Outbound Adventure Hire – 6 months in

6 months in and Outbound Adventure Hire has booked their 5 camper trailers for over 150 days each!

Shaun was already curious about hiring out his camping equipment and in 2020 the perfect opportunity came along to test the waters. Now with over 150 days booked for each of his trailers, plans to manage up to 10 vans and an exciting ‘Tag-Along’ guided tour feature to come. Things really are looking quite adventurous for Outbound Adventure Hire.

How did Outbound Adventure Hire come to be?

I started off like everyone I guess, wanting to buy one to get away with the family, especially in a bit of comfort. I looked into hiring some camper trailers and that’s where the idea came initially but it wasn’t really something I was interested in doing as I was busy with work. But then Covid hit and my work took a 90% hit in 2020 so I had to come up with something to support the family. I didn’t want to just go out and find “another job” so I came back to hiring camp equipment, camping trailers and caravans. I thought that I would be able to at least cover the costs or even make money doing something I enjoy. I’m very analytical and cautious so when it came to the new idea I started researching the rental market, specifically in Brisbane. Everything looked good so I organised my first trailer, an Opus OP4. It seemed the perfect trailer to start with, being easy to use and it only takes about 10 minutes to set up. It rents well and as a family, it fits all of us in.

How did you end up on Camplify?

It includes everything from the booking system, the deposit holding, policies and, the biggest reason I chose to use Camplify, the insurance. I researched a lot of different options and Camplify stood out as the only one-stop-shop.

It’s working extremely well. It’s easy to use and puts everything in one place. It’s continuously being updated and getting better too. All of our hirers find it super easy to use and it’s great having that presence of a “middle man” between us and the hirers. It makes them feel a bit more comfortable in dealing with owners. So far we have exceeded our expectations and getting on average 60% occupancy each month and over 150 days already booked in for each trailer for the rest of the year.

What are you up to when not hiring out your vans?

Right now, my ‘day job’ is picking up again so that is a little bit of time but almost everything is going into growing Outbound Adventure Hire.

How is your van hiring business helping to support your family?

We don’t really get to have many holidays, it’s just been so busy! However, we can see that it will start to offer lots of flexibility in our personal time. Maybe not for another year or so but for now we will keep working on the business so I can eventually step away from my normal job. It’s great being able to help others though and we love seeing their adventures too. It helps me decide on where we should go as a family next time!

Any future plans for your hiring business?

We will be managing 5 trailers by the end of 2021 and plan to at least double that next year. We are just about to release our Escorted Tag Along Tours for 2022 and 2023 where people can select an available trailer and ‘tagalong’ on a guided tour to Cape York or the Victorian High Country. This will be starting in July next year. I am just finalising licenses, insurance and guides for this now but the itinerary is really exciting and I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with people and getting away too.

What does your family enjoy most about caravan holidays?

Having 3 kids, and all boys under 7 we found the old tent camping was getting a bit hard to handle. It was just too much gear and although it was great to get away it really started to get hard.

We love being able to use our campers to get away as it’s so easy to just hook up and go. It’s comfortable and we don’t have to stress about the kids while we are setting up as it only takes 10-15 minutes. If the weather turns bad, the kids have somewhere to hang out inside too which is a lifesaver when in the bush.

Why do you think your vans are proving so popular?

I think they are popular because they are so easy to use and we have no restrictions on where they go. Two of our brand new trailers are heading to Cape York a couple of times each this year and another of our trailers is heading to the Big Red Bash before coming home for a service and then going for 7 weeks to the Kimberleys in WA.

I have had plenty of hirers say they found it hard to find someone willing to let them go to places like Fraser, Moreton or Teewah beach. Some owners understandably don’t allow it for the risk of damage going off-road but I think destinations like this is what is so great about Australia. I don’t want to restrict those areas, especially considering it is nothing I wouldn’t do myself!

Caravan or camper trailer holiday?

That’s a tough one and would depend if you asked my wife or me. That’s why we will have some Hybrid campers which are the best of both worlds. I know the wife would like the Versace on wheels but it’s just not in my scope, yet.

Alright time for some local knowledge, what tips are you giving?

Stradbroke, Gordon Country and Bigriggen. All of these are perfect with amenities and activities. They offer swimming, 4wding and dogs are allowed.

Where’s next on your family’s bucket list?

Station Creek and Pebbly Beach would be where I want to go next. I really want to do a snow trip to Vic High Country Though. I think that would be a great experience, just need to make sure we have the diesel heater installed by then!

Any advice for first-time family campers?

Pack lightly, and make sure to have some relaxation booked in. We used to try and fit in too much activity and although it was great seeing so much, it was exhausting. Leave some things for next time so it is a good excuse to go back again.

Top 3 essential items to pack when travelling with kids

Activities (bikes, balls, frisbees), mozzie repellent and extra clothes.

Anything extra you’d like to add?

Although we only started in November 2020 it’s been such a great experience for us. I really wanted to make it a professional and highly serviced experience for people wanting to hire our trailers so instead of thinking about it as just a side hustle, I looked at it as a business and removed the emotional side. It’s really helped us provide a great service and understand our customers so we can provide the service we wanted to.