California To Colorado in a 4x4 Field Van
Over the summer I had a chance to travel to Grand Junction Colorado and had the pleasure of making the trip in a Mercedes Sprinter van outfitted by Field Van out of Fresno, California. The destination was the Rocky Mountain Adventure Rally in Grand Junction, Colorado. The trip started out with a drive up the coast to Fresno to pick up the unit I would call home for the week, a 2023 Mercedes 4x4 with what Field Van calls the 'Meadow' floor plan. More on that later.
Leaving Southern California I quickly got used to the civilized road manners of the Mercedes, cruising along comfortably with the flow of traffic for the first 350 miles or so the van performed flawlessly. In my opinion that is one of the best features of a Mercedes Sprinter based camper van, they perform incredibly well on the highway but you still have all the amenities of a larger RV, and with 4 wheel drive you can go places a large RV could never go.
First stop was just outside St George, Utah in the Leeds Canyon Dispersed Camping area in the Dixie National Forest. I rolled into camp well after dark but had no problem finding a great site to post up for the night. The site had room for more than one vehicle, a nice view into the canyon and plenty of room to move around. Once I hit camp it was only a matter of minutes before I was ready for bed. Folding down the couch creates a large comfortable sleeping area. Once that was done I adjusted the rooftop air conditioner to just the right temperature, I checked my e-mail one last time then settled down and got a great nights sleep.
Camping along the way was made effortless by the set-up and layout of the purpose built two person Meadow design. With the couch up you have a nice area to sit and relax after a long day on the road or the trails. When the couch is folded down the large bed is easily big enough for two people (and a dog) to sleep comfortably. When you are not sleeping the spacious galley area features an easy to clean glass cooktop, a refrigerator, a pantry area and a microwave. A flip up counter / cutting board extends your kitchen work space into the open side door area without blocking the door. On the outside of the van there is another fold down workspace that can be used for anything from meal prep to performing those small tasks that pop up every day around a campsite. And finally, last but not least the final element found in larger self contained RV's, a fully enclosed bathroom with a shower. This design makes it possible to take extended road trips like this one or even to live in the vehicle for months at a time on an extended trip.
Maximizing space is a key tenet in the Field Van philosophy and this van shows off the creativity and attention to detail the brand has become known for. Sturdy L tracks line the floor and ceiling providing solid anchor points for just about any kind of gear or accessories you want to stay in place during the journey. In addition to the fully enclosed shower inside the van there is also an exterior shower located conveniently inside the rear door to wash off that first layer of mud and sweat, or to wash off your valuable equipment before storing it away.
I got an early start on day two and the 380 miles to Grand Junction, CO took me less than 5 hours including a stop for gas and lunch. Since I got into Grand Junction the day before the event started I had planned to venture up into the mountains of the Grand Mesa National Forest and find a dispersed camping spot for my second night of camping. Rolling out of town it took me about 45 minutes to reach the exit for CO state highway 65. Highway 65 aka the Grand Mesa Byway is a scenic road that carves its way through the Grand Mesa and was peppered with numerous side roads tempting me with adventure. But like any good boondocker I didn't jump at a spot too soon. Since I had all afternoon and was in no hurry I was holding out and looking for that perfect spot. That strategy paid off and I finally found it after exploring much of the Grand Mesa area that day. The spot I chose was next to an isolated little lake with no one in sight in any direction. My own little private oasis for the evening.
The next morning it was time to head out to the Rocky Mountain Adventure Rally but before I left, on the advice on a USFS Ranger I had to take the road out to the edge of the Grand Mesa itself. Sitting just east of Grand Junction, Colorado the elevation on the top is more than two miles above sea level! Covering an area of 500 square miles and rising over 6000 feet above the surrounding area the Grand Mesa and is actually the largest flat topped mountain in the world.
The dirt road out to the edge of the Mesa was uneventful but once we were there it was anything but. The top of the Grand Mesa is impressive and the views are normally long range but on this day clouds had rolled in and the views suffered. All this meant to me was to make a note to come back to this area and explore it more thoroughly when I have more time.
Rolling back into town I found the venue easily and set up my camp in between several other camper vans and a pickup truck towing an adventure trailer. Setting up camp is a bit of an overstatement, I just parked, rolled out the awning, set up my chair and that was it. I could get used to that easy set up and tear down is just as easy and quick. Next step was to set out to get may passes and start to roam the event area and get a feel for all the activities planned for the weekend. This two day event featured both two wheel and four wheel activities for attendees to participate in. Everything from seminars in the spacious covered meeting area to motorcycle training and driving courses. Vendors ranged from high-tech bicycle racks to full on van builders.
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