Chelsea Gonzales
by Chelsea Gonzales
Posted June 30, 2022

“I’d wanted an RV since I was little,” Ady Menschke shares with us when asked about her history with RVing. “I always thought they were so cool. I used to tell my parents, ‘One day I’m going to buy one and we’re going to travel the US together.’” During the pandemic, I started looking at them as a way to safely travel. Flash forward—I bought one and did just that with my family.”

Ady Meschke on top of an RV

For this epic pandemic vacation, Ady chose a beautiful class C RV. “If you want to travel long distances, I think a C class RV is the only way to go,” she tells us. “I didn’t want to just do a road trip in a car. I didn’t want to tow [a trailer]. The point of an RV, in my opinion, is to be in it. So that’s why we choose a C class. It’s a great beginner size. Plus, we could comfortably take our two dogs and all the baby gear, and we didn’t have to stop to use the restroom!”

That trip was an awesome one, but Ady had even bigger plans for her new RV. “I always knew I’d rent it out when it wasn’t in use,” she explains. “I love a good side hustle. After we did our cross-country road trip, I figured it might be a while until we could do it again, so I decided to list it on Outdoorsy only. I got my first booking the same week, and then it just exploded.

“The first booking was over $700 and the second was over $1,000. After making over $1,700 the first month my RV was on Outdoorsy, I knew this was going to be awesome! I’ve made over $60,000 in a year and a half.”

Ady Meschke in front of her Class C RV with her dog and baby

Besides bringing in some extra money, Ady’s business has also allowed her to rub elbows with some pretty cool people. “We’ve had some incredible people rent our RV,” Ady recalls. “The writer of Outer Banks rented it to write season two, and that was so cool. I had a band rent it, as well as a famous rapper from Atlanta who took it to his concert. So fun! I need to have a guest book. It was also a trailer for a movie set. The RV was also parked at the Braves parade when they won the World Series!”

Want to be as successful with your RV rental business as Ady was with hers? Her advice to you is this: “Just start,” she says. “The overhead is super low. You can park it at a U-Haul when it’s not being rented. Find a mobile mechanic, a tire place, and a repair shop close to you. 

“A rental ‘welcome booklet’ goes a long way. Make sure to include a booklet of how-to’s, setup steps, and FAQs for the renters. Make it easy for renters to take care of your RV. Include the proper RV toilet paper, leave trash bags, a handheld vacuum, a key lanyard (plus an extra set of keys), and a doormat.”

Wondering about rates, add-ons, and fees? Ady had thoughts on these things as well. She says to offer add-ons both during the trip and after, charge fees for things like delivery and cleaning, and auto-set your rate to change with the seasons. Finally, she reminds business owners to value what they offer. “Charge,” she says. “This is a business. Remember to charge. Always set and charge for mileage and generator usage.”

“I would recommend Outdoorsy 100%,” Ady tells us. “It’s been such a great way to make an additional income by renting my RV.”

All About Ady

Ady Meschke in front of her Class C RV

Favorite morning beverage: “Vanilla-flavored coffee with collagen creamer and two pumps of caramel sweetener.”

Favorite campsite meal: “Anything on the grill.”

Music you like to play on the radio: “I always start the day with ‘Good Day’ by Kidd Kenn.”

Favorite season: “Fall for sure!”

If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Mexico? Costa Rica? Belize? South America? I just want to keep going! I mean, wherever the road can take us.”

Learn more about Ady on her blog, Verbal Gold Blog

Chelsea Gonzales

http://wonderwhereverwewander.wordpress.com/

 

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