Nissan and The Ride Companion podcast have “defied ordinary” by transforming a Nissan Primastar van into a mobile content production support vehicle.
The Ride Companion’s founders Davi Birks and Olly Wilkins will use the custom Nissan Primastar to help them produce shows whenever they’re away from their Surrey Hills studio, travelling the UK to meet guests, ride the country’s best trails and bike parks, as well as attending national and international mountain bike races.
The Ride Companion co-founder Davi Birks said: “We’re absolutely stoked to be working with Nissan on this project. It’s sometimes tricky to get guests to the studio because world-class riders are so busy, but now we can take the show to them and record wherever we like.
“Vans are a massive part of mountain bike culture and our custom Primastar is so sick: it’s easy to drive, has all the features and space we need, so it’s the perfect way to transport all our bikes and kit.”
Working to a brief from Birks and Wilkins to build “the ultimate ride companion”, Nissan collaborated with specialist LCV converters MTB Vans.
Using a high-spec Nissan Primastar Tekna+ L1H1 as a base, the conversion process took less than two weeks from start to finish, culminating with a custom vinyl wrap on the sides and rear of the van by MotoShack.
MTB Vans founder and owner Joel Aindow added: “It was a real pleasure to work with Nissan to customise the Primastar for Davi and Olly. A shout out from them on the podcast in 2020 helped me get the business off the ground, so it was awesome to do a special build for them.
“This is the first Primastar we’ve worked on, but we’re very happy with the result: the quality is really solid, and the space is great for a short wheelbase van, so the conversion was straightforward, which is crucial when you’ve got loads of projects on the go.
“It’s definitely a good option for builds and great value compared to some brands.”
The Ride Companion conversion includes a plethora of bespoke options to meet the MTB and production needs of The Ride Companion team.
Interior modifications include full fit out of the load area with bike and equipment storage and recharging, Starlink mobile Wi-Fi connectivity, LED lighting, a content editing workstation, water tank, and pressure washer.
Off-road tyres and a powerful LED light bar help the team access and record from remote trails.
David Jackson, communications director at Nissan, commented: “This is a great example of collaboration between Nissan, The Ride Companion and MTB Vans that has produced an extremely well thought out and effective product, with the Primastar van at the core.
“We know there’s a lot of mountain bikers out there, so this has been a great opportunity to demonstrate how Nissan vans can be tailored to create the perfect space for an adventurous lifestyle.
“We’re delighted to be working with The Ride Companion and are excited to see the finished product in action.”
