WENATCHEE — A new Wenatchee business, Lone Peak Overland, an outfitter for lightweight truck bed campers, raked in $500,000 in pre-order sales its first day of business and $1 million by the end of its first week in November.
The camper comes with a waterproof topper and offers the same size living space as a traditional rooftop tent with a 4-inch-by-80-inch mattress, according to its website. The camper is customized to fit the individual truck bed. All of the products are built in Wenatchee and come backed with a lifetime warranty.
“(It’s) more than just a business, I think it’s a really cool outdoor brand to bring to the Valley,” said Kyle Hart, owner. “I think we differentiate in Wenatchee a little bit.”
Hart said the idea for his company sprouted from misfortune — a year ago, his rooftop tent was stolen after someone cut it off the top of his truck with a Sawzall.
The stolen tent was the catalyst for Lone Peak Overland and Hart began crafting a way to make campers more accessible to truck drivers interested in camping. On his website, Hart describes the product as combining “the security of a camper shell with the room of a rooftop tent, with lockable, waterproof storage,” promising a less than a minute set up time.
Lone Peak Overland offers the lightweight truck bed campers for just under $6,000, as well as accessories to pair with the camper. Accessories include a bed and side ladder, a roof vent fan and LED lighting. The accessories range from $600 to $100.
“It seems like there’s a lot of demand, a lot of growth for the company in the future, open to keep that all in Wenatchee if possible,” said Hart.
Hart credits the impressive first week sales to the prior work done before the launch of the company. He took a two-week-long, 4,500-mile road trip to meet with potential customers and promote his business before accepting pre-orders Nov. 22. The trek went from Wenatchee to Boise, Salt Lake City, Moab, Denver, Santa Fe, Phoenix, San Diego, Alabama Hills, California, Big Sur, San Francisco, Redding and Portland. Production is set to start spring 2023.
Hart has lived in Wenatchee for three years and is now hunting for a home for his business, but he recognized there’s not much on the real estate market. The company currently operates out of his garage. According to Hart, he’s happy to land anywhere, although a space about 10,000 square feet with yard space would be ideal.
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