Upon returning from our trip to Portugal, we both felt that our longing for freedom had been temporarily satisfied. However, with the VW Grand California constantly reminding us of our adventures while parked in the yard, I began to wonder where the vehicle could be stored when we weren't traveling with it. As winter progressed and snow accumulated, the space in our terraced house yard diminished rapidly – and the motorhome standing there didn't help the situation.
After contemplating the matter for a few days, I decided to offer others the opportunity to experience similar excitements that we had recently embraced. Our perception of motorhoming had been revolutionized, and I believed that the same could happen to many other young people. So, I decided to list the vehicle for rent on MyCamper. To my surprise, bookings started coming in soon, even though it was the darkest time of winter.
I had resigned from my previous job about a year earlier, wanting to experience life more freely and ponder what I truly wanted to do in the future. The first customer interactions were truly delightful – considerably more pleasant than those I encountered in my previous career as an automotive supervisor. It was also wonderful to realize how one's own actions could directly influence the success of things. In my previous job, I often had to resolve disputes that arose from someone else's mistake. Now, if something were to go wrong, I could only look in the mirror.
The Birth of the Name and Search for Premises
Towards late spring, the feeling of becoming an entrepreneur grew even stronger. I started looking for suitable business premises or a garage unit and, at the same time, browsed options for the next motorhome I could add to the selection. I also deliberated for a long time over a suitable name for the company with my partner, Jessica. One evening, while hiking in Nuuksio, we brainstormed name ideas. Coming up with a name proved surprisingly difficult – every time we thought of a good name, Google revealed it was already in use. On this trip, Jessica came up with the name Vanstoori, and it immediately felt right. The name funnily combined English and Helsinki slang. I have always lived in Helsinki, so it felt authentic. Moreover, the name brought to mind the words "One Story," a reminder that we only have one life – and it's worth living. We feel most alive especially when traveling, encountering new cultures, and enjoying the beauty of nature. We have never been particularly good at sticking to strict schedules – vanlife allows us this freedom. That's why Vanstoori was a natural choice for the company's name.
Finding suitable business premises proved challenging. I wanted the space to be located in East Vantaa, with good transport connections from both the Helsinki metropolitan area and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Proximity to home was also important so that I could get there on short notice if needed. The search criteria eliminated many options, and the price level in the area was quite high – rents were close to the prices of apartments of similar size, even though the premises were often just bare sheet metal halls. Finally, after a long search, I settled on a temporary but functional solution: I rented a high single-car garage unit in Hakkila, Vantaa. The location was optimal: Tikkurila train station could be reached from the airport by train in ten minutes, and by car, the place was easy to access from Ring Road III or Lahti Motorway. The rent included two parking permits, which allowed for the acquisition of additional vehicles and provided customers with parking options during their trips. The garage had a toilet and the possibility to wash the car – these were sufficient for developing the operations at this stage. However, I continued my search for an office space without pressure.
Second Motorhome – Benimar
Once the premises were sorted, it was time to expand the fleet. During the winter, I had browsed several motorhomes and wanted to acquire something different from the current one. I was truly excited about the new opportunity to embark on a vanlife adventure. This time, I was clearly looking for a larger vehicle. Eventually, I found a Benimar motorhome in Tampere, which was a couple of years old but had only been driven less than 5000 kilometers. Its floor plan seemed more logical and spacious than many others. In many vehicles, the WC cassette was on the same side as the awning, which could cause odors in outdoor spaces during summer – this vehicle did not have that issue. The price was also right, as the vehicle had depreciated by over 15,000 euros. In addition, the car had good existing equipment: televisions, winter tires, and bedroom speakers – so there was no need to invest in those separately.
The trip to Tampere to pick up the car was exciting. The interior was luxurious and spacious – the pictures had not done it justice. The car was mostly like new. It had been stored outdoors, and there was over a meter of frozen snow on the roof. The car was surprisingly easy to drive from the start, and the rear camera made parking easier. The seller mentioned that there was still summer diesel in the tank and the fuel was low, so we headed straight to the gas station. At first, the car felt a bit inefficient and struggling to pull uphill on the motorway with cruise control without shifting down a gear. I attributed this to the amount of snow on the roof and the engine's limited use.
A scary situation occurred on the motorway: a large chunk of ice detached from the front of the roof and fell directly onto the windshield. At the same time, the side mirror folded against the window. I immediately stopped to inspect the damage – fortunately, nothing permanent had happened. The roof could not be cleaned, so for the rest of the journey, I just had to hope the ice would stay in place. The rest of the journey went well, and we drove the car directly into the garage to thaw. Thawing took over a week, which indicates how much snow there was on the roof.
Once the car had been driven a bit more and the snow had melted, the engine started performing significantly better, and it no longer stalled when using cruise control. We immediately began planning our first exploratory trip with the new car – with Jessica and the family's two cats.
