Since the Internet became widespread a few decades ago, our world has changed completely. First, the Internet was used for instant access to information of all kinds. Then, came online shopping and smartphones powered by the Internet. Finally, our world has evolved into one of social media, influencers, content creators, and podcasters.
It is this last group of people on our list that concerns us. Podcasters are those more or less famous, more or less talented people who have their say on various topics on the Internet. There are a lot of them out there, so it is likely that at least once you have come across some of their work.
Generally, podcasters need a studio to do their work from. It can be literally anywhere, but most podcasters set up their studios in the comfort of their own homes. In a way, this limits what their shows can be about, because podcasters typically don’t stream from the scene of an event that interests them.
But that could change now that Japanese car manufacturer Nissan, The Ride Companion, “the world's most popular mountain bike podcast”, and British van conversion specialist MTB had a brilliant idea.
Enter the Nissan Primastar mobile podcast studio, a first-of-its-kind project that will help The Ride Companion create podcasts and video recordings off the grid, on the go.
The Primastar is probably not one of those vans you’ve heard of. Nissan sells it as a mid-size platform in several variants, tailored to whatever transportation needs people and businesses might have.
Photo: Nissan
The van is available in two main versions, a panel van and a six-passenger crew van. The panel van, which is the type used for mobile study, features a cargo space that offers between 204 and 314 cubic feet (5.8 to 8.9 cubic meters) of cargo space.
In its current incarnation, the van is available in two trim levels, namely Acenta and Tekna. For the purposes of the mobile podcast van, a premium Tekna+ L1H1 was used.
Essentially, the van remains the same as the standard configuration, meaning it features a 2.0-liter engine (170 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque) mated to a six-speed transmission, LED lights all around and an infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Apart from that, the back has been equipped with everything needed to become a real studio, but also serves as a mobile garage for mountain bikes. And it all started with the installation of thermal insulation above the cargo area, a waterproof floor and carpeted walls.
That's because the back of the van has been equipped with everything you need to carry your gear. It has bike and gear storage, including racks for helmets, tools and gear, a slide-out tray and mounting points for two mountain bikes.
As for podcasting gear, the van is equipped with shelves for cameras, microphones, tripods and lights. Gear can be charged via the 240V power supply or a multitude of USB plugs and sockets.
Photo: Nissan
There’s even a CTEK split charging system that lets you charge two e-mountain bikes at once. A 200W roof-mounted solar panel provides electricity to a 160Ah LiFePO4 battery.
All of this would have meant little if there wasn’t an internet connection on deck to help podcasters reach their listeners and viewers. That problem was solved by switching to a Starlink system complete with a built-in Wi-Fi router.
To ensure the footage wasn’t released online in raw form, the van’s builders also installed a content editing station supported by LED lights set into a suede-effect ceiling panel.
The van is also equipped with most of the essentials for spending long periods outdoors with the bikes, including a 25-litre water tank that powers a Worx Hydroshot pressure washer.
The van is instantly recognisable as something special thanks to the special film it is covered in, but also to the full-length roof rack that allows the installation of a 75 square foot (seven square metre) awning.
The van still uses the standard ten-spoke alloy wheels that it comes with from the factory, but they’ve been wrapped in General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres to ensure it can reach even the most remote locations. A 9,500 lumen LED light bar is on deck to help with podcasts and late-night adventures.
We’re told that it took the folks at MTB less than two weeks to complete the conversion of the Primastar into a mobile podcast studio, but we weren’t given any information on its cost. For reference, the list price of the Primastar starts at £30,590 (almost $40,000).
The guys who run The Ride Companion will start using the van to cover mountain bike events and trials across the UK, as well as internationally.