KoKokamper - an idea for a family vacation

Family rentals occupy an extremely important place on the map of caravanning companies. An individual approach and a friendly atmosphere are ideal conditions to wake up caravanning "teasers" for many novices. One of the companies whose development we have been observing from the very beginning is KoKo Kamper , with whose representative we were able to talk about the condition of the market, plans and experiences - our guest today is Jakub Kocjan!   

Few of the rental companies are developing at the same pace as you. How would you rate the development from the beginning of the business and, in retrospect, what would you have done differently?

Our success is a pleasant surprise for us. We are glad that our experience in servicing and renting passenger cars and vans has been successfully translated into a developmental caravanning business. At the beginning, we would not think that our fleet would exceed 2 cars, and we already have 11 motorhomes and 2 trailers. The booking calendar fills up quickly, and the group of returning customers confirms our strategy.

We are implementing many development plans and building a branch in Gdańsk. What would we do differently? In retrospect, if there was such a possibility, we would definitely start earlier than April 2021. We would also order vehicles from the start based on our specification, not what the dealers had in the yard. We are doing this now, and this strategy has proved to be the right one. This approach allows the vehicle to be tailored to the needs of a specific customer.

KoKo Kamper fleet

Can you describe your fleet now? We know that there are some new products and "pearls"

We started with the Pilote semi-integrated and integrated integrated, another Pilote Integra, then we turned on the Chausson semi-integrated integrated. After the first year, we focused on development and another integrated and semi-integrated Pilote joined. There was also an interest in 6-person motorhomes in and out. In addition, we purchased a 6-person alcove from the Adria brand. It is a manufacturer that is famous for its reputation and durability, and also meets the needs of customers.

We also have a Randger for 4 people - the purchase of this campervan "on trial" turned out to be a bull's eye and the car was booked from May to mid-August. As one of the few on the market, we also entered the new topic of motorhomes for the "C" category, where the choice fell on the ultra-luxurious Frankia.

Well, when it comes to the Frankia motorhome rental offer in category C, you have decided to take a step that few companies in Poland would dare to take. You must have researched the market thoroughly before - what is the interest in this area at the moment?

In our opinion, this market has great potential. Interest is arousing, but there is no developed awareness of the price yet. We are, in a way, precursors here, we are blazing the trail.

As one of the few rental companies in Europe, we have a Frankia car in our fleet. Demanding customers not only want to own a motorhome, but also be able to test it before buying it. Why Frankia? As everyone knows, our main supplier of vehicles at this stage is CarGO! From Poznan. We absolutely wanted to "catch" the 3.0-liter engine withdrawn by Mercedes.

We wanted a well-equipped car with air suspension, supports or ALDE heating. We are constantly working to make customers aware of the benefits of large motorhomes. Due to our experience in the transport industry, we know how many people are authorized to drive trucks, we also have contacts with people during the training who plan to buy a motorhome in the near future.

What can you tell about the reliability of vehicles in your "stable"? Has the choice of models turned out to be right in retrospect?

  At the moment, our "stable" includes motorhomes based on Fiat, Ford and Mercedes chassis and generally we do not have any major problems. Our unquestionable advantage is our partner Michał, who has been servicing passenger cars and vans for many years and is an experienced mechanic himself. This allows us to diagnose and solve most problems very quickly, also in consultation with the Dealership.

When it comes to the development, the quality of the entire development should not be perceived comprehensively, as it consists of many elements from various sub-suppliers. Our partners - CarGO !, Transa-M, WCC, Dometic or Thetford are always ready to provide professional assistance. Of course, we also use the Internet and our experience, so we solve every minor or larger problem rather efficiently.

There is apparently no routine in the caravanning business, and every day can be an adventure. What situations have stuck in your memory from your perspective so far?

We focus on the positive. Most of our attention is focused on exemplary customer service. In the previous season, for example, we had a situation where a customer damaged an awning arm. We did not want to "hurt" him financially and instead of buying a new roller blind (which most rental companies would do) we replaced the damaged arm without drastically reducing the deposit.

We are very positively surprised by the condition in which customers return their cars after the rental period - they come back clean and perfectly "polished" - there are more and more people who treat the rented car in the same way, and sometimes even better than with their own. It's good to have such clients.

It is also good to be recognizable, and despite the general "boom", more and more people know our company. More and more often, even rental companies and companies that seemingly have nothing to do with us or could even be competition, if they do not have free cars, recommend us. It's nice when, for example, dealers of Erwin Hymer Group, with which we have no business relations at the moment, point to us as a proven rental company in Mazovia - this probably proves the rightness of our strategy and appropriate customer care.

Plans for the future

What are your development plans for the coming years?

We operate, as I said, in the vicinity of the capital and in Gdańsk, but we dream of expansion to other Polish cities. Our plots at the Warsaw ring road and in the Tri-City on S7 are an ideal base for the sale, rental and service of recreational vehicles. The rental is the basis for sailing out to wider waters - from medium and long-term rental, through the sale of vehicles and sale of maintenance services, to the so-called "Production of stimulants". In short - we want you to be able to buy a reliable, proven car from us - also second-hand.

In addition to the rental shop, we have high hopes for the "test and buy" program, under which in our Gdańsk branch we will offer 2-5 motorhomes in the management formula, including seasons, and I am afraid to think about the next one. In addition, we are applying for authorization and we want to become a dealer for new vehicles. For some time we have also been trying to develop the topic of motorhomes as an advertising medium. We have already been trusted by several clients, and the best example is our cooperation with "Moda na Mazowsze", which last year lasted a month, and this year is planned for 3 months. We will probably be able to communicate more long-term advertising contracts in January 2023 - this year is only a prologue in this regard.

We are well aware of the fact that the caravanning bubble will one day pass and we want to be prepared for this moment - many rental companies who consider this market an easy business give up over time. We look at a number of issues more broadly and, observing the development of prices, we come to the conclusion that yes, it is nice to "own" a camper, but more and more often it ceases to be an end in itself, which only confirms the raison d'être of companies such as ours.

If you are interested in the company's profile and offer - please visit kokokamper.pl and the profile on FB .

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