The Davey Jackson: An In-Depth Off-Grid Tour

We took our most recent Davey Jackson, one of our most popular van models, into the Stansbury Mountains for a true off-grid tour and test. You've seen the high-level overviews, stop motions, and featured options, now, let's get into the details and take a closer look at The Davey Jackson.

At Off Highway Van, we pride ourselves in building the highest performing off-grid camper vans in the industry. We engineer our every one of our offroad camper van models around the ethos of customization, durability, performance, and long-term reliability.

How We're Different

One of our major differentiators in the camper van industry is our commitment to building our vans with lightweight, durable materials like aluminum, carbon fiber, and other composites. This commitment to weight reduction has our vans tipping the scales at close to 1000LBS lighter than any comparable camper van on the road today.

At Off Highway Van, we don't just use durability as a buzzword. On top of our commitment to building the lightest, most durable vans on the market, we back every van that rolls out of our production facility with a Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty and a 5-Year Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty: standard. You can't buy peace of mind like this anywhere else.

Now, let's get into the main focus of our tour: The Davey Jackson.

The Davey Jackson by Off Highway Van

We build the Davey Jackson on both the 144 and 170 Mercedes Sprinter Van chassis, but for this tour, we've opted to use the Davey Jackson 144 Pro-X. The Pro-X trim level has all the bells and whistles included and is the best way to completely load out your van without choosing every option a la carte.

This Davey Jackson 144 has the capability to seat 4 and comforably sleep 3 (without a rooftop tent or other sleeping area). It's the perfect mixture of luxury Class B RV and durable overlander which is why it's become one of our most-popular, highest-selling models.

Standard Features

The Davey Jackson comes standard with our Series A Aluminum Kitchen Galley, and our Mod Pod Seating System (that converts from a 2-man DOT approved seat to an additional 73" x 34" bed).

This model is also capable of housing an interior convertible shower that conveniently transforms from counter space to a shower when you need it. This can also be upgraded to a full-height enclosed shower for those looking for a bit more of a traditional RV layout.

On top of that, our Davey Jackson floorplan also includes our all-new Expanding Camper Van Bed System. This bed system allows even the tallest van lifers plenty of room to stretch out. At 78" x 68" expanded, this North-South bedding system is truly a game-changer in the camper van industry.

Exterior Features

This van was optioned with our Pro-X Trim that comes loaded with tons of functional and aesthetic options like upgraded offroad performance suspension with the Evictus 2.65" PreRunner kit, 32" BF Goodrich K03 Tires, and Method Race Wheels. But it doesn't stop where the rubber meets the road.

The Pro-X Trim is also loaded with overlanding accessories including the Dark Star Offroad Halo Roof Rack. Dark Star Offroad Side Steps, 40" integrated lightbar, Girard power legless awning, and 330W of integrated solar panels.

Interior Features

The first thing you'll notice the second you step into an Off Highway Van is just how customizable every surface and finish in our vans really are. Take the Lagun cafe table for instance. We allow you to customize this tabletop to match your cabinetry faces but, the customization doesn't stop there. We can also add resin inlays, additional wood styles, and more!

Cabinets and tables are great but, our customization options go way beyond just your aesthetic wood faces. You can choose nearly any material for both your ceiling and wall panels. For the countertops, we offer a variety of solid-surface colorways and options. You can even customize the upholstery of your front seats and additional captain's chairs with premium UltraLeather colorways and finishes!

When We Say "Customizable" We Mean It

We've always prided ourselves on offering the most customizations of any van builder in the industry. Other van builders typically follow a pre-built dealer model, where you may have options walking around the lot, but you'll never be the one deciding what those options are.

Choosing a van off the lot is convenient, but robs your build of your own personality and touches.

How Does the Davey Jackson Seat 4 And Sleep 3?

Combining the two front seats, and our 2-Man Mod Pod seating system, the Davey Jackson can comfortably and safely seat 4 in DOT approved seats with seatbelts. That one is a bit more obvious.

But, how does it sleep 3 when there is only one bed? The magic lies in the Mod Pod seat. This seating solution is able to fold down into an additional 73" x 34" bed for your guests. See how it works here:

About the Davey Jackson Kitchen + Galley

Like we mentoined above, our Series A Aluminum Kitchen Galley comes standard with a multitude of solid-surface countertop options that are fully-customizable to your van's color palette.

This counter space is maximized with our custom-cut, solid-surface sink cover an integrated single-burner induction cooktop with additional counter space beyond the cooktop.

Kitchen Drawer Design

While other manufacturers create drawers that are barely high-profile enough to store utensils, we're quality over quantity around here.

Our full-sized galley drawers are wide enough for plates, deep enough for pots and pans, and maximize the available space in your galley rather than having bulky hardware and drawer components taking up valuable storage space.

Integrated 130L IsoTherm Refrigerator

While many adventure van builds come standard with (at most) an 85L fridge, we've added a 130L Isotherm drawer fridge to our Series A Galley, standard. No awkward openings into your doorway, no compromising on what food items you can store.

And this isn't even the biggest fridge we offer. In our 170 floorplans, we can option up to a 200L fridge in our extended galley which has shades of your fridge at home with a full freezer and fridge behind a dual-door layout.

What We Love About This Galley Setup

When we desined the galley for our Davey Jackson we wanted to take the "camper" feel out of the design and fixtures in your van. Our goal with this galley setup is to provide you a much more "homelike" glamping cooking experience.

To make your kitchen feel even more like the one at home, we can even seamlessly integrate a 700W GE microwave into your upper cabinets.

The Davey Jackson Convertible Shower

Our convertible shower is the anchor of our 144 Davey Jackson models providing counter space when it's not in use or a full-height shower when you need it.

All it takes is 3 steps and under 1 min of effort to turn your countertop into your own personal interior shower.

But, Does It Have A Toilet??

Based on the questions we get daily on our social channels, yes, there is a toilet. We offer 3 toilet options: Trelino composting, Dometic cassette, and Laveo Dry Flush toilets for your camper van build.

And yes, you can store it in the shower, remove it when you need to, and even take it outside if nature calls and the van is full.

Our Space-Saving Secret: Expanding Aluminum Bedframes

The secret for making our van builds so spacious, lies in our industry-first bed system. This system allows you to sleep "North-South" in the van rather than cram in between an "East-West" mattress and your van's flares.

To expand the bed, there are no pins, folds, electrical units, or difficult to maneuver systems to put your bed in place. Simply grab the panel in the track and lift it into place. Fold the mattress back over and you've unlocked your 78" x 68" sleeping area. Then, simply collapse it when you're ready to take your space back and use your van's cafe space.

Who Could Forget About the Skylight?!

Now that you've gotten your bed expanded and you're ready to pack it in for the night, you lay down and overhead you'll notice a 3' x 5' panoramic skylight.

This is an exclusive, custom-designed glass panel proprietary to Off Highway Van builds. You won't see this feautre anywhere else! We love this upgrade because of how much natural light it brings into the van without giving up valuable rear door storage space to add more windows. And the best part? The stargazing.

The Systems That Power the Davey Jackson

Our Davey Jackson 144 Pro-X comes standard with an 8.4kW Lithionix Lithium Battery System paried with a 6500W Dual-Alternator Package so you can be confident even on long trips or cloudy weekends that you'll have more power than you will ever need off-grid.

4-Season Hydronic Heating System: Standard

This van also comes standard with our 4-Season Hydronic Heating System. This means that you are no longer reliant on that diesel heater and instead can rely on the hot glycol system integrated into your off-grid van to keep your van warm during those cold nights and winter days.

48V Nomadic Innovations Integrated A/C System

This rooftop-mounted 48V A/C unit is great for staying cool off-grid.

When paired with good parking locations and a Maxxair Fan this unit can take your van from unbearable fishbowl to off-grid oasis.

Charging Ports + Plug Ins + Control Panels

Having access to charging and 110V outlets at your fingertips is extremely helpful off-grid when you don't want to reach for that 25lb charging brick. This means you can keep all your devices powered up, even when you're out on the road for extended trips.

The Victron Energy Dashboard

Above the Off Highway Van control panel, you will see a screen labeled Victron. This dashboard / panel gives you all of the important information about your van including power draw, solar generation, accessory discharge, etc.

This ensures you know when to recharge rather than being surprised by a drained battery system. This screen also provides information about fill levels for both your integrated fresh and gray water tank levels.

Storage In Your Davey Jackson Camper Van

Now that we've taken a look at the interior, exterior, and systems of the Davey Jackson, let's talk about something that might even be more important for successful van life adventuring: the available storage. Let's head to the back of the van to start evaluating the storage solutions.

Supply Slider Cargo Tray

In the rear of the van, the first thing you will notice is our Supply Slider Cargo Tray. By pressing down on the slider tabs (located on either side), the entire "floor" of your garage slides out the rear of the van. This makes accessing gear and supplies that would normally be a pain to reach, a breeze.

But how much weight can it hold? Up to 500LBS! This slider is built to sustain even your heaviest gear and give you seamless access to everything you've packed into the garage.

Fresh Water Storage

Our Davey Jackson model can hold up to 30 gallons of fresh water in your rear utility box.

This utility area is also where you will find our external shower port, pressure control, tank fill, and more! All easily accessible from the rear of the van.

Other Upgrades We Love

JL Audio Amp + Sub + Rear Surround

When you build on the Pro-X Trim, you'll get access to options our full JL Audio (Now Garmin) System upgrade. This goes beyond just some new door speakers and a tweeter. This upgrade includes an amp, sub, upgraded door speakers and additional rear door surround speakers installed.

It may sound cliche, but you really need to hear the system to believe how loud and clear it can be. This can bring the quiet morning atmosphere all the way up to midnight shindigs around the campfire.

Dark Star Offroad Accessories

Starting down the side of the van you'll see the Dark Star Offroad side ladder mounted to the Dark Star Offroad HALO Roof rack. This rack also includes a 40" integrated light bar and a 330W solar energy system.

You'll also notice another Dark Star Offroad part on the sides of our vans: side steps: a shorter driver's side step, and an extended passenger step to handle both front and side entry of the van. These steps make hopping in and out of the van much easier, especially with upgraded suspension and a lift kit.

On the rear of the van, you'll see Dark Star's molle panel storage rack: the BackPack rack. This rack allows us to add bike racks, storage boxes, really anything you can think of, can be mounted here. We've fit up to two full-sized, full-suspension mountain bikes on a single rack!

Girard Power, Legless Awning

Attached to the HALO rack, you'll see the Girard 10' x 8' legless, power awning (up to 10' x 13' on our 170 models). This awning has a wind sensor standard so if you're on the trail and the wind picks up, you don't need to worry about looking for your awning 3 counties over.

This awning will automatically retract when the wind hits a certain speed and it is specifically designed to drain rain water to the rear of your van away from your entry door. This awning can also be great for temperature management of your van during the hottest days by blocking the direct sunlight from your windows.

Ready to Build Your Own Davey Jackson?

Now that you've gone down the rabbit hole and learned all you can about the Davey Jackson, isn't it time you built your own? Reach out to one of our van build experts today to get all your questions answered and reserve your Davey Jackson build slot.