Long ago in my dating days, I met a handsome guy who shared with me his love for tent camping. As I listened to him describe the call of the wild, I said, “I love to camp!” My BFF heard my comment and immediately rolled her eyes. The last time I camped was in a family van – no tents involved. Decades have passed since that encounter and, it turns out, I have discovered a way to love camping. Campervans by roadsurfer gave me this newfound love – and I’m smitten.
The Story Behind roadsurfer
Founded by five friends who have known each other since childhood, the Germany-based roadsurfer brand began as a brainstorming session. While planning a camping trip on the Atlantic coast, one couple already had a new campervan. The other friends wanted to rent a campervan, which they discovered was not an easy task. Returning home, they decided to make the campervan rental experience easier by opening their own company. They developed a strategy, built a website, and launched an online booking system – the first of its kind at the time.
That brainstorming paid off and today roadsurfer has more than 60 locations across Europe in exciting countries like Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The company has also graced the USA and Canada with its camping genius with locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas in the USA and Vancouver and Calgary in Canada. Sign me up…for all of these!
Camping Test #1 – California with the Girls
Despite my limited hiking experience, a road trip in a campervan with friends offered an irresistible opportunity I didn’t want to miss. I gathered up two New York friends, Kelly and Michele, along with Vanessa, another road trip enthusiast from Pittsburgh, and we flew to Los Angeles to check out the roadsurfer.
Having never before driven a campervan, starting on the infamous and always-packed I-5 in Los Angeles was akin to baptism by fire. Fortunately, the roadsurfer campervan is easy to drive and not much different than driving a large SUV. A turbo boost button would have been helpful to jump over the miles of traffic blocking our path, but likely would have landed us in jail. So, we crawled along with millions of others and ultimately escaped on the open road.
A California Road Trip Itinerary
Our road trip itinerary included four distinctive campgrounds. We began with the primitive Jumbo Rocks Campsite in Joshua Tree National Park. From there we ventured to the Palm Canyon Campground in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park where we slept beneath an international dark sky. Next up was the Stagecoach Trails RV Resort in the mountains surrounding the gold rush town of Julian, best known for fall foliage and homemade apple pies. We wrapped up our camping adventure at the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Malibu Beach RV Park where we were treated to an epic sunset.
Along the way, we hiked on desert trails alongside a tarantula, visited old movie sets at Pioneertown, and marveled over the massive metal structures in Galleta Meadows. We ate our share of desert dust in an ATV as we explored miles of trails. And, of course, we drank our share of cocktails by the campfire in the evenings.
Who Knew Camping was Educational?
Picking up our van in Los Angeles, the roadsurfer attendant gave us a detailed review of the van’s features. We were staying in the Liberty Lodge RV. An ideal campervan for big adventures and exciting road trips, this model sleeps up to four. It features a manual pop-up roof, a spacious kitchenette, and a bathroom that includes a hot water shower. An outdoor shower hose is also included – which is an ideal way to wash off sand from the beach or a dusty desert hike. The only challenge we had in configuring the sleeping arrangements for four adult middle-aged women was being certain everyone could easily access the bathroom in the middle of the night!
We learned a lot too. Ask any of us about dump stations and potable water and we’ll provide all the details you could possibly need.
With solar panels, the Liberty Lodge RV didn’t require daily electrical hookups which is a nice feature when you’re in the desert where electrical hookups are often in short supply! Powered with propane, we cooked dinner in our mini-kitchen and ate by the roaring campfires only Vanessa knew how to spark.
For added space, Kelly and Michele brought small tents and sleeping bags to pitch outside for a couple of nights of sleeping under the stars. The roadsurfer campervan featured plenty of space to store those items along with our luggage, linens and more. Bonus: At the end of our journey, roadsurfer donated the items we didn’t want to take home to a local homeless shelter in Los Angeles.
Camping Test #2 – Southwest with the Husband
During my camping adventure with the girls, my husband, Greg, followed along through my Instagram posts. Minutes after my arrival back home he asked, “When am I going with you on one of these adventures?” I realize my declaration of love for camping decades ago was a stretch. But Greg’s a native New Yorker who had never camped, so his interest was an even bigger surprise.
A few months later, we were in Las Vegas picking up a Couples Condo from the roadsurfer crew for our first camping trip together.
A Southwest Road Trip Itinerary
The roadsurfer rental comes with unlimited mileage – which is extremely helpful in the American Southwest where roads stretch for miles. We embarked from Las Vegas on an 8-day journey covering portions of Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Our adventures included hiking in lava fields, visiting the site of a meteor crater, and standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona…just like the Eagles! We also discovered the wonders of the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert along with Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Horseshoe Bend.
We stayed in a variety of campgrounds along the way. And, Greg learned all he ever needs to know about dump stations and potable water!
So now it’s true…I do love to camp…as long as roadsurfer is part of the plan!
