Barriere, British Columbia — Rust Valley is filling up with camera crews as the History Channel closed on the first season of Backroad Truckers, a documentary series featuring a pair of auto recyclers who may look familiar to fans of Rust Valley Restorers.
Donny Kleinfelder and Dave Schwandt, who made several appearances working with Mike Hall on his show, said they never would have dreamed of being on TV, much less getting the chance to host their own show only a few years later.
In the pair’s new show, the Kleinfelder and Schwandt race against the clock to deliver high-value salvage across the rugged terrain of B.C.’s interior; what is known in their industry as “hotshotting.”
“Five years ago, would I have thought I’d be on TV? I would never have thought so,” said Kleinfelder. “It’s fun. It’s a life-changing event.”
“Donny and I have known each other for 20 years,” said Schwandt.
“Who would have thought we’d be on not one, but two huge shows? We have the potential to become a huge hit. It was not even remotely on my mind for something like this to happen.”
“It’s a high-octane show, with big adventures, crazy scenery, vehicles you’d see in a kids’ playroom, but imagine if the playroom was inside a Mad Max movie,” said showrunner Matt Shewchuk.
Schwandt runs Twisted Auto Recycling and has a passion for building cars for demolition derbies and restoring old snowmobiles.
Shots of Kamloops, Barriere, Sandon and White Lake are pictured in the first episode, which premiered on March 1.
