Luisa and Billy Hovestadt have always been outdoorsy people. “As kids, we both grew up loving the outdoors,” says Luisa Hovestadt. “My family had a small RV, and we enjoyed our road trips and taking vacations all over. Billy grew up camping and living in the Texas Hill Country, and has great memories of playing in the river and making memories with his family.”
“When we got married, we thought we would buy ourselves a gift. We decided on a small 26-foot travel trailer,” Hovestadt says. “What started off as a hobby grew into a deep love for RVing. That first year alone we took our RV out for over 30 amazing trips/weekends. We couldn’t wait until Friday at 5 p.m. to hit so we could take off on our next adventure!”
As their love of RV camping grew, so did their circle of friends. “Slowly, as we started to frequent local parks in the Texas Hill Country area, we would bump into familiar faces and always made friends along the way,” Hovestadt says. “Our RV and setup were always complimented and fellow campers would always ask for a tour.”
Not only did this new community like their rig, they also thought it should be shared with everyone. “For over a year we would be asked, ‘What do you do with it when you aren’t using it?’ and, ‘Would you want to rent it out?’ From there, the idea to rent out our RV was born.”
“We knew Outdoorsy was going to be a great fit for us once we read some of the reviews,” Hovestadt adds. “The website itself and reservation system are so easy to use. The security of our units gives us peace of mind, and the customer service is phenomenal. We couldn’t have picked anything better!”
As it turns out, those fellow campers were right. The Hovestadts were off and running immediately.
“Once we uploaded our profile on the site, it didn’t take more than an hour before we got our first reservation,” Hovestadt shares. “That was the beginning of our newest adventure: Happy Camper Luxury RV Rentals. Since then, we have earned enough to make this a full-time job and business. It has given our family an opportunity like no other, and we are forever grateful.”
Not only have they grown financially, but this entrepreneurial duo has also substantially grown their fleet. “Within a year and a half we have grown from one to eight RVs, and we’re still growing,” says Luisa. “We chose our eight RVs because they cover a large audience:
- The teardrop for the minimalist adventure seeker
- The bunkhouses for families with children
- The larger 2-bedroom RV units for adults/couples, or families with older children seeking comfort, privacy, and convenience
- The fifth wheel for the glamper
Having this wide variety of RVs available for rent has attracted all kinds of renters to their business.
“We have had the father of the bride rent units for a wedding at a beautiful park by our Texas vineyards,” Hovestadt says. “We have had a beautiful group of women rent to celebrate their girlfriend’s last round of chemo. We have had birthday celebrations both young and old. We have had the honor to host our military veterans for an annual celebration. We have been asked to rent as wardrobe rooms for music artists at the Formula One races, and most recently we have had a rental for Animal Planet’s ‘TreeHouse Master’ host and crew.”
“As you can see, we definitely cater to all — and do it all! It has been an amazing experience.”
All about Luisa and Billy Hovestadt
Favorite morning beverage:
Luisa Hovestadt: “Dr. Pepper. Can’t remember a morning without it!”
Billy Hovestadt: “Coffee. And lots of it!”
Favorite campsite meal:
Luisa Hovestadt: “We can both agree, a good steak on the grill!”
Music you like to play on the radio:
Luisa Hovestadt: “We love everything from our Top Hits radio to classic rock. As long as you have great company by your side, the music is always just the background!”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite:
Luisa Hovestadt: “That’s easy: cornhole! We can play it for hours—and have!”
Favorite season:
Luisa Hovestadt: “We’re from Texas so … summer!”
Last photo you took:
Luisa Hovestadt: “The last photos we have are from our two biggest blessings: our sweet baby boys. William and Ethan, 2 months old!”
What’s your Outdoorsy spirit animal?
Luisa Hovestadt: “Dog! Man’s best friend! Always up for a great time, plays well with others, and loves the outdoors.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go?
Luisa Hovestadt: “I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights in Iceland! To be able to take an RV, park it, and just watch the lights dance in the sky would be amazing!”
