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Get a Closer Look at Dolly Parton’s Incredible Tour Bus “The Gypsy Wagon”

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Dolly Parton RV tour bus gypsy wagon

Dolly’s upgraded bus (pictured) cost more than three times as much as her now-retired vehicle

Country superstar Dolly Parton has been making music for nearly 50 years, with a discography that includes iconic hits like “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “Here You Come Again.” Over the years, Dolly has traveled along the roadways of America more times than you can imagine. To stay comfortable on the road, the country singer would ride in style in a tour-bus-turned-RV she lovingly called the Gypsy Wagon.


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It all started in the 1960s when Dolly fell in love with old buses that were modified and turned into RVs. In those days, she would drive herself to each tour stop, but stardom quickly caught up and provided her with perks, including a driver and an upgraded RV. The Gypsy Wagon was custom built in 1994 by Prevost Car Inc and cost Dolly $750,000. But knowing Dolly, she’d probably say something like, “You can’t put a price on comfort!”

While touring, Dolly would actually prefer her RV to hotels. Considering it had a pink bedroom, bunk beds for her visiting family members, a closet made specifically for her wigs, two showers, a large kitchen, and a makeup area, it’s not surprising that she would want to stay put. She has even said that out of all of the homes she has across the U.S., the bus is her favorite home.

Dolly Parton RV tour bus gypsy wagon

Fun fact: The “Backwoods Barbie” and “9 to 5” albums were both written on the Gypsy Wagon

The bus-turned-RV, which has over 600,000 miles on it, was retired in 2009 and is parked at Dollywood for visitors to tour. On the outside of the vehicle by the door is a plaque honoring Dolly’s former manager and bus driver Don Warden, who passed away in 2017. Inside the vehicle, guests can see the actual china Dolly used when she would cook for her friends. And in true Dolly fashion, butterfly décor can be found throughout the vehicle.

Dolly’s got a lavish new ride now, though. Her latest bus-turned-RV is a 2010 Prevost that cost $2.7 million. It’s 8 feet longer than her previous ride and features more slide outs, providing a lot more room than the 1994 bus. Maybe in a few more years Dolly will get another upgrade and this latest vehicle will get a permanent home at the singer’s Pigeon Forge theme park too!


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