“We’ve met some really great people renting our camper out,” Outdoorsy owner Stacy Betts tells us. “I love getting to know our renters. That’s really my favorite part, meeting all these wonderful families. Some are new to camping and want to go on a vacation, and some are familiar with camping and want to rent out our camper as a test run to see how they might feel about buying a camper themselves.”
“One of my most memorable guests was our very first rental last year. They were a sweet family of four. They missed not being able to go on vacation because of the pandemic and wanted to take their two boys camping. They had experience with a pop-up camper but were thinking of investing in a travel trailer like the one we have. I remember that day clearly—two young boys jumping out of their family’s truck, super excited to see where they would be staying for a long weekend. The mom sent us updates and pictures of the site and shares with us how much fun the whole family had during their trip.”
“This is the main reason why we decided to rent out our camper. I wanted to share the camping experience with others.”
Stacy and her husband were excited renters themselves once. In fact, that’s what inspired their business. “We had experience as renters in 2019,” Betts explains. “I think that’s when I first had the idea of doing the rental business ourselves. I did a lot (and I mean a lot) of research into the pros and cons of renting out a camper, but it took the rise of rentals and the lack of inventory during the pandemic to really get us in the game. I started a career as a realtor back in March of 2020, not realizing what kind of year we were about to have. So, to combat that, we decided to buy a travel trailer and looked into renting it out.”
Of course, Betts had to find a safe way to share her RV with others. “I chose to use Outdoorsy because it seemed like they really stepped up as a rental platform,” she says. “The texting feature is awesome and so handy when chatting with my renters. I’ve also noticed that this platform is the most used and popular. They really had a great advertising campaign last year during the influx of new first-time renters.”
Fortunately, Stacy and her husband made the right move, and their business was able to help them out during what could have been a tough time financially. “Once we listed our RV on Outdoorsy, it was booked in less than one week,” Stacy shares. “That was the biggest selling point for us when it came to deciding what platform we would use for our listing. Our proceeds for 2020 equaled over $4,000. That was fantastic for us being newbies, especially considering we started halfway into the camping season here in Ohio.”
“We started to get bookings for this year early January. As of March, we have 7 bookings on our calendar for our 2021 season.”
Clearly, Stacy has been successful, and she was happy to share some tips for those who might want to give the RV rental business a try. “If people really want to start renting out their RV, I recommend they first speak with owners that have a few years experience,” she shares. “Our rental business is so popular in our area because we are so close to many state parks and camping sites. Your location is something to consider before renting out your camper.
“The other thing is, consider how available you will be for delivery and setting up. I think this is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys getting to know new people and loves sharing the experience of ‘glamping.’”
All About Stacy
Favorite morning beverage: “Coffee.”
Favorite campsite meal: “Mmm… BBQ chicken with pasta salad on the side.”
Music you like to play on the radio: “Anything upbeat!”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “Cornhole.”
Favorite season: “Spring.”
Last photo you took: “My dog.”
What’s your Outdoorsy spirit animal? “It would probably be a moose.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “The Grand Canyon.”
