Another Aloha

February 12, 2024Macy M1990 views

I think I have a problem, I bought yet another trailer. This is my 5th trailer purchase. Some might say it’s getting out of hand! I am excited, yet again though. This travel trailer is the exact same model as the one we remodeled 8 years ago. That one was intended to be our micro traveling home and we lived in that 84 s.f. for over a year while seeing so many national parks! This one has a different purpose, I am not entirely sure what that is yet but I am waiting a beat for the right person or the right situation to speak to me about it.

“Aloha” is an essence of being: love, peace, compassion, and a mutual understanding of respect. Aloha means living in harmony with the people and land around you with mercy, sympathy, grace, and kindness. BUT, did you know the Aloha campers have nothing to do with Hawaiian language or culture?

They come from Aloha, Oregon. If you’re like me, you might think that town was founded by some people who found their way from Hawaii. But nope, the name apparently was an accident. The postmaster tried to name it after a resort called Aloah in Wisconsin but accidentally transposed the last two letters, it stuck. What was supposed to be Aloah, Oregon became Aloha, Oregon. And then, years and years later an RV manufacturer set up shop, in Beaverton, Oregon, just about three miles from Aloha. The Aloha model they manufactured became one of the fan favorites and had three siblings; a small one, (this one) their medium model, and their large one.

So what am I doing with it?

For me, this is a side hustle. The kids are getting a little older, more independant with their school work. I am here for it all, but as they are able to handle more, I have a bit more down-time. So, this is a project without a purpose for me. Some might call that a job. As such, it will be available for sale at the end of its makeover.

What I would LIKE to do with it is turn it into an asset for someone. In the same way that this old tiny house has shifted the housing game for me, I was thinking maybe a little mobile shop of sorts would shift the work game for someone else. I wouldn’t mind following that along as a case study, too. I have been doing a little brainstorming and asking my friends what service jobs might benefit from a mobile shop space. Something where they can potentially save on rent while still providing their service within this little 7’x12′ space.

I am specifically avoiding the food/drink industry

I have a few reasons for this. First, this market is well covered with food trucks and vendor trailers. Second, and the biggest reason to avoid consumables, is that there are a TON of hoops to jump with Food Safety and Health Department requirements. I am not looking to unwind that ball of yarn completely when plenty of other industries already have this one handled.

One exception I might make within this area would be a mobile farm stand. Something someone could take to a farmers market and operate under a cottage food license and not a full blown commercial kitchen set-up.

Ideally it would serve a different industry

My first instinct was to use it for a movable barber shop/salon. I had a friend in the hair industry who invited me into her business world and she paid $300/week to rent a chair at a solon. Whether or not she had enough clients it cost her $1,200-$1,500 a month to use a chair. That was before any material costs or anything. I found that to be pretty expensive (and that was years ago, I bet it’s a lot more now). While that’s the inspiration for the project, I’m not sure that is where it will end up.

In fact, just in my short two days of researching it, travel trailers are not even allowed for hair businesses in Idaho. But they aren’t explicitly disallowed either. So, not legal but not illegal, either. There is currently just no path to this use in the state. Unlike tiny houses though, there are several other states embracing the concept of a mobile service space.

I was a little confused about who was in charge of not allowing this use. It’s not the building department, nor zoning. It turns out that it’s the Board of Occupational Licenses who seem to disallow them based on a few requirements shops are required to meet. To me, these seem to be solvable. The requirements state there needs to be a 3′ wide front door. Hot and Cold water spigots. An incorporated or adjacent restroom (and they even have standards for shared bathrooms). From everything I have read, it seems do-able.

I have to decided if I want to do it. A few people have already expressed interest but that’s with a theoretical bottom line.

Other ideas

I want to explore some other businesses that could benefit before deciding. Below is a list my friends have helped me brainstorm that are not food industries but who serve the public in a way that might benefit from having a mobile space (I would adore new ideas if you have them!):

Barber/Salon
Farmstand
Artists pop-up
Dog grooming
Knife/shear sharpening
Clothing boutique
Music venue
Office
Massage therapy
Tutoring studio
Flower shop
Bookstore
Photo studio/booth
Counseling office
Repair shop
Makers club

The Bottom Line

I bought this cute little guy (or gal) for $800. There is a LOT of work that needs to go into it, though I don’t believe it will be a full on rebuild like our first was. I will be stripping all that green paint, fixing a couple rotted out structural members, fixing the rotted out weather sealant, and completely refinishing the interior. I don’t think there will be as many systems. We won’t have solar AND shore power. We might not have any propane. I am guessing I will put another $3-4,000 of materials into finishing out this space. I plan to pay myself $25/hour for my own time and experience going into it. In the end, if I can sell it for $10-12,000 while also providing a business owner an asset that helps them earn more income, I think that is a win/win.

I know I have a lot of speed bumps ahead of me but I also think it’s worthwhile to produce a case study of a successful business that also isn’t dependent on crazy rental prices. Much like housing and tiny homes. I think creating a business model that is interdependent and symbiotic to other businesses, one that uses existing infrastructure and parking lots would be good. I can see this operating on it’s own or I can see a business owner creating a schedule of locations with other stores to create a mutually beneficial situation.

I don’t know.

Like most things that seem to work out for me, I don’t really know what I’m doing but it feels right… if none of these leads go anywhere, I could always turn to plan ‘b’. Plan ‘b’ is just making it into another epic camper. Even at that, I think I would target a specific audience… keeping costs down for families with multiple kids who don’t want to buy a truck to go camping. These little campers are brilliant because they are small and nimble enough to be pulled with a SUV or Subaru type vehicle. There aren’t many small options for families with 3-4 kids to stay small.