Will and Heather Kritzman might own a whole collection of beautiful RVs now, but that wasn’t always the case. “Our first RV was a 40-foot travel trailer,” Heather recalls. “It was 15 years old with water damage, but everything functioned. We bought it for a few grand just to see if we liked camping, and we absolutely fell in love.”
To show us just how hard her family fell for camping, Heather shares this little story: “Before our very first camping trip in that first RV, we took our kids and moms to the UP [Michigan’s Upper Peninsula —Ed.]. Mackinac Island, St. Ignace, Tahquamenon Falls, Lake Superior, Drummond Island, etc. That trip cost more than our first camper!
“The next month, we took cash when we went to look at the camper, but we weren’t sure we were buying,” she continues. “It was a fit for us, so we drove away. We found a two-day opening at Pinconning State Park and went camping on the way home. Total cost was $34. No luggage, no food, no planning. A neighbor let us borrow a hose to fill up the fresh water. I went to the local Family Dollar and spent $57 on undies, food, a change of clothes, and toothbrushes.”
“When we were eating breakfast the last morning there, my oldest said, ‘Thanks for bringing us here. This was our best vacation ever!’ I was actually upset. We did everything they wanted to do in the UP. It was our big vacation that year, but the ‘best vacation ever’ was this unplanned, unprepared, unbudgeted pit stop. Thankfully, Will talked me off the cliff and said, ‘They are happy. How beautiful that they don’t understand money. They just understand happiness.’”
So the Kitzman family kept camping regularly in their old, well-loved trailer. “We rocked out that old boy for six years,” Heather says fondly. “Finally, last fall we upgraded to a 42-foot American Tradition diesel-pusher motorhome.”
The Kritzman family was thrilled with their new traveling home, but they wanted to be even more involved in the world of RVing. Being entrepreneurs at heart, and having lost their restaurants (yes, plural) during the pandemic, the couple decided to try their hand at renting RVs.
“We did not want to rent out our personal unit, so we specifically purchased RVs to rent out,” Heather explains. “We chose to list on Outdoorsy because it was the platform with the best fit for us. We liked that there was a large company handling the insurance and money transfers. Additionally, the customer service team was very helpful when we were getting started. And they continue to be helpful when we call.”
Two months after listing their first rental RV on Outdoorsy, Heather and Will had their first booking. Since then, their business has grown significantly and they now have a total of 10 rental units in addition to their personal motorhome.
As if all of that growth wasn’t impressive enough, Will and Heather do something really interesting and clever with their business. The Michigan-based couple rents out rigs near their home, of course, but they also rent in Ohio, and during the cold winter months they move their entire business to warm, sunny Florida in order to keep it up and running. “Last winter we set up northwest of Daytona,” Will shares. “This year we are looking to set up south of Orlando. We will rent a commercial property and run our business there while living on-site in our class A.”
Considering they offer rentals in so many locations, it should come as no surprise that the Kritzmans have had a lot of renters. “ We have met such cool people,” Heather tells us. “It’s been awesome, and we truly hope that our RV gives them that moment—a laugh, a silly story, a pause in life, a reason to smile, a sunset they have never seen, giggles in a bunk bed, campfire-scented clothes.
“In summary, magic. We hope our RV gives them magic.”
All About Will and Heather
Favorite morning beverage: “Water and iced coffee.”
Favorite campsite meal: “Burgers.”
Music you like to play on the radio: “Casting Crowns or country.”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “Pit.”
Favorite season: “75°F.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Two years and no plans except to go.”
