April ’01 Cover Shoot

2001—A Dune Odyssey

If the gonzo photo on this month’s cover didn’t get your attention, maybe a little behind the scenes explanation will. First off—no, we didn’t drive off a cliff and stuff the truck into the sand. Yes, it was staged in an elaborate attempt to catch your attention, and we think we succeeded, or you wouldn’t be reading this now. The idea was simple: Take Editorial Director Cole Quinnell’s old dead Chevy and winch it into position in the sand dunes, and make it look like it was an accident for our Whoops cover. Next, roll the truck off a dune with an in-cab camera, and presto, we have a cover and a story just for you.

Of course, we had to rent a motorhome and borrow a trailer and 44-inch tires for the truck from Off Road Unlimited. Luckily we got Jp editor John Cappa, and Web editor Tori Tellem to help, along with three winch-equipped vehicles to do the deed.

What ended up as a simple idea took mucho time and energy, but we figure it was worth it. Sure, it looks like the obelisk from a Sci-Fi movie, and it was nearly New Year’s of 2001, but luckily a bunch of monkeys throwing wrenches didn’t dance around the truck…at least that we noticed. And before you start whining about ruining a perfectly good truck, how come no one would buy it after months of trying? Hey, we took out the glass and saved it, and there wasn’t a bit of straight sheetmetal to begin with. So the General (as it has come to be known) is still for sale, less glass, engine, tranny, transfer case seats, and tires. Make us an offer we can’t refuse….