Ten years ago this month, we had the crazy idea to rent camper vans to the general public. It’s hard to think back that far and how crazy an idea that was back then. In 2016 the only way to rent a camper van was a big ol’ Winnebago RV from the likes of Cruise America. Nobody was renting cool, let alone retro, VW campers vans (well…except for our good friends Bill at VW Surfari). The motivation for the business was passion as much as profit. I (Harley) had been running the core VW shop for over three years at that point and had mostly figured that out and was loving the customer service aspect, the joy we created for folks and the sense of community and connection we were building - and I wanted to do more of that. We had honed a model for providing excellent customer service and I had a feeling this was a niche we could operate in. Knowing nothing about the business, I - naively - thought it’d be a slam dunk so to speak.
10 years later, I can say, with a honest twinkle in my eye and a smile on my face that I have zero regrets about operating Peace Vans Rentals. Our CFO would think otherwise, but Peace Vans has never been a profit first entity….we’ve always been more of a joy first kinda place and we often make decisions from that vantage point. I even have a management tenet that is something like “given the choice between efficiency and magic, always choose the path that generates more magic than efficiency” (yes, there will be a book some day). To be clear, the rental business never made money - we tried so many things but operating a rental business in the PNW means 4 months of asset utilization in a business that is 100% asset utilization. We tried Season Passes, we tried to locate vans to warmer climates in the off season, we tried building up other business areas so the rental team could be fully employed year round - but, at the end of the day, the numbers never made sense. So - given that - why did we run it for 10 years? Simply put - because it made so many people so happy and it generated so much joy and goodwill that it was worth it (also, there were some tax and balance sheet and marketing benefits…but, that’s for the book).
So why quit it now? There’s no single reason - but part of it is team, part of it is Harley and part of it is the ever changing business environment. On the team side, the rental business is a huge burn out business for team members - it’s incredibly stressful to be on call, all summer long, and provide true, awesome 24x7 support. Treating our team with respect, boundaries and kindness is another one of our core operating values and running the rental business is a very heavy lift. On the Harley side, the rental business consumes a lot of my time in the summer - providing back up support, troubleshooting the tougher issues, bridging the marketing gap, and arguing with our CFO about why we keep doing this 🙂. On the business side, as we invest in new businesses, our cash is critical and is probably better deployed elsewhere. And, finally, this year we have retired the Metris vans, the ID. Buzz’s aren’t quite ready to rent and our fleet size would be negligible. So…all the stars aligned to this decision.
Running Peace Vans has been one of the most impactful activities and, yes, relationships in my life and the rental business was always central to that. Many people think that’s all we do and when I tell them it’s 5% of our revenue and zero % of our profit, it’s often quite the surprise. So, I’ll miss being known as a “rental company”. But, what I’ll miss most are the people - while we universally get 5* reviews (well, except for that one 8 years ago which, if you read, is genuinely crazy) it is usually the rental reviews that are the most moving and touching. During the peak of the summer, I used to have the team pause for a few hours and read the guest log books we put in each van - reading those stories would remind you of what an amazing service we were offering and what a profound impact we were making in people’s lives. I still think about some of those stories and, literally, will cry. I’ll miss providing that service but I am happy knowing we’ve touched thousands of people and delivered countless life changing experiences for individuals, couples and families.
I’m going to miss the rental business profoundly, but I also know it’s important sometimes to go out on top and recognize when it’s time to move on. I’m hopeful the energy freed up will flow back into Peace Vans and our customers in a way that continues to nurture and power the flywheel of love, connection, joy and travel that is at the center of what we do.
To everyone that was hoping to rent (or rent again) in 2027 and beyond. We are sorry! The good news is that over the past 10 years, the industry has evolved and changed and what was once an extremely rare offering is now widely available. While the experience you get renting from a peer-to-peer platform (did you know we were in the first 10 customers for Outdoorsy?) or from the plethora of small rental entities won’t be the heart centered, high touch, Peace Vans experience, it will be fun, meaningful and a vacation like nothing else. Because, at the end of the day, there is nothing like a road trip to reset the nervous system, to connect with your family and to be outside (yes, there’s another book about that).
And, finally, while there’s a lot of me, me, harley, me, talk here - the rental business was built with an amazing team. Early employee JC. Our many years manager Jess. Jess’s #2 - Hannah. Joanna, Krista, Leo (yes, Leo started in the rental business), Katey these past two years, Shane in Baja, and all the amazing seasonal employees. Each one of our rental employees represented a high bar in amazing customer service, empathy and excellence in execution and to each of them I owe a debt of gratitude for allowing me to create the experience for all of you.
We often end these missives with the phrase “onwards and upwards” and it feels appropriate here -
Onwards and upwards Peace Vans!
Harley
PS - If you do have an existing reservation that will 100% be honored. And, if you want to buy one of our rental VW Vanagons - let us know! We gonna keep a few, but sell a few.
PPS - We are retaining our two Sprinter vans and will rent those on a case by case basis.
We'd love to hear your Peace Vans story! 💚
Over the past 10 years, thousands of you have taken our camper vans on adventures big and small, and we'd love to hear about yours.
Whether it was an unforgettable road trip, a funny moment along the way, or a memory you'll cherish forever, we'd love for you to share it with us. Photos are welcome, too!
[Share your Peace Vans memory here →]
Thank you for being part of this incredible chapter. Your stories are what made it so special.
