I’ve at all times been a standard tent camper. It was how my dad and mom launched me to overnighting within the nice open air, and I by no means thought-about venturing into the world of RVing—till the chance arose to check Airstream’s latest camper van in the marketplace, the Interstate 19X. And as my forays into new experiences nearly at all times drop me into the deep finish, it solely is smart that my first RV journey would contain tenting within the midwest within the lifeless of winter.
My husband, Rob, and I drove from Colorado to Nebraska to Indiana the place we had been invited to discover the states’ winter recreation scenes. A “snowcation,” we dubbed it. Nicely, that was the plan—snow solely made a considerable look as soon as throughout the journey, and fortunately it was on our snowboarding day. However whereas the climate didn’t fairly reside as much as our hopes, our time within the automobile did.
The Interstate 19X, designed for campers in search of a extra luxurious RV expertise, is constructed on a 19-foot Mercedes-Benz sprinter van chassis. It’s geared up with a foldout mattress within the again, a minifridge, a stowable induction cooktop, a kitchen sink, and a moist bathtub. Because of the freezing temperatures on our journey, we had a dry tenting setup and didn’t make use of the bathroom, bathe, or sink; this was high-quality by me, as I’m not but assured in dumping wastewater tanks or mitigating pipe-bursting crises. We used the bogs at our campgrounds, and we introduced just a few massive water bottles for staying hydrated and making espresso on the mini stovetop.
Having fun with some post-hike refreshments from the minifridge after exploring Brown County State Park, Indiana.
What We Loved
A Good Measurement For Learners
The van was 19 toes lengthy, not so massive that it was too intimidating to drive and park (it matches in most traditional parking areas), however large enough that you simply really feel safer and extra seen on the freeway. It was particularly cool to be window-level with semis as a substitute of dashing under them feeling small and squishable. We additionally liked the cameras and sensors throughout the van that helped with parking, backing up, and altering lanes.
A Comfy Journey
I’ve a agency rule for street journeys: Cease each 2 hours to stretch stiff legs, have a rest room break, and possibly get a espresso refill. However as a result of the sprinter van’s cockpit was so spacious and had well-cushioned, supportive seats—a far cry from my Subaru’s cramped quarters—we may simply drive as much as 4 hours between locations with out feeling antsy.
A Moveable Locker Room
We hit up a number of state parks and preserves on this journey: Fontenelle Forest and Platte River State Park in Nebraska, Indiana Dunes State and Nationwide Park, McCormick’s Creek State Park, Brown County State Park, and Pokagon State Park, to call just a few. At each trailhead, the van was our cozy private altering room: it was enjoyable to hit a button, watch the aspect door dramatically slide open, activate the warmth, and peel off additional layers. My favourite a part of the journey was snowboarding at Indiana’s Paoli Peaks Ski Resort. We parked the van and stored the warmth working whereas pulling on our snow gear. After hours of hitting the slopes (on my half, falling on my butt), it was great to come back again to the Airstream to swap my damp bib and shell for drier attire and hop right into a heated seat. We’d additionally stocked the minifridge with coconut water as a hydrating post-ride deal with—ah, luxurious.
A Heat and Cozy Winter Shelter
Our first time configuring the van’s sleep setup at Platte River State Park, Nebraska.
Our first in a single day—and my first time sleeping in an RV—was on the Platte River State Park campground in Nebraska. After plugging into the electrical hookup to maintain the van’s battery full, we unfolded the benches to make a agency but comfy mattress. I used to be stunned that my 6-foot-2 husband was capable of lie down with out his head or toes bumping towards the partitions of the van; we each had loads of house sleeping aspect by aspect and didn’t really feel confined in any respect. Sleeping in our heat, heated van at evening, we felt secure and cozy, and it was straightforward sufficient to make use of the campground toilet for our morning routines. Plus, with no tent breakdown required, we had been capable of hit the street in file time.
What We Realized
RVing in Winter Comes With Tradeoffs
As a result of we had been touring in freezing temperatures, the van was winterized—this meant no working water for the sink or bathe, and no use of the bathroom. Because of this, we couldn’t benefit from the full vary of facilities that this automobile affords in different seasons, but it surely was good to see how RVing within the winter compares to my regular tent-camping setup.
We Had To Get Inventive With Storage Options
Between the 2 of us, we had a number of baggage and suitcases on this journey. Whereas driving, the bags match properly within the again on benches and on the ground (with just a few gadgets up within the overhead aspect compartments). However with the benches folded out for our mattress, we needed to stow an empty suitcase and two baggage of snacks within the out-of-commission toilet stall. Our journey was seven days lengthy, and we determined that, for us, the van was finest fitted to lengthy weekend journeys with much less baggage.
The Backside Line
Dipping my toe into RV tenting revealed that there are some actual perks to having your transportation even be your campsite. As a lot as I really like sleeping in a tent and having a extra old school, in-touch-with-nature tenting expertise, I acquired a thrill from folding out a mattress to create a cosy mattress at the back of the van. The furnace working in a single day created a heat, soothing environment with its white noise blocking out sounds from neighboring campers and the (generally eerie) calls of wildlife. We even arrange a laptop computer on the counter and watched motion pictures at bedtime. Total, it was an amazing mushy entry into RVing, a cool mixture of the comforts of residence in a campground, and a very good possibility for tenting within the winter when in any other case, I in all probability simply wouldn’t.
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