Big Boys Toys

In-depth

10 May

Anyone reading this likes-loves-has an interest in trucks. No doubt the vast majority of you have a big-medium-small banger that you love….nearly as much as your partner/kids, says me, being politically correct.

Unfortunately we are not all in the financial position of being able to afford our dream, at least not on a 1:1 scale. The next step for a group of folk is to build their own trucks – at 1/14th scale.

The model trucking industry is thriving, thanks to these dedicated truck enthusiasts. A loose-knit group, they come together at truck shows all over the place, attracting an admiring audience of kids and adults alike.

Eric - No Last Name - so we’ll call him Eric 1, has a totally bespoke model of Thor – the world’s fastest truck that recently sold to some bored Arabian for $13 million smackeroos! Eric liked the original so built his own from the ground up. The model took him a year to build and the detail is, quite frankly, amazing. “It’s cost me $800 to date,” remarks Eric. “At 1/14th scale I figure it should be worth in the region of $930,000 now, based on the sale of the real version.”

Good luck with that, Eric. Although, if you could get hold of that Arab, he just might come to the party, given that, like his, yours is a one-off.

**Eric 1 trying to look as cool as his truck**

Michael Jockers also likes small trucks. From Beulah in the Mallee, Mike was a truckie for Ron Hartridge at Mulgrave. Now retired, he gets great enjoyment from building and ‘driving’ the replicas. He has three trucks – a tilt train, a Global Liner and an army tank carrier. The cost? Around $1,200-$1,500 each.

“The sky is the limit, really,” says Michael as he points out a Shell Road Train. “That little beauty is worth $16,000. You can buy them in kits from Tamiya.

“There are some who like to build the kits themselves from scratch and then there are others who buy them ready built off eBay. Some come with a computer and engine sound, working lights, indicators, reverse lights and sound. It’s all down to budget.”

**Michael Jockers is still trucking - just on a smaller scale.**

Michael has been involved with the RC’s for six years. “We have people here from South Australia, Melbourne and Geelong; they come from all over. It is not a club - just a loose affiliation of a group of friends. So we get together and say let’s do Castlemaine or Tooradin or wherever.”

Michael travels to the shows with wife, Betty in a 1993 Isuzu bus which he converted into a motor home. “We gutted and rebuilt it from scratch. The motor thankfully was all right. The bus has only done 300,000 km’s and returns 14 L/100km which is cheap travel. “We make a habit of going away once a month. Otherwise it’s pointless having it.” He sold a 23 foot caravan in for it and basically got the bus and did it up for the same price.

Model trucking attracts people of all ages from kids through to old truckies. Michael’s oldest boy, Darren works for Shannon Bros, driving a fuel tanker, as well as a school bus - and plays with the RC’s in his spare time.

The detail in the trucks and trailers is something to behold. I see one young fella from South Australia playing with a truck, but many of the others are older, possibly because it is a relatively expensive hobby.

**Eric’s Bespoke model of a $13 million monster.**

I come across another Eric No-Last-Name, so Eric 2 he is. Eric 2 is from Pakenham which is maybe why he didn’t want to give it. He believes he is on wanted posters in the area.

He drives for 1800 Drivers which is agency work. “I drive whatever they put me behind. I don’t mind where I go and as long as I don’t have to push it, it’s all good. Currently I’m not allowed to drive thanks to a heart attack. I can drive again, once they stress my heart out, which will no doubt give me another heart attack. It’s a lose/lose situation.

“I was a carpenter and joiner for 35 years and been truck driving for only 20, so I guess I’m a wannabe truck driver.”

A Peterbilt man through and through, poor old Eric has actually never been in one. Perhaps some kind reader could remedy this.

Eric has a blue-and-white truck with a Maersk container on the trailer. “That will end up being a Peterbilt. At the moment it only has a pretend grill on it and it needs a real one. I guess that’s okay because it is a pretend truck. The back end dropped a tail shaft which shows that these trucks have all problems of the full sized jobs. They are 1/14 scale, they have the price tag of a 1/14 scale and they have the running costs of the 1/14 scale.”

Eric has been playing with model trucks for five years. “I’m an old RC fan from way back. I used to race off road and on road. When these things came on the market I couldn’t see the sense of them. You can’t race them, they don’t go fast. They’re not designed that way. But, you know, I actually really enjoy them.”

**The detail on this Kenworth is incredible**

“If you put a Freightliner or an Inter or a Kenny up against each other, take all grills and lights out, they look pretty much the same. So it’s is not hard to change them over to another brand.”

“The Global Liner and King Hauler were the first two trucks to ever hit the market in the late ‘70’s or early ‘80’s. Like anything else old they can actually appreciate in value.”

**This Shell Road Train is worth $16,000**

Starting at around $500, it is easy to spend $1,200 for a rolling chassis only and from there the sky is the limit. But it is also easy to see that these guys love what the build and do and enjoy sharing their hobby with any who wish to come and have a look.

**The truck in the background gives some perspective**

We’ll leave the last words to one of the Eric No-Last-Name’s: “We’re doing good for the environment, because they’re electric. Who says truckies don’t care about climate change?”