One year after new ownership, Lafayette's Happy Campers is ready to show its new face
It took almost a year to clean out the old stock and make the superstore more visible from the highway, but Pulliam said his team is ready to show the public they are ready to serve.
One year after new ownership, Lafayette's Happy Campers is ready to show its new face It took almost a year to clean out the old stock and make the superstore more visible from the highway, but Pulliam said his team is ready to show the public they are ready to serve. Check out this story on jconline.com: https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2019/08/26/one-year-after-new-ownership-lafayettes-happy-campers-ready-show-its-new-face/1966098001/
Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier Published 3:08 p.m. ET Aug. 26, 2019
The Happy Campers RV sales & service team, Monday, Aug. 26, 2019 in Lafayette. (Photo: Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier)
LAFAYETTE, Ind.— Randy Pulliam wasn't looking to purchase an RV superstore originally, but a year later he is celebrating the turn around his team has done on the property visible from I-65.
Opened originally by Bill Gardiner in 1973, the RV and and camper sales and service store, located at 510 Veterans Memorial Parkway, is now known as Happy Campers.
Pulliam said he wasn't even looking for an RV when he contacted Gardiner over a year ago, but rather a used Rolls Royce Gardiner was looking to sell.
But Gardiner wanted to retire, Pulliam said, and after asking him several times, Pulliam finally gave in and bought the RV sales and service business from Gardiner.
The rename of Happy Campers was inspired by his late dog, Happy, Pulliam said, as well as the common idiom "happy camper."
Owner Randy Pulliam talks about the new developments of Happy Campers RV sales & service in his office, Monday, Aug. 26, 2019 in Lafayette. (Photo: Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier)
"I didn't know what I was getting myself into at first," Pulliam said. "It took forever for us to get this place cleaned up."
It took almost a year to clean out the old stock and make the superstore more visible from the highway.
Happy Camper offers four lines of recreational vehicles: Coachman, Forest River, Shasta and Thunder Ridge.
"We went from 30 vehicles in stock when I bought it to about 200 now, so we have expanded quite a bit," Pulliam said. "We have people come in every day and say 'I can't believe what you've done with the place,' and that makes you kind of feel good knowing people see what you're doing."
Pulliam said he kept all the original staff members on board after purchasing the business, adding more staff to keep the place running smoothly.
"We went from having one sales person when I first started to having six sales people," he said. "We had one technician, and now we have three technicians. We had one parts and service crew member and now we have two, so we have expanded quite a bit."
If customers aren't sure if they are interested in purchasing an RV or camper of their own, Pulliam said Happy Campers has a rental program, too.
"We keep pretty busy through our rentals," he said "A lot of people aren't sure if they want to spend all that money on a camper, but maybe if you rent one for a weekend that can help you decide on if that purchase is going to be worth it to you."
Pulliam said the crew will host a grand re-opening to the public Oct. 1-7, offering food and giveaways.
For more information about Happy Campers, visit happyrvcampers.com or checkout facebook.com/happyrvcampers.
Contact reporter Jillian Ellison at 765-420-5228 or at jeellison@gannett.com.
More news in Greater Lafayette: Greater Lafayette Career Academy opens doors, sets students up for post-secondary success
Read or Share this story: https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2019/08/26/one-year-after-new-ownership-lafayettes-happy-campers-ready-show-its-new-face/1966098001/
Man stabbed at Cambridge Estates Apartments
Man kills himself in Clegg Memorial Garden
West Lafayette downtown plan ready for its close-up
KKK fliers in Lafayette: How much condemnation is enough?
Lafayette murder suspect's trial scheduled for May
Purdue online graduate engineering programs ranked third nationally