If there’s one thing we never get tired of around here, it’s a field full of custom trucks. The SouthEast All Truck Show 2025 in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, delivered exactly that October 9-11, bringing together truck owners, builders, clubs and enthusiasts for a weekend in the mountains.
And when they say all truck show, they mean it.
Lowered trucks, lifted trucks, mini-trucks, classics, full-size customs, diesels, old-school builds and newer trucks were all part of the mix. Whether you like them sitting on the ground or towering over everything around them, there was something worth stopping to check out.
Add the mountains of Maggie Valley in the background and some great fall weather, and you’ve got a pretty good way to spend an October weekend.
Naturally, the lowered truck crowd showed up ready to put frames close to the pavement. Air suspension continues to be one of the biggest parts of the modern custom truck scene, and there was no shortage of trucks sitting low at the SouthEast All Truck Show in Maggie Valley.
Chevy and GMC trucks are always well represented at events like this, from older C10s and square bodies to OBS trucks and newer Silverados and Sierras. Ford and Ram owners weren’t exactly sitting on the sidelines either. That’s what makes today’s lowered truck scene interesting. Builders have figured out how to take just about anything and put it on the ground.
And anybody who has actually built a slammed truck knows there’s a lot more to it than throwing some air bags underneath and calling it finished. Getting the stance right takes work.
Wheel fitment, tire size, tubs, suspension geometry, frame clearance and body modifications all have to work together if you want the truck to look right when you hit the switches. When everything comes together, though, the results speak for themselves.
For every truck trying to get closer to the pavement, somebody else at SouthEast All Truck Show 2025 was trying to get farther away from it.Way farther.
Lifted trucks were another big part of the weekend, bringing plenty of big wheels, aggressive tires and suspension setups that made some of the other trucks at the show look tiny.
Love them or hate them, you’ve got to appreciate the work that goes into a properly built lifted truck. Anybody can bolt a few parts onto a pickup. Building one where the suspension, wheels, tires and overall proportions actually work together is a different story.
The best lifted trucks have a stance you notice from across the show grounds, but once you get closer, there’s usually plenty more going on underneath. Custom suspension components, detailed chassis work, powder-coated parts and carefully selected wheel and tire combinations turn these trucks into complete builds instead of just tall daily drivers.
Of course we’re going to stop and look at the mini-trucks. The mini-truck scene has been part of our world for a long time, and seeing these trucks continue showing up at events around the country never gets old.
Chevy S-10s, Nissan Hardbodys, Toyota pickups, Ford Rangers, Mazda B-Series trucks and other compact platforms helped create an entire generation of custom truck enthusiasts. A lot has changed since then. The trucks haven’t gotten any younger, but the builds keep getting better.
Some owners are restoring old-school mini-trucks and keeping the styling close to what you would have seen years ago. Others are taking those same platforms and adding modern air management, new wheel designs, updated interiors and fabrication techniques that weren’t common when these trucks were new. Both approaches work for us.
There’s something cool about seeing a truck that immediately takes you back 20 or 30 years parked beside one built with completely modern ideas. Those are the builds that keep you standing there for a while.
You can’t talk about the SouthEast All Truck Show 2025 without talking about Maggie Valley. Located in the mountains of western North Carolina, Maggie Valley has become one of those destinations that truck enthusiasts recognize immediately. And October is a pretty good time to be there.
Cooler temperatures, mountain scenery and fall colors make the drive into town almost as enjoyable as the event itself. For people traveling several hours to attend, that’s important. Nobody wants to drive halfway across the country just to stare at the inside of a hotel room after the show shuts down.
Photos by: Chris Gosdsa
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