News (Stellpower)

Car Spotter: Hello, I’m a Truck

by Tom Buss

“Hello, I’m a Truck” came to mind when we ended up behind a rollback with this pick-up staring down at me.

On our July 2012 trip, where we saw a ’76 Dodge ice cream truck in San Diego, we also saw this 1970 or ’71 Dodge pick-up in Encinitas. We’d met a Cali resident in San Juan Capistrano who recommended the Encinitas beaches for our daughter Cassandra. A morning drive on the South Coastal Highway did not disappoint. We were looking for a parking spot and found ourselves behind this truck. I followed the guy around the block, taking pictures as I drove. The driver must have thought we were crazy, but I figured this might be my only chance to see this truck up close.

The truck was light blue with a white roof. Except for a few small dents and dings, it was in excellent condition. After consulting with a friend, I think it was a Camper Special. It has an access door for campground hook-up, hold-down attachment points for a slide-on camper, large rectangular mirrors, an 8’ bed and 128” wheelbase.

California lives up to its reputation for beautiful beaches and beautiful cars and trucks. I highly recommend a stop in San Juan Capistrano, Encinitas and a drive on the South Coastal Highway.

“Hello, I’m a Truck” was written by Bob Stanton and sung by Red Simpson. It was released in 1971 and was part of the CB radio/truck craze of the 1970s.

This story originally ran in the National Chrysler Products Club Journal.

Car Spotter: Hello, I’m a Truck

Other Car Spotter articles by Tom Buss