Getting to Know - Friendly Place Boat & RV Storage
Friendly Place Boat & RV Storage is getting ready to open its doors in Bullhead City, and for us, this project is about much more than creating another place to park an RV or boat.
We wanted to build the kind of facility we would want to use ourselves: secure, convenient, thoughtfully designed, and equipped to protect what are often some of our customers’ biggest investments.
From Retirement to a New Kind of Project
Before Friendly Place Boat & RV Storage, I spent more than 26 years as a plumbing and heating contractor in California and Nevada.
I built my company, 2020 Plumbing, into an operation with locations in San Marcos, Riverside, and Las Vegas. At one point, we had as many as 1,200 employees working on projects ranging from single-family homes and apartments to commercial properties and hotels.
In 2016, I sold the company, and by 2020, I had officially retired...or at least I thought I had!
After moving to the Bullhead City area, I built an RV garage for myself and quickly realized I still didn't have enough room for all of the boats, RVs, and other toys that come with enjoying life in this part of Arizona.
When I started looking for additional storage, I saw plenty of traditional options, but few facilities offered the higher-end features I wanted.
That planted the seed for Friendly Place.
Building the Facility We Wanted to See
From the beginning, the goal was to raise the bar.
We knew these RVs, boats, and recreational vehicles could represent significant investments, so we wanted the facility to reflect that. Instead of approaching it as simply rows of enclosed storage units, we spent a lot of time thinking about what customers actually need before and after a trip.
That meant planning for things like electrical service, compressed air, water, a dump station, an ice machine, bathrooms, showers, security, insulation, and technology.
My construction background helped tremendously. I was heavily involved throughout the build, working with our project manager, overseeing subcontractors, and even handling some of the plumbing work myself.
A tremendous amount of planning was involved because so many of the conveniences customers see today had to be designed into the facility long before construction was complete.
Technology Designed Around Convenience
One of the biggest differences at Friendly Place is how much customers can manage directly from their phones.
Customers can manage facility access, entry into individual units, billing, and other functions remotely. Our automated locking and access systems eliminate the need for traditional keys and make it much easier for customers to manage their storage.
We also created an interactive online facility map so customers can view the property layout, click on individual units, see what they look like inside, and see in real time whether a unit is available or reserved.
We wanted the experience to be simple before a customer ever steps onto the property.
More Than Just a Place to Park
The amenities are really where Friendly Place begins to feel different.
Our larger units include up to 50-amp electrical service for motorhomes, while smaller units offer 30-amp service. Each unit has its own electrical meter, so customers pay only for the electricity they use.
The units also include lighting, insulated ceilings, insulated exterior walls, insulated garage doors, and battery backup on the garage door motors.
Throughout the property, customers will also have access to conveniences including a dump station, water, an outdoor ice machine, bathrooms, showers, and an air compressor capable of reaching 120 PSI for large motorhome tires.
The air compressor is complimentary for our customers.
We thought about what people need when they're getting ready to head out on a trip or coming home from one. The last thing anyone wants after a long drive is to make another stop because they still need to dump their tanks, check their tires, or take care of something before putting the RV away.
Our goal was to make that process easier.
Designed With the Future in Mind
We also tried to think beyond what customers may need today.
About 40 of our units have already been pre-plumbed to allow for adding individual bathrooms in the future. We've installed water and plumbing infrastructure, so we have options as customer needs evolve.
We're also considering additional amenities down the road, including a small dog park. With so much concrete throughout the property, we know how important it can be to have a comfortable place for pets to stretch their legs, especially during Arizona's hotter months.
Those may seem like little things, but we believe the little things can make a big difference in someone's experience.
Security Is a Major Priority
We know customers trust us with valuable property, and security was a major consideration throughout the design.
Friendly Place has approximately 37 security cameras positioned around the property, along with perimeter fencing, controlled gate access, and extensive lighting throughout the facility.
For customers who may be leaving their RV or boat behind for an extended period, particularly seasonal residents and snowbirds, we want them to feel comfortable knowing their property is being cared for.
Bullhead City sees a significant snowbird population, and we believe the facility can be a great option for someone who wants to leave an RV here securely rather than transporting it back and forth each season.
A Family Effort
Friendly Place is very much a family effort.
My daughter, Trina Cole, has been heavily involved on the administrative side, helping get our systems, paperwork, communications, and day-to-day operations ready for opening.
In the beginning, we also plan to have someone in the office to help customers become familiar with the facility and answer questions. Although we can eventually manage much of the property remotely, especially with the technology we've put in place, we want people available as we get started.
We'll also have someone regularly on site helping with maintenance, cleaning, and making sure everything is operating as it should.
We're proud of the technology, but we also believe real people behind it add value.
Getting Ready to Open
As opening day approaches, we're putting the finishing touches on the facility, completing automation on the gates and units, and bringing all of the final pieces together.
We're also beginning to share more of Friendly Place through Facebook, including videos of the property, our amenities, the interactive map, and some of the contractors who helped bring the project to life.
It's exciting to finally reach this point after so much planning and construction.
What started as a personal search for better RV and boat storage has become something much bigger: an opportunity to create a facility designed around how people in our area actually use and protect their recreational vehicles.
We're looking forward to opening the gates, welcoming our first customers, and becoming part of the Bullhead City community.
We're also happy to join the Arizona Self-Storage Association as one of AZSA's newest members.
If you'd like to get in touch with Tom and learn more about the Friendly Place journey, you can reach him via phone at 951.525.0876 or e-mail Support@FriendlyPlace.net.