The Pacific Northwest鈥檚 wet climate got David Epp thinking about what rain does to a camp trailer鈥檚 longevity. He grew up in British Columbia and now runs a family business there鈥敼怨虾诹 Manufacturing鈥攖hat鈥檚 been building RVs for more than 50 years.
He wanted to make a truck camper that could withstand the environment and enable people to be self-sufficient. In 2020, Scout Campers was born. The year also brought a personal revelation that changed his approach to business. Epp鈥檚 mother, who was adopted as a child, traced her maternal roots to the Papaschase First Nation. 鈥淪he knew she was Indigenous,鈥 Epp says. 鈥淏ut she knew nothing else about her biological family.鈥
Find Your Roots
鈥淢y grandmother was living in Prince George, British Columbia, in about 1959, and was stripped of her kids as part of the Sixties Scoop [when Indigenous children were put up for adoption without their parents鈥 consent]. We鈥檝e been able to find a couple cousins who shared some images, including one of my grandma in front of a trailer鈥攖urns out she liked to camp.鈥
Represent
鈥淭he outdoors is Indigenous. Everything about Indigenous culture is based on connectedness with nature. The tie-in there is huge, yet you don鈥檛 see Indigenous people in this industry.鈥
Build for 国产吃瓜黑料
鈥淭ime away is so important. I don鈥檛 want that being limited by complicated designs or product quality. So we focused on minimalist designs that are portable, lightweight, and energy efficient. Scouts are made with many detachable components that you can use not just with our trailers but on other adventures, too.鈥
Foster Independence
鈥淲e designed a camper that can go farther, to more remote places, and is less dependent on plug-ins, hookups, and resources. It has a charcoal water-filtration system, so instead of trying to pack in water you can go to a lake or a stream. For the structure of the shell, we wanted something that will stand up to the environment.鈥
Pay It Forward
鈥淚 believe that there are a lot of kids in many Indigenous communities who do not have a lot of opportunity. I grew up privileged. My family has always been involved in business. Knowing that, I feel driven to create more positive influence and get more involved.鈥
Editor鈥檚 Note: This story has been updated to clarify David Epp鈥檚 views on product design and on the outdoor industry.