I had driven about six miles up a dirt road high in the San Bernardino National Forest, near Idyllwild, California, when I realized maybe I had pushed it a little far. It wasn’t the $230k Airstream Interstate 24X van I had on loan that alerted me–in fact, I’d estimate I had barely scraped the vehicle's upper capabilities, with its 4WD engaged mostly for kicks, and the six, all-terrain wheels rolling surely over loose dirt and bowling ball-sized boulders–but rather my partner and dog, who were both growing weary in the passenger seat. Maybe it was the steepening grade, the quickly setting winter sun, or the Santa Ana gusts swaying the van atop the ridgeline, but their mood was growing tense, and I was so seduced by the expensive toy at my disposal that I had failed to notice. This was not the leisurely weekend of luxury camping I'd promised.
This moment, I later realized, is what the influencer couples on Instagram don’t tell you about #vanlife. Behind all those awe-inspiring parking spots and rear door sunrise views is an exercise in extreme cohabitation. You can have the fanciest, most capable rig in the wilderness (which we did) and still manage to miss the joy of the outdoors if you’re doing it wrong.
My adrenaline haze clearing somewhat, I decided to back our van into the next turnout up the road. Spirits immediately lifted as we flung open the back doors for a sprawling view of Garner Valley, the craggy face of Mt. San Jacinto in the distance and the last red wisps of sunset coloring the sky. While our dog sniffed freely around the montane chaparral, we nestled inside the van to prepare a camp dinner of fried rice on the rig's built-in two-burner stove.
