Curt Chandler is a veteran in the world of renting vehicles, and his experience definitely shows. Before renting RVs through his current business, San Francisco Bay Area Private RVs, the savvy businessman ran a limousine rental business, and he’s been in the rental business for decades now.
All of this experience is hugely helpful when it comes to running his Outdoorsy business—a process Curt has down to an art.
Limos to RVs
Why did Chandler switch from renting limos to renting RVs? It seems a passion for RVing came into play, as did some unexpected luck.
“My partner Caryn and I have been avid RVers for over 25 years each,” Curt says. “Soon after we met, she wanted to buy an RV.”
“I owned and operated a limousine business at the time, which was struggling due the economic downturn in 2007 and 2008,” he explains. “I told her that if she wanted to purchase an RV, I wouldn’t be able to participate at that time, but would support her by offering her free use of my limousine business location and employees for storage, detailing, maintenance, repairs etc. I also offered to market her RV for rent occasionally.”
“Once she found the RV she wanted—a 2006 Gulfstream Conquest Super Class C—I immediately posted it for rent online,” Curt adds. “Craigslist mostly, but also on a rudimentary online listing service at the time. Within a couple of weeks, I had 13 rental nights on the books. The rest, as they say, is history!”
Making a change
Back then, Outdoorsy wasn’t an option, and that meant a lot of extra work for Curt.
“For years, I used an Excel spreadsheet, along with pen and paper, to make notes and keep track of everything,” he says.
“Emails, phone calls, and recording data and finances were extremely tedious. Insurance, 24/7 roadside assistance, credit card payment processing, driver’s license verification, owner’s reporting and payouts were all managed separately.”
“Outdoorsy kept reaching out to me, but I resisted at first,” Curt confides. “Finally, I agreed to meet them in person, and when I took a closer look at Outdoorsy’s platform—including its Wheelbase option for larger rental operations like mine—I saw that my once-tedious and time-consuming processes were all integrated into one convenient platform!”
“The bonus was (and still is) that I’m tapped into Outdoorsy’s marketing for customers.”
It’s all in the numbers
Clearly, switching to Outdoorsy was a no-brainer, and since that fateful day, Curt’s business has grown tremendously and now supports him with a sizeable income.
“Within a few days of transitioning from my archaic online reservation request form to the robust Outdoorsy/Wheelbase platform, we were rockin’ and a-rollin’!” Curt says.
“I own three RVs, but have as many as 20–25 consignment rentals each rental season,” he adds. “We’ve generated $600 thousand annually these past 2 years using the Outdoorsy and Wheelbase platform—and we’re still growing.”
All about Curt
Favorite morning beverage:
“Starbucks freshly ground coffee beans, brewed at home.”
Favorite campsite meal:
“BBQ ribs”
Music you like to play on the radio:
“Jazz and blues”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite:
“UNO on the road, Cornhole at my campsite.”
Favorite season:
“Spring or fall”
Last photo you took:
“Selfie in front of one of my consignment RVs.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go?
“A six- to eight-month tour of the U.S., heading east from California along a southern route, and then coming back west across the country along the northern route.”
