Organising a Campsite on Hipcamp (5 issues we realized)

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Final week we “opened” our campground property to friends utilizing Hipcamp (despite the fact that we haven’t constructed out RV pads but!).

Since we’ve began sharing our campground dream, many individuals have emailed us to share that they’ve an analogous dream. And fairly just a few folks have mentioned “I’ve ## acres and would love to simply invite folks to camp on my property. How can I do this?”

I’ve at all times replied with the hyperlink to join Hipcamp. (This isn’t a sponsored publish or an advert, by the way in which.)

Hipcamp is principally a technique to just do that. Hire out your property to campers—in tents, automobiles, RVs, hammocks, and so on—and make a bit of extra cash. Kinda like Airbnb for tenting. Plus it’s approach much less concerned than a full-on campground as a result of nobody expects hook ups or dump stations or canine parks or playgrounds or paved roads.

Which is sweet as a result of we don’t have any of these issues.

Since we aren’t a full-functioning RV park but, we determined Hipcamp was the proper place to checklist our property to open up boondocking for campers by way of the remainder of 2021.

We arrange our itemizing final Tuesday and shared the hyperlink with you all. Bookings began rolling in however we rapidly seen one thing…

Solely about half of the bookings have been from folks on our electronic mail checklist.

The remainder have been from campers looking the Hipcamp website simply on the lookout for a campsite out right here on the western slope of Colorado.

And we have been like…

A bit of bit shocked.

A bit of bit nervous.

A bit of bit like hey…this campground factor would possibly truly work out. 🤯🥳

(Heath already requested me if we actually wanted to take the money and time to construct out RV pads as a result of establishing our Hipcamp itemizing was really easy. Sure, Heath. Sure we do.)

This previous week of bringing in our first friends, getting paid (funds are direct deposited each Tuesday and we made precisely $22.50 for our first campers however IT FEELS GOOD), and determining the right way to run a boondocking campground taught us just a few issues.

1. Choosing the proper platform for constructing your online business issues. Discover the platform that has the most effective performance to make your online business run seamlessly. It’s the identical motive we give the recommendation to promote a e book on Amazon versus in your web site.

2. Go the place clients are prepared to purchase. Hipcamp has been round for lengthy sufficient to have a fantastic popularity amongst campers and a rising buyer base. Heath and I each anxious that nobody apart from individuals who double faucet our Instagram pictures would ever select to camp with us. Strangers reserving our campsite is unbelievably encouraging and thrilling.

3. Automation makes all the things simpler. We will settle for reservations, ship automated check-in messages, and tackle questions all from our telephones. Very helpful if you spend most of your day enjoying with a two-year-old.

4. Be okay with model 1. Heath and I went forwards and backwards a LOT on if we wished to confide in boondockers in 2021.

It often went one thing like this:

“We aren’t prepared. What if somebody drives over the leach subject and sinks and needs to be towed out? We haven’t even found out the place to order commercial-size rest room paper but! We haven’t furnished our 4,000 sq. ft schoolhouse but. We have to purchase a washer-dryer set earlier than anybody camps!!” 😬

“We’ve got a totally renovated schoolhouse that’s prepared to be used. We’ve got big shade timber and a leveled, gravel space for RVs. No different boondocking websites have showers and fiber web and a kitchen so I don’t assume folks might be mad about our lack of a washer. Persons are emailing us asking each week if they’ll boondock. Why not open up?” 🤷🏻‍♀️

After a strong month of forwards and backwards, we’re each feeling good about our determination—despite the fact that it means giving folks an up-close and private have a look at our messy model one in every of a campground.

Most of all, it was a great reminder that taking motion is at all times scary and at all times value it—whether or not it’s beginning a brand new enterprise, shopping for an RV, promoting a home, or simply inviting somebody to camp below your timber.

We nonetheless have a protracted technique to go. Thanks for sharing on this journey with us ❤️🏕

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Photograph credit score: Jon Bajuelo