Video Provided by: Justin Guenther of  Wonderhausdesign

The National Truck-in® past and future

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  by Greg Cooper     February 28, 2021

   

        The 1st Van Nationals® was held at Tiger Run, Colorado in 1973, hosted by Rocky Mountain Vans of Denver. The idea for a national van event was first proposed by Steve Green, staff writer for Hot Rod Magazine. The then editor of Hot Rod, Terry Cook wrote an editorial proposing this idea, looking for a potential host.   Rocky Mountain Vans responded to the request, and put together the First National Truck-in.    Hot Rod mag was not directly involved in the running of the event but still had a controlling interest. The National Truck-in®, as it was coined, was a big success and there was interest for it to continue. Hot Rod Mag and Terry Cook were instrumental in placing the second Nats. with Vans Am of Kansas as the host.  The second National Truck-in® was held in Bonner Springs Kansa

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          There was an organization based in Chicago called the National Street Van Association. It was growing in numbers and influence, and was invited by Hot Rod magazine to be a part of the event. The following year the Nationals was hosted by the NSVA and Midwest vans.  It was held at the Beach Bend Park in Bowling Green Kentucky, July, 1975.  To this point Hot Rod magazine was the determining factor in who was to host the event.  

   

      At the third National Truck-in® there were over 4000 vans in attendance, A lot more vans than they were prepared for.  There were a number of vanners unhappy with the issues that came up.  Then it was announced that the following year’s Nationals would again be held at Bowling Green. There were a number of vanners that took issue with that. 

    

        To make a long story short, Rocky Mountain Vans decided to trademark the name and take control of the National Truck-in®.  By virtue of having hosted the first Nationals, they felt they had precedence over the name. They were subsequently awarded the trademark rights to the National Truck-in® name and would host the Fourth National Truck-in®.                                   

       RMV decided to Continue the tradition of passing the Nationals to worthy groups. RMV wasn’t going to be able to host the event every year, but would decide where it would be hosted, and by whom.  They took bids from interested groups and would decide who would be awarded the event. 

   

        In 1981 Rocky Mountain vans announced the formation of a regional board. There were 9 members on that board, picked by RMV, each from a geographical region of the country. The purpose of the Board was to be the eyes and ears of Rocky Mountain Vans who at the time was the sole controller of the National Truck-in. The Boards duties consisted of studying applications of clubs or organizations from their area, and submitting recommendations to Rocky Mountain for final judgment, determining who would host the following year’s National Truck-in®.   Originally that announcement was to be made at that year’s National Truck-in®. 

   

       None of those original board members are still on the board. In fact, there have been a number of changes over the years in the board’s membership. Within a few years of its original inception the board members picked alternates who would take their place if they were unable to fulfill their duties. 

   

     In the beginning there were no meetings scheduled for the board. They met informally at the Nationals each year and soon began meeting during the Council of Counsel’s weekend since most of them would attend there anyway. 

   

         By the early 1990s Rocky Mountain Vans determined that they would no longer be able to be the determining factor in who got the Nationals every year.  At that time, they turned that responsibility over to the National Truck-in Board®.  The Board then became incorporated.  At that point the responsibility of the Board increased greatly. 

   

       When the board was originally formed there were a number of groups and or clubs that wanted to host a National Truck-in®.  But as you know over the years interest in doing that has diminished.  It has gotten to the point where we don’t have any groups interested in doing a Nationals in some years. In 2013 we had no bids.  The Board had to step up and host the Truck-in ourselves.

   

       Actually, in the last 10 years we’ve only had one National Truck-in that was done entirely independent of the Nats Board®.  Was it not for the individual efforts of some of our members to put together a hosting group, the Nationals Board® would have been on the hook for doing several more National Truck-ins®?

   

      The point is that this situation is not going to change. We will continue to have to go looking for people to host a Nationals.  We have come up with at least one alternative with our financing of the event to try to get more people involved in doing a National Truck-in®, but the reality is that the Nats Board® is going to be required to take more and more responsibility for this event if it is to continue.

   

      So, what can you, as an individual vanner do?  Plenty!   Volunteer.  There are plenty of ways to help the National Truck-in®.  Everyone has skills of some kind that would benefit the event. We need show judges every year.  If you have done any kind of customizing you are needed.   Come to a meeting, or the show classification and volunteer to judge.  We need people to help at classification.  People to help add up judging sheets. People to help park vans the day of show.   People to organize trophies for the presentation. That’s just the show.  There is trash to dispose of.  Bathrooms to keep maintained.  You like a clean restroom?   So, does everyone, but no one wants to do it.   We need people to man the gate.  It is open for at least a week.  It has to have at least 2 people there at all times.  People to man the headquarters.    Selling ice is a full-time job. People to run games and activities, organizing entertainment, security personnel and more.  As you can see there are a lot of people needed to pull off this event.

   

     The board is made up of 18 vanners.  9 members and 9 alternates. These vanners are all volunteers. There is a support staff made up of vanners who help where they are needed.  They too are volunteers.  You can join the support group and be included in all of our meetings where your input is welcome. The nationals needs to become a communal effort.

   

       Look at it as the board and support group being no different from the host club of any event. The Nationals Board® is not some governing body of vanning.  Our purpose is to host a truck-in every year.  It just happens to be the largest van event of the year. Bringing in vanners from all over the world.  Our goal is to make it the best van event every year.  To do that It needs your support and help.  Come join us. 

                                                               Coop

   

 

 

Flashback 2005 Nationals

 

Show Winners

 

Place	Class	NAME
1 st	Mini Ford Current - Street	Yvon St. Marceilles
2nd	61-67 Ford - Street -	Bobby Geblen
1st	61-67 Ford - Street -	Ken Hopcraft
2nd	61-67 Ford - Mild Custom -	Ron Martin
1st	61-67 Ford - Mild Custom  -	Gary Larkin
1st	61 - 67 Ford - Full Custom	Joe Yurkovitz
2nd	68-74 Ford - Street -	Denise & Larry Costamello
1st	68-74 Ford - Street -	John & Carla Rappa
2nd	68-74 Ford - Mild Custom -	Pete Guthrie
1 st	68-74 Ford - Mild Custom -	Tom Chronister
2nd	68-74 Ford - Full Custom -	Scott Croft
1 st	68-74 Ford - Full Custom -	Stanley Glermbaski
2nd	75- 83 Ford - Street -	Randy Fife
1 st	75- 83 Ford - Street -	Bryon Counts
1 st	75- 83 Ford - Full Custom -	Steve Theriault
2nd	84-91 Ford - Street -	Milhael Gilmore
1 st	84-91 Ford - Street -	Bob Maurice
2nd	84-91 Ford - Mild Custom  -	Konehead
1 st	84-91 Ford - Mild Custom -	Charlesr (Goat) Sticlkes
2nd	84-91 Ford - Full Custom -	Mark Waterman
1 st	84-91 Ford - Full Custom -	Ron & Marilynn Snyder
1 st	92-08 Ford - Mild Custom -	Ron Reid
1 st	92-08 Ford - Full Custom -	Lewis Greger
1 st	09 + Ford  - Street	Terry Neylor
1 st	84-89 Mini Chevy - Mild Custom-	Todd & Mary Vallancourt
1 st	90-94 Mini Chevy - Street-	Diana Parker
1 st	90-94 Mini Chevy - Mild Custom-	Dave Hufstader
2nd	95 + Mini Chevy - Street -	Danny Robinson
1 st	95 + Mini Chevy - Stree-	Steve Nemith
1 st	95 + Mini Chevy - Mild Custom-	Glen Pilgreen
2nd	64-66 Chevy - Street -	Shawn McCadden
1 st	64-66 Chevy - Street -	Ken Henecke
2nd	67-70 Chevy - Street -	Lewis Dexcker
1 st	67-70 Chevy - Street  -	George (Taz) Flament
2nd	64-70 Chevy - Mild Custom -	Mike Weed
1 st	64-70 Chevy - Mild Custom  -	John & Melissa Vear
1 st	64-70 Chevy - Full Custom -	Mike Dohanue
2nd	71-77 Chevy - Street -	John Sullivan
1 st	71-77 Chevy - Street -	Concepcion Pinero
2nd	71-77 Chevy - Mild Custom -	Chris Garguilo
1 st	71-77 Chevy - Mild Custom -	Kevin Neprud
2nd	71-77 Chevy - Full Custom -	Pete Sanborn
1 st	71-77 Chevy - Full Custom  -	John Kisilis
2nd	78-83 Chevy - Street -	Mike Piouffe
1 st	78-83 Chevy - Street -	Derick St Amour
1 st	78-83 Chevy - Mild Custom -	The Shanna Marie
2nd	78-83 Chevy - Full Custom -	Mike (Rat) Siering
1 st	78-83 Chevy - Full Custom -	Lester Platt
2nd	84-95 Chevy - Street -	Blair Williamson
1 st	84-95 Chevy - Street -	Bonnie Simard
2nd	84-95 Chevy - Mild Custom -	Chris Brown
1 st	84-95 Chevy - Mild Custom -	Ryan Shevlin
2nd	96 + Chevy - Street	Trish Kenney
1 st	96 + Chevy - Street	Dianne Masters
1 st	96 + Chevy - Mild Custom -	Denis Gagnon
1 st	64-70 Dodge - Mild Custom-	Kelly & Wendy Peters
3 rd	71-78 Dodge -Street	Pam & Richard Jackson
2nd	71-78 Dodge - Street -	Bob Hoover
1 st	71-78 Dodge - Street -	Phil & Wendy Martin
2nd	71-78 Dodge - Mild Custom -	Josh Wheeler
1 st	71-78 Dodge - Mild Custom -	Billy the Kid & Donna Oldenburg
2nd	71-78 Dodge - Full Custom -	Gary Hershman
1 st	71-78 Dodge - Full Custom -	Mike Mosher
2nd	79-83 Dodge - Street -	Lauren Clark
1 st	79-83 Dodge - Street -	Eddy Petit
1 st	79-83 Dodge - Mild Custom -	Darcy Matters
1 st	79-83 Dodge - Full Custom -	John (OOP) & Jo Katerba
2nd	84-93 Dodge - Street -	Judith Pilon
	84-93 Dodge - Street -	Dan Lonie
2nd	94-03 Dodge - Street -	Kevin Wenger
1 st	94-03 Dodge - Street -	Henry Gaunt
2nd	94-03 Dodge - Mild Custom -	Brad Wise
1 st	94-03 Dodge - Mild Custom -	Lorraine Coldren
1 st	94-03 Dodge -Full Custom	Bob Bundy
1 st	Rear Engine  - Foreign	Greg Cooper
2nd	4X4 Chevy -	Larry Elliot
1 st	4X4 Chevy -	Stan Susz
1 st	4X4 Ford -	Ken Maddre
2nd	Panel Truck - Chevy -	Jonathan Dence
1 st	Panel Truck - Chevy -	Tony Guyader
1 st	Panel Truck - Ford -	Art Senecal
1 st	Panel Truck - 4x4 -	Bob Tierney
1 st	Euro Van -	Charlie Pineda
1 st	Pannel Current HHR -	Roy Maitland
2nd	Dodge Classic Van -	Tom Alain
1 st	Dodge Classic Van -	Sarah Nievers
2nd	Ford Classic Van -	Don Fish
1 st	Ford Classic Van -	Bill Biggers
1 st	Chevy Classic Van	Ronald Gingras
2nd	GM  Camper Van -	Ryder Edwards
1 st	GM Camper Van -	Mathieu Sirois
1 st	Tandem Dodge -	Bernie Levesque
2nd	Radical Ford -	Ken Schwarz
1 st	Radical Ford -	William Wickersty
1 st	Radical Chevy -	Joyce & Marty Sooby