There’s something called “highway hypnosis.” I have yet to discussed it with my psychiatrist or psychologist or PCP, but I believe I have it. It’s like narcolepsy, but with driving. Get me on an open road, a freeway, whatever, and I’ll start dozing off.
To be honest, it’s a hazard.
But put me behind the wheel of a full-sized, 24-foot-long campervan, and I’m wide awake. (Apologies to my Prius; nothing personal.) And that’s what I did, recently, thanks to the fine folks at RoadSurfer, for a quick weekend jaunt up the coast to Surf Outpost in Malibu.
Pacific Coast Highway has long been iconic for surf trips. The winding ribbon of asphalt hugs California’s coastline so tightly that every turn feels like a postcard — peeling pointbreaks, empty beach pullouts, sea cliffs glowing gold in the evening light. But for years, the classic strike mission usually meant cramming boards into a dusty truck bed, sleeping half-sideways in the backseat, and waking up with a stiff neck before dawn patrol.
This trip was different.
For a long weekend in Malibu, we were treated to a fully-equipped camper van from RoadSurfer and traded the usual roughing-it routine for something far more comfortable. Think less “camping” and more “mobile surf lodge.” Or “glamping,” if you will.
The van came loaded with everything: a full bed, hot shower, toilet, refrigerator, stove, microwave, TV, and enough storage space to keep a small quiver organized instead of tangled beneath wetsuits and sandy towels. After years of glorifying uncomfortable surf trips, it felt almost suspiciously luxurious. But I didn’t question it.
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We based ourselves at Surf Outpost, a low-key campsite tucked along the iconic Pacific Coast Highway. The setup couldn’t have been better positioned for wave hunting. Within minutes, we could be checking the cobblestones at Leo Carrillo State Beach, scanning the horizon at County Line Beach, or cruising farther north toward a handful of less-discussed sandbars and reef setups that don’t need extra attention online.
The beauty of the camper van lifestyle revealed itself immediately. Dawn patrol became effortless. Instead of coordinating hotel checkouts or driving in from town before sunrise, we simply rolled out of bed, fired up coffee on the stove, and checked the conditions with sleepy eyes still adjusting to the morning light. One minute you’re wrapped in blankets; the next, you’re waxing up a board with offshore winds brushing across the parking lot.
Although, full transparency, we didn’t exactly score. Springtime is a fickle mistress in SoCal.
However, over the course of the weekend, the waves delivered enough variety to keep things interesting. County Line offered long walls with playful sections, while Leo Carrillo served up punchier peaks that rewarded patience between sets. Between sessions, the van became mission control — a place to warm up, cook food, recharge cameras and phones, or simply collapse onto the bed after getting worked by a rogue cleanup set.
That’s what made the experience feel so different from a standard surf trip. There was freedom, but without sacrificing comfort. We still chased waves from spot to spot, still spent hours in salty wetsuits, still hunted uncrowded corners of coastline hoping for a lucky window of tide and wind. But at the end of every session, we had a hot shower waiting.
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At night, parked beside the sound of traffic humming along PCH and the Pacific rumbling just beyond the darkness, the van transformed into a surprisingly cozy refuge. Dinner cooked on the stove. Boards dried outside beneath the stars. Surf clips rolled quietly on the TV while the marine layer crept back over Malibu.
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For surfers raised on the romance of dirtbag road trips, there’s still something sacred about sleeping in parking lots and chasing waves without a plan. But this weekend proved that comfort and adventure don’t have to cancel each other out. Sometimes the perfect surf trip is simply having everything you need — waves, wheels, and a warm bed — all in one place.
And thankfully, I stayed wide awake the whole time while behind the wheel.
Check out RoadSurfer, and book your next surf road trip in style, here.