Brooke and Rob Lykins are an adventurous couple who love to travel by RV with their four kids. “In our first RV, we (as a then-family-of-four) drove all over the western US, “ Brooke tells us. “We visited national parks in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and all through California. It was epic! Our favorites were Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone.”
That amazing summer trip almost didn’t happen when the Lykins’ original plan fell through. “A family member sold the RV we were supposed to use,” Brooke explains. “That’s when we bought an old RV from a tow yard and gutted and renovated it.”
As it turns out, this was a blessing in disguise, as it meant the Lykins family was left with an incredible and unique RV that many people have fallen in love with. “We’ve had many friends, neighbors, and fellow campers ask if they could rent our RV,” Lykins says. “We had no idea how we could do it with insurance requirements. Enter Outdoorsy, and it all fell into place.”
The Lykins began to see success immediately after listing the RV. “We had a rental for that same weekend,” Brooke recalls. “We’ve been renting for four summers now. In the last year, we’ve grossed $160,000 from Outdoorsy rentals. We now own two Class C RVs, three Class B’s, and we consign a few class Bs and a trailer.”
That is a lot to manage, especially for a homeschool mom working two other gigs and a dad working a full-time job. What makes it worthwhile? Besides the extra income, it might be the people the Lykins get to meet.
“We have met people from all walks of life and from all over the world,” Lykins shares. “Some are bougie, some are rugged. Some are old and want to travel with the comforts of home, some are young, wild, and free, while others are families or friend groups wanting to get out into nature. Some are neighbors, and some travel from different continents.
“One sweet family just returned from a California national parks tour,” she continues. “They were from Mexico City. One dad is an artist and the other dad is a scientist. They had three kiddos. They took microscopes and all sorts of science and art equipment. They made a logo for their trip. They drew our rental RV with the sequoias in the background, and made shirts and gear for their trip with the logo on it—so cool! They had a great time and shared the logo with us.”
Clearly, the Lykns are having a wonderful time running their business. We hope their business continues to grow. Their hope though? “We truly hope renters get to experience the freedom of being on the road and adventuring in new places,” says Brooke.
All About Brooke
Favorite morning beverage: “Dark roast coffee with MUD/WTR, collagen, and oat milk.”
Favorite campsite meal: “Sausages and veggies on the grill.”
Music you like to play on the radio: “Classic rock.”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “Dominos and Uno.”
Favorite season: “Fall.”
Last photo you took: “A potential property for our RV storage.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “I want to travel along the southern states, then up into the lower east coast.”
Read more about when Brooke and Rob first started their business.
