TESTIMONIALS
Chris Blendowski
I took the van and one of my bikes to a small trail system near Casa Grande, AZ. About a 30min drive from home. After a lap on the bike I took a little 2 out of 5 difficulty trail around the base to a cell tower station. The 2" lift gave me enough ground clearance to straddle ruts and the typical Arizona rocky trails. Had to lock the center diff once and only added a scuff on the skid plate under the motor. Great day! I got asked about the Delica at the trailhead and once on a fuel fillup on the way home. Always fun to explain what the van is and how I came to own it.
My wife loves quirky vehicles so we started our search looking at Kei trucks and Delica L300 vans, but the usable space and safety features of the L400s won us over. Started with facebook marketplace, local flippers, and some of the popular import companies, either too rough or unknown conditions made for wary purchase or driving out to see them.
I found NomadicVan Life online, nice website and presentation. Vehicles were photographed well and you can feel Rondo and Gardner's passion in the way they describe the maintenance plans and updates they do to each van in videos and other media.
I used the contact us part of your webpage, texted with Rondo and then Gardner. We were discussing a couple of the vans, manual vs auto trans, the newest batch you were importing, etc... Gardner was super helpful with detailed photos inside and out, top to bottom of a couple vans even with his bum leg. He has been great throughout the whole buying process especially since we live out of state. We discussed the maintenance routines, upgrades, and what would be best for my use case down here in Arizona. I'm a long time 'car guy' so we meshed well and had great talks.
We settled on 'Mowgli' and its crazy interior pattern. My wife loves the 90's Japan Bubble Era aesthetic and the classic Green and tan two tone paint. Life is too short to drive boring cars right?
Gardner and I wheeled and dealed, agreed on a purchase order with upgrades, and he even set me up with a hotel for the night. I flew out, Gardner picked me up, and we went right over to the shop. Met the crew, did the test drive, and signed the papers. Can't complain about how easy the process was. I kept the van overnight and was able to do some highway driving and put some miles on it before I flew home. Overall condition for a 'not really special in its home country' 27 year old vehicle was great. Motor is super strong and all the maintenance done make for a smooth, tight, and controlled driving experience. Having buyers in Japan to pick the cleanest examples before they go to auction really helps. Totally worth the cost.
We waited for the transporter and once it was delivered all was good. Zero complaints about the condition of the vehicle or overall purchase process. Gardner has been great with a couple post sales questions and I'll keep him in my contact list for anything else that may come up.
These Delicas are not common in Arizona so we get constant looks, questions, and photos taken. Been a fun ride so far!
Mowgli had a couple broken plastic clips holding the curtain tracks on the wall. I found a file and 3d printed replacements. Mailed a big handful back to the NomadicVan Life team as thanks!
Stephen Lowen
Stephen Lowen: “I rode around in Toyota Hiace minibuses in Zambia and always thought it would be cool to have one state-side. Almost a decade goes by and I see a Hiace in Detroit. At that point I went down the rabbit hole of JDM vans and fell in love with the Delica. Next came a couple years of saving money and searching for the right dealer. Ultimately the Delica community pointed me to Nomadic Van in Idaho, with glowing reviews. What sets Nomadic Van apart from the rest is their passion for Delicas, rebuilding and bringing them up to spec. You’re not just buying a Delica from Nomadic Van, you’re buying peace of mind. Gardner helped my brother and I pick the perfect Delicas, and we decided to fly in from Michigan and Texas respectively and buy them on the same day. Both Gardner and Rondo led us through the basics of maintenance on these pigs as well as all the features and how they work. In my opinion, if you’re looking for a quirky, capable, utilitarian off-road van that comes with post-sale parts and mechanical support, Nomadic Van should be at the top of your list. Happy travels and keep it upright!”
Christian & Chelsea T.
@TravelingTuttles’ Walter the L400 tromping around near La Pine, OR
From @TravelingTuttles Instagram Post: “Shout out to @nomadicvan.life for their phone support a few days ago when we had to diagnose and fix a problem with Walter. We were stopped in Loreto, BCS when an intermittent transmission hiccup became permanent. Nomadic Van is offering an inexpensive phone-a-mechanic product that set us on the right track to getting Walter back on his feet.
If you’ve got a Delica and you need a little advice, like the kind of advice that’s hard to get from searching on the Mitsubishi Forums while you’re traveling another country, consider paying them for a consultation, it made everything way easier for us. Even Gracie the dog agrees!”
Chris P.
Chris on Galena Pass, ID with his L400 “Terra” (Van Customer)
Nomadic Van is an incredibly reliable company to source your JDM import from. The Nomadic team was able to answer all my questions in a no-BS kind of way and ensured I got a Delica L400 that suited my needs and would remain reliable on all my future adventures. Since purchasing the van the team at Nomadic has made themselves available to answer all of my maintenance questions and concerns, along with other general inquires about the vans. In addition to being available to help solve any issue that has presented itself while pushing my van to new limits, they have been incredibly helpful in sourcing after market parts that will elevate my van even further. At the end of the day, there is no one I would trust more with Delica related inquiries or any van maintenance than the Nomadic team!!
Hayden S.
Hayden’s newly bought SWB L400, “Samus” (Van Customer)
I decided that this year I wanted to get a van, and not just any van, a Delica! Nomadic Van took great care of me, allowing me to test drive various Delicas in their fleet, answering all my noob questions, and helping me decide which one was right for me. They offered to help me sell my old car and really walked me through the whole process of buying the van and what I would need to do to keep my Delica in tip-top shape. Ron and Gardner (Nomadic’s owners) couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful, and I know that if I ever have any issues with my Delica, they'll be happy to help! I love my van, thanks Nomadic!
Ryan P.
Ryan’s custom L300 (Maintenance Customer)
Van made it back to NY in stellar condition and its running amazing. I can really feel the improvements from the new IP and larger turbo now that I am back home at sea level and have a solid comparison of before/after. Thanks again as always - you guys rock!
Hint: You can also check out our Awesome Google Reviews Here!
We love feedback! If you would like to leave us a testimonial, we’d be stoked to have it! Email: info@nomadicvan.life