10/04/2026
Screen capture from a video film recording that was made about the 4th Van Nationals Truckin that was hosted by the National Street Van Association (N.S.V.A.) back in mid July of 1976, at the sprawling Beech Bend Park near Bowling Green, KY. This was the largest van gathered held with over 6,000 vans attended and still holds the record as the largest van truckin in vannin history. Ironically, the second largest van truckin that year was held a few weeks earlier. That large event was located in the nearby mountians outside of Colorado Springs, CO. That Natz event was a vanner's hosted 4th Van National Truckin to rival the N.S.V.A event and was officially sanction as a "2% event". The van club hosting that truckin was the Rocky Mountain Vans of Denver van club. Back to the screenshot posted here, in the opening scene in that historical truckin video, a rolling van crew films the Beech Bend park campground and the first campsite the video records in the film was that of the very large Easy Liv'n Vans of Chicago presence at this event, with the large Easy Liv'n Vans of Chicago club banner fully visible upon a makeshift tent built between 2 ELV club member's vans. The fully muraled blue and white painted 1975 Ford panel van in this image was a multi trophy winning show van named the Pride of Chicago, owned by Easy Liv'n Vans club member named Van Man. A painted view of the city of Chicago skyline is illustrated on both sides of the show van. Mad Dogs' white 1974 Dodge panel van is visible at left and Zazu Pitts' 1962 Chevy step-van covered with green astroturf is parked just beyond Mad Dogs' van. Zazu's step-van was later chopped down 14 inches and was another multi winning trophy show van. And ELV club member Grog's VW window van is partially visible at right. This event was a very HOT 'n Sizzlin July truckin. We didn't know at the time but this was actually the golden summer of vannins and truckins that were held across the USA! We will never reach the participation heights of vanners and vans attending truckin events like we did during that golden vannin summer of 1976!
