10-4 Magazine August 2022

12 10-4 Magazine / August 2022 “Crackerbox” cabover with factory air ride on the front and rear, and a 1957 GMC DR 800 (also with factory air ride). They also have a 1962 REO cabover, a 1963 Peterbilt, a 1925 AC Mack, a 1985 Mack UltraLiner Magnum cabover (only 64 of these were ever made), and the previously mentioned 1983 Peterbilt 359, powered by a 400 Cummins, with only 470,000 original miles. And this is not even half of what he owns! Along with all these other antique trucks mentioned, Dave also owns the unique 1986 GMC “5-Star” General featured here. Powered by a 475-hp 8V92 Silver Detroit hooked to a 13-speed transmission, the truck is also fitted with a factory installed 60” Bentz walk-in sleeper. When ordered with the 60” sleeper, other options were available, and this truck has them, including dual rectangular headlights (they were usually round), and a metal grill with eleven horizontal chrome bars (the typical grill was plastic and had eight ver tical bars). Dave has never seen another GMC General with these options but is cer tain they were from the factory. Rumor has it GMC was getting ready to release a new truck and these items were prototypes for it. Which makes sense, based on the truck’s history. At the beginning of its life, this GMC General was used by General Motors on their test track in California. After that, it went to an automobile race team. Dave bought it from a guy named Lowell Austin in August 2008, and Lowell claimed to have bought it from a dealer out west. To this day, the truck only has 134,000 miles on it! When Dave bought the GMC it only had 125,000 miles on it, so it would be hard to imagine that too many people (if any) owned it between the race team and Lowell. And if they did, they did not work it full time. After purchasing the truck, Dave actually plated it for a year and then ran it locally for a few months. Not long after getting the truck, Dave had it painted in the signature Schroyer two-tone blue and black colors, and then added a few shiny par ts, including polished half fenders over the drive tires and a new Valley Chrome front bumper with extra lights. He also had RoadWorks make him custom stainless drop panels for the cab and sleeper with extra lights, as well. But Dave doesn’t like to deviate from stock too far, so most of it was left alone. The truck is equipped with a top-of-the-line interior which includes the original carpet, a tilt steering column, electric windows on both sides, a built-in ash tray and cigarette lighter on top of the dash, wood cabinets in the sleeper, and a Delco radio and cassette player, mounted overhead, to provide the tunes. All Dave did inside the cab was change the seats because the ones in there did not match. The GMC General was made from 1977 to 1987, and the 60” sleeper was not offered until 1986, so as you can imagine, there probably were not many built. Back in those days, all GMC franchises were required to sell and service their entire line of vehicles, including medium and heavy-duty trucks, RVs, and school buses, along with the passenger vehicles. This became one of the reasons GMC eventually stopped making big trucks altogether in 1988 after entering into a joint venture with Volvo, who had bought White Motor Company in 1980. This joint venture created trucks, but most of them were badged under the Volvo-White name, but the history here is murky and confusing. Long story shor t – the General was discontinued in 1987. Currently, this GMC General, along with a few of Dave’s other antiques, are on display at the museum at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, IA. If you happen to be passing through Walcott on I-80, stop and check it out. The museum is filled with rare and unique old trucks, and it is very nice. So, who restores all these trucks? Almost half of the old trucks in the Schroyer fleet were refurbished completely by Dave’s uncle, Vern Homan. Vern drove for Dave’s dad for 40 years, running the same haul, which put him on the road for three days a week. On the other days, he star ted working on their old trucks, and eventually that just became his job. Today, his son Rob (Dave’s cousin) helps out, along with another young man. Vern is now 80 years old, so he is definitely slowing down a bit, but they still do everything in-house except for paint. In addition to running the trucking company for Grammer Industries, playing with old trucks, and running a few local loads under the Schroyer Inc. name, Dave also has a small trailer leasing business. Most of his trailers are fer tilizer tank trailers and grain hoppers – about 40 of them in total – and he leases them to local outfits during the busy seasons. Dave also has a museum trailer that he pulls to various shows all around the country. This 1970 Great Dane is filled with all sor ts of trucking pictures and memorabilia. His dad pulled it with a two-tone blue 1975 A Model Kenwor th for years, but now that he is gone, Dave just pulls it with whatever he decides to hook to it. This cool combination was even featured in an installment of “Old Time Trucks” in 10-4 Magazine back in April 2007. Married to his wife Toni for over 20 years, the couple has no children. When I asked him what the plan was for the company and all his restored trucks when he decides to retire (or God forbid worse), he said, “It is difficult and