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…
