How We Built A Business Out of Sustainable Travel Trailers

Homegrown TrailersMarch 3, 2017

How We Built A Business Out of Sustainable Travel Trailers

Our Homegrown Trailer story begins decades ago. Our co-founder and CEO, Corey Weathers, always had a strong connection to the outdoors and taking adventures. When he had the first of his two daughters 9 years ago, Corey knew things would change… and they did for awhile.

Eventually, he and his wife began taking the girls camping but Corey quickly realized that he was about the only one who could deal with pitching tents, sleeping on the wet ground, and the constant lack of privacy. Instead of accepting this as the way things needed to be, he sought out a solution.

As a sustainability consultant, he had something very specific in mind—a trailer that he could pull with a small and efficient car or SUV, that was capable of being off-grid, that was comfortable with some key amenities, and most importantly, that was made with sustainable and healthy materials.

The pivotal moment for Homegrown happened four years ago, when, after an exhaustive search of the RV market, Corey’s daughter asked him, “Daddy, what if we build a treehouse on wheels?”

Sustainable Travel Trailers

It dawned on Corey then that he needed to build a comfortable trailer capable of being off-grid with some key amenities, made with sustainable materials. When the market didn’t provide what he was looking for, he got creative and pulled in some good friends who worked in construction. What emerged was a beautiful and classy travel trailer that his wife, his girls, and everyone they bumped into on the road fell in love with. Now, they get to share this experience with the world, helping others create memories that last a lifetime.

Our first big milestone as a company was getting fully certified as a travel trailer by the State of Washington. Washington is only one of three states that requires plan reviews and onsite inspections. It’s far more rigorous than the national RV association’s certification process, which was gratifying to our production team. We knew we were doing everything all right and able to give our customers extra confidence in the safety and durability of our trailers.

Sustainable Travel Trailers
Our first real production facility.

The company felt “real” when we moved into our first production facility, a small warehouse in Woodinville, WA. It’s were we really got started (after the home garage) and we’ll always have a soft spot in our heart for that place. Getting both our first sales customer and rental customer were huge wins for us, validating our “crazy” idea to start the business. Since then, it was been so wonderful to hear stories and see pictures from numerous customers who have had amazing adventures with our trailers. We’re now a part of their families and they are a part of our family!

The Peregrine, one of our 3 rentals on Outdoorsy. We lovingly refer to our fleet by bird names.

Because we’re committed to creating value within our community, benefiting the environment, and supporting a thriving workforce. We take sustainability seriously in everything we do, from the paper we buy, to the renewable energy powering our facility, to our near zero-waste recycling practices during production.  One of Homegrown Trailers’ key differentiators in the market is the sustainability elements of the trailers themselves. We know how important this is to our responsible and intentional customers. Here are the key sustainable elements.

  • Aerodynamic shape and lightweight design maximize fuel efficiency for tow vehicle
  • 100% solar-powered eliminates the need for a generator when off the grid
  • Efficient LED lights and ENERGY STAR appliances
  • No toxic chemicals or volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • Renewable materials such as CARB2-certified wood, sustainably-harvested cork, and recycled materials used in the interior and exterior
  • Reusable dishes and flatware, biodegradable soap, and recycled paper products
The Redtail, also on Outdoorsy. We will be adding one or two more in the near future.

What excites us most is changing the RV industry for the better. We feature a completely unique aesthetic more resembling a cabin than a trailer and have the greenest features on the road with our renewable and healthy materials, solar power system, composting toilet, and more. This is attracting people that are completely new to the industry, who may have been only tent campers or just stayed home before. Changing perceptions and improving people’s lives are what we’re all about. We are looking forward to growing quickly and expanding our rental and sales operations to multiple cities in the Western U.S. over the next few years. People in Oregon, California, Colorado, and beyond should stay tuned!

The Osprey is for rent on Outdoorsy.

All of our rentals include the following:

  • Completely charged lithium-ion batteries
  • Filled freshwater tank (12 gallons) pumped to a large sink
  • Bedding for up to 4 people (one pull-out queen bed and two single bunks)
  • Kitchen appliances and equipment, including induction cooktop and mini-fridge
  • Composting toilet
  • Back hatch for outdoor cooking prep
  • Keyless entry system
  • Comprehensive trailer training to make sure you feel confident about driving, backing up, and hitching up

Homegrown Trailers, Outdoorsy Author


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