Flying down the highway with good tunes radiating through the cab as the sun shines and the speedometer needle climbs. This was the scene on Friday, March 18, as I made my way-along with the rest of the staff and several dedicated Truckin' readers-to Truckin's Spring Break show in Lake Havasu, Arizona. The morning kicked off at Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners in Huntington Beach, California, where custom trucks were lined up for the State 2 State cruise. Enthusiasm filled the air as slammed and lifted rides trickled into the Line-X parking lot and the custom truck spirit shifted into overdrive. The rest of the day was filled with a few stops at Sir Michaels Corporation, ATS Design, and MKW Wheels before snagging a little lunch and putting the pedal down for the remaining miles to Havasu. Finally, I got to enjoy the seat time in Red Rocker, but because of my taste in music and vocal stylings behind the wheel, I drove solo. Out came the Whitesnake, Mtley Cre, and Poison CDs to set the cruising mood for my desert journey. With my good friend Chris Midkiff rolling behind me in his body-dropped C1500 towing his blown jet boat, we rocked Interstate 10 to the tune of about 70 mph. As I listened to the roar of my Flowmaster and the wail of the guitar, I sunk into the leather buckets and realized this is what it is all about: cruising and enjoying your truck with fellow enthusiasts and good friends. Red Rocker ran awesome and performed past my expectations as I hopped off the 10, hit highway 95, and tackled the route through Parker. Chris and I cruised together up through the hills and enjoyed the scenic landscape. We rolled into Lake Havasu City about 6:30 p.m. and joined the other cruisers for some dinner and a little custom truck conversation.
After a well-rounded dinner, it was off to the local do-it-yourself car wash to blast the bugs and road grime off Red Rocker and shine it for Saturday. Senior Editor Dan Ward, aka the "Old Guy," 25, Associate Editor Harley Camilleri, and Tech Editor Bob Ryder hit the car wash with me to detail their rides, and we had a lot of fun blasting our stereos while ringing out our Absorbers. The crew from Hill's Hot Rods also joined in the fun at the car wash, and we spent a few minutes looking at Red Rocker under the florescent lights and recapping the buildup.
Saturday's sunrise came fast, and I hopped in Red Rocker and drove over to the show. After getting the truck parked, I caught a ride over to a friend's lake house where my lifted Chevy and boat were parked. I drove down to the launch ramp, and my adrenaline was going as I clicked the key and anticipated my 530hp big-block's rumble. Unfortunately, a dead battery immediately killed my buzz, and it was off to the auto parts store (let's not forget I hadn't yet wiped down the C10 or cleaned out the interior). Within a half hour, I had the boat in the water and headed toward Truckin's boat display. Once the boat was situated, I grabbed some quick detailer and got the C10 cleaned up. Then, it was off to photograph the show and gather material for our 20-page show feature series found in this issue.
Perhaps the best part of my weekend came Sunday night when I met a cool group of guys from the show who had a BBQ going in the hotel parking lot. They invited me to join them, and I hung out all night with this central California-based crew, talking custom trucks, Truckin' magazine, and the truck scene in general. It was cool to make some new acquaintances, and I know if I see these guys at another show we will definitely hang out again. Our recent Havasu show sparked my enthusiasm for this year's show season, and I can't wait to get out there and shoot some more badass trucks and make some great new friends. Until next month, keep hitting those switches, cranking good tunes (such as Oingo Boingo and KISS), and cruising until your heart's content.