Meet Gabriel Jousset | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabriel Jousset and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabriel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
For many years, I was traveling on a shoestring. South America, India, Europe, North America… When I settled down in Montreal, Quebec I knew that I wanted to help others to
travel on a budget. In 2017, I figured out there were campervans rentals everywhere across
North America but not a single one in Quebec. It was time for me to jump into the
entrepreneurship world and offer this option to Quebecors and international travelers. Le
Baroudeur – Vanpackers started. Once we knew what people liked with our Campervan
rental , it was easy to design and create a perfect vanLife conversion kit.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting this campervan rental business was everything but simple. Vehicle maintenance, insurance, equipment, customer satisfaction, you have to be a one man show, 24/7! But it
did allow me to keep traveling during the winter months, as Quebec is too cold for this kind
of road-trip. Being a snowbird at 28 was a big achievement!
2020 was a pivot for the business. When the border closed, I decided to create a campervan
conversion kit so local people could experience road-trips in a van with their own vehicle. In
less than 3 months, we offered our first option of Plug and play conversion kit for Dodge
Grand Caravan. In less than a year, we developed a newer version with much more
features, which could be adapted to the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey
and Kia Carnival.
In 2022, we launched 2 more plug and play equipments for SUV’s, which was a big hit in the
market. The SUV market is huge, and by keeping affordable products, we were able to allow
people to experience Vanlife at a reduced price.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In Quebec, I would definitely bring them to the Charlevoix and the Saguenay Fjord region to have great hikes, local farmers and visit small authentic villages. Gaspésie is also a must if
you have some time. Quick tip: If you do the tour, start by the south side of the peninsula.
This way, you will keep the sea on your right, which is easier to stop and offer a better view!
But If you really want to discover an underrated region and go the bold way: The Outaouais
region, close to Ottawa is an awesome place for Vanlife. With great hikes, awesome lakes
and rivers to swim, paddle, kayak or rafting, and plenty of spots for campers, it definitely
worths the trip!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My recognition does not go to one person, but a few great persons who believed in this project: the Vanpackers team!
I hired my first two employees, Marie-Pier and Louise a week before the pandemic. Quite a
timing, isn’t it? Now we are a team of 10 van life enthusiasts. Despite all the challenges that

Covid created, they always followed me without a blink of an eye. Knowing that you can
count on people to help you realize your crazy dreams is something that should be shouted
out!

Website: https://vanpackers.com/ and https://lebaroudeur.ca/en/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanpackersconversion

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDHdIoJ2yEw

Other: Our Vanlife camping kit for SUV starts at 1500$, and Campervan plug and play conversion kits at 5000$. Our Campervan rentals in Montreal Varies from 130$ to 160$ per day!