Not too long ago, most of us couldn’t imagine running a business or other venture from our RVs but things have changed. Entrepreneurs and innovators are rediscovering tons of new uses for mobile RVs of all types. From coast to coast, these RVers are inspiring and teaching to people of all ages and interests with creative RV businesses.
Museum on the Move
Vintage Airstream trailers have instant curb appeal to the general public. Just park it in a public place, open the door and there’s no better way to draw people in. The Public History Program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette understood this, which is why they took a vintage 1954 Airstream trailer and retrofitted it as a Museum on the Move.
As a cross-collaboration between the university’s Industrial Design, Museum Studies and History departments, Museum on the Move is an ongoing learning tool for students and the general public. From researching and conveying Louisiana’s history to designing and curating every exhibit component for the 26′-foot long trailer, students are creating successful exhibits from scratch. Along the way they obtain valuable experience by taking history out of the classroom and directly into the public as the museum makes stops throughout Louisiana.
Photos: Museum on the Move
“It is exciting to see our two academic units collaborating on a project that puts students side-by-side with faculty as they research, design, write, and create together,” writes program director Dr. Robert Carriker, Ph.D. “It has already been a rewarding experience to have had these students get ‘under the hood’ of the trailer and show us its potential as well as some potential pitfalls.”
Teardrop Weddings will Pop-Up Anywhere
Tear drops and weddings go hand-in-hand and now a creative wedding entrepreneur in Las Vegas has hitched them together to create Flora Pop, a matrimony-on-wheels service with vintage flair and style.
From national parks to the annual Burning Man Festival, as long as Victoria Hogan’s Jeep Wrangler and teardrop trailer can get there, she’ll set up her mobile wedding chapel for instant wedded bliss.
“On your special day everything will be set-up for you, all you have to do is show up and have a blast. Officiating (everything to make it legal), the Teardrop Chapel, flowers, wedding cake doughnuts and champagne are just a few items that will be included, depending on the location of your choice,” she writes on her Flora Pop website.
The teardrop trailer was modeled after a 1950s Kenskill trailer and entirely hand-crafted by Hogan. With a MFA in studio arts and a firm grasp of carpentry skills, this Vegas resident originally built her little trailer as a mobile florist stand. Soon she melded her love of floral design with Vegas’ wedding scene and now has a budding reputation for her creative and off-beat matrimony services.
Photos: Flora Pop
Legal Help Where It Matters Most
In Salisbury, North Carolina, attorney David Post is bringing free legal services to the people who need it most: low income residents who can’t pay for legal help in civil cases like landlord-tenant disputes.
“To better serve the community, I have purchased and upfitted an RV as an office,” Post writes on his website. The Salisbury native has retrofitted it with tables and chairs for meeting space.
According to the local newspaper, the Salisbury Post, “Post’s concept will be similar to legal aid. The Center for Access to Justice would serve as a middle-man between low-income clients and local attorneys, who would volunteer time to represent Rowan residents in civil cases.” Pope’s self-funded pro-bono venture will also offer free classes about tenant rights, health care and more.
Photo: David Post
Glitz and Glam on the Go
Some people look at a rusted out trailer and think “Run!” Others, however, have visions of success, which is why the mobile salon called “Little Rosie & Co.” is a hit in Brentwood, Tennessee. With just $600 for the purchase price and a year of extensive renovations to the 1965 Barth trailer, hair stylist and makeup artist Amanda Cocanougher has created an adorable portable makeup studio for weddings, proms and other big events. The Barth trailer was a mess when she purchased it but the legendary craftsmanship of this manufacturer set her off in the right direction. This rare, all-aluminum trailer is well known among aficionados of high-end motorhomes, according to Tin Can Tourists.
Photos: Little Rosie & Co.
With the help of her Mom (whom the salon is named after) and stepfather, the Little Rosie trailer is gaining a reputation among Nashville area women looking to add a touch of glam to their next big event. Cocanougher and her stylists specialize in styling and makeup for weddings, birthdays, photo shoots and special events but according to Tennessean.com, state law won’t allow them to cut or color hair on the road just yet.
Do you have an interesting RV-based business? Let us know, we’d love to hear all about it!
Rene Agredano and her husband, Jim Nelson, became full-time RVers in 2007 and have been touring the country ever since. In her blog, Rene chronicles the ins and outs of the full-timing life and brings readers along to meet the fascinating people and amazing places they visit on the road. Her road trip adventures are chronicled in her blog at LiveWorkDream.com.
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