The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris Weekender camper van will cost approximately $70,000 when it goes on sale in the spring, according to multiple sources at Mercedes. That’s a good deal more than the $36,775 starting sum Mercedes charges for the run-of-the-mill five-passenger Metris.
Nevertheless, we can’t say we’re surprised by the model’s reported price. After all, Peace Vans, the company that developed the Metris Weekender, charges $24,995 to add the item as an aftermarket option to privately owned Mercedes-Benz Metris vans. While going the aftermarket route means it’s possible to own a Metris Weekender for as little as $61,770 (assuming the aforementioned, entry-level five-passenger van serves as the camper’s base), doing so forfeits a full factory warranty from Mercedes itself on the van and its associated camping kit.
The factory-backed Weekender also includes standard features missing from the aftermarket option, such as an auxiliary battery for powering additional devices. Opting for any Metris Weekender (be it a factory-backed Mercedes model or one of the aftermarket Peace Vans) nets items such as a pop-top roof that sleeps two, a multi-position folding rear-bench seat that also sleeps two, swiveling front seats, and an integrated table. Those in search of even greater luxury can also add the likes of an eight-foot awning and a pull-out rear kitchen.
In other words, the Weekender isn’t cheap, but it’s also not short on features. Plus, if the free market works in consumers’ favor, then competitors such as Ford or Ram may decide to sell factory-backed camper vans—check out Ford’s Euro Nugget!—that include additional convenience equipment or a lower price tag relative to the Metris Weekender. Now that’s a future we hope to see.
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