Adventure with Betsy & Tim

Last year we rented a Metris camper van from Peace Vans for 24 days, touring the American Southwest and visiting many national parks along the way. After having such a great trip, we decided to do it again!  

In May of 2022, we visited all nine national parks in California, circling the state in a long, counterclockwise loop and covered 4,000 miles in 30 days. Our goal was to never drive more than four hours in a single day to keep us fresh throughout the trip. It turns out that was an easy goal because there was so much to see!

Here’s what we enjoyed most about our trip: 

Dispersed camping

If you can find National Forest Service (NFS) or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, you can camp on it for free.  There are several apps available to help you identify these lands in real time – but get your bearings before you drive into the wilderness and likely lose your cell signal.  These sites are totally primitive with no services, but who cares?  You’re traveling in a fully equipped camper van and life is good! Of all the times we elected to “wing it” and find a dispersed campsite, we never saw a single person.  There is a certain romance to camping alone in the wild with no signs of civilization for as far as the eye can see.  When camping in eastern Oregon last May, we enjoyed a thunder and lightning storm and the cry of a wolf pack on the prairie while enjoying a bottle of wine under the van’s canopy.  Now that’s van camping!

Biking

Last year we took our bikes on our trip and used our personal fixed bike rack – but it created a bit of a hassle because we had to remove the bikes from the rack before we could access the rear tailgate.  This year, Peace Vans provided us with a rear bike rack that could easily pivot to the side, providing access to storage in the rear of the van.  It was a game changer!  It’s so great to be able to park the van and check out your surroundings on a bike. Several state and national parks had extensive bike trail networks and we were able to see lots of scenery in the course of a day. Our favorite biking was out of Van Damme State Park along the rugged California coast, where we could view the wild surf as we biked several miles of single track along a grassy bluff.  Other inland trails in the area criss crossed through a beautiful forest.  

Traveling in May

Both our 2021 and 2022 trips were in May.  It’s a great month to travel because the summer crowds have not yet hit the road and the weather is balmy for the most part.  While national parks like Yosemite and Sequoia are perpetually crowded in the non-winter months, the other national and state parks were largely vacant in May, allowing us to score prime campsites at each location.  Wherever you hike, bike, or drive, there are less people out there in May.  

Why the Metris?

We chose to drive the Mercedes Metris for both our trips. The vans are new and are easy to drive, just like the minivan we used to own.  They are packed with conveniences, like a super easy stovetop burner that slides out of an interior cabinet, lots of USB ports, cabin lights with dimmers, a heater with a thermostat, a ladder to access the pop top, and van seats that swivel around to the main cabin for inside dining.  On those occasional chilly mornings, it was nice to make some coffee inside in a heated van while Mother Nature worked on heating up the outside world.  Campsite setup became a game to us and after a couple days we could set up in under two minutes: park the van, open the sliding door, lay down the mat, open the awning, remove and open the folding chairs, sit down, pour the drinks and enjoy the campsite!

We chose to sleep in the pop top and loved it!  We would zipper open the pop top windows and let the breeze sweep through the van.  It was so soothing to hear the nearby surf or creek or night sounds in the forest as we drifted off to sleep.  In the morning we would awaken to song birds and the rising sun.  Our schedule quickly shifted from late nights and late mornings to a timeframe more in sync with the sun.  We would lay down an hour after sunset and start the day with sunrise.  It seemed more natural and we maximized the daytime hours. 

Van camping for us was just right.  It’s easier than tent camping out of a car and not as cumbersome as larger camping vehicles that can take longer to set up, and can’t go all the places a van can go because of their size.  And don’t worry - if the weather turns for the worse, there is no concern over wet tents or packing up wet gear.  Relax, you’re van camping!

There are many benefits to a long-term camper van rental — the ability to move at your own pace and try out all the Metris features. Our 2023 rentals are filling up fast, and long-term rentals are even harder to come by — so book yours now. For rentals longer than 12 nights, we offer a free night on us.