The brilliant red scenery of Southern Utah has served as the backdrop of many a Western film, so it seems fitting that a Utah camper conversion shop would borrow the historic names popularized by such films in creating off-road adventure vans built to visit the same rustic, picturesque locales. The Doc Holiday from Salt Lake City's Off Highway Vans plays on the iconic gunslinging dentist of O.K. Corral fame, losing an "L" to emphasize its leisurely vacation focus. The van's simple but functional off-road/off-grid layout can be used for everyday errands as easily as indefinite multi-sport adventuring.
The Doc Holiday's distilled sleep/cook/eat Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 layout won't appeal to everyone, particularly those wanting an indoor bathroom. However, we can see the beauty in the simplicity of the upsized Volkswagen California floor plan, which makes for a 365-day/year van to carry the family to school, work and soccer practice during weeks and weekends it's not unfolding little-used sections of topographic maps.
About as straightforward as a floor plan gets, the Doc Holiday features a three-seat rear bench behind a driver's side kitchen. The small kitchen block packs an available single-burner induction cooktop and flush-lid sink on top, with an 80-L Dometic fridge below its butcher block counter. Water is supplied via a 57-L tank and pump. An available removable table sets up in front of the rear bench for dining.
With a midsize van like the VW Transporter or Mercedes Metris, the floor plan often relies on the rear bench to fold into a main bed, with a possible secondary bed in the pop-up roof. But since the Sprinter is a full-size van, OHV is able to fit two beds into the cabin itself, sleeping a full family without the need for a pop-top. As in the aforementioned midsize campers, the Doc Holiday's rear bench folds down, in this case setting up into a roomy 70 x 68-in (178 x 173-cm) queen. The three-panel platform bed above mounts to I-track along the wall, serving as an upper bunk for two. In this way, the van sleeps four and seats five.
At 37 inches (94 cm) high, the bed is positioned to keep space open for mountain bikes (front tires off) below. The bed platform panels can also remove from the wall track, opening up floor-to-ceiling cargo space in back. L-track integrated into the floor helps owners lock gear down.
The floor plan itself is simple, but OHV goes fairly heavy on the electrical hardware, giving the van off-grid capability. The system counts a 224-Ah battery bank as its foundation, feeding it with 200 watts of roof-mounted solar. Buyers can also upgrade to 400 Ah and 400 W. An included inverter helps distribute power to a series of 110-V, 12-V and USB outlets for plugging in and charging appliances and gadgets. OHV also pre-wires auxiliary power to the roof for add-ons like off-road light bars and power awnings.
Other standards of the base Doc Holiday package include a rear outdoor shower, LED interior lighting, diesel cabin heat, MaxxAir roof fan, upper storage cabinets, and a full insulation, interior paneling and flooring package. The conversion (van not included) starts at $68,900 and is available for both 144 and 170 Sprinters. OHV's long list of options includes swivel cab seats, a 700-W microwave, a combination water/cabin heater, a skylight, and gear-hauling solutions like a roof rack, bike tray or ski rack. Customers typically supply their own vans, OHV tells us, and the shop offers base van upgrades like a 2-in (5-cm) suspension lift, Fox shocks and 17-in Method wheels shod in Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac all-terrains.
Source: Off Highway Van