“It’s the sort of thing a lot of people dream about. All they did was live out of their van and they’d pick fruit and fish.” That first year we did a pig roast. Robert made a solar-powered rotisserie in order to do a one hundred- plus pound pig. The whole event turned out great. A number of customers showed up and we not only heard a lot of inspiring stories, we also heard a lot of direct feedback about our camping gear. We’re constantly trying to improve the product and these kinds of interactions let us do that like nothing else can. We’ve expanded the annex of the rooftop tent, the lower part, because of listening to what our customers need and want. We also make changes based on our own experiences. We’ve increased and strengthened our tie-down points, for instance, because of an experience we had in Cape Breton. There was a tremendous storm that knocked out power and forced the Canso Causeway to close for hours. That was a learning experience. Like I said, we never wanted to offer our products as a commodity. We implement all approved changes to our tents.
What would you say about rooftop tents to a parent of young children reading this article who is looking for a new kind of adventure this summer, Peter? PvD: The big advantage of rooftop tents is comfort and convenience. It comes with a mattress and it sets up easily. It doesn’t matter if there are sticks and stones on the ground – nothing like that will interfere with your sleep. If you’re on off-level ground, you can always put a big rock down under a wheel and even things out. I know customers with trailers who use jack stands to level out their vehicles. “There is also the Snomaster, which is a fridge-freezer, so that when you’re off the grid you can actually have frosted beer glasses with ice- cold beer.” It’s a very easy, very quick set up. We’ve had customers tell us that they sleep better in their rooftop tent than anywhere else. Being outdoors in the fresh air, being back in nature and also getting a comfortable night’s sleep is as refreshing as it gets. •
Nova Scotia, to let us know that he was going to drop by and pick up a tent. When he got here, he told us how he gave up his apartment, bought a pickup truck with a cab where he had put down a decent foam, because he had always dreamed of travelling from one coast to the other. He traveled all through Northern Canada and then south to the East Coast to visit us. When he was here he showed us pictures and told us stories of places where he had stayed to camp and observed a family of beavers. He didn’t see another person for three days. After he left us he drove back to British Columbia through Southern Canada. To take that on at 78 is an amazing feat – I find that absolutely inspiring. Is it ultimately these sorts of inspiring experiences that moved you and Trish to start your annual camping event for Wild Coast customers? PvD: For sure. We host an event for our customers in the Annapolis Valley here in Nova Scotia called Lala Phezulu, which means “sleep on top” in Zulu. We planned this event with our good friend Robert who helped us find the perfect camping site to accommodate a number of people because in the beginning we didn’t know how many people would show up. We chose a place with bathroom facilities just outside of Middleton, Vidito Family Campground & Cottages, considering that whole families might show up. We’re in a section where the Annapolis River runs in the shape of a horseshoe. So on three sides there’s the river and the other is a grassy open space with very large, very old trees – it’s a beautiful setting.
66
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JULY 2019
67 JULY 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog