I saw an online ad for a 2021 Mercedes Metris camper van with pop-top for $90K USD. Now that’s almost what I paid for a two bedroom condo in Ohio 4 years ago. Add sales tax & registration fees and the Metris camper van will cost $95K or higher off the sales lot.
Why would someone want to spend nearly a hundred grand on a four cylinder, 2.0 liter turbo charged vehicle that gets 18-22 miles per gallon? Answer: It’s a family friendly, all-in-one passenger cargo hauler & camper!
Metris van seats 4-5 passengers
Passenger seats typically face forward in vehicles. I’ve yet to see a camper conversion van with a side, sofa bed that has shoulder harness type seatbelts approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). My Class C, Ford Escape RV had a dinette with forward & backward facing seats. Each one had a DOT approved lap seatbelt only.
You can buy aftermarket seatbelts online and add them to your golf carts, ATVs, van seats & sofas. However, should any of your passenger(s) become injured or killed while in motion, you (owner/driver) could become financially liable. And encounter lawsuits for negligence in not having DOT certified seatbelts professionally installed inside or elsewhere on your vehicle(s).
Shown above is a forward facing, convertible bench seat that converts into a sofa bed. Some manufacturers call it a smart “rock-and-roll” bed. This one happens to be mounted on a track rail system for easy sliding back & forth.
Dining experiences would not be complete without a table for camping & road trips. Most people want removable table(s) both inside & outside their campers.
But wait. What about the two front passengers? Can they use the table without exiting the vehicle?
Now that Mercedes has solved the seating & seatbelt requirements, what about meal preparation? Is there a kitchen galley, sink or refrigerator inside the Metris?
Look inside this Metris camper; there’s no visible kitchen galley or cabinetry. There is a large sliding drawer for bedding & clothing.
In the rear end, there are three, pull-out drawers and a flat surface for cooking. The bottom left drawer has a camp stove inside. You can easily place it on top the flat surface above for cooking. A portable, DC operated refrigerator would be an extra cost.
Metris Camper sleeps 4-5 people
Another big advantage of the Metris camper is the amount of people it can sleep inside the van. There is a double bed that takes up practically all the interior space in fold-down position. It looks like it can sleep a giant over 6 feet 5 inches tall.
The large, folding bed backs up against the two front seats which also serve as backrests. There are storage areas on each side of the bed. Metris camper is also equipped with a curtain package inside.
Additional sleeping & storage area
As I stated in previous blog posts, one of the reasons why pop-top camper vans are so expensive involve cutting out most of the van’s interior roof when installing the pop-top. This will easily add a $10K-$15K expense for mini & micro van camper conversions.
Having front swivel seats is a brilliant idea. One can easily turn around to check on the kids, pets, or retrieve items from a portable refrigerator. Some vans with pop-tops also enable the passenger seat to be folded down to serve as a step to get access to the top portion. See the hard plastic shell on the seat back above the cargo net…Folded over, that’s where you typically step-up to the extra bed inside the pop-top area. The upper bed can easily sleep two adults or 3 kids comfortably!
Notice the two zipper side panels. Unzipped they allow fresh air inside the camper van with screens to keep out bugs & debris. The bed cushions match the van’s interior color scheme. Usually you can store a few items here like bedding, sheets, & clothes even when the pop-top is is folded down (closed). Removing the new cushions shown wrapped in clear plastic will provide more storage space if this extra sleeping area is not used.
Wrap-Up
This last picture illustrates the benefit of a mini van camper with a rear hatch door. You can stand outside and cook in all types of weather. This is why teardrop trailer designs are so popular. They provide a canopy or temporary roof over your head while tailgating or cooking outdoors.
In conclusion, I would consider buying a used Metris camper van once it reaches five years old, low mileage, and under $45K. However, for 1-2 people, my 2020 Ram Promaster City Cascade camper van ($37K new including sales tax, registration) is a more affordable bargain! It has a kitchen galley with Dometic refrigerator included. Cascade campers can legally carry 1 driver & 1 front passenger with DOT approved seatbelts (already installed in Promaster City vans by the Ram manufacturer).
If the 2021 Metris Camper Van interests you, please leave a comment below. Here are the key Metris camper van specifications listed that might convince you it’s worth $90K brand new:
Micro Van Life 