Owner of the week: Jesse Pacheco

“My wife and I, along with another couple, were participating in a bike ride from Seattle to Portland,” owner Jesse Pacheco recalls when asked why he first joined the world of RVing. “Since it was our first time traveling to the Pacific Northwest, we thought it would be cool to make it a 10-day trip and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, sightseeing along the way.”

How did this trip result in Jesse becoming an RVer? “At the time, we had an SUV with a bike rack that could hold all four bikes,” he shares. “While it would’ve worked for transport, we were concerned about leaving the bikes unattended on the back of the SUV. This was before we knew about Outdoorsy, so we did what any reasonable person would have done and spent all of our money buying and building a campervan that could hold four bikes inside and out of sight.”

Even after putting all of that work into their camper van, the couple didn’t actually plan to continue camping in it. “Our plan was to sell the van after the trip and make a profit,” Jesse explains. “However, the trip was so amazing, we just couldn’t sell it. That’s when we discovered Outdoorsy.”

So Jesse got to work taking photos and getting his van listed on the Outdoorsy website. “Within a few days of completing our Outdoorsy listing, we got a last-minute booking and about $400 in our bank account from it,” he says. “We immediately knew we were onto something. That van became Arcadia, our most popular rental to this day.”

Since then, the Pachecos’ business has grown tremendously. “We’ve brought in over a quarter-million dollars in revenue since we started in Fall of 2019,” Jesse tells us.

In addition to all that income, the couple has also added multiple units to their rental fleet—and these aren’t just any units, they’re custom vans. “We build our own units,” Jesse explains. “We also offer unlimited miles and everything is included in the rental price. We’re probably leaving a lot of money on the table, not charging additional fees and mileage. However, we strive to treat our renters the way we would like to be treated.”

The result of providing such incredible vans and such excellent service? “We’ve made lots of friends through our rentals,” says Jesse. “Most are outdoorsy like-minded people too. We’ve had renters repeatedly fly across the country to rent from us! Another renter hired us to build a camper van for his family and became a good friend; we mountain bike together regularly now.”

“Everyone has a different motivation for traveling,” Jesse continues. “We just hope our vans provide everything they need to make their trip successful.”

All About Jesse

Favorite morning beverage: “Coffee—any coffee except decaf.”

Favorite campsite meal: “I love grilling. Carne asada, burgers, hot dogs, quesadillas, literally anything on a grill.”

Music you like to play on the radio: “Disney hits (we have 5- and 6-year-old kids).”

Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “I Spy.”

Favorite season: “Spring.”

If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Australia.”