RV review: Dave & Matt camper vans
Today’s RV review is of Dave and Matt Vans, a company that makes Class B camper vans in Colorado.
To say that van life is popular nowadays with many people would be like saying pet rocks were a hit in the 1970s. But I wonder how so many younger people are affording these vans which, when outfitted for camping, can be well over $100,000 and sometimes up to $200,000. Further, many of the conversions seem unnecessarily convoluted. Or just bad.
When I saw the press release from Dave and Matt Vans in Colorado, I was intrigued. The company does think differently than many in this field including offering the ability for prospective van life enthusiasts to rent a van to see if the lifestyle even fits.
Further, the vans themselves, all based on the Ram Promaster, start at $85,995 which is far below where many van conversions are priced. But these are equipped to camp.
Offered in three lengths that correspond to the lengths of available Promaster vans, the commonality of all the three is that there’s a bed at the back and a kitchen in the middle of the van on the road side. The front captain chairs in the cockpit swivel around to face the van interior and there are unique storage systems.
On the subject of those storage systems, there is a slotted surface in several places which enables one to hang various storage containers depending on what type of storage is desired. There are slotted walls on the rear doors and along the walls in the smallest of the vans and this seems to be a good solution offering a lot of flexibility.
Speaking of storage, the bed at the rear is raised which leaves a lot of space underneath for stuff. This area is referred to by the duo as the GearAge. Neat.
Even the least expensive model is fitted with two 100 amp-hour lithium batteries that incorporate a heating function into them - they do come from Colorado, after all. These batteries power an 2,000 watt pure sine wave inverter which, in turn, can operate a single induction cooktop much like the Duxtop model I reviewed in the past.
The water system is rather simple with two seven gallon containers under the kitchen sink - one filled with fresh water, the other to capture the gray water. This is a pretty simple solution.
A 12 volt refrigerator with freezer compartment keeps the beer and grub cold.
Dave Ramsay and Matt Felser, the Colorado duo behind Dave & Matt Vans, have stated that their vans have “everything you need, nothing you don’t.”
“All of our vehicles come with everything you need and nothing you don’t at a price you can afford. There’s a lot of space for people to bring themselves into the vans—we don’t add a bunch of stuff. Our bare-bones [models] have full electrical; everything runs off a battery system that charges off a solar panel and while you drive,” said Felser in an interview with Sunset.
That electrical system is pretty straightforward and offers more capacity than the portable solar generator, a Jackery 1500, that I carry around with me so it should handle the needs of anyone using this van with no issues. Since I’ve powered the induction cooktop with the Jackery a system like that, or the one in these vans, is more than adequate.
Ramsay left a New York City finance job to start his own business, prompting a need to cut back. “I could live in someone’s basement or finance a van to live in,” Ramsay recalls. “I went with the van.”
What’s not to love?
Note that these vans don’t have some things we RVers are accustomed to such as roof top air conditioners, a water heater, shower or even a space heater.
There is the option of a space heater; however, in the form of a gas-fired model so for those who spend time where it’s cold, this would be a good thing to have fitted to the van.
A toilet, too, is not standard and you can either BYOT or get one fitted to an ottoman in the van.
There isn’t a shower, per se, but the faucet in the kitchen sink can serve as a shower head, but remember the no water heater part of the picture. So you might want to get something like a Privy Bivy and a portable shower, which isn’t a bad thing anyway. Heck, you could put your portable lavatory in there as well.
2023 Upgrades
I’ve looked at these in the past and really love the simplicity of them. But there are some additions worth noting.
The first of the additions are built into the vans on which these are based. The Ram Promaster has undergone a significant number of upgrades including a lot of additional safety technology, not a bad thing.
The lineup of premium safety features integrated into the 2023 LVs includes all-speed traction control, electronic stability control, forward collision assist, crosswind assist, drowsy driver detection, electronic roll mitigation, and much more. The 2023 LVs also include five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance and a one-year craftmanship warranty on all vehicles, in addition to Dave & Matt Vans’ extended powertrain warranty.
The updated LV exterior boasts a redesigned front end that includes standard halogen headlights and fog lamps, and a modular bumper with a built-in step to assist with changing wiper blades and cleaning the windshield. Additional exterior features include dual-side cargo windows with sliding screens, and black steel wheels.
There are a number of new options for 2023 including a second-row seat with three-point seatbelts. These seats can fold away. There’s also an ottoman-like seating option as well as a Lagun-style table. Finally, you can opt in a third lithium battery to boost your off-grid power.
In summary
When you consider that a moderately-equipped pickup truck today can cost more than one of these fully outfitted vans, it seems like a good package. Further, the fact that you can rent one to just try things out makes the deal even sweeter.
With much of the interior of these vans available to the owner to outfit in however they deem appropriate, this seems like a good deal.
So how does this compare to other van builds I have liked in the past, such as the Vanaholic? Different but similar, actually. Both offer a fair amount of flexibility in design and use with simple functionality. Considering how complicated many of these builds are including the Airstream which has power shades, one of the more ridiculous features on any RV, I like things like this better.
The smallest of these, too, is about the same size as the SUV many people drive at just 17’ 9” in length. So you could use your RV as a daily driver - also a plus.
And for the same $200,000 I could have two of these along with enough money to hire a chauffeur for a year. So there’s that.
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