I’m not much of a camping gal, since I write mostly luxury travel reviews, so when I was approached to drive and camp in a new Winnebago camper van, I was willing to see it, but not 100% committed to the camping experience.

 

My thoughts changed as I drove to Road Bear RV and met with one of their friendly rental and sales consultants. The ruby red Class B 20-22′ camper van caught my eye as the smallest in the fleet of RVs on the lot. There are an array of sizes available for summer travelers to take out for three days or longer.

 

 

A friendly Road Bear staff member walked me through the versatile floor plan that includes a multifunctional, convertible dinette area, a flexible galley and a raised platform Murphy+ bed with a large space for gear below.

 

 

He showed me every feature inside and out, and demonstrated how to flip the switches, pull down the Murphy bed in the back, and pop up and open the bed on the roof. Other features that I really appreciated, were the compact toilet and shower and a surprising amount of storage.

 

 

With a 6-foot 3-inch interior height, the interior was spacious for us to stand in while he showed me the refrigerator and small freezer, stove top with two burners fueled by propane, and sink. When he opened the cabinets, he pointed to a toaster, coffee maker, pots, pans, dishes and utensils, and comfortable bedding. It’s part of the optional personal upgraded convenience kit. One can even order camp chairs and a portable Wi-Fi device.

 

Since this is one of the most fuel efficient RVs, getting around 15 to 19 mpg highway, I learned travelers can rent one for roundtrip or a one-way drive vacation. Families and couples can pick it up in the Southern California location and drive to Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Orlando or New York to drop off.

 

Getting behind the wheel I was surprised about how easy it was to drive this camper van. It’s fun to drive and ride higher than most cars and be almost eye level with trucks. There are warning lights to alert the driver if a car is coming close into your lane, and a beeping sound if someone stops suddenly in front of you. The rear camera is displayed in the rearview mirror to see who is behind, and there are extra large side mirrors to help with lane changes and visibility on the side and behind. We drove to a beach camp site in Ventura County just in time for a sunset dinner.

 

What I appreciated the most in this RV were the double back doors that open wide to allow outdoor views. Pulling the Murphy bed down into a queen size bed, we made it into a comfortable sleeping environment. Every window has a privacy screen that can be opened or zipped to allow the cool marine air and sound of the ocean lull us to sleep.

 

Having a toilet in the RV is a big plus for those who need to use it in the middle of the night. No fumbling for jackets and shoes to exit the RV and walk in the dark to a campsite facility.