HOSPITALITY ON WHEELS

Whether for business or recreation, this RV business keeps you on the road

by CHRISTIANA LILLY / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

Wood floors , a fireplace , workstation —these aren’t elements of a home design project but an RV. At Best Preowned RV’s of South Carolina, located in Awendaw, whatever can be done to a house can be done to these apartments on wheels.

“We’ve completely gutted motorhomes and turned them into yoga studios. I’ve built several vans for the van life kids that are roaming right now,” says Josh Sisson, who is a business partner at the firm.

His partner in crime is Kris Barron. The two have been friends since they were in their early teens. Barron grew up with parents who sold RVs, and he opened the doors to Best Preowned RV’s of South Carolina in 2005. Sisson joined the team in 2016 and the two have been business partners since 2020.

Since the beginning, there have been lots of changes in the industry RVs are no longer relegated to retirees who finally have the time to explore America by road. Twenty-five million Americans go RVing every year, and the RV Industry Association reports that the fastest-growing camping community is among Gen Z and millennials. The pandemic years saw a massive uptick in RV travel, and about 30% of those first-time RV campers say they plan to continue the lifestyle even though other options are available again.

RVs aren’t just for retired nomads and vacationers anymore either—a whopping 47% of RV campers say they’d like to live in an RV full time. And, with more people working remotely, younger and younger buyers are coming to Best Preowned RV’s of South Carolina to purchase their own mobile home.

“This used to be a 60-year-old-and-above business because they saved their whole life,” Sisson explains. “Now, we’ve got 21-year-old kids coming in here and buying motor homes who are influencers or working on websites and traveling all over the States.”

RVs come in all sizes, from tour bus-size vehicles that can sleep up to 10 people to motorhomes not much larger than a cargo van that are comfortable for one or two adults. Since the camping heyday of the 1970s and ’80s, towable camper sales have grown year over year and remain one of the most popular types of RVs. Whatever your needs, Best Preowned RV’s can help.

While some RVs are compact, minimal and streamlined, others are remarkably spacious and have pop-outs, luxuries and high-end touches. Regardless, the team at Best Preowned RV’s are experts in making RVs of any size functional and comfortable.

The changing landscape of RV ownership, along with the available sizes, is giving small-business owners new options as well. Work-from-home employees are transforming RVs into home offices, and retail stores are turning to RVs to provide the flexibility to bring their services directly to customers. For example, retailers can bring their wares to flea markets. Others are purchasing RVs to rent out to visitors, much like Airbnb, or to serve as VIP spaces during outdoor events.

Of course, the design must consider that the space is significantly smaller than a typical house, as well as the fact that everything needs to be able to handle being on the move. Sisson explains that when designing the interior of an RV, the weight of objects, the ability to be space efficient and fold-away furniture are important. For one customer with a cat, Sisson designed a cat door that leads into the storage compartment for the litter box. And in the case of the yoga studio, bunk beds and workstations were incorporated into the retail space for the owners to be able to not only sell goods at yoga meetups but also to get work done between practices.

Best Preowned RV’s doesn’t just customize and sell RVs, it performs routine maintenance, minor interior and exterior upgrades, and “glow-ups,” so your ride stays fresh and reliable.

It’s not just the sales, design and maintenance services that set Best Preowned RV’s of South Carolina apart from the big-box brands. It’s also customer service. There’s a sense of Southern hospitality at the store, where guests are greeted by Jax the Australian shepherd, reggae music is most likely playing over the speakers and every employee turns wrenches. Education for customers is key to the business. And even after a project is complete, customers know they can always call with questions or for help if needed.

“I’ve spent countless hours with people, and months later, they come back and buy,” Sisson says. “They’re spreading good news about our place and about how they’re treated.” *

Christiana Lilly is a freelance journalist in Pompano Beach, Florida. See more of her work spanning the arts, community news and social justice at christianalilly.com.

BEST

PREOWNED RV’S OF SOUTH CAROLINA

6475 N. HIGHWAY 17

AWENDAW, SC 29429

843.478.4919

BESTPREOWNEDRVSOFSC.COM