PLATTSBURGH — Colin Hyde lives, breathes and dreams Airstream.
If he and his crew — Reed Lawrence, Dave Williams and Anthony Fitzsimmons — are not resurrecting the vintage-luxury recreational vehicles at Colin Hyde Trailer Restorations in Plattsburgh, Hyde is hanging with other Airstreamers at rallies such as Alumapalooza 2012, held at the Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio.
No matter if he’s on the road or home in Peru, every other Thursday evening he’s the panel pro for The VAP (Vintage Airstream Podcast), hosted by the California-based Tim Shephard. Think “Car Talk” for Airstream.
VIRTUAL STUDIO
At www.thevap.com, “Episode 163: Staying Connected” features Shephard and Kelly Hogan, vice president of research and development at Wi-Fi Ranger.
“We started doing it eight years (ago) in September,” said Hyde, who first brought the idea of Airstream restoration to the Plattsburgh area. “The episodes are about an hour each. We’ve always done it on Skype. It all becomes a digital signal. What is interesting, I use a headset with a mike. And, I use Verizon Wi-Fi. It’s your own hotspot you take with you.”
By using the cellphone network to connect with the Internet, he can sit in a parking lot, turn on his headset and record the show from anywhere.
During podcasts, Shephard references The VAP studio.
“It’s a joke,” Hyde said. “There is no such thing as The VAP studio. Sometimes, I’m in my living room. Two shows ago, we were in Jackson Center.”
In the San Francisco Bay area, Shephard is an avid Airstream restorer and electronic guru.
“Tim approached me,” Hyde said. “He wanted to do a podcast. He wanted to fiddle with the technology.”
At the time, Hyde knew zilch about podcasts. Shephard assured him, no worries. He handled the tech stuff while Hyde was the cloud of Airstream wisdom.
In the podcast’s beginning, there was Hyde, Shephard and Rob Baker. Hyde was the technical guy. Shephard was the dry host. Baker was the funny guy.
“We play off one another,” Hyde said. “Rob and I camped together many years. We hadn’t met Tim in person the first four or five years of doing the show. We only talked to him.”
Now, their Airstreamese is heard in more than 22 countries worldwide.
“That’s incredible,” Hyde said. “We get several thousand downloads an episode. Back in the early days, we were ‘camera shy’ or mike shy. I wanted some form of outline beforehand so I didn’t sound like an idiot. Tim used to do a lot of outlining. Now, he hardly does anything. Everyone tells us we sound better and better.”
Podcast ideas are generated from aha moments in Hyde’s workday, from clientele or through listeners via Facebook, voicemail and email.
“We play questions on the show and answer them on the show. We have had questions come from New Zealand. Rob was in the (U.S.) Marines. He did one show from Afghanistan,” Hyde said.
The VAP has podcast from diverse venues all over North America. Tapings are usually around 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
“It’s 7 p.m. California time,” Hyde said. “Tim works on it an hour or two and puts it online. It can be downloaded from www.thevap.com, or people can subscribe through iTunes. They will send you an update every time there is a new episode.
“We can’t put all the episodes on the website, so Tim has a couple of CDs you can buy for a nominal amount. That has all the episodes going back eight years.”
Guests have included the CEO and designers from Airstream, reps from Vintage Trailer Supply, axle companies and high-tech companies.
‘CULT FOLLOWING’
There is much to-do about
Airstream, which was founded in 1931 and is the oldest manufacturer of recreational vehicles in the United States. In 1936, the shiny aluminum-riveted trailers were made using aircraft-construction material. Production halted during World War II.
Since the company’s beginning, 100,000 trailers and motor homes were manufactured. The ‘60s and ‘70s were peak production years.
“They claim 60 percent of them are still on the road,” Hyde said. “I think that’s optimistic, in my view.”
Airstream founder Wally Byam, the Wally Byam Caravan Club International and the 1959-60 Cape Town to Cairo Caravan reach mythic levels among Airstreamers.
“It has kind of a worldwide cult following,” Hyde said of Airstream.
HIGH QUALITY
The dynamic silver trailers entered Hyde’s consciousness 40 years ago on a family trip through the Maritime Provinces in his native Canada. Pods of silver Airstreams passed his parents’ rental. He learned what they were: Airstream, Cadillac of trailers.
“Oddly enough, it was not my first experience, but it set
into motion what is ... When I was a boy, one of my buddies lived next door to his grandparents. They had an Airstream in their driveway. I said, ‘What is that?’ He said, ‘It’s an Airstream, and my grandparents went around the world in that.’”
This event occurred several years after the legendary 1963-64 Around the World Caravan.
“They were the only Canadians in the Around the World Caravan. They were the only ones from Montreal. Unbeknownst to me, it would become my life passion and career,” Hyde said.
He purchased his first Airstream 11 years ago. Now, he has a couple of Vagabonds, a ‘48, a ‘50 and a ‘47 Mobileglide made in Culver City, Calif.
Vintage refers to any model 25 years or older.
“It harkens back to the machine age of design. All the ‘50s up until the ‘70s have real-wood interiors. The trailer I’m traveling in is all mahogany. It’s like an old yacht, a custom-built yacht. You can refinish them,” Hyde said.
The trailers’ aircraft-grade aluminum ribs and siding make them hard to kill.
“Even if a trailer sits in a field 25 years neglected, they can be rebuilt. We restore these trailers back to period correct,” he said.
The Airstream’s semi-monocoque construction makes it lighter than white-box SOBs (Some Other Brand).
“They do travel well. Aerodynamically, they are superior. You don’t get buffeting from trucks and all that sort of stuff,” Hyde said.
LASTING LEGACY
The VAP is a digital underground for the owners of land yachts and wannabes.
“I go to Florida in the dead of winter,” Hyde said. “We do shows from there. We have people call on road trips going across the country. They’re avid listeners. They call in from their trip to give us updates.”
The Internet and podcasts have ratcheted Hyde’s workload. One of his current projects is an Airstream-turned-meeting room for Kimberly-Clark’s headquarters in Roswell, Ga.
“I’m looking for more staff with multiple-skills set — metal fabrication, aluminum, steel, cabinetry, woodworking, electrical,” he said.
“They have to have a passion for what they do. It’s fun work. It’s different work every day. We take trailers from total pieces of junk and turn them into absolute works of art. Keep in mind; it’s not uncommon for people to have their trailers in their wills.”
Grandchildren inherit their grandparents’ 1948 Wee Wind or 1961 Globetrotter.
“It goes through generations,” Hyde said. “This is creation, my legacy. Those trailers will be out there traveling long after I’m gone.”
As well as tracks of The VAP.
TO LEARN MORE
For questions about vintage Airstream, visit Colin Hyde Trailer Restorations at 63 Trade Road in Plattsburgh, call 578-7772, or email colninhydeairstream@gmail.com.
Listen to "The VAP" at www.thevap.com.
Email Robin Caudell: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
