 |
|
|||||
 |
||||||
| Home |  |
About Us | |
Plan A Trip | |
Biz Opportunities | |
Biz To Business | |
RV Clearance | |
RV Lodging | |
Travel Insurance | |
Contact Us |
| Her “Ship” Came in Disguised as an RV |
| Las Vegan City Magazine, June 1986 |
| By Lynda Collins Sandra Bate always believed she’d be successful at something. She just didn’t know what it would be. But she found her niche, and now Bate has succeeded beyond even her own lofty expectations. The 32-year-old Michigan native is president of Bates Rent-A-Motor Home Corp., 1771 E. Flamingo. The company leases motor homes on consignment and now has about 2,000 vehicles with offices in 100 American cities and 18 foreign countries. It’s the largest operation of its kind anywhere. Bate’s brainchild was born in Los Angeles several years ago. “I was working in securities and insurance back then,” Bates recalled. “I bought a motor home to use as a mobile office because I thought it would be a good way to accommodate clients. It was a beautiful, unusual vehicle called the Laguna 250 and only 10 of them were made. It had an Oldsmobile engine, front-wheel drive and was absolutely gorgeous. People paid a lot of attention to it and were always asking me if I’d consider renting it out. “Finally, I put an ad in the Los Angeles Times just for the heck of it. I wanted to get an idea of how much interest in renting it there really would be. Well, the phone rang off the hook. So I figured if there was that much interest, it would be great to have more than one motor home to rent out. I started contacting family members and friends with motor homes and within six months, I had 45. Bate suddenly discovered she was knee-deep in serious business and had to quit her job to devote full attention to her fledgling fleet. In 1979, she moved corporate headquarters to Las Vegas. “Actually, I only came to test the market,” Bate said. “I had friends in the hotel business and wanted to see how motor home rentals would do here. We got great response and I decided to stay. It’s cheaper to do business in Las Vegas than Los Angeles, and I just like it better. I come from a small town and prefer the environment here to Los Angeles.” Bate’s motor homes come in all sizes and cost between $400 and $1,000 a week to rent. The vehicles’ owners receive 65% percent of the fees if they keep and maintain them, and 50 percent if they’re consigned to Bate’s service centers. “The more expensive ones are very luxurious,” Bate said. “There are 35-foot Pace Arrows that are fully self-contained with bars, microwaves, color TVs, everything you could possibly want. They have upgraded carpet and upholstery and sleep up to eight.” Bate adds such extravagance appeals to celebrity clients like Burt Reynolds, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jerry Lewis. She also has leased vehicles to President Regan’s Secret Service agents. Surprisingly, Bate has never had anyone smash up a motor home. “People tend to drive them very carefully,” she said. “Most of them have above average incomes and either take their family along or have a driver. We’ve had lots of excitement, but very few problems.” Bates’s fees include insurance and one free mile per rental dollar. Deposits of $350 and upwards are required and apply toward damage, excessive mileage and extended trips. The company was plugged into Eastern Airlines computer system and is negotiating a service contract with Sears. “When I got into this, I wanted to be a success,” Bate said. “That’s what I’m doing. I’m succeeding. I just keep changing my goals. They get greater all the time.” |
| < Back to News Room |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
