The idea of renting. Where it really came from
When I moved to Spain, I started working in holiday apartment rentals. Over time I understood how this business worked: the months with high demand, the quieter months and the importance of seasonality.
At that time it didn't exist yet LSR365 (Freedom on Wheels). This is the story of how it all began.
At the same time I had a completely different hobby. A friend had a small sailing boat and, whenever we could, we would go sailing along the coast. Sometimes we would return the same day and other times we spent the night at anchor.
What I liked most wasn't sailing. It was the feeling of freedom. Having everything you need with you, disconnecting from the routine and waking up every morning in a different place.
Meanwhile, I was noticing motorhomes more and more. I saw them on the road, at service stations and in campsites. Gradually I began to realise that a sailing boat and a motorhome had much more in common than it seemed.
Both allow you to travel without depending on a hotel. Both force you to live with only what is truly necessary. And both offer you that feeling of freedom that I liked so much.
But there was also an important difference.
At sea, everything depends on the weather. If the wind shifts or a storm arrives, you simply wait. Even if you have the time and the desire to keep going, the decision is no longer up to you.
When we were finally able to leave the marina and crossed the gate into the city, I felt a huge contrast. A minute before there was only wind, water and silence. On the other side of the gate appeared the noise of cars, car horns, people and constant movement. It was like passing from one world to another in a matter of seconds.
It was the first time I understood to what extent a few days away from the routine can change the way you perceive everything around you. At that time I still knew practically nothing about motorhomes and was not even thinking about hiring one.
Many years later, when I started working with LSR365 and saw that many people rented a motorhome just for a weekend, I understood them completely. I had already experienced that feeling. Sometimes two weeks of holiday aren't necessary. Two or three days disconnected from everything can be enough to return with a completely clear head.
Furthermore, a sailing boat is always limited by the sea and the coastline. Covering great distances takes weeks, sometimes even months.
With a motorhome everything was different. In two weeks I could travel across the north and south of Spain, go up to the mountains, down to the sea or even cross the border into Portugal or France. Not because it was faster, but because I could decide on the next destination at any moment.
Little by little, I began to bring together two worlds that until then I had seen as separate. On the one hand, I was already familiar with holiday rentals. On the other, I was increasingly drawn to travelling by motorhome.
Then a very simple idea came up. During the summer I could hire out the campervan and, when the season ended, use it to travel myself. I didn't crunch the numbers or prepare a business plan. It simply seemed like a logical idea that fitted in with my way of living and travelling.
From that moment on, I started observing more closely how people used campervans, at what times of year they travelled and what kind of routes they took. I was in no rush to make a decision. I just wanted to understand that world better.
It wasn't a project yet.
But looking back, I think that is precisely where, without my realising it, the story of started LSR365 (Freedom on Wheels)