Member stories
Meet Jo and Trevor Knox, the adventurous parents looking to explore the world
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We caught up with a couple of our fantastic van owners, partners Jo and Trevor Knox, to learn about how they turned a passion into a retirement fund, where to find the best toilets in New Zealand, and how their 17 year old is following in their footsteps.
Tell us a little bit about your camping journey. Why did you decide to invest in your first motorhome?
After hiring a motorhome in 2015 for a 5-day South Island trip with our two boys (then 9 and 7 years old), we decided road-tripping was definitely our thing and we purchased our own motorhome soon afterwards. Eight years on, and we still love a good road trip — the flexibility of having a rough idea of where we want to head but the freedom to decide on a whim to stay longer than planned somewhere and make a detour here and there. However, our trips are now just the two of us—our boys, now 17 and 15, prefer to stay home with my parents! We also used some of our trips to research for my book “Kiwi-as Toilets”, a quirky and light-hearted coffee-table book and travel guide that takes you on a tiki tour of New Zealand’s top toilets!
Why did you decide to begin your hiring journey with Camplify and how’s it going?
We met a number of fellow travellers on our trips who were hiring motorhomes from the large companies and were astounded at how much they were paying per night, and we also realised that they really appreciated hearing our tips and tricks about where to visit, where to stay and getting the best out of their vehicle. We decided that we’d like to buy a motorhome to hire out to get into the industry, but we were unsure of how to do it—how to manage the admin, how insurance would work, how to spread the word to get bookings.
Camplify has been the answer to all of those uncertainties and more. Listing our first vehicle was quick and simple: all of the admin and insurance worries were taken care of, the platform instantly provided us with national and international reach to potential hirers, and we still have total control over pricing and when we want our vehicles to be available for hire or available for us. After the first successful season, we purchased a second motorhome and a third one the season after that. While most of the Spring/Summer season sees back-to-back bookings, we also get Autumn and Winter hires too with some people using them for ski/snowboard trips—the heaters in our motorhomes ensure they are super cosy during even the coldest of nights.
What do you get up to when not hiring out your van?
Visiting as many places as possible and experiencing as many new experiences as we can. Most recently, we have enjoyed quad-biking in Hanmer Springs (sooo much fun) and star-gazing at Tekapo Springs (amazing)! Learning to surf is next on our things to try (possibly while enjoying a weekend at Mount Maunganui or Waipu Cove).
How is your van hiring business helping to support you financially?
This was initially our "side-hustle-come-holiday-fund" idea but, now we have 3 motorhomes, it is almost Trev's retirement plan!
With 3 vans already listed on Camplify, what are your hiring plans moving forward?
We are currently looking for our 4th motorhome to extend our fleet (although we are not in a rush). Our 17-year-old son has also been watching our business with interest—so much so, that he has recently bought a small 2-berth campervan which he is now renting out through Camplify!
Why do you think your vans are proving so popular?
We have stuck with the same recipe that worked for us personally: 6-berth, recent-model, immaculate vehicles. They look great, drive great and feel spacious and comfortable to live in. Trev spends time walking hirers through their motorhome upon pick-up so that they feel confident with what to do and how things work and he is always just a phone-call away during their hire too.
Campervan or caravan holiday? And why?
For us, it's campervan/motorhome all the way. Super easy to drive and park up and you're instantly set up anywhere anytime. We like a good road trip—spend a night here, a couple nights there—rather than park up for the week, so motorhomes are the best option for this kind of holiday.
You can’t beat local knowledge - what are the top 3 campsites to visit near you?
We love the Auckland Regional Parks—Wenderholm and Mahurangi West. We also love Matakana Country Park because you have a bar, cafe and winery within walking distance and are super close to Matakana Village and the beautiful Omaha Beach.
Where’s next on your travel bucket-list?
So many places! But a motorbike trip across Australia's Great Ocean Road and cycling the Tour Aotearoa (Cape Reinga to Bluff) are on our "must-do" list.
Any advice for first-time campers?
Just do it! You will love it! November, Feb and March would be our favourite times to travel—usually good weather and you can play your trip by ear and go with the flow. BUT if you travel over Xmas and New Year pre-book everything!
Top 3 essential road trip packing items?
Picnic table and chairs
Campermate app on your phone/device to help you find places to camp (as well as where to fuel up and stock up)
A copy of Kiwi-as Toilets book! (so you know where to go when you need to go!).
What song is top of your road trip playlist?
Anything by Queen—good, old, feel-good, sing-along tracks.
What's your favourite thing to cook on the road?
Ha! We like to keep it simple so a platter of local cheeses, cured meat, pickles and crackers with a good glass of wine is our favourite dish to "cook".
Since joining Camplify in December 2019, Jo and Trevor have secured over 75 bookings across their fleet of motorhomes. You can find their vans here:
Looking to join Camplify? We’d love to have you. Earn a passive income from your campervan, caravan or motorhome and help us bring adventure to all. List your van for free and start sharing the dream.