- VOLUME 43, NO. 11, [10] SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 -
What’d you say?
BY ANTHONY SOOS
PHOTOGRAPHY: TEAM TRUCKING
ot something to tell us? This is your spot. Tell
us you like a feature, want to see more tech
stories of your particular truck, or that we
got a new truck test right or wrong. We’ve
dedicated this one page to anything and everything
you have to say. Think of it as our Facebook wall, only it
goes to print instead of being forgotten in five seconds.
Speaking of which, we’ll be selecting some of the best
posts on our Facebook wall and printing them here, so be
sure to friend us at facebook.com/truckinmag. We can
be reached at [email protected].Southern Comfort
A big shout out to my favorite truck mag of all time. Heck, my
favorite magazine in general! I was a mini-trucker in my youth
and drove the piss out of my ’84 Toyota Single Cab. I got out of that
life a long time ago, but the scene is still strong here in Tennessee.
I see a whole bunch of custom full-size and mini-trucks roaming
around, and I know there are more than a few good shows going
on. I want to get back in the scene with my wife, whose more
into rockabilly style cars and trucks, but she still appreciates the
craftsmanship it takes to build stuff. Hey, how do I start a local,
parking-lot style show? I think those are really cool.
Andy F.
(Via email)
Wow, Andy,
That is so cool of you to do! Yeah, Tennessee has really turned out
to be hotbed of custom trucks in both fullsize and minis. And the
scene is also supported by a number shows, including some nobles
like Lay’d Out In The Park in April and the Relaxed Atmosphere All
Star Event during July (which just passed). Many other smaller
regional and neighborhood shows go on throughout the year. The
best way to create a parking-lot show is to become friendly with
some of the local clubs like Severed Ties, Relaxed Atmosphere,
Negative Camber, Ground Level, Freaks Of Nature, and Sunset or
any others that you can track down on the web. Let them know
you are trying to do a once-a-month low-key show. They might
have a preexisting cruise night, and it would be a good idea to go.
If you can, get friendly with the local chapter president. Thanks for
keeping the scene alive.
Baby Ram
I just picked up a ’95 Dodge Dakota for my 16 year old son. We’re
planning to fix it up together, so he can drive it to high school. Driving
his mom’s old sedan is not doing anything for his popularity. I figure by
the time he is off to college, we can get him something new. I like these
little trucks, and see that they pop up in mini-truck shows every now
and then. When I get the truck back, my brother and I (we were both in
mini-clubs back in the day), want to ’bag it and turn it into a show truck. I
love the fact that it has similar styling to the fullsize Ram of the day, and
it’s going to be a good learning experience for my son.
Nesto Rodriguez
Lancaster, TexasNesto,
We always love to hear about a father teaching his son to wrench,
but we love hearing that a viable mid-size truck is going to be
turned into a show-goer in its lifetime! Too often, those Dakotas
get used and abused so much that their final resting place is
the local scrapyard. We have no idea why they were not more
popular with builders, they have great lines and do look like a
small, second-gen Ram 1500 with their big flat front fenders and
crosshair grille. You do see them pop up at shows, which brings
a smile to our faces. Might we suggest your son, brother, and
you do the ’bag work now? Maybe you can save the full show-
work for later, but driving a ’bagged truck to high school would
certainly up his popularity! Just a suggestion...Back in the Game
Hey, there! I’ve been a reader for a long time. I just got back into
the truck game, as I had a few kids a little while ago. I had to sell
my boddied-on-20s ’94 S10 for something more practical for my
wife to drive. So I got her a stupid minivan, and I was driving her
clapped out Honda until it croaked recently. I now have a ’
Silverado Crew Cab 2500 with a tow package that I feel will serve
our growing family by being able to haul around my boys (7 and
4), tow a small travel trailer for camping, or haul a two-bike trailer
when my brother and I go trail riding. Should I get an adjustable
tow hitch for my truck? If so, which kind?
Patrick Vorhamm
Harrisburg,
PennsylvaniaHey yourself,
Patrick!
Thanks for reading
and writing. An
adjustable tow
hitch will let you
tow a variety of
trailers and will
definitively do the
job towing your
trail bikes. Taking a look over at AutoAnything.com, you have
lots of options. Off-road outfitter Smittybilt has one with four
adjustment points and a reversible ball that goes from 2 to 2
5/16 inches. The Trimax Razor XTR is aluminum and available
in three sizes, 6, 8, and 12 inches, and it also has a reversible
ball. Weight Safe has the most trick setup with 10 points of
adjustment, a variety of ball sizes, and a scale to measure
tongue weight. Hope that helps.