By Drew Whitney
Those familiar with Chris Koenig personally or who follow him on social media know he is something of a real estate unicorn–experienced in commercial real estate and project management, with expertise in feasibility, financial analysis and environmental concerns,
topped off with a huge sense of humor. He has served on the Toy Storage Nation as an advisory board member for five years, including one as board chair. Plus, he’s a guy who can go from authoring RV/boat storage content to mixing videos that both charm and educate the masses.
As such, it makes the greatest sense in the world that Chris would find a “unicorn site” for RV/boat storage development and work with great industry partners to create a Class A site that caters to customers with its award-worthy design, amenities and service. And so, it gives the team at Toy Storage Nation great honor to name LuxeGuard RV & Boat Storage in Pittsburg, CA, as the newest winner of the TSN Facility of the Month Award.
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In the Beginning: Site Selection and RV/Boat Storage Design
When it came to scouting out a location, Chris knew he’d found the perfect spot as soon as
it popped up on his radar. “It’s a unicorn site with highway-proximity in a zoning-compliant area with limited local competition,” he begins. “We saw an opportunity to bring a best-in-class storage experience to a rapidly growing East Bay (San Francisco, California) submarket that had no modern RV/boat storage facility within a 20-minute drive.”
The fact that a Class-A facility was doing business within several miles and performing well
gave him the confidence that much more demand existed for a top-notch toy storage facility, so Chris, who worked with his wife, Ashley, on the project, settled into full-speed-development mode on this family-built pet project.
The final product–LuxeGuard Pittsburg RV & Boat Storage–stretches across 12 acres, boasting 10 acres of rentable storage. The two remaining acres are dedicated to storm-water retention
and hillside wetland. With just over 400 spaces, the project also features solar-canopy spaces and extra-deep pull-through stalls, perfect for RVs, trailers and boats.
In fact, if Chris could go back in time, he would have included more of the pull-through spaces and reduced the number of the smaller uncovered spots in his original RV/boat storage facility design. At the start, he weighted the unit mix
toward covered 12×40 and 12×45 spaces, which proved to still win favors with tenants. However, he adds, “The drive-through stalls have proven to be the highest demand with some customers leasing a larger space just for the drive-through aspect.”
“The issue from a landlord/developer perspective is that drive-through spaces are an inefficient design because you need more drive aisles,”
he continues, before reflecting on the electrical needs of RV/boat storage tenants.
“The one amenity I am retrofitting to cover 100% of my spaces is providing 20-amp outlets for trickle charging. No one could ever give me a solid ratio of spaces that want/need this amenity, and I found it’s better to have the option for customers than not. I will be doing 100% on my future developments, just in case.”
Challenges Faced, Overcome
It’s been said by many astute developers that “nothing worth doing is easy,” a premonition that did not escape Chris, who acknowledges he had to face down several challenges on his journey to develop his Class A RV and boat storage site.
“The biggest hurdle was utility coordination, particularly PG&E’s solar interconnection (PTO) and time of our commercial operation date,” he recalls. “Fire design took some back-and-forth due to the pump system, hydrant distances and retention basin impact.” To his credit, Chris worked with the local fire marshall to ensure the biggest concern–having enough water supply for sufficient fire suppression–was adequately met.
Next on the list was getting the word out about the new facility to attract tenants. Fortunately, through his many years in real estate, Chris could call upon his third-party company (Cubix Management) marketing superpowers–depending on Google ads, a SEO-optimized website, signs posted locally using QR codes, referral campaigns, cross promotions with RV brokers and marinas, and plenty of social media storytelling (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn) using drone flyovers while sharing leasing wins and development milestones.
As a matter of principle, he willingly shared his solar story, too, starting with a commitment–from day one–to include solar power, which happens to be just one of his specialties. The project qualified for 50% of federal Investment Tax Credits, including domestic and energy community bonuses as well as utility offsets.
Solar power has proven to be a cost-smart, eco-conscious decision that has attracted tenants who appreciate the sustainable angle. “It also aligns with our brand as a tech-
forward premium RV and boat storage facility,” he says. “The financial incentives certainly make it appealing–and I’ve spoken about this at several TSN shows. For the next couple of years, I will continue to push this business model on my various projects in California.”
The Payoffs of Patience and Experience Developing a Class A RV/Boat Storage Facility
Starting a successful RV and boat storage project isn’t exactly easy; it takes in-depth feasibility research and dedication to deliver the best in customer service, skills that Chris honed through his years in commercial real estate. Both have served him–and LuxeGuard Pittsburg–well.
Construction on the project wrapped in July 2025, finalizing approximately 24 months of preparation to serve the community. Permitting took about nine months, followed by 15 months of construction time. Within just a few months of completion, the facility was 40% leased with approximately 170 RV and boat storage tenants. Fast forward to the present and the facility is enjoying 83% occupancy a year after opening.
Chris knows his personal and professional collaborations are to credit for his project’s overall success, including his wife and partnership with McGuire & Hester (civil site work including grading and paving); DRYCO for fencing and Fitch Electric for site electrical work.
He also thanks his lucky stars that a nearby indoor RV/boat storage facility with 200
customers closed in the fall, setting up LuxeGuard Pittsburgh to become the dominant provider in the region, pulling tenants from the affluent areas of Alamo, Walnut Creek and Lafayette.
We at Toy Storage Nation know that Chris poured his heart, along with plenty of family time (including four kids!) into ensuring the success of this brand-new facility. The judges also believe that karma might have something to do with the nearby facility going out of business, but nobody deserves this success more than this hardworking, family guy. Congratulations Chris and the entire Koenig family!
Learn more about LuxeGuard Pittsburg RV & Boat Storage at the facility’s website.
Chris– Do you want me to include links to your SM accounts?
Know a Class A RV and boat storage facility that is award worthy? Nominate a facility here.
