Meet the 1st place winner of the Outdoorsy Success Story contest, Michelle Ellsworth of Adventure Bound Easy RV Rentals! To enter, all owners had to do was send us their #successstory detailing the best booking they’ve had in 2020. All submissions were posted for the community, who decided the winners. Here’s Michelle’s story!
Michelle Ellsworth started a successful RV rental business on an impulse. Crazy, right? It all began when the Ellsworth family took in Arsyi, an exchange student from Indonesia. Simply put, “Arsyi wanted to go see the Grand Canyon, and we wanted to make this happen for him.” This led them to purchasing a motorhome and heading off to see America.
The Ellsworths purchased their RV a week before the pandemic shut everything down, but that didn’t stop them from taking the trip of a lifetime. Michelle describes this experience saying, “Our family laughed, cried, struggled, and almost got arrested for washing up in a gas station bathroom.” Luckily, they weren’t arrested and were due for another adventure — renting out their RV.
A business venture that started as a way to pay for their RV became far more than that. As Michelle puts it, “What started out as a way to help make payments has flourished into a lifestyle that will give back to the community and become part of the Ellsworth’s identity for generations to come.” Now, they own and rent out four RVs named Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose — The Golden Girls.
For them, Adventure Bound Easy RV Rentals is a family affair. Their children have learned entrepreneurship and empathy, and, as a family, they have been able to expand their reach to the community. Both volunteers at their local fire department and RV owners, Michelle and her husband provided shelter and peace of mind to families and firefighters during the Oregon forest fires. And if that isn’t testament enough to the Ellsworth’s impact, Michelle’s husband, a homeless outreach coordinator, is working on their next mobile camp project.
It’s quite obvious that this Outdoorsy Owner’s story of success goes beyond financial gain. If you’re in the RV rental business or want to get into it, here’s Michelle’s advice: “Control is an illusion. The more you think you have it, the less you actually do.”
Looking to rent? Check out Michelle’s RVs on Outdoorsy!
About Michelle
Favorite morning beverage: “Coffee.”
Favorite campsite meal: “Goulash.”
Music you like to play on the radio: “Hard rock/Metal.”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “Yellow.”
Favorite season: “Fall.”
Last photo you took: “Screenshot of bills that needed to be paid.”
What’s your Outdoorsy spirit animal? “Horse.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Anywhere? Bottom of the ocean.”
