Business Monday: Joe’s Big Island Jeep Rental encourages responsible exploration

A nearly 4-mile road carved through an old lava flow off Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway leads travelers to Kehaha Kai State Park and its blue waters and coastline of soft white sand.

The road begins paved but quickly turns into a rock crawl with drivers in pickup trucks and SUVs slowly navigating over large boulders, trenches and divots. Without a 4×4 vehicle, beachgoers often are forced to turn around and park at the start of the road, making the trek down to the beach park on foot.

That’s where Joe’s Big Island Jeep Rental can come to the rescue – and add to the fun.

With a fleet of 45 Jeeps with models ranging from Wranglers to Rubicons to Hybrids, the rental car agency encourages responsible exploration of Hawai‘i Island from the summit of Mauna Kea to the rugged coastline.

Joe Webster, founder and owner of Big Island Jeep Rental, said you don’t necessarily need 4×4 to get around Hawai‘i Island, but “you definitely want it.”

Webster had been a technical consultant, traveling the country to businesses, like banks and insurance companies, to implement efficiency systems for customer service representatives and other workers.

“I was part of the machine that essentially automated people out of their jobs,” Webster said. “I was the guy that would sit there with a stopwatch and watch people do all this typing and be like, OK, we can increase this workflow by four minutes if we automate this or that.”

But he got turned off by the technology industry, and decided to move to the Big Island.

While he awaited the arrival of his sports car from the mainland, he borrowed his brother’s Jeep to get around.

“I ended up actually selling my sports car and getting another Jeep,” Webster said. “I’ve always been a convertible guy myself anyway. A Jeep is like the perfect solution between functionality and cool and convertible.”

Webster bought his first Jeep for $25,000 from Hertz Car Sales 8-1/2 years ago and at the suggestion of his brother he rented it out on Turo, an online marketplace where people can rent their personal vehicles. He outfitted it with free beach gear, including chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards and pool noodles.

In doing some research, Webster said he looked at Google’s search engine optimization keywords and found people were searching for Jeep rentals when visiting the Big Island.

After setting up his website, BigIslandJeepRental.com, Webster said customers came piling in. Two years into the rental business, he was turning customers away.

From there, Webster grew the fleet to what it is today.

In the beginning, Webster would drop his Jeeps off at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport for pickup, but ended up with tickets because rental car agencies are not allowed to leave cars parked for pickup. He found a lot near the end of Hulikoa Drive, but parking was limited.

Every morning, Webster said he’d have to pull his Jeeps out on the street where customers would pick up their rental and those Jeeps that didn’t get picked up were pulled back into the lot.

Webster said he ultimately had to find a new spot since the owner of the lot was building a new warehouse where his Jeeps were parked.

Recently, he relocated just down the street to the parking lot behind Matsuyama Market. The spacious lot is only three minutes from Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. He partners with a private driving service to transport customers to his Jeep lot.

One of Webster’s regular customers, Nick Noble, has been visiting Hawai‘i Island for more than a decade. While he normally would rent a vehicle from Hertz or another rental car company, that changed six years ago when he happened upon Webster’s website for Big Island Jeep Rental.

Noble said it was rare for him to find a 4×4 to rent.

“If you did find one, you weren’t allowed to take it off the paved road,” Noble said.

And that’s where Webster’s business stood out for the Oregon resident. During his last visit in December, Noble said he was able to explore the North Kohala coastline with his family. They discovered secluded coves.

Noble said Webster’s personalized service includes providing whatever beach supplies they request.

Noble said he feels supported by Webster in case there are any issues with the rental, although he said he’s never had vehicle problems. The Jeep also offers more freedom to explore the wilds of Hawai‘i Island.

Webster is particularly proud that some of his Jeeps are equipped to go from sea level to the summit of Mauna Kea at 13,000 feet. Some of the vehicles have a 4×4 low transfer case installed, which allows drivers to not ride their brakes down the Mauna Kea Access Road.

Webster also has three older “beater” Jeeps which he also regularly rents out for those needing 4×4 without the flashiness of one of his newer vehicles. On Friday, he had a resident who inquired about a jeep to use while out hunting turkeys.

One aspect of his business that Webster loves is helping customers plan their trip, pointing out such things as kid-friendly beaches and the best places to bodyboard.

Webster gives tips on the top three things to do on the Big Island to all his customers: visit Kīlauea in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, drive up to Mauna Kea and go out on a nighttime manta ray snorkel.

Webster also educates visitors on where not to go, including places like the land around Papakōlea Green Sands Beach.

“It’s disrespectful to the land because it’s turning into the dust bowl out there,” Webster said. “There’s no foliage out there to keep the dirt together anymore because people have just been tearing it up for so long.”

Webster also informs customers they are not allowed into Waipi‘o Valley, with access currently limited to Hawaiʻi County residents, permitted licensed/insured tour operators, and Native Hawaiians claiming the exercise of traditional and/or customary rights as Hawai‘i County works to repair the narrow one-lane road down into the valley.

Jeep rentals vary in price from approximately $105 to $216 per day. Click here to see the available Jeeps and how to book.