The 13th Annual Ohio Vintage Truck Reunion was held on June 27-28, 2025, at the Ashland County Fairgrounds, and it wouldn’t be the show without a little rain. This year it came in the form of a huge downpour early Saturday morning. Luckily, that didn’t deter many folks, as 241 trucks still showed up, with Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and Illinois all represented. Just about every heavy truck manufacturer was represented as well, from Autocar to White Freightliner, there was even an ultra-rare Ohio-built Garford in the mix (Tom Sampson’s 1920 model was built in Lima).
Things cleared up nicely by late Saturday morning, making way for a great annual dinner cruise out to Der Dutchman for an Amish buffet dinner. A couple dozen bobtails participated, and plenty of friends and family joined us there. We were only the second group to enjoy a meal in their freshly refurbished banquet hall. Some people went straight home from the dinner, but some returned to the fairgrounds for a movie. On Friday and Saturday night, trucking movies were projected onto Chris Budke’s 1993 Fruehauf trailer behind his ‘87 Marmon. Friday night introduced many spectators to Mike Parkhurst’s “Moonfire” for the first time, and Saturday, the group voted on watching Convoy.
On the topic of the Fruehauf, it arrived with some stowaways in the form of three baby birds hidden away in the refrigerator unit. I couldn’t let them go without mama, but a local bird sanctuary wouldn’t take them. Guess who has two thumbs and spent the weekend climbing up and down a ladder hourly to keep them going! There’s a first time for everything, but I am pleased to say they made it home. Given how many stories were shared with me about raccoon nests, possums, and squirrels making poor life choices of living on a trailer, it makes me wonder how many other drivers have experienced a similar situation.
Just before the dinner cruise set off, a live auction was held, and then the silent auction winners were announced. There were at least five large tables full of generously donated items available for bidding up until 3:00 pm Saturday. Rare books and manuals, handmade goods, gift baskets, maintenance supplies, magazines, and more were up for grabs. The silent auction even included a very valuable new Bose seat. Participation in the whole weekend is free, whether you’ve brought a truck, or are just there as a spectator. Donations are collected for the Ashland Food Bank and Shriners Transportation Fund. This year, just over $6,600 was raised.
Something new at the 2025 show was a Sunday morning breakfast put on by the ladies in the fairground cafeteria. They were serving ice cream over the weekend, too. Their service started with a Friday evening ice cream social, free to those with a registered truck. Remember, it’s a reunion! And what’s a reunion without ice cream? Please don’t ask how many times I went back for more over the weekend. My ulterior motive was to spend time in the air conditioning. After all, the AC went out in my hotel room (a truck) for the night as it pulled into the parking lot (old trucks are fun). The Sunday morning breakfast helped encourage a few more people to stay through Saturday night.
Part of what makes this show extra special are the memorabilia displays and model truck contest. Each takes place in its own building. Another building shelters the brass-era wooden trucks from the weather, and another houses registration and several vendors, while some additional vendors dot the outdoor grounds. This year’s model contest winners were Bryan Lorentz (Youth), Art Culbertson (Novice), and Rodney Dean (Expert). Saturday afternoon activities also include a Slow Truck Crawl where no braking is allowed! It’s a chance to see who has the slowest low gear. The 2025 winner was Ron Smoker in Earl Feller’s IH K8 tractor. The Loudest Horn went to Brad Fleming in his Mack B61. Yes, the volume is measured and recorded with a decibel meter.
One of the regular participants in the model contest is Matt Uphaus of Manchester, Michigan. Matt builds incredibly detailed truck and trailer models – out of LEGO! In fact, moments after I exited my truck, Stainless Stu, he appeared with a model of it! Even knowing it was coming, I was still quite awed to see it in person. You might think, “How detailed can a model made from kid’s toys be?” The answer is: very. His ability to scale down and translate into limited pieces is impressive. The first one, Unit 1, started as a 351 Pete, just like his grandfathers. “I was raised to be a fourth generation trucker – it’s just in my blood.” Growing up playing with LEGO with his cousin, the two of them would build tiny versions of trucks. As the boys got bigger, so did the models. High school years saw a hiatus in block time, and they were put into storage.
A little while after graduation, Matt had been thinking, “I can do this better now,” and decided to get them back out. Four models from his original fleet were still intact. Things have snowballed since then, with the fleet now over 100, and far more sophisticated in design. He explained that the truck sets he had as a kid weren’t any specific model, or very accurate. To build what he wanted, he would have to make it up as he went. “That’s the glory with LEGO – you can change stuff, and it doesn’t require as much patience or time, because you don’t have to get it all right the first time.”
Working from a list of trucks he likes, Matt moves them up or down the list as pieces are obtained. “I started building some that I one day wanted in real life, with this cool paint scheme or that option.” During the builds, he sees what needs to be adjusted and fixes them along the way. Sometimes a build can be delayed by not having enough of an obscure piece. Pieces used to be sourced from garage sales and marketplace, but now there’s a store near him where he can go through bins for what he needs.
Whatever material you use to make models, there’s space for it at the Ashland event. And whatever trucking-related collection you have amassed, there is space for that, too. Vendors range from hand-built wooden trucks and toys to parts, polishing supplies, and collectible items from fleets. The next Ohio Vintage Truck Jamboree will take place in 2026 on June 26-27. I look forward to seeing you there! For information on bringing trucks, models, memorabilia, or being a sponsor, visit www.ohvintrkreu.com. And, with a little luck, maybe the 2026 show will be rain free, for once! Hey, we can always dream, right!!