Climb on board this luxurious motorhome for the ultimate road trip!
Sleek, sexy, shiny and stylish, this custom recreational vehicle takes first place in design, function and comfort.
Story by Ann Butenas | Photos by Matt Anderson
It has been said that, for some folks, home is where you park it. Well, this stylish and sleek recreational vehicle (RV) is a one-of-a-kind testament to that sentiment, and for this local family, it is more of a “home away from home,” as their busy lifestyle requires an appreciable amount of road trip adventures every now and again. Take just one quick peek inside and your eyes just might deceive you. This cannot possibly be the interior of an RV. While attention to design and style was a top priority, nothing was left to chance, either, when it came to overall comfort and function.
Owned by Jim and Lisa Sackuvich of Sackuvich Motorsports, this RV was created with their fast-paced lifestyle in mind. A professional drag race car driver, Jim frequently travels to many parts of the Midwest and eastern seaboard to participate in racing events, bringing along Lisa and various members of the family. With such a demanding travel schedule, it became necessary to create a comfortable and inviting home on wheels that would eliminate the hassle of hotel rooms and give them the opportunity to remain in close proximity to the race tracks at each location.
According to Jill Tran, a lead designer and co-owner of Tran + Thomas Design Studio LLC, the Sackuvichs purchased this RV brand new but knew it needed a certain touch on the interior that went far beyond the manufacturer’s original stock design. Since Tran had worked with Jim and Lisa previously on the interior of their home, it was a no-brainer for them to suggest to her the idea of totally redesigning their RV. Their main request? “Let’s make this awesome!”
And Tran and team totally delivered…and then some.
A decidedly different type of design project for Tran, she confidently rolled up her sleeves and dug right in. One of the first lessons she learned was in the laws of physics.
“In RVs, the walls have to be able to move when the vehicle is in motion, so we upholstered the walls to make them soft,” she explained. Tran also had to install locks on certain cabinets to keep items from falling out while the RV is in motion, and the carpenter on the project added dividers in the shelving to keep things from falling out.
“This project was quite different than designing a home,” noted Tran. “And all of it is completely custom.”
The bedroom, for example, presented somewhat of a design challenge.
“When the RV is in motion, you cannot walk around the bed,” said Tran. “When it is stopped, wings open up to allow for more space. Everything within the room is snug and precise. We had to measure the bed and perfectly cut the bedspread to fit.” Additionally, the water tank for the RV is located under the bed.
Although much of the design within the RV is truly unique in and of itself, there exists a certain continuity of color when compared to the interior of the Sackuvich’s home.
“We used a lot of the same colors here as we have in our home,” noted Lisa. “However, Jill made it sleek and sexy by adding racing colors and shiny floors, along with a bit of sparkle and bling for me!”
Nevertheless, one of the dominant colors in the RV is purple, which is the Sackuvich’s racing color. “We put it everywhere but scaled it way back, making it appear more like an eggplant,” said Tran, also referencing the influence of the color in the embroidered silk on the wall at the head of the bed. The original plain oak wood was also darkened up throughout the space.
Part of the overall custom design meant including pieces of the racing world with significant meaning to the Sackuvich family. Along the interior walls are eight pictures of Jim’s race car depicted with different exteriors built on the same car frame throughout the years.
Various items within the RV were pre-treated to remain resistant to outside substances, as Jim has been known to come in with car engine oil all over him.
Other added touches include custom light fixtures and black granite flooring, which add to the sleek appeal; ample seating on the vinyl couches, which have extra storage underneath; two sofas on either side of the RV, which open up to accommodate additional overnight guests, and the full-service kitchen, complete with a microwave, stove top and refrigerator. There are also two bathrooms, one with a shower.
In addition to loading up their RV for the races, the Sackuvichs have also taken a few fun road trips with friends. Although the RV sleeps eight, it seems the magic number for comfort is six, but no matter the size of the group, the fun everyone enjoys presents on a grand scale.
“This offers the best of camping,” smiled Lisa. “We can add additional space outside with a rug, chairs, TV and cookout area. This is a fun way to get away and we love it!”
