles to the gallon when towing trailer with two vehicles and gear
- Holds 235 gallons of gas
- Eight tires ride on 22-inch rims
- Five storage bays
- Interior 400 square feet of living space