As you may, or may not, know, my youngest brother is a time-served HGV mechanic. Every year for as long as I can remember, we have gone to Truckfest for the day. They usually stay over, and this year we joined them for the weekend at Truckfest North West at Knutsford Showground. I took Friday off work and we met up on the M6 to arrive on site in convoy. The weekend ran from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th September.
We arrived on site Friday with Hotdogs, my brother, leading in his bull-nosed Scania; Krys, one of his colleagues, in his Transit recovery vehicle, which had been converted to a food storage and prep area; and me in my very practical and spacious, ideal for a weekend camping in a field with thousands of HGVs, convertible E46.
I'll be honest, I did feel a bit left out that I did not have an array of flashing orange LEDs. My hazard warning lights did not quite cut the mustard. But my ticket said support vehicle, so I was coming in regardless.
We got pitched up on the end of a row: E46 in first and set back from the path, Scania in next, aligned with the other trucks in the row, and Krys's Transit out the back parked parallel to the footpath. We set up the tent and event shelter behind the truck alongside the van. The side door opened out onto the gap between the tent and the shelter. Windbreak out the front for BBQ shelter and to mark the boundary of our pitch.
By the time we'd set up, it was starting to go dark, so we made some dinner, then went for a wander about, then sat round the fire having a laugh.
We woke up on Saturday morning, tidied up the camp, cooked breakfast and awaited the wives, girlfriend and my dad arriving for a day visit. Truckfest is everything you would expect it to be from its name. There are thousands of interesting vehicles there: mostly HGVs, some monster trucks, some show trucks, some work trucks, some expedition trucks — something for everyone.
There are a few motorcycle stunt shows each day, monster trucks squashing cars, truck parades, music, food, drink, and four of the Gladiators from TV were there too: Steel, Sabre, Diamond and Bionic, if you're into that sort of thing. Mitch is very into that sort of thing.
The weather was mostly fine, with the odd bit of light rain in the afternoon. All the while Truckfest things are going on, there are people stopping by to take pictures of the truck, asking questions about the truck and having sits in the truck. It's a very different view of things being there with a truck than being there to see trucks.
The truck gets lots of attention wherever it goes. As you get close to site, there are plenty of people stood by traffic lights to take pictures. But Bully, the truck's nickname, gets that attention on the motorway, miles from the entrance.
I can only imagine the attention some of the more jazzy trucks get. There are usually stands from the big manufacturers, and the Volvo one was particularly impressive. There are all kinds there: people with hospitality trucks, trucks all airbrushed up, specialised trucks. A truck fancier's paradise.
There is loads for kids to do: a little fairground, giant inflatable slides, mini monster trucks, and lots of static cool stuff to look at and get a photo with.
Being there on site all weekend is ace. When you wake up in the morning, the show bit is deserted. It is a very different experience at 0730 when you are on your way to the loo than it is at 1100 when it is bustling with people. The same happens at the other end of the day: the show bit goes quiet and the food section comes alive with truckers and trucker families listening to the live band and enjoying the facilities.
Back at camp, we'd got the day squared away and were chilling in the event shelter with a first-time-use twig stove to keep the chill off, and save logs for when it went dark.
We were parked a couple of minutes' walk away from a couple of sources of twigs on the site. The kids went out and collected twigs while I split logs in preparation for the BBQ campfire. Many s'mores were eaten, many laughs were had, and many songs were sung by H, who it turns out is a talented singer and guitar twanger.
Krys's daughter and her friend slept in bedroom 1 of the tent, Mitch and I slept in bedroom 2, and Hotdogs and Krys slept in bedroom 3. Fin and Harry slept in the bunk beds in the truck, with the night heater, memory foam mattresses and all the truck's gizmos and gadgets. They had the premier accommodation.
We all had a good wander about during the weekend. The deal is that there always has to be someone at the truck to help people get in and out, to sign autographs and to answer questions about the truck. When it was my turn, this involved telling tales about the adventures I have got up to in Bully the truck. I have no HGV licence and know very little about bull-nosed Scania trucks, but creative licence... that is another story.
One of my pals at work is a big fan of Only Fools and Horses. Lee, this one's for you. Lee is not very tall; the mini truck on the back is probably a perfect fit for him.
Looking through the pictures I took over the weekend, Volvo trucks are my favourite. I am basing this on the sheer number of Volvo trucks that are in the camera roll for the weekend. Who knew I had a favourite truck manufacturer?
Being able to wander about at night and see all the trucks with their lights on is awesome. Being able to then go back to a basecamp with comfy chairs, a well-stocked food truck, a BBQ and good mobile coverage is pretty good too. Having Krys's van set up how it was set up was ace. Somewhere with leccy for the 12v fridges, a worktop to prepare food on, and food storage, normally full of truck breakdown spares. It is the only way to camp.
As soon as the sun starts to go down, all the trucks fire up their lights. It is a festival for the eyes and ears: LEDs, flashing beacons, sound systems, loud exhausts and friendly truckers showing off their modifications. The food area with the live band was jumping from 1930 until 2330. Each of the main truck fields was full of lit-up trucks, and the atmosphere at night was splendid.
Our camp was in direct eyeline of the main arena, so if we did not want to go to a stunt show but still wanted to watch it, we just looked over and motorcycles were flying through the air. We heard the ooohs and aaahs as if we were right there with them.
Mitch and I went for a ride in the monster truck with 10 seats in the pickup bed. I am quite a fan of monster trucks, so I was hoping Mitch would be up for a go, and he did not let me down. The dude razzed us about, doing donuts in the front bit, zooming round the big loop, firing mud up from the tyres — everything you would want for a five-minute monster truck ride.
I am a bit of a redneck at heart. Despite my love for E46 BMWs and disdain for modern vehicles, I did meet a vehicle which potentially changes that: a custom Dodge Ram with a 6.2l supercharged V8. Low-profile vehicle, subtle and understated. My favourite part is under the bonnet, but the acid green extras were right up there. It was north of £100 grand though, so I cannot see one landing at Casa Tiggy anytime soon.
Thoughts
If you like trucks, Truckfest is for you. It is a nationwide series of shows that run through the summer each year. It is a great show for the day, and camping made it into a brilliant weekend. Tons to see and do, friendly site, loads of people there and a ton of trucks.
The weather was a bit rubbish on Sunday, but the weekend was ace. It was great spending time with the kids — boyz weekend — with Hotdogs and H, and with Krys and his girls. We'll be going again next year, and we'll be camping over again. Keep your eye on the Truckfest website if you fancy it.
