oct-2017

172 173 ROAD BEAR RV reallymeet anybody,”observes Ross- kopf.“That’s what the big advantage is. If you go to a campground, normally there are other families with kids.Your kids can run around, you meet other people, it’s very social.This way, you learn more about the country than you would just driving through as a tourist. And that’s what a lot of people really like about it: that you get in touch with people along the way.” Founded by a Swiss in Los Angeles in 1980, Road Bear RV has gone through two ownership changes, the most recent occurring in 2010,when it was purchased by theNewZealand-based, publiclyheld company,TourismHolding Limited (THL).“TourismHoldings is the largest motor home rental company around the globe,with operations in NewZealand,Australia,a joint venture in the U.K.,and El Monte RVand Road Bear RV in the U.S.,”Rosskopf explains. Based inAgoura Hills,California,Road Bear RV has rental and drop-off loca- tions in Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, NewYork,Orlando, San Francisco, and Seattle,with Dallas to be added in the spring of 2018 as drop-off location. Roughly 35- 40 percent of Road Bear RV’s U.S. customers rent a motor home at one location, return it to another following a trip exploring the beauty of the U.S. along the way, and then utilize other transportation to return to their homes. The THL Company provides service in Europe, as well as Australia and NewZealand, and Europeans, particularly German speakers, comprise a signifi- cant portion of the Road Bear RV customer base. In fact, about 75 percent of customers hail from somewhere other than the U.S.,which is why the company’s rental paperwork comes in English and German, and staff who speak Spanish, Portuguese, French “and other languages to attract customers from abroad is available,”Rosskopf adds. Road Bear RV’s three U.S.markets include: people who travel to the U.S. from abroad; the domestic traveler -people taking long trips, such as from Orlando to LA; and the regional market,which Rosskopf defines as people living and traveling within two hours of a Road Bear RV location.“These customers are more of a long weekend type, like Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend-picking it up on a Thursday afternoon and bringing it back on Mondaymorning.They don’t drive it very far, but they want to enjoy it, as well.” While there are similar national brands that also AT A GLANCE ROAD BEAR RV WHAT: A motor home rental and sales company WHERE: Agoura Hills, California WEBSITES: www.roadbearrv.com