Adventure has always been a part of Mike Markowski’s life. He’s been an on-again, off-again RV owner since the ‘70s, and he hasn’t stopped exploring since.
Mike’s love for travel was obvious as he told us about one of his recent excursions. “Our last big travel adventure was a circumnavigation of the Caribbean for six years in our 42-foot sailboat,” he says.
Finding the right rig
Of course, a person with so much wanderlust running through their veins simply must have a way to explore the world at the drop of a hat, and an RV is the perfect solution for this. “I like the idea of bringing your house with you,” Mike says. “I don’t like to fly anymore, and hotels are too expensive.”
A typical RV wasn’t going to cut it for Markowski this time, though. He needed something to suit his very specific needs.
“Initially, we bought The Van because we wanted to travel but not have an RV that we had to store,” the adventurer told us. “This needed to also serve as our second car, and the Winnebago Travato was perfect for both. We park it in our driveway when it’s here.”
Making the decision to rent
Before retiring, Mike hopped between careers as an Army aviator, a business consultant, and a Marine electrician.
You’d think retiring would slow him down, but it hasn’t yet. In fact, busy schedules are what led he and his wife to look into renting their Travato Class B.
“I had owned the van about two months before it became clear that the volunteer work I do—preparing taxes for the AARP TaxAide program for seniors—and the art classes my wife teaches were not going to leave us a lot of time to use the RV,” Markowski explains.
“Since my volunteer work during tax season corresponds with the height of tourist season in Florida, I thought renting the RV might work and help pay the expenses since we didn’t have time to use it,” he says. “Outdoorsy came to my attention through a web search and it sounded perfect for what I wanted to do.”
Loving Outdoorsy
“I listed the RV on Outdoorsy in December of 2017 and I had my first rental in January for ten days. From then on, I have had two or three rentals a month,” Mike adds. “So far this year, Outdoorsy has sent me seven checks for a total of $7,400 for 40 days of rentals.”
Not only has renting on Outdoorsy met Markowski’s expectations when it comes to finances, but he’s also had great experiences meeting new people through renting. “The majority of my renters are folks who are considering buying a Travato themselves, and they want to try one out before they commit to a six-figure purchase,” Mike says. “Several have had RVs in the past, so they already have RV experience.”
“I participate in the Outdoorsy RV Owner Community on Facebook and the Travato Owners and Wannabes group, and get some great ideas from both that directly translate to my business,” he says.
“Outdoorsy is my favorite,” Mike adds. “They’re good for renters because of the great insurance coverage, and they are great for owners for the low commissions we pay.”
All about Mike
Favorite morning beverage:
“Black coffee”
Favorite campsite meal:
“Grilled steak”
Music you like to play on the radio:
“Contemporary, jazz, and classic rock on Sirius XM.”
Favorite season:
“Winter in Florida”
Last photo you took:
“LOL! The odometer after a rental!”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go?
“We did a lot of it this summer, but up the west coast along coastal routes to Alaska and then back through the Rockies to Arizona and New Mexico. Six months or more on the road! We made it as far as Portland, Oregon this summer on a seven-week trip, but it was not nearly enough time.”
