- Off Highway Van created the Doc Holiday, a customizable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter camper van.
- The van can accommodate up to six people, making it a good camper van for families with children, according to Off Highway Van’s co-founder Seth Riddle.
- The Doc Holiday has skyrocketed in popularity amid the pandemic as more families started opting for road trips instead of international travels.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Off Highway Van created the Doc Holiday, a customizable family-friendly Mercedes-Benz Sprinter camper van that has seen skyrocketing interest from families since the start of the pandemic.
Doc Holiday can accommodate up to five to six people, which is done by having two separate sleeping spaces.
The first is a foldable, three-panel bed that is topped with a four-inch foam mattress. This accompanies the second sleeping space, which doubles as a seatbelt-equipped bench seat during the day. At night, this four-seater bench can unfold into a 68-inch by 73-inch bed at night.
According to Off Highway Van’s co-owner Seth Riddle, this five to six-person capacity is one of Doc Holiday’s biggest selling points, therefore securing its place as a family-friendly camper van and the second most popular build that the company offers.
Almost every customer who has purchased a Doc Holiday has been a parent or grandparent who wants to bring their children or grandchildren on road trips, contributing to the van's skyrocketing popularity amid the pandemic as more families started canceling international trips and opting instead for road travel around the US.
When a listing of the Doc Holiday was posted by Off Highway Van amid the pandemic, the company started receiving three to four calls a day from interested customers, amounting to 75% of its inquiries.
"The van sold in a heartbeat," Riddle told Business Insider. "All these families are like, 'Oh, you know what? We've been planning to do this down the road, but we've got all this time now, [so] let's commit to it.'"
Beyond the Doc Holiday, inquiries for builds by Off Highway Van has been so high, the company is now struggling to meet demands and has a six-month waiting list as a result.
"[The uptick in demand] opened our eyes," Riddle said. "There's this huge market for the family that has been ignored by the market for years, and upfitters are starting to come around to it."
There is a wide variety of possible camper van bases, but the Utah-based company went with the ever-popular Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
According to Riddle, the Sprinter is in high demand because of its appearance, diesel engine, torque, and four-wheel-drive capabilities.
The van can either come as a 144-inch or 170-inch, the latter providing a larger kitchen and living area.
Despite this option for a longer interior, the 144-inch — which was built more for weekend vacations or short bi-annual trips — is the more popular choice.
"A lot of people love the 144...because of its versatility," Riddle said. "Some people are like, 'it's gotta be compact, fit it in a parking spot, and I want this to be the soccer mom car,' but then on the weekends, they're hitting the trails...and getting lost."
The 170-inch is a more popular choice for camper vanners interested in taking an extended trip.
For example, a 170-inch Doc Holiday build is currently being used by a customer who once lived in New York, but decided to move to Wyoming amid the pandemic.
This Doc Holiday owner is now using the van as a "satellite home base" for trips in conjunction with a friends' home and personal property.
The camper costs between $68,900 for the base build, but can range up to $200,000 with different add-ons.
The cabinets and walls are made by Off Highway Van's team using light aluminum and wood-less composite materials, creating a waterproof and strong structure, according to its makers.
Source: Off Highway Vans