By Matt Clevenger

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PIQUA — Keplinger Camper Rentals has opened in its new location on Wyndham Way in Piqua, offering camper rentals and introducing repair services for a wide variety of campers ranging from travel trailers to fifth-wheels and other motor homes.

“We’ve got travel trailers, Class A motor homes, Class C motor h and fifth wheels,” co-owner T.J. Keplinger said. “Anything from 20-foot travel trailers to 43-foot fifth-wheels, and anywhere in-between.”

“Our travel trailers range anywhere from 17-feet all the way up to 37-feet,” he said.

Located at 317 Wyndham Way, the business’s new 18,500-square-foot rental and service center opened in May.

“We’re known for our rentals,” Keplinger said. “We started advertising service as well, and that’s where this building came in to play. People can bring us their units and we can work on them.”

“We’re trying to get our name out there more for service,” he said.

Information on camper rentals can be found online at www.keplingercampers.com. Availability for all units can be found on the site, as well. A 25 percent deposit is required to hold reservations, Keplinger said, and reservations should be made at least a month in advance.

“The sooner the better,” he said. “July is by far our busiest month, and I’d say we’re 95 percent booked out for July.”

Renters must be age 25 or over, have a valid drivers’ license and show proof of insurance to tow rental units. No CDL or special license is required to operate rental units, Keplinger said.

“It’s very easy; we take a picture of their drivers’ license and their insurance card,” he said. “They are required to have liability insurance when they haul our units, but our insurance covers the units themselves.”

Originally from Springfield, Keplinger and his brother, Kyle Keplinger, first started Keplinger Camper Rentals four years ago as a side business.

“I was doing construction,” he said. “I got the idea from a buddy who rented a camper and took it to Gatlinburg.”

“I didn’t even know that was a thing,” Keplinger said. “I had a camper so I started looking into it.”

“Long story short, I was booked a month out in the first two weeks,” he said. “I went out and bought another camper, and started renting that one out also.”

Keplinger’s brother Kyle also started renting out a camper that he owned at that time.

“That’s when he joined me,” Keplinger said. “He had his camper, and then he went out and bought another one, so we were up to four.”

“We just started with one camper, and we’re up to almost fifty units now that we rent out,” he said.