Kelly Picker’s Faye Motorhome, a Custom Tour Bus With Its Own Spa and Shoe Display

Back in the early 2000s, it was not just common practice but actually expected of celebrities to show off their mansions or other luxury assets, like tour buses and private jets – in no small part thanks to the advent of reality television and MTV. That was the era when online shaming was non-existent and when, if anything, celebrities took pride in being able to afford even the craziest things, which they would then show off.

Kelly Pickler’s tour bus is from that era, though by comparison – say, to Will Smith’s production trailer The Heat or Timbaland’s recording studio on wheels – it was understated, almost tame. Called Faye, it was still a looker by regular standards, which is why we’re still talking about it today. Well, that, and the fact that it’s a perfect fit for our RV Month theme, and an entertaining instance of escapism.

Kelly Pickler is a famous country singer and television personality who got her start on the singing competition American Idol, back in the day when standouts on the show were not forgotten in 15 minutes. The tour bus, which she ordered from Nashville, Tennessee-based coachmaker Hemphill Brothers, was custom-made to her exact specifications and, by the looks of it, she used it on tours for several years.

Hemphill Brothers are one of the go-to companies for celebrities. In their 40 years on the market, they built tour buses for the likes of Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake, Motley Crue and Van Halen, Oprah Winfrey and Pope Benedict XVI, and politicians like John McCain and Barack Obama. They have a very specific niche, that of custom coaches, and they do not lack clients.

Pickler was one of them. She named her Marathon Coach Prevost conversion Faye, after her late grandmother who raised her (in a trailer), and she described it in a 2012 HGTV appearance as a “shabby-chic little cottage.” You can tell she’s a rich celebrity from how she defines “shabby-chic,” because you won’t find a trace of shabby chic elements – if you don’t count the rustic-like table in the lounge.

Speaking of the lounge, it benefits from the sole slide-out on the bus and starts right behind the cabin. Considering Kellie had two dogs traveling with her at the time, it’s impressive how much white she chose for the lounge, from the aforementioned table to the seats and the luxurious couch. Proud dog mama Kellie even made sure her dogs’ custom kennel matched the interior – while keeping the pooches safe on the road, of course.

The kitchen is toward the rear of the first section of the bus and almost full-size. Kellie would cook in it, but as we know from other celebrities, that statement too should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Still, the kitchen had a three-burner stove, fridge and freezer combo (and a separate ice machine that Kellie got from the place she once worked as a waitress), and more storage space than you’re bound to find in a small city apartment.

Up next was a guest bathroom, which was technically a spacious half-bath decorated in a matching, elegant style, with real tiles and under-furniture LED lighting to create the impression of more space. But the crown jewel was in the hallway where the guest “quarters” were located.

Much like fellow country singer (and legend) Dolly Parton with her Gypsy Wagon, Kellie had one side of bunk beds torn down and replaced with something she could really call her own: a display case for 42 of her most prized pairs of designer shoes. At the beginning of the chat, Kellie said that her bus was “girlie” because that’s how she wanted it; you can tell from her giddiness in front of the shoe display that she meant it.

Guests would sleep in the two remaining bunk beds; Kellie concedes they were small, but comfy, with their own small TV screens and intercom. Her bedroom was up next, taking up most of the rear of the bus. The bed was located in a cozy nook and had custom stairs drilled through the floor for the dogs to climb in easily. Kellie herself is amused at the thought of having had to cut the mattress and get custom linens for her dogs, but any dog parent in the world can understand the excess. Her area also includes a custom bookcase, and a makeup station in the bathroom.

The bathroom doubles as a spa, with a large, walk-in shower with a steam function and matching bench seating. Kellie calls it breaking a sweat without doing anything, which is her favorite form of exercise.

Pricing for Kellie Pickler’s Faye was never disclosed, but it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume it was in the high six-figures, if not more. Faye’s whereabouts are equally unknown, but most artists sell their tour buses after a while or when they upgrade. There’s a chance Faye is still in Tennessee: the Hemphill Brothers branched out in 2020, offering celebrity-owned buses for rent to regular people as a means to survive the dip in demand from the showbiz industry.