FAIRFIELD – Matthew Welcher of the Power Wagon Advertiser hosted his Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion all last week, culminating in the parade from the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to the square on Saturday, June 8.

The parade is a chance for all the participants in the rally to show off their Dodge Power Wagons, and their civilian and military Dodge trucks. The week-long rally draws Power Wagon enthusiasts from across the country and sometimes overseas. Some attendees have been coming for decades while others were making their first trip to Fairfield.

“The reunion went very well,” Welcher said. “I believe the total was just under 200 people and just under 80 trucks. A young couple flew in from Washington state, so we do get people from all corners of the country.”

CROP INSPECTION

Mark Mueller of Waverly, Iowa, brought his 1940 VC1, a prototype that Dodge produced in limited number for the U.S. Army, making about 1,900 of them. He said Dodge wanted the soldiers to “beat the hell out of them and see what breaks,” so the company could improve on the design in future models.

“Virtually everything broke,” Mueller said.

The Army produced a long list of recommended changes for Dodge, such as changing the shape of the fenders to make them easier to clean, making the windshields foldable so the trucks could be packed closer together on ships, and a better radiator since it was prone to overheating.

“Dodge went back and rebuilt something completely different, which is what you see most of the time,” Mueller said. “I’ve been told that, of the 1,900 they made, there are maybe 12-15 of these still running.”

Mueller said he bought this VC1 from a collector who assembled it using pieces off five wrecked trucks. He likes to take his family for a ride, and uses his VC1 about once or twice per month in the summer. Unlike some collectors who are careful with their trucks and only take them out to show, Mueller actually still uses his VC1 for chores on the farm.

“In the spring, if I want to take a look at the crops before they get too tall, this is my crop inspection vehicle,” he said.

VISITOR FROM VERMONT

Tim Holloway was among the rally attendees who came the farthest, making the 18-hour drive from his home in Monkton, Vermont. Holloway brought his 1951 Dodge M37 on a trailer, and said it was perhaps his eighth visit to Fairfield. He said the Dodge M37 is not technically a Power Wagon but is closely related military variant.

Holloway found this vehicle on Craig’s List 20 years ago. The owner he bought it from had left it in a field to gather rust.

“It was in very rough shape,” he said. “It also had a lot of bad modifications made to it like a 10-foot long flatbed on the back. All of these trucks were used as tools, so whatever job was being done, the truck would be modified to suit. Sometimes it was done nicely and other times it was, ‘let’s get this done and make it work.’”

Holloway said he puts about 1,000 miles on his M37 each year. With the new engine he put in last year, he can make it go 60 mph, but he added that driving it at 50 mph is more comfortable.

Holloway said his favorite part of coming to the Power Wagon Rally is simply “the people.”

“We’re like a great big family, and when new people come, everybody gets welcomed in,” he said. “It’s all about the people.”

ELEVEN YEARS OF RESTORATION

Holloway has helped other rally attendees restore their power wagons, including the one owned by Dave Langford of Hollywood, Maryland. Langford also brought an M37, though his is from 1953. He’s come to the rally five or six times.

Power wagons earned a reputation for being a great off-road vehicle. The military used the M37 series during the Korean and Vietnam wars to carry troops, weapons and everything else.

“In their advertising for the civilian market, Dodge called it ‘the truck that needs no roads,’” Langford said.

Holloway modified Langford’s M37, swapping out the bench seat in the cab for modern, bucket seats. Langford said he mostly drives his M37 on pleasure cruises to keep it looking nice.

“Some of the guys take theirs in the mud, but that’s not me,” he said.

Langford has a similar vehicle back home that he uses for off-road jobs, like using its winch to pull a log from a ravine.

Unlike Mark Mueller whose vehicle was assembled from many broken down trucks, Langford said he’s been fortunate to find parts for his M37 so he hasn’t had to rely on getting them off junk cars.

“Military trucks you can find parts for easily,” he said. “The military ordered tons of parts and warehoused them. They had an excess.”

Langford acquired his truck 12 years ago from a farmer in Virginia. When he got it, it was covered in mud and wouldn’t start. It took 11 years of renovations from Langford and Holloway to get it running, with Holloway doing the body work and paint, while Langford focused on the chassis and putting the parts together.

Next year’s Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion will be held from June 2-7, with the parade on the final day of Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com