nomadic van

Behind the Scenes: RVR Madness Shoot

setting the scene

On a bluebird day in Sun Valley Idaho, Ron and I undertook the start of RVR madness spring by finding a snowy, drift-able parking lot and letting the 4x4 hatchbacks do the rest. It was late March, and as snow was still pounding the entire west it was time to promote one of the RADDEST Mitsubishi models we’ve had come through our shop: The mid 90’s RVR Sports Gear X3 (RVR stands for Recreational Vehicle Runner). The RVR is related to the acclaimed JDM Mitsubishi Evo sports car, yet still goes alongside its cousin the Delica as a sleepable 4X4 recreation vehicle. (If you haven’t seen the videos that came from this shoot, be sure to check them out on our YouTube! ) (Also keep an eye out for our upcoming behind-the-scenes BLOOPER video!)

Rondo and I caught like wild animals in a dash cam, late March in Sun Valley, Idaho

Since the valley was constantly socked in with low clouds and heavy snow, The RVR Madness video shoot occurred on one of the only sunny days during the last two weeks of March. We really had to time this one, both to ensure there was proper lighting and a nice blanket of snow laid for drifting!

Conveniently it was after some nice snowfall the night before, so we were able to get some epic shots of these speed demons in the sunlight but on a great drifting surface. The extra pack really helps the tires slide, and with the turbo spooling, we got a particularly epic run with Falco, the green 1994 RVR with a limited slip differential. (both RVR models listed have independent suspension)

RVR Sports Gear “Falco” ripping through the spring snow

The shot

After the necessary flashy filming, we got in tight with DSLR, phone cams, and a chest-mounted mic to debut the features of the RVRs with Rondo as our host. Spiked up on caffeine from an earlier visit to Maude’s coffee in Ketchum Idaho, Rondo’s passion particularly spiked as he reminisced to me about how he learned to drive stick in the American version of the RVR. It had come full circle for him: he was now selling an upgraded version of the car that brought him so many memories in his younger years. Excitingly too, Ron was donning a classic maroon jumpsuit he later went snowboarding in, redefining the definition of “business casual” before my very eyes.

A Beautiful (hilarious) Moment…

As we went into the later parts of the day, our sunburned noses and frozen ears, we showcased a memorable feature and moment: fully reclinable back seats that fit both Ron and me upon testing it out! We were now even more impressed by the exceptional use of space now that two rugged, strapping, brutish men were somehow comfortably chilling in the fully folded back seats of a HATCHBACK, and would have dozed off if they weren’t careful. (these seats can also be fully removed, and a camping cot can be retrofitted! ) This comes at no sacrifice to top speed or weight, as the seat configurations all take place within a vehicle with 220hp and enough acceleration for any offroad trail or dirt road. The versatility of the RVR would be great for anyone who wants to overland without losing the sleek “get up and go” feel of a hatchback, and it was great to break down all the features, often unseen at first glance.

The equipment we used for the entire shoot was simple: Two Smartphones, A Nikon DSLR, A blue tooth portable microphone, and a GoPro Hero complete with a suction mount. It’s incredible what can be done with this equipment setup when you have proper lighting, a beautiful backdrop, and an awesome subject.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out our YouTube and Instagram videos that came from this robust shoot! And, expect more videos to come as the snow begins to thaw! (The RVRs seen in this shoot are currently on sale at 10% off on our Van Sales Page)

Shop Spotlight: Parts Van Disassembly and Dismemberment!

At the shop this week the whole Nomadic crew went to work on taking apart our Delica parts van! And when we say taking apart, we’re not just talking about pulling out the engine transmission, windows, interior panels, wheels etc. We literally cut up the ENTIRE frame and body into small pieces… 

You may be wondering why we would ever do this extra step, but the real reason is definitely not to just brutalize unnnamed parts vans for fun! -wink- -wink

Would you believe us if we said we we did it purely for disposal purposes, and by cutting the van into carry-able pieces we could fit it in the metal recycling dumpster out front?Well, either way, after all useful parts were pulled we went full Mr. Potatohead on the van! (photo below) As you can see, In line with true Japanese automotive tradition, we try to make good use of minimal space. Whether it be the versatile seat setups of the Delicas we sell, or the unfortunate van we just mutilated, we are all about creative and precise usage of space!    

*The unnamed van (mr potatohead) in recyclable pieces* Side note: Thank God the Toy Story 3 trash compactor scene didn’t end this way…!

All jokes aside, this parts van project was an important piece in the greater chess match of supplying Delicas to come with premium parts. Many cosmetic items such as the Crystallite Roof, door panels, and rear hatch would be practically impossible to replace without donor vehicles such as this. And yes, for those of you wondering, a few of these select items may be for sale, so feel free to inquire via our contact page. 

This project is also a reminder that the one-of-a-kind Delicas that come out of our shop are built upon a foundation of supply chain management and behind the scenes projects like these. Parts sourcing is an often overlooked but essential aspect of any JDM auto subculture, and although Mitsubishi’s have good domestic parts sourcing, it’s often still a laborious task to get the pieces necessary to turn a run of the mill imported Delica into a Nomadic Van. So, for those of you wondering what really happens behind the scenes in getting all our adventure loving vans to high levels of mechanical soundness, parts sourcing is fundamental. 

We keep many parts on hand in house, but on any given day you will see either Gardner or our parts guy Tyler browsing the web for Genuine Mitsubishi parts to get our Flagship vehicles thriving and ready for driving!

Ryan, Tyler (Wolfie), and Tim with the Delica Parts Van Convertible

We loved sharing this week's shop spotlight with you all, the guys had a blast and with this one!    

Nomadic Van

Nomadic Van's Founding Story

Established in 2019 in the beautiful mountain town of Sun Valley, Idaho, Nomadic Van was founded upon a passion for the outdoors and robust vehicles capable of getting to hard-to-reach locations. Nomadic’s creators, Rondo and Gardner, met over a post ski beer at the local watering hole, Grumpy’s. The two quickly connected over their love for the outdoors and their blood being rich in automotive history. Rondo came from a lineage of mechanics, with his grandfather being a master mechanic for CAT; while Gardner’s great grandfather invented the “Cord Front Wheel Drive Automobile” and his grandfather won the first world championships for Toyota Factory Racing Team. At the timing of meeting the two were more interested in skiing/snowboarding through their 20’s than a possible future in the automotive world...

Three years after their initial meeting in Grumpy’s not much had changed and the two found themselves skiing pow in Japan and buying Delicas on a “work trip”. Thus, Nomadic was off the ground and “timed" to perfection. They happened upon a post Covid world full of people ready to adventure, with a focus on reliability and functionality. The first three years were filled with many late nights, lots of R&D and the required persistence to get any entrepreneurial enterprise off the ground. Now four years into the Delica journey, Rondo and Gardner have acquired a team of mechanics, skiers, and over-landing enthusiasts, who continue to build the Nomadic life in everything they do.

Nomadic’s Founders Rondo & Gardner at a photo shoot in the early days!

To see more of what Nomadic has become beyond its humble beginnings, be sure to follow our social media pages and follow our newsletter below for updates!

We are stoked to share our founding story with you all in this week’s post! Stay tuned for more about our culture here at Nomadic Van in next week’s blog post!

Sincerely,

Nomadic Van