Steven Kayser has been a fan of the outdoors for many years now. That said, he is also a fan of comfort, meaning he was pretty quick to jump on the RV bandwagon. Of course, traditional RVs have their drawbacks. That’s why the idea of a campervan really sparked his interest.
“I had been following the #VanLife trend online, and I’ve been seriously interested in having a fun campervan to use on the weekends locally, and eventually to take an extended trip through North America in the upcoming years,” Steven explains. “I really like the idea of a simpler, more compact van over a full-sized RV—easier to drive, less complicated equipment to worry about (or fix), and it’s something I can build and add to myself.”
Eager to dive into the world of van living, Kayser built a van of his own and went on some outdoor adventures, but it wasn’t long before he realized he needed to share it with the world. “I initially purchased my van strictly for personal use,” says Steven. “However, after a few months, I started considering renting it—partly for fun, partly for income, but mostly to get some experience and see what potential renters were looking to get out of a rental experience.
“I initially was planning on starting my own business and marketing campervan rentals locally here around Sacramento, for use in the northern California area. There are a tremendous amount of outdoor recreation options in northern California, and Sacramento is right in the middle of all of them, so it seemed like a great opportunity.
“However, after finding Outdoorsy as an option, it simply made far better sense for my time and effort to ‘outsource’ the web site management, booking/financial services, and advertising all to Outdoorsy, which leaves me free to do what I am best at anyway: provide a great experience and trip options for the clients, and find/build/buy vans that are a great fit for this business.”
Very quickly after listing, Steven began getting rental requests. As the requests poured in, he realized that many renters were looking for exactly what he was offering: both something unique and a peek into the van-life world.
“The vast majority of vehicles on Outdoorsy currently are manufactured RVs—mine is one of a few custom campervans available for rent,” Kayser tells us. “There is a huge (and growing!) interest in #VanLife and campervans, and I help folks with interest in this. Many of my clients are people interested in building their own van and want to experience mine before starting their own build.”
With so much interest, Steven has made the decision to continue growing his business. “I have a 2nd van—a bit smaller than the Transit—that I am currently converting into a similar, simple campervan setup,” he tells us. “I intend to keep expanding and make use of partners in the area to meet with clients when I am working during a drop-off/pick-up.”
All About Steven
Favorite morning beverage: “Whey protein + veggie powder + flax (it’s healthy, at least).”
Favorite campsite meal: “Any type of seafood.”
Music you like to play on the radio: “I’m addicted to audiobooks.”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “A deck of cards works well for many things.”
Favorite season: “Spring.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Banff National Park.”
