Adventure bound

Even though Alison Wondervan — the Gearbox Adventure Rentals camper van’s nickname — has only been up and operating for less than six months, it’s already taken trips down to surf the southeastern tip of Miami, hike the Cloudland Canyon of Georgia, ski in the Cataloochee peaks of North Carolina and camp at a home goods and craftspeople festival in Waco, Texas.

These places, Birmingham resident and Gearbox Adventure Rentals creator Craig Hurst said, are just the start. His calendar has already started to book up for the year.

 “People are starting to get really excited about taking [the van] on road trips and going to the state parks and taking trips down to the beach and having a blast,” he said.

Hurst created Birmingham Gearbox Adventure Rentals for locals and people in the Southeast to have the opportunity to easily rent the quintessential “getaway” camper van, be it for energetic exploring or some mellow nature time in nearby parks and cities.

The Alison Wonderland, which is a 2013 Ford Transit Connect Camper van, allows renters “to park wherever they want, sleep in it, wake up and hit the trail or surf and swim or hike,” with their essentials all in one place, Hurst said.

 “Camper van rentals are huge out west, in Europe … but when it came down to looking for something like that in the South, I noticed there wasn’t really any options,” he said.

 When Hurst was in college, he said, he fell in love with the outdoors and eventually ended up working for a local outdoors shop, both of which aided in the inspiration for beginning an outdoor rental van company.

“I went from sitting at home all day to hiking, kayaking, riding my bike, things like that, and I found myself making friends and memories that I previously missed out on,” Hurst said. “I decided that I wanted more people to experience what I did, to experience adventure.”

Gearbox Adventure Rentals, Hurst said, is bridging the gap between hotels and tent camping. A lot of people who aren’t ready to sleep in a tent for the first time prefer trying out the camper van, which falls in the realm of “glamping.” It can be a good compromise for couples, he said, or a way for a couple of friends to visit outdoor destinations and not worry about having a place to sleep.

 Amenities include two wall outlets, two compact camp chairs, a collapsible sink for washing up, a coffee pour over, privacy curtains, portable cooler for food and drink storage, a propane stove, kitchen utensils and four USB charging ports. Additional features and mile packages can also be purchased.

 “It brings that opportunity for people to travel, an opportunity that they probably otherwise wouldn’t have taken,” he said.

 Hurst bought the two-person van in May 2017 and spent months getting it ready for trips. In September, he launched the website and starting booking trips. 

 Since the beginning, Hurst has handled every aspect of the van from cleaning and accounting to photography and website management. Whenever he has a week here or there where no one is renting the van, he makes a point to try to take it on trip somewhere to see what needs could be changed for the better or how different weather and temperatures affect the van and its add-on features. 

“I’m constantly improving the van; it’s kind of like a home … you’re always tweaking things,” Hurst said. 

Minus his freelance photography, Gearbox Adventure Rentals is now his full-time job.

On the Gearbox Adventure Rentals website, Hurst has a feature where he divides suggested travel spots in 50-mile increments, going up to 400 miles away from Birmingham and listing key locations people might want to visit.

 Hurst is currently in the process of renovating a five-person van.  

“That van will be great for families or parents with kids or five friends getting together,” he said. 

Hurst said he hopes to eventually open a brick-and-mortar location downtown once he gets three to five vans renovated.

Gearbox Adventure Rentals is a Red Mountain Park Provider, which means Red Mountain Park members get discounted rates on renting the van. This summer, Hurst said he plans to be at most of the events at the park.

 Go to gearboxrentals.com to book the van or learn more.