This is one of those only-in-America stories where a team of entrepreneurs discover a need, develop a product to fill that void, and then, through word of mouth, they hit it big – and now have their sights set on even bigger targets.
The entrepreneurs are led by Henry Proegler, their company is called Moon Fabrications Inc. (MoonFab), and their signature product is the MoonShade, a portable awning that’s ready to graduate from #VanLife and test the waters of the greater RV industry.
“What built this industry is the traditional RVer, and I think that’s always going to be the lifeblood. But we can learn from some of these emerging aftermarket products – like Overland Expo and #VanLife. There are more people dry camping than we realize. There’s more people boondocking than we realize,” Proegler said, adding that RVers are passionate about the RV lifestyle and customizing their campsite setup to suit their purposes.
“And that can be a challenge for the RV industry, which is why it makes sense as to why the industry has existed in the way that it has,” he said. “But this next evolution is allowing the customer to have a little more customization over what they’re doing. And I’m hoping that the easiest way for RV manufacturers to do that is by including fantastic aftermarket products, such as the MoonShade.”
Austere Beginnings
A documentary filmmaker by trade, Proegler’s background also includes bringing various outdoor products to market. But he was first introduced to the RV industry several years ago while working on videos with TAXA Outdoors. That stint also exposed Proegler to the overlanding market, but it wasn’t until a good friend of his called him up before the MoonShade came to be.
His friend had made a decent living doing tech work for Airbnb and then the Robinhood investment firm, but tired of the corporate rat race. He left that world, moved to California, grew his hair out and outfitted his own campervan. He called Proegler when he couldn’t find an awning he liked, and the two set to work.
“So, part of it – and this is true for a lot of nomads and DIYers who live on the road full time – is they want to be able to stealth camp,” Proegler explained. “He lived in San Francisco at the time, so you don’t want to put a big giant awning on your van because it’s just a target that says, ‘Hey, come break into this.’ It started with that.”
That was back in 2018, and early on in the development it was determined they could make an awning in which its strength was incorporated into the shade itself.
After several prototypes, the two were ready to bring the MoonShade to market. Proegler said they raised $32,000 via Kickstarter and, by March of 2020, they had orders for 1,000 MoonShade awnings soon after having launched its retail-direct website.
“And we’re like, ‘Okay, if we sell through all of these over the course of the year, we can eat. We can pay ourselves. This’ll work,’” Proegler recalled.
Which brings us to the part of the story where the MoonShade struck a chord with the #vanlife movement and things really took off.
“I’m all about grassroots marketing, so I wanted to get this in the hands of the super users, so we partnered with a handful of YouTubers – people who were living in their vans,” Proegler said. “This is in April 2020, and it was ‘right place, right time.’ That inventory that we were hoping to sell through over the course of 12 months, we sold through in six weeks.”
Fast forward to today and they have sold close to 20,000 MoonShades, 90% of which were retailed directly to customers including some 2,000 Airstream Basecamp owners. Now, Proegler said, with the product having proven itself, he is looking to partner with OEMs.
“That’s part of the reason Bret’s here,” Proegler said referring to Bret Thompson, a Goshen native who now lives in Portugal. “He’s another seasoned entrepreneur who’s helping us just figure it out. I mean, Moon was a dream when it launched. That dream was fueled mightily by COVID. So, we spent the last two years just really figuring out the business and getting ready. But it definitely feels like we’re at the very front end of what our relationship with OEMs will be like.”
They already have at least one OEM partnership, and Forest River’s Collin Spickler is all too willing to sing MoonShade’s praises.
“In an industry where too many are racing to the bottom, we’ve made it our mission to set a higher standard. The MoonShade aligns perfectly with our vision of delivering versatile, high-quality solutions that enhance outdoor living. We’re not just outfitting RVs; we’re creating better camping experiences for our customers by focusing on what truly matters,” Spickler said.
In addition to Proegler and Thompson, the MoonFab team includes a former head of R&D at Patagonia. And besides the accolades from #vanlifers and Forest River’s Spickler, MoonShade has been celebrated by such publications as Outside Magazine Buyers Guide and Wirecutter.
Competitive Differentiation
What sets MoonShade apart is it’s versatile, durable, efficient and sustainable. Made with quality materials and construction, the MoonShade is built to last using 420D ripstop polyester with UV protective treatment, reflective coating, and heavy-duty polyester webbing trim. Its efficiency comes from its portable, simple designs that make set up and tear down a breeze. And the MoonShade is sustainable because the manufacturing process is intentionally designed to have as little impact as possible.
Its versatility is where the MoonShade truly shines, and it’s readily apparent as soon as you take it out of its handy carrying case. Using the included carabiners, suction cups, and strut pole, along with fixed mounting points such as roof racks and fences, plus any other accessories you may already have at home such as hammock straps, the configurations of MoonShade become endless.
“The MoonShade is essentially a dome tent that has various ways to anchor to a vehicle, but with it being semi-permanent, the design gives you a lot more modularity because when you roll into a camping space, if the sun isn’t over your driver’s side, you can mount it off the back or you can mount it off the other side,” Proegler said.
The MoonShade is available in either the OG model providing 9-by-7 feet coverage, or the XL version that provides 12-by-9 feet of coverage. Each is secured by a variety of methods, including attaching via a carabiner to heavy-duty vacuum-mount, suction cup or magnetic anchor points, as well as telescoping aluminum poles, guidewires and steel stakes. In addition, detachable MoonWalls offer more shade protection as well as a greater degree of privacy. And a fully enclosed screen room – sorry not sorry, mosquitos – is on its way, too.
“It’s just a great product. We’re never going to step in the way of the push-button convenience people. I’m not going to get on certain rigs and units, but I think there’s a lot of people who appreciate that it’s easier to set up than most fixed-attach awnings that are manual,” Proegler said.
“With OEMs, where we’re really focused on helping them is to extend the space for their customers outside,” Proegler explained. “Like with Palomino, they’re making the XL an option off the side, but maybe they’ll make the smaller shade on the back. That’ll be the work for us in the next couple years, is helping people figure out the best setup for their different units.
“I think that, as a primary awning, it’s going to make the most sense on a lightweight towable,” Proegler said, singling out truck campers in particular. “That’s where we’re seeing a ton of growth right now, and that’s in part because of how truck campers work and how they’re really tall. We were also on R-Pod last year. We’re on two of their smallest units.
While the MoonShade story is an American success story, Proegler said they hope to parlay that story into an even bigger one.
“The dream for us is we want to be the REI for the RV industry. And I think the way that works is by making great products that the end consumer loves – which we do – and with working with OEMs. Being an outdoor outfitter in this space means working directly with OEMs and helping them solve problems,” he said.
The post Startup MoonShade Awnings Sets its Sights on RV Industry first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.