Why the CEO Of Passport America Travels in a Winnebago Towable

Why the CEO Of Passport America Travels in a Winnebago Towable
Learn more about this popular RVer membership and the perks of the Micro Minnie!
By: Kenny Phillips

Traveling in my Winnebago has afforded me the opportunity to meet so many new people, it is what I enjoy most about RVing. On a recent RV trip, I happened to meet the CEO of Passport America, Boomer Simmons. As we were talking about RVing, I found out that in 2020 he purchased a Winnebago Micro Minnie towable RV that he uses for work and play. 

This obviously got my attention, so I asked him if we could plan a time for a longer discussion about his Winnebago travels, which he graciously accepted. We met a few weeks later over a video chat so I could learn more and share his insights with the GoLife community.

An Intro to Boomer & Passport America

Boomer has been an outdoor enthusiast most of his life and started working at Passport America when he was fifteen years old. He began in the shipping department then went on to work in almost every department in the company – including sales, customer service, and marketing. 

Passport America, which started in 1992, is popular with RVers due to offering 50% off the nightly rate at more than 1,300 campgrounds. However, Boomer notes that it is not just a discount club. Their membership also offers mobile trip planning, special rates on cabin rentals, and other exclusive offers from service providers in the industry. 

I am happy to say that, after meeting Boomer, I purchased the $44 one-year pass with Passport America, and we have already hit the break-even point in just our first month of membership. We recently used the trip planner in the app to find Tradewinds RV Park in Arizona which we enjoyed so much that we stayed again on our return trip.

Boomer was excited to share that Passport America is now celebrating their 30th anniversary, and to celebrate they are offering some great deals on the program. He also wanted me to know that they are working on ways to expand their discounts so that full-timers, part-timers, and weekend warriors can all benefit from their program. 

Why Boomer Bought a Winnebago Travel Trailer

Boomer wanted to purchase an RV that he could use for work. He wanted to be able to travel to the campgrounds in the Passport America network and experience what customers were experiencing. He also wanted to use this RV to explore and locate new campgrounds to add to the Passport America network. He started shopping around for an RV and when talking with several people in the RV community the name Winnebago kept coming up as a trusted brand in the industry. 

One of the things Boomer was looking for in an RV was functionality, which is what he found when he toured a 21-ft Micro Minnie 2106DS. Boomer explained that the floorplan felt comfy and functional all at the same time – with a murphy bed that can lift up and get out of the way when not in use.  As a first-time RV owner, he also considers it to be very user friendly. 

Boomer liked that even though the Micro Minnie is short in length, it was still offered in a double axle configuration – which, in his opinion, gives the RV plenty of stability. Combine all these comfort features and match it with Winnebago’s reputation for quality and he knew this was the right RV to meet his needs. 

How Boomer Uses His Winnebago When Off Work

I was curious to learn more about how Boomer used his RV, especially outside of work. He told me that even though this is his first RV, he is no stranger to camping and enjoying the outdoors. He is now using his Winnebago to visit national parks, go on hiking trips or whitewater rafting trips, and to travel to music venues. 

He explains how he likes to use his Micro Minnie as a home base and considers it to be so comfortable that it feels more like glamping than camping. He also went on to say that because RVing is so fun he doesn’t mind mixing a little bit of work with his vacations. 

Boomer is enjoying his Winnebago Micro Minnie so much that he has named it The Portal. He loves that when he steps outside of his entry door it is somewhere new for him to explore. He says it’s been a great purchase and Winnebago’s attention to detail and quality makes him feel like he will not be needing to purchase another RV any time soon. 

Closing Thoughts with Boomer

Boomer and I ended our conversation with something we both feel very strongly about: how rewarding it is to push past your comfort zone, get out there, and travel! You will find that when you push yourself to try and do new things and excel at it, you will get a strong sense of accomplishment and even feel empowered by it.

We hope you get outside, get traveling, and start making new adventures on the road!