Costa Mesa-based altCamp LLC, an upstart high-end recreational vehicles company, is doubling its Orange County for-rent fleet to six vans and adding a second location in Westminster this year.
“We’re optimistic about the future,” CEO Adam Bosch told the Business Journal. “We still think that the concept of ‘revenge travel’ is still happening from the pandemic.”
“Revenge travel” refers to the surge in vacations many are taking to make up for lost time during the pandemic. Despite rising inflation, 40% of consumers last year spent more on travel than they did pre-pandemic, according to data from the American Society of Travel Advisors.
AltCamp, which Bosch founded in 2021, has been a beneficiary of the trend. The luxury RV rental company saw around 50 bookings, ranging from three days to two weeks, during its first partial year of business last year.
New Van
AltCamp currently has three vans available for rent. They aim to bring five-star luxury to the camping experience, at a price starting around $425 a night, plus gas.
A fourth van will be available to rent next month. The new vehicle, called The 77, was designed in collaboration with 2022 world surfing champion and San Clemente resident Filipe Toledo.
Its name pays homage to Toledo’s jersey number. Toledo was one of altCamp’s earliest customers, including a young unidentified billionaire exec from Silicon Valley, Bosch said.
The 77, geared at surfers, includes a pullout indoor surf rack that can hold up to six surfboards, a feature Bosch said he has not seen in other RV campers. The van also includes a signed plaque from Toledo.
Like The 77, vehicles in the startup’s fleet include a kitchen sink with hot water, a stovetop, refrigerator, microwave, a hot air heater, a queen bed, an outdoor shower and an iPad Pro with streaming service subscriptions. Nearly all amenities in the vans are solar-powered. Bathrooms are not included.
Vehicles in altCamp’s fleet sleep at least two people. Sleeping options for additional guests are also available.
Westminster Location
AltCamp is currently partnering with van builder Vanspeed Shop in Westminster. Renters of the company’s Everst and Rincon vans will be able to pick up and drop off the vehicles at Vanspeed’s headquarters.
Vanspeed has built two of altCamp’s vehicles. The van builder is slated to develop two more vehicles this year, bringing altCamp’s van fleet to six by summer.
“It’s important to be close to your builder,” Bosch said. “When things go wrong, if there’s maintenance issues—which are inevitable—[it’s important] to be able to turn those around quickly.”
Vanspeed will also serve as altCamp’s “expansion solution,” Bosch said.
“Through this partnership, we’re able to keep our overhead low,” he said.
AltCamp remains fully self-funded by Bosch, who is open to more partnerships as he focuses on expanding in Southern California.