July 30th, 2007

Las Vegas Wranglers Take Delivery of their New Vulcan SuperCoach

Wranglers are riding the magic bus (Their New Vulcan “SuperCoach”!)
Las Vegas hockey team travels in style in $500,000 renovated luxury liner

excerpt from the Las Vegas Sun

Returning an inquiry about the Las Vegas Wranglers’ slick new bus, team founder and owner Charles Davenport promptly rang one afternoon last week.

“I’m riding on it right now,” he said as the Prevost luxury liner pulled into Phoenix. “This past weekend is a perfect example of why we did it.”

After playing the Phoenix Road Runners at the Orleans Arena on Nov. 10, the Wranglers hit the highway for games in Bakersfield and Long Beach in California and in Phoenix – 800 miles in four days.

“I’m trying to keep the team healthy,” Davenport said. “We’re pretty banged up this season, but it helps when they can sleep on the bus rather than riding on a passenger bus all night. Anything to help the team. Everything we do, we want to be the best.”

Wranglers players can dream about hockey beyond the ECHL in a cruiser fit for the National Hockey League while watching any NHL game, anytime, courtesy of the conspicuous, roof-top satellite dish.

Goalie Mike McKenna said the players have already placed small wagers on when they might get tired of watching NHL games – on either of the large plasma screens in the front and back, or several smaller side screens – this season.

“I don’t think we will,” he said.

Davenport got the idea about upgrading his team’s ground transportation from the Phoenix Road Runners chief operating officer Ray Delia, and the Wranglers and Road Runners now travel in similar style.

Davenport bought the Prevost in Canada and had it converted by Vulcan Coach Corp., in Hueytown, Ala., over the summer. Total cost: $500,000. Arrow Stage Lines maintains the rig in Las Vegas and will lease it from Davenport in the off season.

It sleeps 18 in the back half and 10 in the front, has plugs for wireless Internet access and cell phone chargers in each personal bunk space.

“Certainly, when you get older, it’s nice to get on a bus knowing you’ll get six to eight hours to curl up in a bunk and have lights out, almost like you’re at home,” Glen Gulutzan said. “And it’s certainly easier for a guy” – like the coach – “with three kids.”

After games, Gulutzan can analyze game reviews on the large front screen that each player can follow on his own smaller screen.

“It’s quite a high-tech machine,” he said. “It’s a great way to travel.”

Last season, McKenna spent some time in the American Hockey League, in between the ECHL and NHL, in Norfolk, Va., and he said he didn’t see a coach in the AHL that compares to the Wranglers’ new rig.

“It’s a rock-star bus,” McKenna said. “Pretty Sweet.”

He pointed out the tile floor, Bose speakers on the surround-sound system and leather interior. He deftly showed how the rear seating areas fold into six separate three-level bunks. He hit the automatic door to the bathroom like a kid on Christmas morning. (The rules of that area aren’t suitable for publication in a family newspaper.)

Four air-conditioning and ventilation units atop the bus will no doubt work great to prevent the Prevost from smelling like a traveling locker room.

“I just thought it was great for our level, the Double-A level, to have that kind of a bus,” Gulutzan said. “It’s certainly very, very nice.”

Davenport acknowledged that it does not have everything.

“We don’t have a masseuse,” he said. “Maybe on the next bus.”

Mark Tapper, the 41-year-old driver of the Wranglers’ 45-foot, ice-white 28-sleeper coach, once shuttled the Chicago Blackhawk’s from hotel to arena to O’Hare International Airport.

“This one’s real smooth,” he said of the Wranglers’ new Luxury rig. “They’re definitely ridin’ in style. In a regular coach that seats 50, everyone’s head would be leaning against the windows trying to sleep for six hours.”

The Wranglers’ new ground transportation might be missing an amenity or two, like a shower fit for a defenseman or a grill and adequate ventilation system to cook a few dozen T-bones on a midnight run from Fresno to Phoenix.

The most valuable omission, however, might have been sound-proof cushions for equipment manager Brian “Elvis” Garcia.

When the bunks are arranged and the Sandman grips Garcia – who sleeps up front, where 10 bunks can be arranged, no town the bus passes is safe from his world-class nasal noise.

“He’s a human buzz saw,” said Wranglers goalie Mike McKenna.

“We think we have the Greatest Team Coach EVER BUILT”!

This is a story playing out all over America…..Professional Sports Teams, Universities, and Community Colleges are becoming aware of the Great Benefits of a Vulcan SuperCoach, and the fact that Premium Operators are making them available. Those Operators are experiencing Exponential Growth in this market to the point of having to add additional SuperCoaches to keep up client demand.

Vulcan SuperCoach Models not only do a Great job for Sports Teams, they also do a great job for executive day coaches and extended tours for Broadway, Entertainers, weddings and many other trips and tours.

Vulcan has been producing its “SuperCoach” model since 1994. SuperCoach conversions fit well in any Motor Coach model. In addition to the SuperCoach model, Vulcan also produces Private Motor Home conversions, Entertainer models, Mobile Command Centers, Medical units and works in many other specialty markets. Vulcan also routinely does major remodels (turning 12 sleepers into SuperCoaches) and upgrades to existing conversions as well as interior, exterior, and mechanical maintenance and service

Vulcan is currently beginning production of its “TourMaster” entry level Sports Coach to assist Charter Operators in capturing the current realization of Universities, Community Colleges, and Sports Franchises of the Great Benefits of Team Sleeper Coach Transportation.

Vulcan Coach Corporation is a family business and is the oldest continuously operating Luxury Motor Coach converter (since 1964) in operation today. Norm Basden started the company in spring of 1964. Son Bruce Basden started working in the company in 1970 and has been at the helm for 20 years. Vulcan Coach Corporation meets the needs of their clients by providing the highest levels of comfort, excellence, and service and has been a leader in the industry for more than 40 years. Contact Vulcan by calling Bruce at 205-229-3810 or Mike Bodley at 1-877-2VULCAN (288-5226). Visit us on the web at www.vulcancoach.com .