Not Your Father’s RV: Aero Build’s Innovative Drive to the Future

©Journal Communications/Nathan Lambrecht

Have you heard the one about the musician who moves to Nashville and winds up working at a bar? 

While not a novel concept, this switch in career direction was a defining development for Brian Fuente, an adopted Nashvillian with a knack for seeing a business opportunity where others may not. 

Nearly a decade after leaving Mississippi to join the community of working musicians and songwriters in Nashville, Fuente became smitten with the idea of opening a business. 

“I launched Aero Bar in 2017, introducing Nashville to its first mobile bar,” Fuente says. 

Refurbishing a camper into a retro-style hospitality wagon, Fuente’s new rolling business venture offered craft cocktails and other bar and coffee services throughout the area. Fuente says that the ability to bring an upscale bar experience to customers wherever they gathered became extremely popular, especially during the pandemic. 

Impressed by the entrepreneur’s success, other potential business owners reached out to learn more about Fuente’s winning blueprint for a mobile drinks business, soon leading the budding entrepreneur to sell customized mobile business trailers to meet the growing demand. 

©Journal Communications/Nathan Lambrecht

Popularity of Roving Services

Aero Build, which opened in 2019, has since helped hundreds of others launch their mobile businesses, from restaurants to bars to coffee shops, across the U.S. and elsewhere. 

“We send them to Europe, Canada, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands — pretty much anywhere,” Fuente says. 

COAST Trailers: Redefining the RV Experience

Taking the custom travel-trailer concept a bit further, Fuente set his sights on remaking the RV camping experience. He conceived his new COAST brand to ensure users don’t have to “rough it” even while living off-grid. 

“I finished the prototype in 2022, and we launched our brand the following year,” he says. 

“In early 2024, we started filling our first orders. It’s a really impressive product.” 

RV enthusiasts seem to agree, with features about the new brand hitting the cover pages of top magazines and websites around the world. 

The COAST travel trailer might be considered a “quiet luxury.” It boasts a sleek modern design and has electric and solar power options. Environmentally friendly materials, a composite structure, built-in Italian appliances, solid-surface countertops, memory foam mattresses and smart-home technology are other featured details, with prices starting at about $120,000. 

©Journal Communications/Nathan Lambrecht

Quality is the Bottom Line

But it’s the foundation, not the add-ons, that Fuente emphasizes. 

“We talk a lot about worry-free travel. Passionate RV users tell me they spend a lot of time at the dealership for repairs. Ours is not built that way,” he says. 

The RV operation officially opened in the fall of 2023 with an announcement from Gov. Bill Lee. 

“I thank Aero Build for its commitment to creating 43 new jobs for families across Davidson County,” the governor noted. “Tennessee’s strong business climate and unmatched workforce will set this company up for success as it expands.” 

Nashville: The Perfect Location for Innovation

Fuente credits the Nashville business community with supporting his vision. He says East Nashville is the ideal spot for COAST’s manufacturing operations, providing both convenience for employees and a fun place for customers to visit. 

The state’s FastTrack Economic Development Fund also played a role by assisting with startup loans and other incentives. 

Yet, the city itself may be the company’s greatest advantage, Fuente says. Its diverse economy, stable employment rates and work ethic make it a prime spot for business. 

He cites other positives of the Nashville area, including easy access to interstates and an international airport, a central U.S. location and a large, talented labor pool that shows commitment to and enthusiasm for turning out products with the handmade, bespoke quality that COAST trailers promise. 

“This city gets so much attention, and everybody wants to visit Nashville,” Fuente says. 

“The exposure is great from a marketing standpoint. We find it easy to fly a client in here to look at our products, talk about the concept and show them the advantages of COAST.”