Last week, a Canadian client came to us looking for tents, prefab houses and pirate-themed props. He was planning a themed Airbnb setup and wanted to start with tents. So he sent over some reference photos. We found that the project was inspired by Outpost X, a movie-like Airbnb experience set in the Utah desert.
After a deep dive, we found that most of the setups were modified prefab units paired with some simple furnishings, all easy to source and relatively low-cost compared to building permanent structures. But the business numbers were just as impressive: one tent brings in around $3,600 per month, and the entire site generates over $100K in revenue with $40K to $50K in profit.
Now, let’s hear it from the founder, Travis, in his own words — how he took a bold idea, turned it into a real business, and what went wrong before it started working.
What Inspired Me to Do This
Everyone’s trying to make extra income these days. Some people think, “I should rent out an Airbnb.” But to me, that’s not clever. The market’s saturated, and most Airbnbs don’t offer a truly unique experience.
Before this, I worked on film shoots. Some of those sets cost over $100,000, and they’d be torn down right after filming. It always felt like a waste. So I thought, what if people could actually stay inside the story? Like stepping into a sci-fi film.
That’s how Outpost X started. A lot of what you see out here is real movie gear. I basically built a movie-set hotel on a 240-acre dry lakebed in the desert. For me, it’s about creating viral stays — places that sell out without needing to spend a fortune on marketing.
And creativity doesn’t have to be expensive. To make the whole experience feel immersive, we created a fictional universe: a podcast, a cast of characters, backstories on the website. It gets guests excited before they even arrive. That hour-long drive out to the desert will feels like waiting in line for a Disney park ride — anticipation builds.
And when they get here, they open the wardrobe and find costumes. Suddenly, they’re not just visitors — they’ve stepped into an insane sci-fi desert world. Most of it was built using AI tools. I recorded the beginning and end of the podcast myself. Everything else was AI-generated. All I needed was a good idea.
If I Could Start Over Again
If I were to start all over again, I wouldn’t lease land instead of buy it. I don’t need to spend millions to begin. Honestly, all I needed was a tent and an incredible view. It could be a ridgeline overlooking a national park, or a wood-fired hot tub tucked into the hills, maybe even some highland cows or free-roaming animals in the distance. That’s enough to spark curiosity, creating something visually striking and creatively unique.
The tents are bacic and we just added some thoughtful touches. Like hand-painted calligraphy on the canvas, a wooden archway in front, and Moroccan-style interior decor. There’s not even a bathroom inside. But the experience felt rich. Because what really sells is the scen. The whole setup cost between $6,500 – $11,000 per unit. Way cheaper than building anything permanent. Here’s roughly how that breaks down:
- Paint job: $500
- Tent: $2000-$6000
- Wood archway: $1200
- Furnishing: $1900
- Heater: $300
- Air conditioner: $500-$800
How I Find People to Run It
We’re on a 240-acre dried lakebed, space is not a problem. So in theory, the more tents we set up, the more we can earn. I started small, just to test whether people would actually come out here. Once the bookings came in and we saw real profits, I expanded.
As things scaled up, I needed to hire people to help keep things running. Day-to-day operations mainly require housekeeping, maintenance, and a general property manager. I found a great labor pool through Facebook groups for “work campers” — a massive network of nearly 100,000 people who live in vans or RVs and travel from one campground job to another. So finding help hasn’t been an issue. My trusted operator Josh manages the site full time now, which means I don’t have to live on-site. I visit about once every two months.
Let’s Talk Numbers
Cost, price, and profits
The average tent goes for about $150 a night. During holidays and weekends, that easily jumps to $300–$400. Thanks to strong demand, we typically see 80% to 90% occupancy. After covering operating costs, mostly cleaning, maintenance, and utilities, each tent brings in over $2,000 in net profit per month.
Geo domes offer a more premium experience. Each setup combines a panoramic clear dome with a decorated container house, giving guests stunning desert views. They rent for $600–$650 a night. While they require more upfront investment, they’re still far cheaper than constructing a building. A basic dome setup costs around $60,000, compared to $200,000 or more for a permanent structure.
The trick to scaling revenue?
Since guests are already here, we build the experience like a sci-fi theme park. Star Wars-style costumes are available for $20, beast-horn mug drinking go for $40. Access to saunas and hot tubs starts at $40 per person, or $150 for a family pass. For $100, we prep the food and gear so guests can cook their own meals.
Truth is, most guests only wear the costume for a couple of hours, which means we can rotate outfits and props without losing the immersive feel.
What's cost underneath?
The real cost doesn’t come from the tents themselves. It’s everything underneath and around them. As we expanded and added more units, the biggest expenses came from things most people don’t see: utilities, site leveling, and permits.
Basic infrastructure like septic systems, power lines, and how far each unit is spaced out from the next can all drive up complexity and cost. For example, building a compliant septic system requires approval. You have to map out where it goes and how deep it sits. Ours had to be 150 feet from the lakebed and 35 feet deep — that alone cost around $30,000 per system.
And we weren’t allowed to share one septic tank across multiple units. Each one needed its own. That rule instantly doubled our costs. On top of that, more experienced contractors charge higher premiums, which adds up fast.
Marketing Built Into the Product
We ran a full presale campaign and launched on Indiegogo, where we raised over $900,000. But the real win wasn’t just the funding, it was the exposure. We sold out four months before opening. I kept backers updated with build progress, sneak peeks of the experience, the food, and the night views. It made people feel like we were building something worth getting excited about.
What we’ve really built is a giant, livable movie set. Before the official launch, we brought in a wave of Instagram influencers for a first look. One posed on a bed in the middle of a cracked lakebed. Another snapped a shot on a staircase to nowhere. They thought it looked cool and tagged Outpost X. Most of the setups, swings, glowing stairs, surreal props, only cost a few hundred dollars each. But I believe the marketing value they brought in was worth millions.
Our target audience includes anyone with a strong imagination，millennials families, sci-fi fans. People are willing to pay top dollar for a moment that’s truly Instagrammable. Something that snaps them out of the ordinary and drops them into another world. In just 8 months, we racked up 80M+ views on Instagram alone.
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