Shakedown trip for the '55 Metro

[Standaddy]

I left here Tuesday afternoon, 5/24, and drove to Cookeville, TN, where one of my trucking cohorts met me on Wednesday morning. We drove to South Bend, IN, for the ATHS National Convention and Truck Show for a few days of hanging out with our old friends and old trucks. By chance I made the front page of the South Bend Tribune on Friday, and so far no law enforcement authority has taken advantage of the chance to find me.
The 1,157-mile round-trip had no major problems, just a few small things to deal with, which are to be expected with a 56-year-old ride. I camped in the Metro, on the showgrounds, cooked brats and coffee for breakfast each morning, and had a fine time all around.
We drove the skinny roads up, and ran the big-road all the way back. The Metro did a fine job, pulling my motorcycle trailer loaded with my '83 Suzuki GS1100 and a pair of big-truck transmissions (which I sold at the show) going there, and the bike on the way home. Weather was a bit cool and damp, but just right.
To bad I can't live like this fulltime.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/sbt-pho ... otogallery

Stan
I'm pic #8

[tamangel]

more pic's of your truck meet..

http://forums.aths.org/InstantForum2010 ... Convention

I went to the Pleasanton meet in 2010.. amazing rigs..

Mike

[dburt]

Great pics Stan- and I like your hat too!

It must have been a fun place to be- I always wanted to go the a real antique truck show, not a car show where there might be a token old truck or two!

[Standaddy]

Mike, the Pleasanton show was a bit too far for me. I've been to 5 of the national shows now, and love camping in my rig while there, but I'm not sure I'll be able to make many more of them. Might be able to make Springfield, MO, in 2014. The show is in a different place every year, rotating from western part of the US, to the mid, then eastern part. The big-truck hobby is a somewhat difficult one to participate in, and I can no longer justify the fuel use to drive my '52 Pete long distances, plus the fact that I'm no longer the glutton for punishment that I used to be.
dburt, there are lots of ATHS members, and I'm sure several local chapter shows in your part of the country, in case your interested in attending a show there. You can check out the ATHS website for a show schedule. For me, one of the most important aspects of the ATHS shows is the fact that there is no judging, or prizes of any kind. That eliminates the competitive nature of participating, and as a result everything from "just dragged out of the fencerow", to "total frame-up restoration" is welcome and present. As a matter of fact, at the South bend show I just attended, my "hippie-wagon" Metro was parked right between that row of beautifully restored trucks that I'm walking past in the pic, and a similar Peterbilt that's probably worth $50K (at least worth that to somebody). And the Metro probably got as many smiles and comments as the shiny rigs.
Stan

[tamangel]

Stan, I'm a member of ATHS. The Pleasanton meet was the first national show I'd been too.. Here's some photos of 'housecars' that I saw there:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49957906@N ... otostream/

about 7 pic's..

I like the Pete, all in one body..

Mike

[Rudy]

Here are a few noteworthy trucks from one of the links above.

This one looks like an 80's model Holiday Rambler trailer melded to the truck frame.




A big green and yellow truck towing (of course) a John Deere tractor.




This truck looks like an oldie.

[tamangel]

still more from other ATRHS Truck shows



























Hope OK to post this many..

mike

[ezrablu]

AWESOME photos, thanks for posting these! Sure makes me wish I had a lot more money

[Standaddy]

Thanks for the pics. The first few I recognize from South Bend, and several are rigs belonging to friends and acquaintances. About number 6 down, the green Brockway 10-wheeler with the box (blue/green murals) on back belongs to my friend Dave, who I made the trip to South Bend with. This trip he drove a 1966 Clark Cortez motorhome. I should have pics of it soon.
And yeah Ezra, lots of money could be fun, I'll most likely never know from first-hand experience though.
Stan