The second Geotrek Owners Meetup brought more than 45 owners to North Lake Powell for a long weekend in the desert. More than twice the size of the first gathering at Twin Lakes, Colorado. More van owners, more states represented, more dogs.
The directions to camp weren’t exactly straightforward. A winding dirt road, a few unmarked splits, and then the lake came into view. Red rock walls rising from still water. And spread along the shoreline, twenty Geotrek vans catching the desert light.
That’s how it started.
How It Came Together
One of the perks of being a Geotrek owner is the community. Likeminded people from all over the country, some longtime owners and some brand new, connected by a shared love of the road and everything that comes with it.
The meetup was organized by owners, for owners. Mark and Grant made the trip out with the Geotrek team to spend the weekend with the community they helped create.
The Location
North Lake Powell earns its reputation. The approach alone sets the tone – red rock desert, open sky, and a lake that appears almost without warning at the end of a dirt road. Vans lined the rocky shoreline with views that made it easy to stay put.
The camp filled in over the course of a day, with new arrivals rolling in throughout the evening and into the night. By morning, anyone who pulled in late was met by a welcoming committee of owners and dogs.
“Vans literally line the shore.” Bill S.
Out on the Water
Two waves of pontoon boats went out through the canyons, a morning crew and an afternoon crew. Towering sandstone walls, still water, shared snacks and drinks, and the kind of slow-moving conversation that only happens when there’s nowhere to be and nothing to check. Some owners had traveled together before. Most were meeting for the first time.
Life at Camp
Camp had its own rhythm from the start. Mornings were slow by design. The coffee bar at the main tent became the natural gathering point, the kind of place where you’d wander over for a cup and end up staying for an hour. Dogs moved freely between vans. The early risers caught the sunrise over the desert. Everyone else followed eventually.
As the day opened up, people found their own pace. Some headed out on bikes into the desert or ran the rocky ridge above camp. Some fished with the shoreline just steps away from their vans. Van tours ran informally all weekend long, an open-door invitation where owners walked each other through their layouts, showed off modifications, and traded notes on add-ons and upgrades.
The range of rigs was part of the story too. Pull-behind trailers and custom DIY modifications sat alongside brand new vans and high-mileage rigs with years of road wear.
First-time owners like Kathy Z., who just picked up van number 553, and Julie S. with her 534, were folded into the group immediately, shown around by people who had been doing this for years.
“Such positive vibes from Lake Powell this weekend. As a newb I really appreciated the van tours, gave me lots of great ideas. What a way to initiate van #553.” – Kathy Z.
Nights Around the Fire
Evenings had a natural rhythm. Group dinners anchored a couple of nights, a taco bar one evening, burgers the next, with a potluck table that filled itself. Key lime pie bites, homemade salsa, sides and desserts that appeared without any coordination. The kind of table that only comes together when everyone contributes without being asked.
When the plates were cleared, the bonfire took over. Guitar jams, games, bike jumps from the late night crew. Conversations about routes worth taking, national parks, dispersed sites nobody else knows about, and the kind of life stories that surface when you’re outside under a desert sky with no agenda for the morning.
The Adventure Badge Program
This year’s meetup also marked the debut of the Geotrek Adventure Badge program, a set of milestone patches designed to mark the moments that matter.
The First Mile patch is awarded on pickup day. The Geotrek Dweller patch is earned at 100 nights lived in the van. The Iron Trekker patch marks 100,000 miles driven. The Ocean-to-Ocean patch is for coast to coast trips.
At North Lake Powell, badges became instant conversation starters. Owners compared milestones, shared the stories behind them, and a few quietly started thinking about what it would take to earn the next one.
What Makes This Community Different
Denah and Cindy, who founded the Geotrek Van Owners and Fans Facebook group, said it directly after the weekend: “I honestly do not think any other van company has a community like this.”
It’s easy to understand why. People saved spots for strangers. First-time owners were shown around by people who had been driving their vans for years. When someone needed something, someone else already had it. Nobody arrived to an empty camp and figured it out alone.
That’s not something you can manufacture. It either exists or it doesn’t.
“Coming off the high of this weekend and am just so incredibly thankful for this community. What a treat it is to spend time with you all.”
See You in Oregon
The third Geotrek Owners Meetup is already on the horizon. The location is Oregon.
If you’re a current owner, keep an eye on the Geotrek Van Owners and Fans Facebook group for details as they come together. Please note that this event is now full and we have a waitlist.
If you’re still deciding whether a Geotrek is right for you, we hope to welcome you to our owner’s community soon.
A van you’ll drive for years. And a group of people who will make every stop along the way feel a little less like starting from scratch.
