OUR NEW STORYTELLER OVERLAND VAN.
January 2023. Covid is over for most of us. Travel is back in full force. We decided to “downsize” and gave up our truck camper for an 86 sq ft Mercedes 4X4 Sprinter Van that is custom built by Storyteller Overland. The company is only a few years old and as it turns out, is something of a Cult with it’s few thousand customers all sharing together on social media. There are group outings and meet ups planned all over the US for Storyteller owner’s to gather and tell more stories around the fire! We had no idea we gained a fabulous community of like minded people from all walks of life when we dove into this Vanlife.
Why the name “Babar”? Aside from the fond memories of Babar the elephant in the children’s books, we came to the conclusion that the Van could not climb mountains or accelerate quickly like our previous rigs. Babar is a big, round, slow beige beast! Slowing down may just the positive force we need!
There are so many pros and cons for Pop up Truck Camper vs Storyteller Overland Camper Van. The one feature we knew we needed in any camper was the 4×4 ability to go off the beaten path. The Van checked off most of our wants. The high tech electrical (Volta) system is one of the main reasons we choose the Storyteller over other Vans out there. There is also this idea that the van is just easier to maneuver, travel and camp. The tent portion of the truck camper had to be manually set up upon arrival to a campsite. I already miss the King sized bed however during windy rainy nights, the noise made for an uncomfortable night’s sleep. With the van, I just pull in and open the sliding door for some air! There is not much to set up. But the best feature is just simply being able to pull over at a rest stop or down a dirt road and take a nap and grab lunch before continuing on the journey. The climate control and safety features allow me to leave Oscar behind in the van for a few hours. I didn’t have that option before.
After a few trips and overnights in the van, I keep comparing the feeling to sleeping in a “fort” as a kid. Back then it felt like I was away, yet safe and cozy. The van walls are insulated and combined with the Volta heating system, creates a warm cocoon like environment for sleeping. It’s been a challenge finding storage solutions, but after adding an expedition box to the rear and installing a shelf above the seats, I’m starting to find places to put the necessary gear.
The first trip driving up the CA coast is not a bad way to test the new van. A few nights getting used to the space and systems was a great way to ease into learning all there is to know about the Storyteller Van.
The next trip was with a friend of mine from NYC who really wanted to join and experience a vanlife trip. We looked around the local area in SOCAL and there was a Storyteller Van for rent on Outdoorsy right in Laguna Beach! We contacted the owner and picked up the grey Storyteller van a few minutes from our house. Game on as we plotted our adventure up to Sant Ynez in March 2023. The weather started out colder than we expected, but the sun eventually came out in Santa Barbara and we had an awesome time together creating memories and telling stories around the campfire! This was my friend’s first experience sleeping in a campervan and she loved almost all of it, with the exception of emptying the cassette toilet. Good times and tons of uncontrollable belly laughs.
Over the next few weeks it was time to pack up the van for a longer journey. My sister flew out to join me and Oscar to take an epic cross country trip at the end of March 2023. ( There is a twin bed that folds down for a second person, but it is not for the faint of heart.) Day 1 we left SOCAL and had a delicious lunch in downtown Palm Springs. We then headed off to Joshua Tree National Park in the high desert not too far away. We arrived in the late afternoon and planned on camping under the stars before heading to Sedona AZ the next morning. As I was setting up camp (chairs, dog mat, etc) I tumbled out of the van with my ankle landing halfway on a curb below the step of the van and went flying onto the ground. My head landed next to a huge bolder and lying on the ground, I immediately knew I twisted my right ankle. Luckily nothing else hurt, so I just put some ice on the ankle and sat inside the van trying to figure out what to do. My sister, Jackie took Oscar for a walk while I sat is shock over the realization that I could not WALK. Since we were only three hours away from our CA home, we made the decision to head back, and see how the ankle felt in the next few days. We would simply delay our trip….no problem.
Ironically, I had planned on teaching Jackie how to drive the Van inside the park, but we never got around to the test drive, so I decided to drive us back, even though the injured ankle was my right driving foot. Yeah, it hurt but a few advils and we were off. In the morning, my ankle was a scary sight (swollen and bruised) so we went to get an x-ray only to find out I broke my right Fibula above the ankle!
So sometimes life takes a left turn, but all in all things could have been so much worse. I am so very grateful that I was in good company and Jackie took good care of me over the next ten days before flying back to CT. How lucky am I to have such a great sister!
Babar will just have to wait for the next adventure as he sits in the driveway and basks in the California sunshine. To be continued…
1 Week Before Departure
Saturday March 21, my husband, Oscar and I set off in the truck for Colorado. The traffic was light as we crossed the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and headed into PA without looking back. First stop outside the Poconos was easy breezy. The dunkin donuts had a sign stating that the bathrooms were open but food must be purchased at the drive thru only. There was even an open field next door for Oscar to stretch and do his business. Gloves and wipes in hand, we used the facilities and hit the road. Next stop, Emlenton PA! We took a slight detour off the highway looking for a park to get some air and a walk. The town was quiet but we found a park nearby. Rather than take the time to find a restroom, we went in the woods. No one was around, no harm done. Picnic lunch in the truck, back on the road, Mcdonalds pit stop, repeat. I never thought I would ever be so grateful to see those yellow arches. With most state rest stops closed we could always count on a Mcdonalds to be open somewhere along the way. I shy away from any gas station restrooms.
The skill of using the restroom with disposable gloves and chlorox wipes got easier with each try. After a few stops we got it down to a one glove exercise, using instead an elbow to open doors and hit the hand dryers. Oscar, just like a little kid, was happy to be with the two of us. He was content in the back seat with plenty of space, toys and treats to keep him occupied until the bewitching hour rolled around. Labs have a thing about their food. Oscar simply demand barks when it’s time and he is usually 10 minutes give or take from his feeding schedule. The bark is a signal for us to find an exit or feed on the go! I was thinking how great life would be if I could just bark and get a meal!450
Our truck takes diesel fuel, so finding open gas stations for trucks is never a problem. In addition to all of the many trucks on the road, I started noticing cars pulling U-haul trailers one after another. I became obsessed with these trailers and started noticing the state plates in order to figure out a trend. The plates were from all over the country (NY, PA, IL, NC, UT, CO, FL, MO, OH). I kept thinking perhaps the college students heading home? But from the look of some of the drivers, I don’t think this was the case. The number of moving trucks spotted was out of the ordinary, that’s for sure.
Hit the road early and Oscar got his first taste of an egg mcmuffin. Driving toward the St Louis area we hit some light snow as we continued through to Kansas. Sometime later, we stumbled upon a park to take an afternoon walk. We noticed a casino next to the park on a river. I observed a shuttle bus making the rounds, but there were no customers. The casino was obviously closed but apparently no one let the poor shuttle driver know. The town was quiet, with some people out and about. As we turned back toward the highway we saw a drive in sign “A&W all american food”. This was too interesting and nostalgic, so we ordered a couple of hot dogs and shakes, only the poor kid behind the speaker was at a loss when I asked for sauerkraut on my hot dog and a black and white shake. No sauerkraut and I had to explain the shake in much detail. All in all, the shakes and dogs were one of the highlights of our day. It was another 10 hour day of driving, we made it to Topeka, Kansas. Again, finding a room took zero effort. This time, the hotel’s manager had informed us that he had a skeleton crew on board because he had just fired all of the other employees. Oh, and since the restaurant was closed, we could pick up a boxed breakfast to go on our way out in the morning! On my way to the ice machine I bumped into 2 other women with their ice buckets. We all politely stayed our distance away from each other as we filled our ice buckets with humorous exchanges about the crazy times. My only regret that night was watching too much CNN. The reported increase in cases and updates made me more anxious and as a result had trouble sleeping. Oscar on the other hand, was enjoying his second night in a hotel with all the doggy comforts of home!
Kansas is a long long state, especially with all the barbecue joints closed. There was dense fog on the road that morning and my husband had no problem going 75mph with limited visibility. After pleading a few times to pull over, I came up with this elaborate plan to start a blog and I wanted to get it set up in order to start typing along the way. So much to my amazement, we pulled over somewhere in the middle of Kansas and sat in the parking lot at a Pizza/breakfast/gas station joint while I researched how to set up a blog. The fog lifted and we hit the road! At the next Mcdonalds stop, the young high school girl behind the counter spoke about how sad it was that she may not graduate HS. Many of her friends were in the same situation. Their future was unknown. The rest of the drive into CO was a breeze. Denver airport was our first stop to pick up a rental car. The Hertz clerk informed us that she was one of the lucky ones still employed after they just laid off 90% of the employees. There was a sign outside the airport that read “We’ll Get Through This Together”.
Day 4 
We got word the next day (one day later than scheduled) that the Hallmark team was on it and we could take delivery Friday afternoon! Yay!! We were over the top excited. A day of rest and more walks in the park with Oscar. This morning during our walk I noticed a camper parked out on the street adjacent to the park. It was gone in the late morning. The state of Colorado just ordered a “shelter in place” so the area is going to get even quieter over the next few days.
We are going to bring the camper home tomorrow to our air bnb house, load up the supplies, check the systems and head out to Southern California through southern Utah and Nevada. The drive requires one or two overnights, but with the camper, we can simply pull over and be self sufficient (Boondock). If the sun is shining, our solar will provide more than enough power. My 79 year old mother in law lives alone in CA, so we want to be able to support/help her. Even though we are both healthy, we think it is wise to self quarantine 14 days before visiting with her, so we will stay put in an air bnb close by before risking her health. At the very least we will be able to give her some comfort, shop and cook during our stay. My husband can work remotely from the air bnb house, just as he can from anywhere with wifi. Oscar will adjust to a new neighborhood walk and we will all be OK.
The Hallmark team delivered and after spending most of the day going over the systems and checklist, we drove away in a mini Colorado snow storm! Oscar was happy too hanging out with the Hallmark folks, getting much needed attention. It was a long day. We were thrilled to have the camper after a long journey and much angst.
A beautiful warm sunny day! Perfect for packing up the camper and getting familiar with the systems. I basically have to figure out where to put stuff. Oscar takes over the entire back seat area of the cab, so that’s out. Just as in a tiny house, there is not a lot of storage room. I decided to pack all the clothes( except for 2 days overnight bag) on the roof rack to save space. The interior upper cabinets are roomy enough for the kitchen glasses, dishes and dry food. But other than the under bed storage, there is not room for supplies. We added two storage boxes at the rear. One holds the generator, leveling blocks and cords. I’m not allowed to store anything in the other box. My husband is getting territorial and wants to keep that space for himself.
Oscar knows something is up with all the packing this morning. He now has less room in the back of the cab too. We had to store a bucket of tools/misc that were heavy for the roof. But he seems content in his new nest as we head west outside of Denver passing through the stunning Rocky Mountains. Traffic does not seem as light it would be with the state shelter in place. For lunch, we pulled into a small park at Beaver Creek with a view of an empty ski chair lift through our camper window. March in Beaver Creek with an abundance of snow, but no skiers in sight. The resort parking lots had only shuttle buses parked in rows one after another. Our first roadside stop in the camper. So great to get some air without having to touch anything. Yummy Caesar salad with chicken, bathroom breaks and a walk in the park.
My turn to drive. My husband drove a couple of hours to Beaver Creek and so I took over to give him a break. Driving up, down and through the mountain pass on I70 was delightful, not stressful at all! In the past, driving some of the other campers, especially the airstream, I often experienced sweaty palms as I held on tight to the wheel. The truck drives almost as if nothing is on it all all. Steady as a rock. So far so good. Loving the drive with the Hallmark Ute.
Stayed overnight in a KOA in Green River Utah. Basically a parking lot for overnighters. KOA’s are great when you are simply passing through and want a safe place to spend the night! The first night’s sleep was as cozy as expected. We learned to dance around each other before turning in, learning how to maneuver around each other and of course Oscar, on the floor. I bought a fluffy mat to put down and he seemed perfectly content, knowing we were sleeping only a few feet away.
I woke to the sounds of the rooster out back and sprang out of bed early, excited to reach our destination in California today. An hour later we pulled into Las Vegas and were amazed to see the deserted sin city strip. Thinking back to the woman at the KOA in Utah who asked if CT was near NY? Even scarier, about the host at the donkey farm that reached out his hand to shake as we stepped back several feet. (He said that he didn’t believe in all that nonsense about the Corona virus.) Thinking about all of the precautions we took at every gas station across the country, using gloves and wipes. The public rest stops outside Las Vegas heading west were open, unlike the public rest stops we passed 11 days ago back east. We were so very grateful to have our very own facilities and only stopped to walk Oscar and take breaks in our “tiny house”. The girl behind the counter at the In n Out Burger drive thru said “be safe” as we pulled away outside of Los Angeles. NPR live keeps us posted as we listen to the worsening conditions across the states and the world. The spread of the Corona Virus is a pandemic and one that will change our lives forever. Never will we forget our road trip in March 2020.
As we turned off the freeway and headed down Laguna Canyon Road, we thought the town appeared bustling with lots of people walking around. The only difference was the yellow tape blocking entrance to the beaches. The weather was as perfect as could be. It felt surreal to be in paradise with the Corona virus spreading all over the country.
The little cottage we rented for a month (or longer) is adorable. After emptying the camper and settling in, I left the french door open to the front courtyard. Oscar kept standing in the house, looking toward the yard, looking at the opening, then looking back at me as if to say “can I go outside”. He was so confused to see the door constantly opened to the outside. Yes, this is callled paradise Oscar! I took him for a walk around the neighborhood and around the corner, we stopped dead in our tracks. With cheerful music playing, a dozen or so adults were in the street having a “happy hour” standing a distance apart from one another with plastic wine glasses in hand. Attitude is everything.