FULL CAMPER MANUAL

Driving Your Metris Camper Van

Congratulations on purchasing your new Metris camper van! You are about to embark on a great adventure. In this manual, you will find basic information about operating your new vehicle.

Whether you purchased a new or used Metris van, your vehicle will have an owner’s manual from Mercedes with all necessary vehicle information.

Please contact your local Mercedes-Benz specialist if you have questions about driving your vehicle.

Making the Bed

Ensure the bench seat is positioned correctly along the rail system. Always check that nothing is obstructing the seat before lowering it.

Facing the bench seat, grab the middle of the seat cushion, and lift it up and out towards you.

Then reach in between the backrest and bench seat and flip the bench seat cushion towards the front of the van using the middle loop strap.

To fold down the backrest, find the black lever on the driver's side and lift it straight up. This will release the backrest to allow it to fold down into a flat position. It is heavy, so we recommend using your two hands between the headrests to guide it gently down into the bed position.

If you haven’t already, put the rear part of the bed platform down to complete the process.

Putting the Bed Away

To put the seat back into place, reverse the process.

Slip your hands between the backrest and the bench seat cushion, and raise the backrest. You will hear a loud locking sound when the backrest is secure.

Flip over the bench seat cushion using the strap.

If you'd like to use the seatbelts, hold them in place while pushing the bench seat cushion towards the back of the van with your knees. If not, you can leave them dangling and put the cushion back into place with your hands.

Tips and Tricks:

When the bench seat is made into a bed, it’s best to avoid sitting on the interior end of the bed as the only thing supporting that cushion is the two tabs—extended pressure on them can cause the bed to slope. If this happens, you can adjust the bolts on the tabs to correct the slope, as shown here.

Proactively, we suggest putting some sort of support under this cushion when in bed mode. A 5-gallon bucket works well, cooler, or portable toilet. If you’d like to build something instead, you can take a page from Metris owner Grant who built this T-support. It is 13 1/2" H x 5 1/2" W for the upright, and 8" H x 5 1/2" W for the short end.

A video of setting up and putting away the lower bed can be found here.

Providing great flexibility in storage and seating, your bench seat has two placement positions, indicated by penny-sized holes in the railing. The bench easily slides along the rails and locks into these positions. Remember to keep the rails clean—if there is a lot of debris, the bench will not slide easily.

• Position 1 lines up with the rear edge of the passenger side slider door. This placement you’ll use most, as it allows easy access out the sliding door and is the position to turn the seat into a bed.

• Position 2 brings the seat to just a few inches behind the fridge. Use for more storage or to seat rear passengers closer to the front.

Note: the larger notches along the rails are not an indicator of a locking position.

Moving the Seat

To move the seat forward, pull outward about an inch or two on the anti-rattle knobs to the left and right of the drawer face.

While seated on the bench seat, lift the long silver bar and walk the bench forward. Line the drawer face up with the penny-sized hole you aim for, then go about 4 inches past it. Let go of the bar, then slide back slowly until the peg on each side falls into the holes.

Repeat, moving backward, to go back to Position 1.

You’ll know you’re in Position 1 or 2 if the bench has no room to wiggle back and forth. Push in the two anti-rattle knobs to lock the bench.

Tips and Tricks:

Moving the bench seat with the anti-rattle engaged can cause the brake shoe to wear out, so it is essential to disengage them on both sides before moving the seat. To understand how the mechanism works and how to adjust the anti-rattle mechanisms if they loosen, please see the videos here and here.

Cleaning out the Floor Rails:

The two aluminum rails on the floor can accumulate dirt and debris over time, preventing the seat from sliding smoothly along the rails. We recommend using compressed air to blow debris out of these rails; a powerful vacuum cleaner can also work.

You can purchase rubber trim to fit into the rails here.

You can also cover the rails/interior of your van with a beautiful rug handmade in Oaxaca exclusively for Peace Vans.

A video of moving the bench seat can be found here.

Located under the bench seat is a valuable drawer for storage. The two black knobs on the drawer's face secure the drawer latches. Pull the two knobs toward each other when opening or closing the drawer. It's essential to pull the knobs together while closing to prevent damage to the latches.

Tips and Tricks:

The latches on the bench seat drawer require periodic lubrication to ensure they continue to open and close with little effort. Apply a small amount of light grease or oil on the surface indicated to keep them working smoothly.

Want more pass-through space than the ski pass provides? It's easy to remove the drawer from the seat. Like a kitchen drawer, lift the bench seat drawer up and out to remove it.

If you love your drawer but have difficulty opening it with two hands, we highly recommend the T-Handle Drawer Upgrade.

A video version of using the bench seat drawer can be found here.

Open the drawer under the rear bench seat and remove the table leg. Before you grab the table, loosen the knob on the boom so the receiver is open for the table leg.

Your table is located against the forward wall of the cabinet. Open the latch and slide the table out, keeping gentle upward pressure.

Sit on the bench seat, flip the tabletop upside down onto your lap, and secure it to the leg by turning the black knob counterclockwise while pushing downwards to avoid cross-threading.

Flip the table over with the leg attached, and lower the leg into the boom arm, guiding it down until the plastic bottom touches the floor for added support.

You can change the table's orientation by loosening the black knobs and repositioning it.

A video showing how to remove the table from storage can be found here.

A video showing how to set up the table can be found here.

Tips and Tricks:

Don’t forget to tighten your boom bolt after using the table. If you don’t, it will rattle while you drive!

The nut that secures the boom arm to the seat can work its way loose with repeated use. If this occurs, tighten the bolt indicated here with a 13mm wrench. The boom arm should not have any play or looseness but should be able to move back and forth freely.

The fridge operates off the auxiliary battery. The fridge's electrical draw depends on many variables: ambient temperature, frequency of access, etc. To adjust the fridge temperature, use the dial in the upper right back. '7' is the coldest, and ‘0’ is off. If you are not using your fridge for an extended period, make sure the dial clicks fully into the off position and dry it out completely.

Tips and Tricks:

If you aren’t using your fridge for an extended period, we recommend turning it off, placing a towel at the bottom, leaving it barely ajar, and then letting the freezer thaw. Once completely thawed, dry out the fridge, put in a moisture wicker of your choice, and close the fridge.

A video showing the fridge’s features can be found here.

The sink draws from a small freshwater tank located in the cabinet and drains to the ground via an exit on the rear underside of the van.

Place a bowl under the van where the sink drains to catch "grey water" when necessary. Never run your tank fully dry—if you use your sink with too little water, you could burn out the pump.

If you haven’t used your sink in a while or just refilled your water, you may need to reprime your pump. To do so, you’ll need to suck air out of the hose line. Please see the video here for further instructions.

Upgrade

To make the sink cover more functional, we’ve partnered with a local company to make cutting boards exclusively for Peace Vans. You can purchase one here.

Cleaning your Water System

It's essential to sanitize the freshwater system in your camper at least once per year to keep it fresh.

Steps:

1. Drain the water out of your system. To do this, park the van somewhere to dump fresh water on the ground. Make sure the gray water exit port at the rear of the van is open, and run the faucet until the tank is empty. IMPORTANT - Stay close by and turn the faucet off when water stops flowing—running the pump dry for more than a minute will damage it.

2. Mix 0.75 oz (1.5 Tbsp) of unscented household bleach with about a gallon of water and add it to your water tank. You may need to use a funnel. Then, fill the tank the rest of the way with regular fresh water.

3. Put a pan or other receptacle under the gray water exit port at the van's rear, and turn the faucet on for 10-15 seconds. This will make sure the diluted bleach water has circulated through the system. Dispose down a sink or toilet.

4. Wait at least 12 hours. This will let the bleach solution do its work. It is okay to drive the van as usual during this time; just don't use the water system.

5. Drain the system again. This will be the same process as the first time, only it is recommended that you collect the bleach water in a drain pan or other receptacle and dispose of it in a household sink or toilet rather than on the ground.

6. Refill the tank with fresh water, then drain it again to flush any residual bleach solution out of the system. This can be drained straight to the ground as long as you are where it is acceptable to dump fresh water.

7. Your van's water system is now clean and ready to use! If you are very sensitive to the smell of bleach, you can flush fresh water through the system additional times as needed.

Removing the Water Tank

If you want to take the water tank out of the van, run it until it is nearly empty. Then, release the quick connects to all the hoses. The driver-side cabinet door hinges have latches for easy removal. Set the door aside, lift the tank over the stopper, and slide it out on the driver-side. A video showing how to remove the water tank can be found here.

To fill the fresh water, open the driver-side slider, unscrew the cap on the cabinet, and place the hose attachment inside the opening. Control the water flow with the black shut-off valve, starting with a low flow. Open the cabinet door to check the tank level, being careful not to overfill.

Tips and Tricks:

We suggest putting a small towel into the fill port with the funnel so it doesn’t move while filling. The faux cubby beside the wood panel works excellently to store your towel.

A video showing how to fill the water can be found here.

The camper comes equipped with two separate stoves. Please always make sure to ventilate the van properly while cooking. It is advised to keep a sliding door open, but if the weather does not allow it, please keep a window open while cooking.

Butane Stove

Push the drawer face above your fridge to access your single-burner butane stove. The brown toggle, indicated with the arrow below, twists to ensure the drawer stays open while cooking. Use the dial to turn on the burner like any gas stove. To replace the butane, flip open the black door and gently pull off the canister.

Propane Stove

This GSI twin-burner stove is meant to be used on the flip-out table under its storage compartment, on the countertop, or at a picnic table/outdoor table at your campsite.

Open the stove, then secure the side walls to the tab on the lid. Twist the regulator into the right side of the stove. Then, connect the propane to the opposite end of the regulator. Turn on the gas to ignite until you hear a hiss, and then give the ignitor a few clicks. When finished, turn the heat dial all the way down to shut off.

A video showing how to access the stoves can be found here.

Webasto heaters draw a small amount of gas from your fuel tank (less than a gallon in 24 hours of use). The tank should be at least 1/4th full to use the heater. The vent will initially blow cold air as the unit warms up.

We install two different types of controllers. To turn on the rectangular controller, press the power symbol, adjust the temperature with the black dial, and press the dial to select. To operate the round controller, press the 'Webasto' button to turn on the display, adjust the temperature by spinning the control, and press 'SmarTemp' to select. Press 'Webasto' again to turn the unit on. Both controllers display curved upward arrows when the unit is in heat mode.

The heater’s exhaust is outside the van, so it is completely safe.

Your van has an AGM auxiliary battery (or lithium if you have the upgrade) under the driver's seat. This powers all the vehicles' ports (except the manufacture-supplied ports located on the dash) and any electronics Peace Vans added to the van, such as the water pump, fridge, lights, and optional heater. All components operate on a 12V system—if your battery monitor (shown below) is below 12V, your auxiliary battery is essentially dead, and you should charge it as soon as possible.

Battery Life

Battery life varies depending on things such as heater/fridge usage and the number of devices charging from USB ports. If you have an AGM auxiliary battery, you have about 47.5 usable amp hours. You have about 150 usable amp hours if you have a lithium upgrade. Knowing this, you can estimate how long your auxiliary battery will power your camping systems by doing some simple math.

e.g., You use 2ah in the first hour of camping. If you continue using about the same amount per hour, you have about 1 day (48 /2 =24) with an AGM battery. With a lithium battery, you have about three days (150 /2 =75 /24 =3.125).

The auxiliary battery charges in three ways:

• While driving (charges off the starter battery/alternator)

• While the van is plugged into shore power

• With a solar panel (optional upgrade)

While Driving

Your auxiliary battery charges off your alternator, just like your starter battery. The batteries are isolated from each other when the vehicle is not running, so your starter battery is never compromised. We estimate it takes 2 to 4 hours of driving to fully charge your auxiliary battery.

Plugged Into Shore Power

Your van has an outlet at the hitch on the back of your van to plug directly into an external power source to recharge your auxiliary battery. An ordinary three-prong extension cord will do fine—nothing heavy-duty is needed.

We suggest plugging your van in whenever possible—you can never overcharge your battery as we have installed a trickle charger. Since shore power is the most efficient way to charge, it's always a good idea to plug in and fully charge before a trip. This is especially true if you are only driving a short distance.

Solar Panel

If you’ve purchased a portable solar panel, you’ll find the SAE plug on the trailer hitch. Like driving and plugging into shore power, your solar panel will recharge your auxiliary battery. We prefer portable solar panels because, on a hot and sunny day, you can park your van in the shade and put your solar panel in the sun. You can also reposition your solar panel for optimum sun exposure throughout the day instead of moving your van.

12V Accessory & USBs

One 12V accessory (a cigarette lighter) is located in the cubby closest to the rear hatch. That is the only 12V accessory that runs off of your auxiliary battery.

Besides the two USBs next to the 12V accessory, there are two USBs on the passenger side pillar next to the rear windshield, two in each pop-top "pocket," and four on the cabinet face above the sink. There are 12 USBs total to use to charge your small electronic devices.

Note: the 12V accessory below the cupholders under the front console of the van runs off of your starter battery.

110V Outlet

The household outlet to the right of your water tank allows you to plug in larger devices without running an extension cord into the van. You can think of it as an extension of your extension cord. With that, this outlet only supplies power when the van is plugged into an exterior outlet via the shore power plug.

The Victron App on your phone is an easy way to monitor your auxiliary battery use. By viewing the Battery Monitoring System within the app, you can see the battery's consumed amp hours, voltage, etc. To learn more, please see the supplemental PDF linked here.

The fuse box is inside the upper cabinet on the wall nearest your sink. Unscrew the panel with a screwdriver to access the fuses. If you have a heater, that fuse is under the top "spare."

Safety Features

Peace Vans has installed a fire extinguisher (behind the driver’s seat), a carbon monoxide detector (on the passenger side of the bench seat), and a smoke alarm (in the rear upper cabinet) in your van. The carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm take household batteries that we recommend replacing yearly or when the device indicates.

Mercedes has also equipped the van with a jack, tow bar, and first aid kit. We created a compartment for the jack under your driver-side cabinetry. The first aid kit and tow bar are in the interior drawer.

Things to keep in mind with the pop top:

• Make sure you raise and lower the top evenly using both handles/straps. Not doing so can damage the rear hinges.

• Push the roof up first, then the bed. When bringing the pop top down, pull the bed down first, then the roof.

• Avoid active play in the pop top. It has never happened, but the screens or similar could pop out under pressure and damage the tent, or worse, damage one of your children.

Extending the Pop Top

Before you get started, always open a door or window to allow airflow.

1. Release the overhead interior cover to expose the pop top latches, straps, etc., by pinching the fastener, as shown on top R of the page, or placing two fingers on the larger circle and pulling on the smaller circle with your other hand.

2. Starting on one side, unclip the safety belt by pressing the dark grey plastic center of the silver buckle and slide the metal part out.

3. Flip down the “wing” handle so it makes a 90-degree angle with the metal latch it is attached to. Unlock the latch by turning the wing handle counterclockwise 180 degrees, which releases the top of the latch hook from the bottom metal bar.

4. Flip the wing handle down so it is flat against the metal latch.

5. Secure the latch to the magnet on the pop top ceiling.

Repeat steps 2-5 on the opposite side.

6. Next, facing the back of the van and using the handles, push the roof up (not the bed) with equal pressure on both sides. Guide the top as far as your reach and then release.

7. Now, roll up the mesh flap and secure it with the snap, being sure to leave the black strap hanging as you will use this to pull the bed down later. Then, push up on the center of the bed. The pop top and bed are on hydraulics and will self-extend when beyond your reach. You’ll now have headroom inside the van.

Retracting the Pop Top

1. If your bed is raised, bring it down using the black strap. The hydraulics stop "holding" the bed at about 6" from the bottom, so you'll want to move your hands to the metal frame and guide it to its bed position. Once it is down, release the snap that secures the strap and pull the mattress forward a few inches.

2. Before retracting the roof, ensure the upper pop top latches are magnetized to the ceiling and that a door or van window is open to allow air to escape. Please remove all bedding/loose items from the bed area and close all the pop top windows.

Once you have double-checked the above, you can begin lowering the pop top roof.

3. While facing towards the rear of the vehicle, using both straps with equal force, pull down the pop top. Switch to the handles once you can reach them.

4. There is a sweet spot about 14" from the bed where the top holds itself. Keeping one hand on a handle, use your other hand to tug the canvas inward. Repeat on the other side. The canvas will often naturally 'V' inward, but double-checking is always good. Not doing so could result in torn canvas/tent, which can be expensive to replace.

5. Before you’ve lowered the pop top completely, turn around and face the front of the van. Pull all the canvas in the front section of the pop top inside as well. Slowly lower the top the rest of the way.

6. At this point, you'll have messy straps and billows of canvas hanging down. Roll & tuck the canvas obscuring the locking mechanisms onto the "shelf" in front of the USBs. Rolling up the tent and placing it on the "shelf" protects it and adds tension to the latches. Tight latches are happy latches!

Complete the following steps (7 & 8) on both sides.

7. Now that your tent material is out of the way, flip down the latch magnetized to the ceiling. Lift the handle and hook on the bar. Turn clockwise to lock, then flip up the handle to secure.

8. Close the click-lock mechanism by sliding the dark grey plastic end into the silver buckle.

9. Double-check that your latches are secure. Now, you can reattach the interior cover and hit the road.

A video showing how to use the pop top can be found here.

Tips and Tricks:

Your latches may need to be adjusted as your pop top settles. It is not a difficult process, but it is important that it be done correctly, as shown here. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions.

Your passenger seat swivels 180 degrees. Your driver seat swivels to about 115 degrees. Before swiveling, slide the seat forward to line up the seat back with the front edge of the B-pillar (shown in the photo to the right), then adjust the seat back to a vertical position using the large knob at hip height.

Next, stand outside the van and reach over the seat. Press the red release button towards the back of the van. If the seat is difficult to swivel, check that nothing obstructs its rotation. As with everything on your van, don’t force it.

Slowly swivel the seat towards the center of the van. You may need to slide the seat forward and back a few times as you swivel to clear obstacles. The seats do not lock when swiveled but will lock when returned to their forward-facing position.

Note: Before driving, you must put the seat back into a locked, forward-facing position.

A video showing how to use the swivel seats can be found here.

The optional Fiamma awning is a great way to add entertaining space to your van. We like to think of it as an “outdoor living room.” On a rainy day, you won’t be confined to the inside of your van to keep dry—sit under your awning instead. Same with a blazing hot day—hang out under your sun-blocking canopy.

Opening the Awning

Your awning pole is on the floor, tucked behind the two front seats.

Swivel the end of the pole so it creates a 'Z.' You’ll use the two light grey plastic rotating grips to hold the pole in your left and right hands. Slip the hook at the end of the pole through the loop on the right side of the awning, as shown below. Rotate the pole counterclockwise to extend the awning.

The awning will self-support until about 14" from the van. At that point, remove the two support legs secured flush against the bottom of the awning case.

With wide arms to support the leg, slide it straight out. Ensure the metal pin fully extends from the grey bracket joint before dropping the leg to the ground.

Next, extend the leg to a level height, with the feet touching the ground, and lock it into place using the grey wing nut. Repeat on the other side.

Now, you can safely extend the awning out the rest of the way. One way to do this is to have one person lift the awning slightly while another cranks it out. The other option is to roll the awning out a foot or so at a time, adjusting the legs until it is fully extended at about 6.5 feet.

You'll know the awning is fully extended when the "arms" have just a slight bend, as shown. They should never be straight.

The awning should not have slack. If it does, retract the awning until it is taut. Be sure to use the supplied awning stakes to secure your awning legs.

Retracting the Awning

Putting the awning away is the same process but in reverse. Just as you did to extend the awning, start retracting and walk the legs back in—stopping when you are about 14” from the van.

Unlock the grey wing nut and carefully collapse the legs, tightening each at its shortest height before you secure it back into place in the awning bar. Make sure the metal foot is flush against the awning leg. At the joint, push the metal pin back into the grey plastic joint bracket while simultaneously snapping the leg into its holder. You should hear a click when the leg is secure. Now, retract the awning until it is fully closed.

Tips:

• Take your time, and don’t force anything.

• During inclement weather, drop down the support leg at the back of the van to create a “gutter” for the rain run-off.

• Never use your awning in snow or windy conditions, and never leave it unattended, even overnight.

• Like the pop top tent, it is essential to ensure your awning is dry before putting it away. If you cannot dry it before leaving the campsite, always open it up to dry when you return home. When rolling up the awning, ensure there are no twigs, leaves, or other debris that will get rolled up in the fabric. If any moving metal parts of the awning start to squeak or become hard to move, a small amount of light oil can be applied. Finally, similar to the tent fabric, we recommend occasionally wiping the awning fabric with a damp cloth to keep it clean.

A video showing how to use the awning can be found here.

Your van has a detachable privacy curtain covering your driver/passenger side windows and windshield. It secures into place with four snaps: the upper left side of the driver’s seat on the B pillar, the left side of the driver’s side visor, the right side of the passenger’s side visor, and the upper right side of the passenger’s seat on the B pillar. Start securing the snaps at either side, running the elasticized portion behind the visors and in front of the rear-view mirror. You can also forgo using the snaps closest to the visors, as ultimately, the visors hold the curtain in place.

Tip:

Snap in the privacy curtain before swiveling the seats. You’ll want the visors down for the privacy curtain, which is challenging with your front seats facing backward.

A video showing how to put up the privacy curtain can be found here.

Thank you again for joining the Peace Vans Family! Here are just a few final reminders before you hit the road:

• Never drive your vehicle with the swivel seats unlocked. They should always be in a locked, forward-facing position while driving.

• When closing the pop top, always have a door or window open.

• Never drive the vehicle without the pop top secured and locked.

• Always ventilate the van when cooking inside.

Safe Travels!

Peace Vans

peacevans.com/metris-support