Off Highway Van Builds Functional But Cushy High-performance Off-Road Camper Vans

If you’re looking for that perfect mix of hardy yet comfortable in a campervan that lets you explore dirt roads, Off Highway Van just might be your ticket. We love the fact that this company works hard to keep its vans lightweight, using aluminum and aluminum composite materials rather than heavy wood. 

These vans are not only quieter but 1,000 pounds lighter than similar vans on the market. As DIY van builders who tried to keep our Sprinter van as lightweight as possible, this is highly appealing. 

Standard models feature indoor and outdoor showers, spacious kitchens with integrated induction cooktops, heaters (or 4 season hydronic heating), solar power systems, and more. But if you have a unique design in mind for your vehicle, OHV also builds fully customized rigs. These off-road campervans aren’t cheap, but you’ll get your money’s worth. 

In this post, I’ll tell you more about Off Highway Van, and why you might want to consider one for your van life adventures. 

The Off Highway Van Way

Off Highway Van’s history is rooted in automotive engineering. Founder Aaron Pfadt designed transmission systems for GM and Chrysler while competitively racing Corvettes in his spare time for years. 

He later launched a race suspension part engineering business. So, when he started OHV in 2016, it’s safe to say he was an automotive engineering expert.

His extensive knowledge has allowed him to design camper vans that are functional and high-performing while providing a cushy camping experience. 

Lightweight, Space-Saving Aluminum Furniture

Much of the furniture and interior structures in Off Highway Van camper vans are made of aluminum and aluminum composites, which makes them much more robust and durable than wood or ply construction. 

The aluminum also helps save on weight. Because the interior panels are thinner, the furniture takes up less space, creating more room in a space that’s already small. 

I love this innovative construction. I believe in traveling light, especially when you drive off-road, so having a lighter van is a huge advantage. This is especially true if you want to carry lots of fun gear, like mountain bikes and SUPs.

Lifetime Limited Craftsmanship and Five-Year Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty

Off-Highway Van is confident in its rigs, offering an unmatched warranty. All rigs built after 2024 come with a Lifetime Limited Craftsmanship warranty. This means they will fix, replace, or refund any defects in their team’s craftmanship over the van’s life. The warranty covers all structural and OHV-built components. 

In addition, the conversions come with a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty on the chassis (or 100K miles) and all the conversion components, like upgraded suspension parts, HVAC systems, appliances, and solar systems.k

That’s pretty impressive. I haven’t heard of any other RV manufacturer offering these guarantees, which are absolute peace of mind.

Off Highway Van’s Rigs

Off Highway Van builds three rad standard rigs:

• The Doc Holliday – sleeps up to five
• The Sundance Kid – sleeps up to four
• The Davey Jackson – sleeps up to four.

All models can be fitted on a 144 or a 170 Mercedes AWD Sprinter chassis.

They also build fully customized conversions if you have something unique in mind.

The Doc Holliday 

The Doc Holliday is one of the few camper vans on the market that’s built and kitted out with families and groups of friends in mind; it seats five to seven people and sleeps up to five. 

On board, a double bed and a three-person belted Rambler Seat turn into a queen-sized bed that sleeps two adults or three kids. I love how versatile this piece of kit is, especially because it’s belted for traveling off-road in safety. It’s not something you can easily replicate DIY.

There’s a galley, but to save space, an induction cooktop is stored in one of the cupboards. My favorite feature is the bike tray in the rear gear garage; it can fit up to four full-size mountain bikes.

The Doc Holliday starts at $169,999.

The Sundance Kid

Full-time van life couples who work on the road love the Sundance Kid. It seats and sleeps up to four people, but it’s set up to be a roomy camper for two most of the time. 

On The Sundance Kid, there is a double bed and a dinette that turns into a queen-sized bed. If you ever feel like taking your friends or family along, they can stay with you for a few nights.

Because there’s only one permanent bed, there’s a tremendous amount of storage space on board so that you can take all your favorite adventure gear. But the floor plan isn’t too crowded, in my opinion, so there’s enough room to move around the vehicle comfortably. If you often have guests, add optional captains’ chairs in the front. 

The Sundance Kid starts from ‎$164,999. 

The Davey Jackson

The Davey Jackson is the most luxurious van OHV produces. It sleeps up to five people and seats four. Pro and Pro-X models even come with an indoor hot water shower! It can be optioned as a convertible half-shower, a full-height standing shower, or a Series A aluminum wardrobe.

What makes this rig unique is the Mod Pod, a seating system you can arrange in three positions by rotating and folding the seat. This versatile chair can act as a belted passenger seat for two people, a dining room with a removable Lagun table, a bed, or a couch. Talk about space saving!

You can upgrade your Davey Jackson with Dark Star Offroad or Evictus suspension kits to travel further comfortably.

The Davey Jackson starts from $174,999.

Custom Builds

If the standard models don’t fit your needs, OffHighway Van has extensive experience creating custom builds. Since 2016, they have put nearly 200 custom rigs on the road. 

Their dedicated van consultants will help you design the perfect camper van for your adventure. You can choose the layout, furniture, and gear to install.

Custom builds start from $199,999.

What’s Inside An OHV Conversion?

All conversions come with:

• A platform bed in the rear
• An aluminum galley with premium countertops, a sink, and a single or double-burner induction cooktop
• A 130L drawer (Pro-X) or 85L front-opening refrigerator 
• A diesel cabin heater or 4 season hydronic heating
• Plumbed-in water tanks
• Dual or Tri Layer Thinsulate insulation
• Roof-mounted MaxxAir fans
• A 360W solar power system (Pro and Pro-X models or Basecamp+ package)
• A gear garage located under the removable platform bed
• BF Goodrich All-terrain tires.

You can customize any model a la carte with a roof rack, an AC unit,  a skylight package, a home theatre, an outdoor shower, or build your van using an Off Highway Van package 

Can’t afford their rad rigs? Buy their camper van parts and accessories via the Dark Star Offroad shop. The team manufactures rugged off-road components for the Mercedes Sprinter, RAM ProMaster, and Ford Transit. You can buy lift kits, limited-slip differentials, roof racks, and more.

Visit Off Highway Van’s website to learn more. If you’re traveling through Salt Lake City, you can stop by their shop to take a look at their vans and facilities.

All in all, we are super impressed with these off-road rigs, and think they are perfect if you’re looking for a comfortable rig that can take on those dirt roads with ease.