Meet David Sodemann of Boho Camper Vans

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Sodemann.

Hi David, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
Brett Ellenson and I started Boho Camper Vans as friends… but it quickly turned into a partnership. When we came up with the idea in March 2018, we knew (in every fiber of our being), that renting camper vans in Arizona would be successful. The problem was we didn’t have the money saved to purchase a van, let alone the money for materials needed to turn the van into a camper.

Most mentors or successful entrepreneurs would say something like, “Put together a business plan,” or “Start saving a little each month,” but that’s not the approach we took. The excitement of bringing Boho Camper Vans to life had overcome our thoughts. It was now our purpose, and we weren’t going to wait. So what did we do?

We went to the bank and took out a credit card with the largest limit they’d offer. The next day, we went ahead and bought a van to transform into a camper and charged the entire purchase. The intro offer on the credit card gave us 15 months with no APR, which became the “deadline.”

We needed to purchase a van, build it, rent it, and make enough money to cover the credit card expenses in full before the 15 months were up, or the interest would compound, and the business idea would crumble. It was a risk we were willing to take.

The first van was affectionately named “Stevie” after we heard Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide on the radio immediately after firing up the engine to drive it off the lot. Stevie was a 2005 Ford E-Series with 89k miles on the odometer, not the typical image of what a new business should be using as its ticket to jumpstart success. But at this point, we trusted the vision of what Boho Camper Vans could be even, with a high-risk “loan,” high-risk old van, and all the other risks that come with starting any new business.

While working on the conversion, Stevie was listed for rent and started seeing rental bookings roll through. And then more came through. And then even more. Six weeks later, Stevie hit the road on its first rental trip, and we had already recouped over half our investment (i.e. our credit card debt). 4 months later, we were out of debt and even had extra income to purchase a second rental van to convert into a camper.

Fast forward 4 years, and Boho Camper Vans has built hundreds of camper vans, appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank, has been mentioned on The Joe Rogan Experience, and has established Boho as a major player in camper van manufacturing.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s not always been a smooth road, and the nature of building custom campers is always going to have its share of challenges. Since each and every van we build is different, it’s important to be extremely detail-oriented with everything we do – from shop organization to client communication to timeline expectations. Every day at Boho Vans is different, which makes it both fun and challenging at the same time!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Boho Camper Vans?
Boho Camper Vans builds, rents, and sells camper vans out of our operations located in Tempe, AZ. We start each project with an empty cargo van, and then transform the van into a “tiny home on wheels”, complete with off-grid power, running water, and a cozy place to relax, dine and sleep.

Whereas many van builders focus on solely building and selling their conversions, we offer those services as well as a rental fleet of 10 camper vans that customers can lease on a short-term basis. We are known in our industry for our quality of work, affordable price tags, and exceptional customer service.

We focus on ensuring everyone who buys or rents a camper van from us is happy – as we treat each customer like family. We are proud of the impact our brand has had on those we haven’t even met before! We will often run into people on the road who mention they’ve been following our journey for years and are inspired by what we’ve accomplished and our story.

We’ve heard the same feedback from other van builders in our industry, and they’ve mentioned we’ve inspired them to build their own businesses. That makes us feel proud, as it promotes more and more people getting outside and exploring the world around them.

Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Follow us on social media, say hi to us at events, and/or contact us on our website for more opportunities!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.boho.life/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohovans
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bohovans
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohovans
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bohovans
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/boho-camper-vans-tempe
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bohovans