Professionally managed, physical location akin to an airport where peer-to-peer and professional RV rentals arrive, depart and get turned over for their next rental. 

San Francisco, August 2020 - September 2023

Concept: 

The concept involved bringing dispersed, individually owned, and rented vans under one fleet manager. Essentially, the airport model was applied to the world of RV rentals. Just as airlines leased terminals in established flight destinations rather than building new airports for new routes, our approach focused on operational efficiency. Establishing new campervan rental locations involved tackling various challenges: securing capital, finding service vendors, acquiring real estate, and obtaining essential operational equipment.

Our dedication was directed toward the essential but often less glamorous aspects of RV rentals. We concentrated on building efficient back-end operations that were both scalable and mobile, capable of handling many vehicles while maintaining consistent operating expenses. We referred to these operational hubs as ‘Stations.’ These Stations served not only our in-house fleet of cash flow-optimized rental vans and local van owners but also provided a try-before-you-buy service for manufacturers. Additionally, they offered a valuable B2B service to other campervan rental companies seeking one-way rental options in highly sought-after four-season rental markets.

At capacity, we could service 50+ vehicles at one ‘Station.’ 

Gross Rev. was on track to be $1.3MM with nine additional strategic locations planned. 

Flugtag:

This business endeavor enhanced my understanding and comfort with scaling. As the company matured through each stage, we experienced growth in all aspects of our operation. I had to overcome my inclination towards bootstrapping and the early-stage startup mentality that initially gave us traction. This shift in focus allowed us to approach each problem strategically, considering where to invest for the long term. What fascinated me the most was that once specific benchmarks of scale were attained, and valuable operating lessons were learned, many future decisions could be made using straightforward math and reason, as opposed to relying on gut feeling. This approach to operating was a completely new sensation — clear, decisive action, using a systematic process instead of ‘McGyvering’ in each situation. Even mistakes were addressed in the same methodical way. This is where Kevin, my business partner’s contribution and experience, moved us forward rapidly, and I am incredibly grateful for his skill. 

The end of Simple Camper’s journey was personally challenging and served as a prime example of a solid business facing some unfortunate luck and timing. In 2022, we operated as a profitable “side hustle.” We initiated a fundraising round to legitimize the business, create industry standards, and expand into new markets before increased competition entered the scene. Unfortunately, a combination of unique financial market conditions, critical investments falling through at crucial junctures, and a significant portion of our fleet being grounded due to DMV issues led us to close down the business abruptly. Despite efforts to scale up by hiring an industry expert to manage operations, expanding our footprint, and investing in commercial infrastructure, the inability to generate revenue with the full fleet and the lack of operating capital for recent growth left us with only one option.

Although our Flugtag ultimately ended in the water, the build-up was magnificent, or at least I romanticized it as such. Every day stretched my business acumen limits. There was always a rapid succession of problem-solving, inventing, building, negotiating, managing, planning, starting and ending business relationships, taking calculated risks, and engaging in difficult conversations. It truly was the wild ride you often hear about in the Bay Area start-up world; this one just never made it past the big takeoff. But I am okay with that because I know that my business partner and I gave it everything we had and exhausted every option available to us before throwing in the towel. 

Lessons Learned: 

• Growing a business into a large-scale operation takes complete dedication; I am glad I was able to truly give 110% blood, sweat, and tears on this. 
• Handshakes work early in the scrappy stages, but businesses use contacts for a reason: setting expectations and boundaries. Having legal counsel was immensely helpful. 
• Being bold and looking for collaboration was incredibly beneficial in connecting with other high-level individuals in competing or related companies. My professional network in this niche is exceptionally strong, giving me a much richer picture of the industry landscape.