“I purchased my first camper when I was an active-duty Army Captain and single,” owner Blake Collier tells us. “I wanted a way to hit the ski slopes with my buddies and be able to travel around the United States to adventure all the national parks, all while saving money on lodging.”
“The RV I chose was a 2017 Winnebago Trend 23D that has two twin beds in the rear and one slideout,” Collier continues. “I picked this unit due to it being 24 feet long and having great gas mileage. Also, the previous owner put a lift kit on it which allows me to hit the backcountry of Colorado for all the trailheads. The twin bed concept allowed me to have my ski buddies crash over as well, without having to share a bed.”
Since purchasing his RV, Blake has had many fantastic outdoor adventures. In fact, he is often called “The Ghost” because he much prefers to be off-grid.
“My most memorable camping memory is with all my old army buddies,” Blake reminisces when asked about his camping trips. “We would go out on the weekends during the deep winter, camp out next to a frozen lake with a fire pit going, cold beers, and steaks. Then we would hit the ski slopes the next day at Vail, then return and repeat. Good times with no cell phone signal. Just good company and conversations!”
After a couple of years, Collier stumbled across Outdoorsy. He never could have known what awaited him next. “I decided to rent my first camper out after coming across the Outdoorsy website,” Collier shares with us. “I figured I would give it a shot and see what happened.”
Success is what happened! “It took my first camper about one week to bring in a rental request,” Blake says. “Given the market for a B+ type camper, folks instantly grabbed mine up.”
Collier’s business, High Alpine Rentals, grew quickly, and soon enough he was bringing in more than enough to make a living while adding RVs—both consignments and more of his own rigs—left and right. “We closed out the 2020 rental season with 28 units,” Blake tells us. “ 4 class Bs, 8 class Cs, 15 trailers, and a class A.”
Blake attributes much of his success to his experience in the world of RVing. He remarks, “I advise those who want to jump into the world of RV renting to learn about campers first. It took me two years of RVing and understanding RVing before going into business. There is A LOT that goes into the rental business, not just having campers.”
Even considering all the work involved, Blake still loves what he does and genuinely enjoys working with Outdoorsy. “I honestly LOVE Outdoorsy and their story,” he gushes. “Outdoorsy truly loves their owners and dealers. It’s a small business feel. I have also met some phenomenal people through Outdoorsy. From private owners to fleet owners, to the wonderful CEO/CMO of Outdoorsy, everyone is just so like-minded, positive, and uplifting!”
All About Blake
Favorite morning beverage: “Dark coffee, no sugar or cream.”
Favorite campsite meal: “Eggs, maple sausage, cheese, salsa!”
Music you like to play on the radio: “Acoustic indie.”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “UNO.”
Favorite season: “Winter.”
Last photo you took: “Walking across a frozen lake.”
What’s your Outdoorsy spirit animal? “Eagle.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Switzerland.”
