GoodGuys - Columbus, OH

We don't usually get the opportunity to attend this event since it's usually the same weekend as Nats so this was the 1st time Rick & I went to this GoodGuys event & it was big with over 5,000 vehicles.  It was the weekend before Nats so we just made it part of our vacation. I know we didn't see all of this event. We had a hard enough time just finding our friends on the grounds. Ken Hopcraft & Tim Brogan & his wife met us there.

We had a perfect spot (we thought) for setting up camp right on the corner by registration so vehicles had to come buy our site before they headed into the fairgrounds. We failed to notice however the HUGE light over our camper. Needless to say you could get up at 2am and it was like daylight inside hehe. I can't say I cared for the grounds at this event as much as I enjoy the Des Moines grounds but I would go again. I think I just didn't like being right in the city and if I thought we did a lot of walking at the Des Moines event you did even more here. I did like the open sided barns that you could park in and there was quite a bit of shade and a few buildings with a/c but a lot of parking lot areas you had to walk if you wanted to see all the cars. Rick loved their trophy presentation on Sunday. It was a drive through presentation into a big building with a/c and lots of seating which came in handy after all this walking.

This event is also where we first ran into John Jackson of NotStock Photography. Apparently a LOT of vanners had been sending and putting flyers in his Corvair van to try to get him to the Nationals LOL. Saturday we parked in the Ya Gotta Drive 'Em special parking section and we ended up actually parking by John with Ken Hopcraft.  If you haven't checked out John's website and Facebook page you should really take the time. He does an awesome job!

Someone that works with my son also made this his 1st GoodGuys event with a 57 Nomad he'd been building. It took 2 days to find him but we finally caught up to him. Gorgeous car!
We also ran into several other vanners there including Headstone taking a run around the grounds - can't miss the sound of that van plus it's one of my favorites!! Overall a great time and a nice way to start our trip to the Van Nationals.

Be sure to check the HOAVC website & Facebook page for more pictures!

Rick & Tammy Kenney
Three Trails Vans/Hy-Rollin Vans

GoodGuys in Des Moines, IA

This is one of our favorite car shows to go to.  Rick & I have been going to this event since 2005. It's limited to vehicles 1972 & older and it's a lot of fun. It takes place in at the State Fair Park in Des Moines, IA over the 4th of July weekend. It's kind of like a mini truck-in with vanners from CIV & Three Trails Vans camping together every year at the campground attached to the fairgrounds.  The car enthusiasts at this event are very dedicated & it seems like they line up earlier every year trying to get in and grab a spot on main street. We hadn't even gone to bed Friday night and they already had a long line up to the gate. We prefer to stay up late enjoying the company of our friends but still manage to get a good spot when we head down for the show. Lots of shade, a building with a/c, fireworks show & plenty of vendors & good food.


It's a 3 day event and even then we don't usually see everything that is here with usually over 3,000 vehicles to check out, a swap meet and several buildings with vendors. We thought Keith surprised us and showed up after-all at the event (see orange panel truck above) but it was a look-alike.  The early Econo belongs to a guy out of Des Moines and we run into him every year at this event.  Haven't talked him into a van event...yet! Before this van he owned a very kewl VW bus with a tie-dyed interior.
Leaving the event on Sunday Rick and I took a detour to John Wayne's birthplace to check out the Legend and get some pics. It was donated to the museum when it went up for sale at the Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ. They have someone that comes over every week to maintain it and it's driven regularly in parades. Rick went in and talked to the ladies running the museum store and gave them some history on it. Turns out some Vans Am ladies were there earlier in the year also.  The ladies told Rick they were so excited to see it they practically hugged the van LOL

Tammy & Rick Kenney
Hy-Rollin Vans, Three Trails Vans

For more pictures check out the HOAVC Facebook page & HOAVC.org

GoodGuys Show - Des Moines IA : July 2010

Central IA Vans encouraged us to attend this event a few years ago to help promote vanning and we've been going ever since.  It's one of my favorite shows to go to and if you're looking for parts, the supply is endless between the vendors and the swap meet. The nice thing about this location is that we are able to camp in the campgrounds attached to the state fairgrounds. It's almost become like a mini truck-in with the amount of vanners attending the past few years.

This year Taz and Jill went out on Monday (show didn't start til Friday) and started saving spots for about 14 of us. Not an easy task with as many people that have started camping there. Rick and I rolled in on Thursday.  They got us a prime camping spot, level and on the road so we could watch all the street rods roll by. I still can't get used to the cars starting up at 3am to get in line to get into the grounds in hopes of parking on main street. Being at this fairgrounds has many advantages.  A large building with a/c to get out of the heat, tons of food vendors, lots of shade, 3,500+ vehicles to look at and some of the best fireworks I've seen in awhile. 

Andy and Mary bring their boss's cars to the show from his car museum.  They've also been kind enough to give us several private tours of the museum. Saturday we usually BBQ with everyone back at camp or over at one of CIV's homes along with a dip in their pool to cool down. Always makes for a fun time. 
This year Andy spoiled some of us on Friday and a few of us ladies got to drive the show cars back up to camp.  I got the El Camino...VERY nice!!  A few of the men decided to also try the autocross this year. The announcer loves vans and has a website called bangshift.com  They were very impressed with us. Check out the coverage from Saturday.





While everyone else went home after this event, Rick and I continued on our vacation to the Nationals in NY.