We added an automatic California last year and have two more on order ready for the 2019 season. How many people does the company employ? We are very much a family affair. The garage is walking distance from our home office and our son’s school is in-between. My parents ran their own business and I learned very early on that it is the personal touch which makes all the difference. What makes the VW such an iconic campervan, and is it as practical as it is pretty? It is clear that nostalgia drives a certain VW camper market. But honestly, that’s not where Sun Kissed Campers is at. I like my music fresh, my home carbon neutral and my campers design-led.
HERE COMES THE SUN Parenthood brings with it many changes – it can sometimes even be the catalyst to a whole new career path. Stuart Shotton of Sun Kissed Campers tells us how becoming a Dad set him and his partner on the path to self employment When did you first get the campervan bug? Before parenthood, Janifa and I were more than happy to throw a small tent and a bit of kit into the car and head off to a festival or into the hills at the drop of a hat. But once the boy came along, our camping gear grew and grew. Camping became a bit of a chore and I found myself enviously looking at people in their campervans. They offered a taste of the easy life we once enjoyed. And when and why did you decide that you could turn this into a living? For too many years I had been splitting my time between working in Birmingham and family life back in the West Country. I had been involved in the arts since graduating and was ready for a new challenge. I’d noticed
camping fields slowly being taken over by vans, and as I couldn’t justify buying one for myself, starting up in business seemed the best way of getting my hands on one. With my son approaching full-time education, my wife and I finally took the plunge in an effort to get me back home. How did you begin, and how have you grown the company? Starting cautiously with two T5 campers which we kept outside our house, we set up a website and started taking bookings. Keeping our jobs running, we tested and tweaked to get our offer just right. Once confident there was a demand, we sold the T5s, bought four new T6 California Oceans and acquired a bigger garage. This presence raised our profile significantly and gave our customers more confidence in our company.
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Tell us about some of its special features. The California Ocean is the only VW camper to be designed and made entirely by VW. That may sound obvious, but every other VW camper you see is a secondary refit. The attention to detail in the California is quite astounding. First up it has a central control panel. This raises the pop-up roof, keeps your huge fridge chilled and your heating just right. We are talking off-grid luxury. The leisure batteries stay charged for days. We send them off to Glastonbury Festival, confident they won’t lose power during the event. We offer extras for customers who need them, like roof bars and carriers to secure cycles, boards and kayaks, and bell tents, awnings, glamping, fire pits and toilets. If we don’t have it listed, we will try our best to source it! What are the hidden challenges, costs and potential problems? Well, the biggest cost are the campers themselves, but they do tend to hold their value. My insurance bill would bring tears to your eyes! There is a lot of cleaning involved. They are essentially holiday homes on wheels! Making sure campers are ready when customers expect them and in tip top condition is paramount during peak season. Having a larger fleet gives us more flexibility if a camper is returned damaged. No one likes to have their holiday canceled last minute! ‘Sun kissed’ conjures up long, hot festival days bathed in golden light – but how about cold-weather jaunts – will we still be cosy? You can certainly get sun kissed in the winter too. There is nothing better
than greeting the morning sunrise while sitting in bed with a fresh coffee. But, when the nights are cold, our campers are very cosy. They are amazingly insulated. Windows are double glazed with integrated heat reflective blinds. The thermostatic heater is quiet and efficient. I rarely have it over the second lowest setting. We also supply sheepskin rugs and plenty of blankets. What are your favourite local locations for a short trip? We are so lucky where we live. We have access so many amazing places. The Gower is a firm favourite if we want a wild beach fix. If our boy wants to climb trees we head to Horner Valley buried deep in Exmoor. You say “having worked in the arts and charity sector we understand the value of social giving” – can you tell us how this translates into the charities you support? I think it is important that local businesses should be part of the community. We are not cash-rich, so we try to support a couple of charities through providing campervan holidays as prizes. We have supported numerous charity fundraisers, events and clubs over the past four years, the latest being homeless charity Julian House and the Bristol-based charity Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home. Do you use social media and if so, which platform works best for you? Yes, social media is a necessity to any business these days. Facebook is great to get talking with our customers and we have a very active page. We are a bit late starting with Instagram; getting a stock of quality images of our campers is more difficult than you would think. How else do you market the company? SEO is most important and is something of a dark art as far as I can see. But making sure the website is discoverable is key. Also never underestimate the power of customer reviews. Word of mouth is so valuable. What are your plans for 2019 and where would you like to see the company in five years time? The fleet is growing again this year. Expansion is an expensive business which has needed a lot of investment. Within five years, I want to have a stable fleet and to have found a permanent base. www.sunkissedvwcampervanhire.co.uk
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