I learned about Inhabit Mats from a post on some forum having nothing to do with a Solis. I checked out the website and called to leave a message on some weekday night around 8 PM, expecting to hear back within a few days. To my surprise I heard from Brian shortly after I had sent the email, and called him later in the week to set up a possible time to come into his shop. I live on the outskirts of Seattle so decided to make a trip down to the Portland OR area for an in-shop fitting and installation. I also scheduled my cab window treatments the next day while I was there as the two establishments were close to each other, staying the night in an RV park on the Tualatin River.

*Front living mats: snaps hold upper mat in place, velcro strip holds entry L shaped mat in place*

My appointment was for 10 AM on a Monday morning and I arrived a bit early at 9:15. However Jon, the co-owner with Brian, drove in and started working on my van before 9:30. They had already done a Solis P the week before and I was thinking this would be a quick job as the templates were already made. However, it should be no surprise that each van is slightly different on the exact measurements of existing floor area due to the variables of each build….Winnebago does not employ exacting tolerances when putting these relatively inexpensive interiors together. But Jon spent considerable time getting the measurements and trimming spot on for my van. Every corner fits with about an eighth of an inch gap around the cabinets and bathroom area, including the tiny notches found along the way.

I chose to do my van in “Deep Grey” (their most popular color) vice the previous Solis, which the owner decided to do in “Fawn.” Fawn does indeed fit well in the Solis, complimenting the cabinet colors nicely. It’s a lighter mat that also brightens up the space. However, for my taste the Deep Grey blended splendidly with my Wet Okole seat covers and the cab area in general.

*Inhabit under bed storage mat (Jon fitting in background)*

Trying not to be a pest, I walked to Starbucks to while away some time while the work was being done. But not until I thoroughly cleaned the floors, which took close to an hour. I personally did not want mats over dirty floors so I scrubbed those pesky coin floors as best I could using wet wipes. When I came back most of the fitting and trimming had been done and the mats were in the shop to have the edges bound. I want to emphasize that Jon (and Brian) were a delight to work with, answering any questions I had during the process. As of this writing Inhabit has only had two Solis Ps in the shop and they would like to have a few more to get an idea of how far the tolerances vary. Since every van will be slightly different, the only way to get that custom fit is to come to the shop and have them do it. Eventually they will be able to ship directly to the customer but they will have to allow some leeway for Winnebago’s inexact construction.

I had some pleasant surprises, the best one being a bath mat! Fantastic!. After I shower I just hang it on the pole above to drip dry. Just a note on the drain cutout, Jon said the hole is too small to bind the edges so it’s left with the raw cut. The other surprise is the fact that they made mats for the small spaces in the rear of the van on either side of the under bed storage. I showed them how I had duct taped under the Nautilus as dripping water during fill up would weep into the join, especially as it always seemed the rear of the van was higher than the front, urging the water towards the interior. The water was also affecting the cheesy laminates in that area with trim pieces separating etc. We decided on just bending the small mat in the middle so that it would wedge under the Nautilus panel and direct any water away, which it does nicely. Another bonus, they replaced the screw that holds the bottom of the screen door behind the passenger seat with a snap, allowing owners to unsnap and clean out this hard to reach area. Lastly, you also get small mats for the steps up into the cab, covering those pesky screw holes that are specifically made to annoy owners by collecting dirt, hair and any other nasty particles that approach. They are notoriously hard to clean and I am delighted they are covered.

*Under Nautilus mat to prevent water dripping into joins*

Attachment is simple; the area right behind the cab (floor in front of the seats) is held in place by snaps along the angled edge. The cabin area mat is joined to the cab mat by a strip of Velcro (not attached to the floor, just to each mat). To access your now stealthy small storage area by the table hole, you will have to unsnap the mat and reach under. That arrangement is good for my uses. The main “L” shaped piece is held in place by a Velcro strip on the door side edge with the rest of the mat free floating, which is no problem at all. I did have some discussion about the under bed storage doors, which as always a PITA to access if you have items on the floor, which I’m sure most people do. A slide out drawer arrangement is in my future (the way it should have been engineered in the first place) but Brian discouraged making multiple mats for this area. I store items in the left area that will be seldom used, but the right one houses items like shoes, ice axes, poles etc . For now I am storing items on top of the left side and just lifting the mat for the right storage area. I’m thinking that I may at least reverse the hinges. I would like to point out that if I had insisted on separate mats for this area, they would have done it.

*Even the cab step up has a mat that covers screw holes*

In sum, I like ‘em! Not just because I spent a bit of coin (they are not cheap) and have to justify it, but they are indeed easy to clean and sweep. They feel good on the feet, and I did actually notice less road noise underway. They look OH so much better than the coin flooring, and they are noticeably softer and warmer under foot (I have already spent one night in sub freezing temperatures). I am trying to be prudent spending money on van upgrades, but this one makes a world of difference in everyday use. NOTE: for now I am leaving the OEM cab floor mat in place on top of the mats as more skiing is on the docket. I use my Solis as a basecamp for outdoor activities that usually track in a mess…hiking, skiing, biking…sometimes all three in the same day. I am confident that these marine grade woven vinyl mats will stand up to the dirt challenges and at the same time provide eye pleasing comfort that adds a touch of higher end finish to the Solis P.