Southeast All Truck Nationals 2025
With the cancellation of Slammedenuff in Gatlinburg for the foreseeable future, it would seem that the idea that a group of enthusiasts can come into a small town and transform it into a respectable city-wide event may be a fool’s errand. Just like H2Oi and SOWO in the past, chaos will always sneak in and, inevitably, take over.
Whenever one of these situations happens, enthusiasts rush to the forums (Tiktok?) to point fingers, and blame the fake enthusiasts, the clout chasers, and the clowns. And they are right to do so. There are bad actors that ruin good events. But when you watch a video, and there’s several hundred people crowded around, phones out, watching a few bad apples do burnouts and climb around on a gas station at night, versus a select few at the rental sitting around a campfire exchanging old car stories, one has to wonder, from a values perspective, what do the majority of attendees expect from the event? If you look around, and all you see are clowns, you’re at the circus.
I stumbled onto the Southeast All-Truck Nationals show in Maggie Valley, NC during a family trip in October. Driving through the city, a small unassuming valley town less than two hours from Gatlinburg, every single lot was filled with some combination of classic mini trucks, body dropped late model trucks, and show-style 4x4s. The main event was on Saturday, but it was clear that attendees were here for the weekend, and that for a couple days, Maggie Valley and the show were one.
For those that are completely new to the mini-truck world, this is a style that first appeared (generally speaking) in the late 80s and 90s, probably peaking in the early 2000s as OEM manufacturers began releasing vehicles like the S10 Extreme and Tacoma X-Runner. Aesthetics wise, there’s a ton of variety, but there were always bright colors, small wheels, wild interiors, etc. There’s obvious inspiration from the low rider and custom communities of before, and clear influence on the contemporary NOPI-style import scene. If nothing else, custom parts mattered. Individual expression mattered. There are no single tuner full catalog bolt-on low-rider builds (at least that I’ve ever seen).
Interestingly, for the period of time that many of these builds represent, there was no indication that this was a retro themed event. There were certainly some on-the-nose 80s and 90s references, but this wasn’t Radwood. This was just what these guys and girls are into, unapologetically.
Beyond the mini-trucks, there was a healthy mix of other newer truck styles. The body-dropped late models with big wheels, the fully built 4×4’s with huge lifts and stretched tires, the classics lowered with an OEM+ vibe and LS swaps. It’s all amazing, and overwhelming, and requires no explanation to be impressed, even to the casual observer.
At night, spectators lined the streets for the mile or so stretch through town as the participants cruised up and down the strip. There were old guys, and toddlers, and teenagers, and everything in between. I can say with 100% honesty that nothing ever felt out of control or unsafe. From sunset to 10pm or so, we just enjoyed great looking trucks with cool lights and occasional sparks. Maybe that sounds cool to you, or maybe that sounds lame. For a 40 year old dad on a trip with his family, I thought it was pretty rad.
My point is not to directly compare this show to Slammedenuff and say that one was good and one was bad. I’m aware of the differences in size, in the age of clientele, and a myriad of other variables that as someone that’s never planned a show, I won’t pretend to understand. All I’m saying is that two events occurred, within two hours of each other, in the same month, with the same intent; bring enthusiasts together for a weekend of cool cars and good times. The premise isn’t broken. The next generation has to decide, from a values perspective, what they want their experience to be, and who’s invited. It is absolutely worth fighting for.
Southeast All Truck Nationals Complete Photo Gallery
