Decision made? Deposit placed . . .

We did a thing! We put down a deposit!!!

After seeing the Winnebago options, we prepared to make a visit to Johnson RV in Fife, WA to get a hands-on look at the Storyteller Overland. In doing our diligence earlier in the week, we called to make sure that the single Classic MODE with a pending sale would be available for our trip. After getting the green light, plans were made.

The Classic MODE

Having spent as much time researching Storytellers has we had leading up to this visit, and having already seen some Sprinters in person, the first view of the van met expectations. The Classic comes in either Arctic White or Pebble Gray, and we saw the white version.

We climbed inside, and it felt exactly as we expected – wide open and giving the impression that it was far larger than its 20 foot length. We heard that the space between the galley and the GrooveLounge was the pinch point and potentially a spot of annoyance due to its narrowness. Although we specifically looked at this point, it wasn’t something that we thought would bother us.

We examined the galley, including the sink with a fold down faucet and the induction cooktop stored in the top drawer, which allows for plenty of open counter space. The van even has a microwave, though small, which is a nice touch. There also seems to be plenty of space in the drawers.

As the galley is on the passenger side of the van, it partially blocks the opening created by the sliding door. However, this location permits the refrigerator to be opened and accessed from outside the van as well as from inside.

The drawers and cabinets seem sturdy, with push-button locking mechanisms that all serve as cabinet pulls. The upper cabinets open towards the ceiling and support their own weight in the open position. The interior and exterior of the cabinets are fabric lined, and the interior is open from one cabinet to the next, allowing for maximum storage space without having interior side walls, limiting the length of items to be kept in the cabinets.

The GrooveLounge is, pardon the cheese here, groovy. Knowing that it can move in different ways, it was rather intuitive to quickly change it into lounge mode, a chaise, and a bed. And the hidden safe is a neat feature as well. I do wonder a bit about the rather large gap between the seat on the seat back that appears to be present even when it is in bed mode. We were so excited and overwhelmed with all the tinkering, that we failed to inquire about the Lagun table, but we did notice the mount directly behind the driver seat and the table stored securely away.

We tested the bed – raising and lowering it, adjusting the bolster mattresses for the flares, and lying on it. The design and simplicity is fantastic, and it is extremely easy to remove the mattress from the driver’s side to reveal the table/workspace underneath. We did notice the tight space between our heads on the bottom of the cabinets, but it is unclear whether that would be a problem in practice. There are reading lights affixed here as well, which could be very handy at night!

One of the new features in the 2024 MODES is a change in the battery system from Volta (2023 and earlier) to Lithionics (2024). The control center is now just one touchscreen panel with everything from battery status to climate to lights controlled from that single screen. Seems very simple and intuitive. We had some fun playing with the various lights – including changing the brightness as they are all dimmable LEDs.

One of the features we were most excited to examine is the roof. The fact that Storyteller puts a full roof rack that can support adult weights is so fun! We scampered up there like children at a playground. The side ladder is stable and easy to use. Getting up to the roof and back on to the ladder was easy, and there is plenty of space on the roof, with the rack expertly designed around the a/c and vent fan. The solar panel is mounted on top of the roof rack. This could be a lovely place to take some photos of the surrounding views, watch the sunrise/sunset, and watch the stars.

Storyteller has made a truly lovely camper van and one that appears to be a perfect fit for our needs.

Outside Van Syncline

As we headed back inside, our sales person, Ethan Thompson (who we think is fabulous), offered to show us a van that, in his estimation, is truly a comparable to the Storytellers. We agreed, and then turned to see a gorgeous – let me say that again – GORGEOUS van.

The Syncline from Outside Van is another “bespoke” Class B camper van on the 144 WB Mercedes Sprinter. Ethan warned us ahead of time, you’d be getting – more or less – the same features as the Storyteller Mystic or Stealth MODEs but at Beast (+30k) pricing. He opened the slider door, and we immediately understood why.

The wood veneer is even more gorgeous in person than this picture shows, and not pictured are the upgraded driver and passenger seats. While the floor plan is similar in many ways to the Storyteller, it is mirrored, with the galley on the driver side, and Outside Van’s take on the hidden shower on the passenger side. Rather than dropping down, this shower “pops up” from inside the ottoman at the sliding door.

Scraping our chins off the floor, we decided to head inside to discuss the Storyteller because this van just didn’t seem to be the right fit for us:

1. It was outside the price range we were considering.
2. More importantly, the slight change to the footprint meant it would likely not be what we needed for our use-case, namely providing the dogs with a comfortable place to be.

Decision time

The primary difference between the Classic MODE and the Mystic/Stealth MODES is the battery. 8.4kWh battery in the 2024 Classic versus 16.8kWh battery in the 2024 Mystic and Stealth. Originally, we were leaning towards the Classic as we heard it would be possible to upgrade the battery, and the Classic is ~ $20k less than the Mystic and Stealth. Then we learned that it is about $15k to upgrade the battery, so we decided we would be better off starting with the larger battery given our desire to keep the pups safe and cool and to avoid campsites as much as possible.

We had talked about this before our visit to the dealership and order times being equal ranked our preferences:

1. Stealth – we like the Tenorite grey and the understated graphics.
2. Mystic Canvansite Blue – gorgeous blue with bronze accents.
3. Mystic Selenite Grey – our least favorite because it’s just a grey that doesn’t do much for us, but it’s still a great looking vehicle.

We knew that the Sandy, OR location had a Selenite Grey on the lot that Fife could pull up for us, so the next question was whether Fife had another Mystic or Stealth coming in any time soon and when it would arrive. Turns out there was a Stealth on order with no one attached to it!? Could it be our lucky day? In fact, yes! The van had been built, passed its final inspection, and was due to ship within the week. We could see it as early as early May!

Done. And dusted. About to become STO 2024 Stealth owners!