Almost 50 years ago, Wayne Bennett made extra money by repairing campers at the house on six acres where he and his wife, Fae, were raising their two kids.
At the time, Wayne worked at the soil conservation office in Fort Worth. He would pick up trailer parts during his lunch hour and spend weekends repairing RVs.
After a while, Wayne’s partner in the side business moved on. Wayne kept going, with help from Fae. They operated the business out of their garage.
The year was 1972.
Today, almost a half century later, Bennett’s Camping Center and RV Ranch is a thriving full-service RV dealership specializing in rentals, sales, service, parts and accessories. The business is on a complex that spans 12 acres and surrounds the brick house where the family-run business had its start. The house has been remodeled and now serves as a clubhouse for the RV park.
Wayne and Fae’s now-grown children are part of the enterprise, which is bustling despite the coronavirus pandemic.
To read the whole story from Kathy Cruz in the Hood County News, click here.
Daughter Stacy Rist and her husband, Jim, have been helping for years. Son Greg lived in Colorado for two decades and was a disc jockey there but moved back to Granbury in the summer of 2017. He helps with the family business, too.
“That’s what I’m most proud of; the whole family, even my son, are here now,” said Wayne, 81. Fae is 77.