Limpert Tech on iHeartRadio 6/10/23 - Jason Carlson, Founder and CEO of Wallabing

Rick talks with Jason Carlson of Wallabing, about providing RV enthusiasts an open road to revenue, adventure, and peace of mind.

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With life on the open road remaining as popular and alluring as ever, one innovative company, Wallabing, is seeking to transform this growing lifestyle trend by streamlining the recreational vehicle experience for owners and renters.

“Owners make more, renters pay less” is the simple but powerful concept at the core of the Plano, Texas-based company’s forward-thinking business model. Wallabing is a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace and mobile app connecting RV owners, renters, travelers, and wandering adventurers alike.

Bringing owners and renters together in a platform providing value for each has fueled Wallabing’s rapid growth since launching in 2021. Through leveraging its unique team of 164 independent consultants able to assist owners and renters in 32 states, the company has increased its inventory by 682% in six months.

It’s a dilemma faced by many RV owners for years – how to get the most out of their RVs even though they only use their vehicles for a few weeks each year. A recent survey by Verified Market Research found the average RV owner uses their RV an average of 20 days each year leaving 345 days to rent to others. Despite the growing popularity of RVs and outdoor travel, industry experts cite there are more than 54 million idle RVs at any given time, worldwide.

Meanwhile, in recent years, the rental market for RVs has been on the rise. In 2020, the RV rental market size was valued at $546 million. It is projected to reach $810 million by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.31% from 2021-2028, according to Verified Market Research.

Demand for RV ownership, which is already at 11.2 million U.S. households, is growing by 500,000 to 1 million annually. Market research predicts that 20.5 million households intend to purchase an RV in the coming years.

Looking ahead, Wallabing’s five-year plan is to have 150K RVs featured on its site and on the road. To further build out its marketplace and increase inventory, Wallabing has developed a responsive business model and lowered its service fee, while keeping modest customer acquisition costs.

Wallabing is planning to launch an upcoming crowdfunding campaign to expand awareness about their company’s platform and mobile app among RV owners, renters, and potential investors.

A great option to try an RV and a new experience.

Jason Carlson
Founder and CEO, Wallabing

I’ve been interested in outdoor recreation for as long as I can remember. My family spent at least one weekend a month camping when I was a young boy and we had an annual reunion at a national forest each August. Between hiking, fishing, boating, and anything else I could get up to out there, I was always taught to appreciate all the wonders our world held for us and was encouraged to explore.

Limpert Tech on iHeartRadio 4/22/22 - Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts, a RV Membership Service

Even though I’m not an RVer, I think about traveling the country in an RV often.

This week, Rick is joined by Joel Holland, travel expert and CEO of Harvest Hosts, a membership platform for RVers to find unique overnight stays.

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Harvest Hosts, a membership program giving RVers access to unique overnight stays, finds that in a recent survey, 63% of respondents sleep in parking lots–such as Walmarts, Cracker Barrels and rest stops–less often as a result of being a member. Additionally, a full 23% of Harvest Hosts members report using their RVs more frequently each year as a result of being part of the program. Members are going on multiple trips each year, and during those trips they’re staying at a mix of Harvest Hosts locations as well as traditional campgrounds. Since Harvest Hosts locations offer boondocking (no hookups) for 24 hours, the data shows that members are more likely to spend additional nights in campgrounds before and after visiting small businesses in the Harvest Hosts network.

“Our stay at Belle Marie [a Harvest Hosts location] was a one night stay between week-long campground stays for us,” says Steve and Sigrid, members of Harvest Hosts. “We very much enjoyed many of the wines at Belle Marie.”

RV ownership and rentals are reaching record levels. According to RVIA, 72 million Americans plan to go RVing this year. As they set out on the open road, the more options there are to stay overnight in their RVs, the better. Campgrounds and Harvest Hosts locations enable RVers to commune with the outdoors, connect with fellow road travelers, support small businesses, and take in some incredible views. Both options are actively helping RVers avoid spending the night in a public parking lot. With Harvest Hosts and traditional campgrounds as options, RVers are doing more of what road trips are intended to do – explore the country, not just park in it.

“As 2022 is going to be yet another record year for RVing, road trippers are looking for amazing things to do and see. For most, this doesn’t include seeing the parking lots of America,” says Holland, of Harvest Hosts. “We’re finding most of our members are going on more trips per year since joining the Harvest Hosts program, leading to more total bookings that help support small businesses and traditional campgrounds overall.”

The RV industry is bracing for another busy summer for road travel. Harvest Hosts locations complement traditional campgrounds across America to provide RVers with an incredible overnight experience no matter where the road takes them. In 2022, Harvest Hosts members will spend over $40M directly with the small businesses and communities they visit, and the company does not take any cut of that additional revenue.