Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Johnston
Hi Carly , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Everything you need— nothing you don’t.
We go camping to spend time with our kids. To get away from screens. To catch fish, or waves, or have snowball fights on the side of the road. We wanted a way to do this as simply as possible, without setting up tents, or leveling an RV. We’re on a budget, so our van needs to be a daily driver. It also needs to be reliable, never leaving us stranded on the side of the road.
We’re not living in our van full time, so we don’t need a sink. Or a crazy power inverter setup. Or shiplap ceilings. But we do need lights. And to charge our phones. And a cooler that doesn’t need ice. And a warm shower after a surf would be nice.
This is why we started Weekend Vans. Helping families get outside (without a second mortgage) since 2020.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When we first started it was peak Covid and we could not purchase vans, there was no inventory due to factory shut downs. We wanted to stay firm to our core values of keeping vans affordable and forged amazing relationships with Mercedes dealerships and worked through it. After our first year, we expanded into the space we are in now and worked through rapid growth.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a van up fitter based in North County, Carlsbad. Family friendly weekender vans are what we build while staying budget friendly. Our vans’ designs are standardized. We are a mix of family, friends, and dogs who started building in our driveway in North County, San Diego, in fall of 2020. Since then, we have upfitted just shy of 100 vans and relocated to a large factory and showroom, in Carlsbad, CA. Email us to come visit!This keeps our prices as low as possible, helping you get into the great outdoors without a second mortgage. We do offer a few options and upgrades, but nothing crazy.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
A huge risk Weekend Vans took was stepping away from your traditional idea of what van up fitters produced. We wanted to focus on getting more families out camping over custom, more expensive builds. We did not know how that would be received. Keeping our costs low and making that a priority meant we had to focus more on volume of sales and now with over 100 customers our risk has paid off.
Pricing:
- Standard Upfit 144 $29.5k
- Standard Upfit 170 $36k
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.weekendvans.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weekendvans/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weekendvans/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmFuiM6b1XZRFJ8-H5XT1A
Image Credits
Levi Thompson Media
