How Much Gear Can We Fit in an Off Highway Van?

One of the most crucial aspects of building a camper van is storage capacity. If you're planning to create a new home on wheels, you'll want to bring the comforts of home with you. However, this often leads to an expensive and frustrating game of gear Jenga.

At Off Highway Van, we design our van interiors to provide not only more functional space than our competitors but also more usable storage. This includes features from galley storage to cabinets, storage bench seats, and wardrobes.

The Challenge of Maximizing Storage Space

The challenge is straightforward: take a week's worth of gear and fit it into the van efficiently. We aim to do this without overcrowding and while ensuring access to essential amenities like showers and cabinets. Our goal is to see if a competitor's van can accommodate as much storage as the Off Highway Van Davey Jackson while maintaining accessibility.

What’s in the Gear Pile?

To evaluate storage capacities, our test gear pile includes the following:

• A Yeti 75 Tundra cooler

• Two mountain bikes

• Three small coolers

• Skis and boots

• A week's worth of food and drinks

• Gear bags and accessories for skiing and mountain biking

• Helmets

• Bedding and cooking items

  
  

Storage Comparison: The Davey Jackson 144

The Davey Jackson 144 is Off Highway Van's modular, luxury camper van. It can seat and sleep up to four people, featuring options like internal showers, flip seat box storage, and wardrobes. This model is incredibly versatile, customizable to meet your specific needs.

This model includes two sets of cabinetry: a 72" (3 x 24") cabinet section on the passenger side and a 36" cabinet section behind the driver. It has been equipped with flip lid bench seat storage and a standard galley with an internal half-shower. While it may not have the heaviest storage capacity like our Sundance Kid, it offers a fair comparison to competitor designs.

After an extensive packing session, we found that all of our gear fit comfortably into the Off Highway Van without overcrowding.

Storage Comparison: Competitor's Camper Van

Upon entering our competitor's van, you'll quickly notice that the beds, seats, and showers feel much closer together. Additionally, the cabinet and drawer shapes differ significantly between the two vans. Some of this may just be an optical illusion, but we were eager to test how our gear pile fits into their van.

Thoughts When Packing the Competitor's Van

Immediately, we noticed that the competitor's shower takes up valuable storage space. The shower head and curtain occupy an entire overhead cabinet.

This design flaw eliminates a significant percentage of their storage capacity. You might think that the galley would compensate with an extra drawer, but unfortunately, the galley drawers in the competitor's van are much shallower and lack the width required for full-sized kitchen items.

Consequently, many pots, pans, and utensils had to be moved to less functional spaces.

Camper Van Fridge Size Comparison

Another major drawback in the competitor's van is the size of the fridge. Our Davey Jackson features a standard 130L Isotherm fridge, while the other van comes with a much smaller fridge, despite similar galley sizes.

After packing the fridges, we calculated that it left behind space for 12 beers. We would prefer to take those along for a week-long trip.

Over-Driver Storage Solutions

The absence of an over-driver shelf in the competitor's van is notable. This design miss significantly limits storage solutions.

In contrast, our Off Highway Vans include an over-driver shelf for additional storage. This allows for mounting options for TVs and projectors, audio equipment storage, and more.

Under-Bed Storage Solutions

The under-bed storage in the competitor's van is particularly lacking. The presence of a center-mounted post divides the largest storage area, limiting what you can store and the functionality of the space.

Their utility boxes are also wider, leaving less overall space under the bed. This results in more time spent loading and unloading gear and less access to it once inside the van.

Additionally, the competitor’s design lacks a sliding gear tray, which our Off Highway Van includes.

Not only are our utility boxes smaller, but the design doesn’t require a center post for support. This significantly opens up your storage options under the camper van's bed.

What Got Left Behind?

After packing the competitor camper van as efficiently as possible, several items were left out on the ground. What were they?

The items included:

• Two full-suspension mountain bikes

• Skis, poles, and boots

• Four pillows

• Twelve Off Highway Van Hops

  
  

How We Engineer For More Storage Space

At Off Highway Van, we've been building camper vans differently since 2016. Our custom-engineered aerospace aluminum interiors maximize your van's interior space in ways that wood builds can't match. Our construction is more durable, quieter, and more functional.

This additional space provides:

• More storage solutions

• Larger cabinetry

• Better functional galley drawers

• Bigger fridges

• An optimized layout for a practical camper van

  
  

Ready to Build Your Off Highway Van?

If you're thinking about transitioning to van life or seeking the best remote basecamp available, look no further than Off Highway Van. We offer ample space for all your adventure gear without compromise. Experience more storage, greater durability, and higher performance with our unmatched lifetime warranty