For brothers Kurt and Craig Campbell, third-generation sellers within the Seattle space, nostalgia and figuring out a niche out there created a worthwhile part of their group’s enterprise.
The pair co-owns Campbell Auto Group, made up of Campbell Volkswagen of Edmonds, Campbell Nissan of Edmonds and Campbell Nissan of Everett.
In 2015, the group launched Caravan Outfitter. Because the identify implies, the retailer takes passenger and cargo vans and outfits them with creature comforts for patrons trying to expertise the outside by way of an all-in-one camper van.
Within the Nineteen Fifties, Volkswagen popularized such a setup with its Westfalia fashions, which have been notable for his or her pop-up roofs.
“My brother and I grew up as Volkswagen sellers,” Kurt Campbell mentioned. “At one time, we have been one of many bigger Westfalia sellers within the nation for Volkswagen. That product went away and we noticed that that area of interest wanted to be crammed.”
The brothers employed engineers and spent two years prototyping a camper primarily based off the Nissan NV200 cargo van. The aim was to create a two-person van that had room for a mattress, some kitchen house and a eating space, priced at about $40,000.
Gross sales of Caravan Clothes shop’s first van, named the Free Chicken, started in 2017.
The 2-seat Free Chicken comes with a mattress that’s 76 inches lengthy and 54 inches broad, which might be rapidly configured right into a eating space, a desk and a kitchen field within the rear, full of a tenting range, a small fridge and cupboard space.
Final 12 months, Caravan Clothes shop expanded its lineup with the Backroad, which is predicated on the bigger five-seat Mercedes-Benz Metris. The Backroad comes with a pop-up prime with a 78-inch-long mattress, whereas the second row of seats might be folded down for a full-size mattress.
Campbell acquires the brand new Metris vans by means of a neighborhood Mercedes dealership, noting that he will get particular pricing.
The group has a separate warehouse northwest of its Everett Nissan retailer, the place it builds out the vans. Campbell says the group of eight workers makes use of an meeting line strategy, which permits it to construct a month-to-month output of up to10 Free Chicken and 6 Backroad vans.
To make the build-out course of simpler, every Free Chicken or Backroad van is similar, apart from the outside or inside colours. Prospects can add optionally available gear similar to a wraparound awning, roof rack, cargo field, tow hitch and bike provider, amongst different choices, in the course of the ordering course of.
The typical Free Chicken sells for round $41,000, whereas the typical Backroad sells for about $73,000, Campbell mentioned.
“I believe we’re providing the shopper an incredible worth,” Campbell mentioned. “And we’re earning profits within the course of.”
Six salespeople on the Volkswagen and Nissan shops are licensed to promote the outfitted fashions. Campbell — which offered 2,200 new and used autos in 2020 — will construct 70 Free Birds and 25 Backroads in 2021. The entire Backroad vans are presold.
“We won’t make sufficient of those,” he mentioned.
Caravan Clothes shop’s enterprise has taken off since gross sales started in 2017.
Campbell mentioned they’ve offered round 170 outfitted autos to this point. On its web site, the corporate has a map that highlights consumers’ places. Whereas most gross sales have been to clients on the West Coast, Caravan Clothes shop has additionally discovered consumers within the South, Midwest and Northeast.
“The shoppers are the funnest clients we have ever skilled as a result of they’re actually excited to get the product,” Campbell mentioned. “It isn’t a utility automobile for them. It is one thing that is type of fulfilling a dream.”
Caravan Clothes shop made some modifications this 12 months, with extra to come back. It has added two choices: the Nissan Frontier-based Outpost pickup, which has a pop-up tent within the mattress of the truck and different off-road goodies, and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Pop-Top. As with the Backroad, the Sprinter Pop-High has a pop-up prime with a mattress inside.
Nissan’s resolution to exit the commercial-van business means Campbell’s provide of NV200s is gone. However preparations have been made with Ford Motor Co. and a neighborhood dealership to accumulate Transit Join and Transit vans.
Caravan Clothes shop additionally opened a gross sales and rental facility throughout the road from the group’s Volkswagen and Nissan shops in Edmonds. Campbell anticipates its first leases will start this month with a fleet of six Free Birds, with Outpost leases to comply with in June.
“It appeared just like the pure development was to now supply individuals the flexibility to lease in addition to buy,” he mentioned. “For lots of people it is a massive funding, and perhaps they need to lease it for a number of days first or individuals from out of city are available they usually need one thing inexpensive to go to the campgrounds with.”