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Campfire to Empire

Episode 1Coming soon44:14Working title

Two Used Cars, a Pistachio Farm and a Comeback

With Scott Nielson and Ben Lindquist

Ben Lindquist sits down with Scott Nielson to trace the road from two used cars bought in Riverside, California, to Nielson RV, the sale to Camping World, and Scott's return to the RV business with Glampers RV once his five-year non-compete ended.

Coming soon. This episode is being edited. Video and audio players will appear here on release day.

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Show notes

  • A ward member's 10-car hauler in a church parking lot in Chino, California, and the auction sheets that got Scott thinking.
  • Home from his mission: a Greyhound bus to Riverside, two used cars, and a $6,500 loan his grandfather co-signed.
  • Selling cars under Bob Petersen's dealer license, then going out on his own.
  • Leasing an old produce-stand lot in Hurricane, then buying a pistachio farm next to McDonald's on State Street.
  • Why Scott moved from cars to RVs: fewer competitors, better margins, and selling fun.
  • Getting through 2001 and the 2008 crash, and what changed during COVID.
  • Selling Nielson RV to Camping World, and what Scott learned about building a team (the speedboat and the Titanic).
  • Why he came back: Glampers RV in Hurricane, and the return of RV Warranty Forever.

Chapters

Times are from the original recording and are confirmed on release day.

  1. 0:00Welcome: Ben Lindquist and Scott Nielson
  2. 1:56Why RVs? Scott's story starts on a mission
  3. 2:59Chino: the 10-car hauler that sparked it
  4. 3:53Greyhound to Riverside: the first two cars
  5. 5:13Dealing under Bob Petersen, then going solo
  6. 6:36The produce stand and the pistachio farm
  7. 7:50Why Scott hated the car business
  8. 8:47The fifth wheel that changed everything
  9. 9:59All in as Nielson RV
  10. 10:55Taking on Camping World in St. George
  11. 11:50Surviving 2001 and the 2008 crash
  12. 13:40The COVID pivot
  13. 15:35Ben's COVID RV story
  14. 17:04Selling Nielson RV to Camping World
  15. 20:42Great people: speedboat vs. Titanic
  16. 22:26How to take big leaps
  17. 25:10Why get back in? Glampers RV
  18. 28:17Farming the jungle in Maui
  19. 29:40Shipping RVs down the Hana Highway
  20. 31:11An RV as a cheap house payment
  21. 33:00Why the name Glampers?
  22. 33:55Seven kids and family camping
  23. 35:10RV Warranty Forever is coming back
  24. 38:27Launching Glampers RV
  25. 39:45Back in business for old customers
  26. 40:42Wrap-up and next episode