Out of the Blue

The blueprint build that forced us to reinvent premium van flooring from the ground up.

The Origin of an Icon

Every iconic product line has an exact moment of conception. For our signature floor coverings, that moment belongs to a single, legendary custom vehicle that rolled out of our workshop: Out of the Blue. When this build first arrived in our North Vancouver facility, our design mandate was unyielding: build a high-performance overlanding machine that could handle the muddy, unpredictable trailheads of the Pacific Northwest, without sacrificing the clean, architectural clarity of a premium modern dwelling.

We successfully engineered the heavy-duty mechanical elements, the advanced electrical systems, and the lightweight custom cabinetry. But as we neared completion, we hit an unexpected wall in the front cabin. When it came to protecting the high-traffic footwells, we found that the market was entirely devoid of premium options. The choices available to custom builders were painfully narrow: cheap, industrial black rubber mats that smelled like a commercial tire shop, or flimsy, generic carpeted accessories that bunched up underfoot and wore through after a single season of muddy boots.

Neither option belonged in a bespoke Nomad Vanz interior. We refused to compromise the threshold of the van, so we did what we always do when the market falls short—we designed our own solution from scratch. It wasn't adapted from something else; it was born right here out of absolute necessity.

Why We Made It

We endorse what we use. Every Nomad Vanz product earns its place through real use in real builds. The Matz were born out of our own custom Sprinter conversions because our design team knew that standard automotive materials wouldn't survive the relentless cycle of wet boots, heavy grit, and hard trail use that defines the life of an adventure van. We needed a textile that was inherently industrial yet visually sophisticated. We wanted a product that felt like an extension of the van's living space rather than a cheap protective layer thrown on top at the end of the build process.

Our search led us to Chilewich, an American textile pioneer renowned for supplying high-traffic boutique hotels, flagship retail environments, and modern architectural firms that treat surface selection as seriously as structural decisions. Their woven textiles offered the exact blend of durability and aesthetic restraint we demanded. The material doesn't just look better than what came before; it actively alters the atmosphere of the cab, bridging the gap between rugged utility and residential refinement.

The Material Language of Chilewich

For Out of the Blue, we chose a tight, intricate mini-basketweave pattern that read as a calm, architectural neutral. Woven from proprietary TerraStrand yarns—a high-performance fiber featuring 20% renewable vegetable content—this material is completely free of harmful phthalates and heavy metals. More importantly, it is inherently antimicrobial, stain-resistant, and incredibly easy to clean. Whether caked in dry interior desert silt or soaked in west coast rain, the surface could be restored to a flawless state with a simple shake, vacuum, or hose down. This discovery laid the foundation for the Nomad Vanz Original Matz, establishing a new industry benchmark for what sits beneath a driver’s feet.

The process of bringing these mats to life required an entirely new fabrication method in our shop. Standard floor mats use thick, raised rubber or plastic lips that catch on heels and boots during the constant entry and exit cycles that define how a working van actually gets used. We spent weeks prototyping alternative edges, eventually finalizing a method where the structural binding is moved entirely to the underside. This creates a completely flush, clean, uninterrupted profile. It is a modernist design decision: the construction disappears so the material can speak. This method demands extreme precision during hand-sewing, forcing our team to absorb a much higher margin for error to deliver a flawless finish. It’s a harder thing to execute, but easy isn't the goal.

Tailoring the Front Cabin

An adventure van is fundamentally a tool for long-distance exploration, meaning the driver's cabin must prioritize ergonomic comfort. To complement the refined texture of our new floor mats, we anchored the front cab of Out of the Blue with a pair of custom-upholstered Scheel-mann Vario F Seats. Engineered in Germany, these high-back overlanding seats provide unparalleled lumbar support, adjustable side bolsters, and extendable seat cushions, effectively eliminating the physical fatigue associated with multi-day highway transits.

We hand-tailored our custom floor mats to trace the exact, complex geometry of the Sprinter's footwells, wrapping around the base of the scheel-mann pedestals with absolute precision. To complete the entryway ecosystem, we introduced the heavy-duty Chilewich Welcome Mat at the primary side-door slider. Utilizing a durable shag loop construction, this mat acts as the first line of defense against the outside world—trapping moisture and scrapings right at the door frame, ensuring that the interior living zone remains clean and dry. The result is an entryway where everything works together seamlessly, proving that true utility doesn't have to look industrial. It functions as a cohesive system that protects your investment while elevating every single trip you take.

The Gear Garage: High-Performance Multi-Sport Integration

While our obsession with design began at the front cabin thresholds, it quickly extended to the business end of Out of the Blue—the gear garage. A true multi-sport vehicle needs to handle complex equipment layout adjustments seamlessly, transitioning from travel mode to track-side workshop in seconds. To match the precision layout inside the living quarters, we packed the rear garage with structural bike components designed to protect high-end equipment on rough mountain trails.

To completely secure bikes during aggressive overlanding transits, we integrated the heavy-duty Nomad Vanz Fork Mount Kit directly onto the interior sliding tray systems. These mounts keep your bikes completely locked down, eliminating side-to-side wobble and stopping expensive frames from rubbing or shifting on washboard access roads. When you arrive at the trailhead or need to perform an emergency post-ride derailleur tune, the layout utilizes the premium Nomad Vanz Bike Repair Stand. Machined from robust, anodized aluminum, this rigid repair arm slots instantly into its quick-release floor mount base, transforming your rear bumper into a professional-tier mobile workstation. Once the maintenance is complete, the arm unclips and packs flat, preserving your precious interior garage floor real estate.

Featured Gear at a Glance

Built Here. Tested Here. Trusted Here.

Nomad Vanz has been designing and building premium Sprinter conversions since 2014. Because sunshine is still the best medicine, we build our components to ensure nothing gets in the way of your time on the road.

The layout pioneered in Out of the Blue is no longer exclusive to our full custom builds. Every stitch, material selection, and patterning detail has been translated into our production inventory. Explore our store collection to bring this original level of textile craftsmanship and multi-sport garage engineering directly into your own cabin.