Father & Son Buy Two Worn Out Dodge Trucks and Try to Drive Them 2,000 Miles Home

These Dodge trucks don’t look like they would make it 2,000 feet let alone 2,000 miles, but this father and son team are determined.

They say that a Cummins diesel is an unkillable engine and a Dodge pickup with one in it is one of the most reliable vehicles you can ever buy. But this father and son team are pushing that theory to the limit with an amazing road trip. They bought two Dodge trucks off Facebook marketplace without ever seeing them. One is a 1997 and the other is a 1995. Both have a Cummins diesel under the hood. And both have a laundry list of issues. If they can even be started, you wouldn’t want to drive them around the block, for fear of being stranded. But the plan is not to drive these around the block. The plan is to drive them over 2,000 miles across the country.

This incredible father and son road trip journey is documented in a video posted on the Theetravisb YouTube channel. The trip starts in a South Bend, Indiana Walmart parking lot with a 1997 Dodge pickup truck that has no rear brakes and is leaking oil by the gallon. The bad news is that truck is in far better shape than the 1995 pickup that they plan on picking up next. The other bad news is that they plan to drive them home to Tucson, Arizona over 2,000 miles away. It promises to be one heck of an adventure.

1997 Dodge Pickup

The video opens with the 1997 pickup sitting in the parking lot as the father and son team give it a closer look. It runs but it’s in rough shape. Oil is leaking everywhere, the tires are bald, there are no rear brakes, the wheels are missing lug nuts, brake fluid is low, some panels have been consumed by rust, the windshield is cracked, and the steering wheel needs to be turned hard to the right to keep the truck going straight. But the truck does run and drive which is a good thing because they have a couple hour drive ahead of them to get the 1995 Dodge they also bought.

1995 Dodge Pickup

If you thought the 1997 truck looked rough, wait until you see the 1995. It has 300,000 miles on it and is currently rotting away in the woods. It takes quite a bit of fiddling but eventually the Cummins engine roars to life with its distinctive clatter. There are a plethora of other issues that need to be addressed, the most pressing is replacing the ruined tires. Once that is taken care of, it is time to hit the road.

Road Trip

The video is nearly two hours long, so there is no way we can cover all of the details here. But suffice it to say that this is a father and son bonding experience like no other. The trucks are old, tired and sick. But they have the will to keep going and going and going. It shows that you can never count a Dodge with a Cummins out. It is amazing that these two old dogs managed to travel over 2,000 miles across the country. The entire video is well worth watching. It is about more than just two old trucks. It is about the spirit of adventure and a family experience that will never be forgotten.

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the 1970s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.