Outer Limits Truck Repair Ready to Welcome Trucking Community Back to Oskaloosa
Saif Grafke (left) and Brett DeBruin (right) sat down with Oskaloosa News to talk about the upcoming No Limits Truck Show that will take place at the Southern Iiowa Fairgrounds.
OSKALOOSA — When Brett DeBruin attended truck shows around the Midwest a few years ago, one thought kept coming back to him.
“Why can’t we do something like this in Oskaloosa?”
Last summer, that idea became reality.
Outer Limits Truck Repair hosted the first No Limits Truck Show at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds, drawing truck owners from several states and introducing hundreds of people to a side of the trucking industry many had never seen before.
Now the event is back for its second year, and organizers believe it will be even bigger.
The No Limits Truck Show returns June 27 and 28 with two days of polished semis, vendors, food trucks, family activities, a new tractor pull, a Saturday night light show and a free concert.
For DeBruin and Saif Grafke, the weekend isn’t just about chrome and horsepower.
It’s about the people behind the wheel.
“The trucking industry is more than what people see going down the road every day,” Grafke said. “These guys take a lot of passion in these trucks. It’s their home on wheels.”
He said one of the biggest surprises from last year’s show was seeing truck drivers from across the country gather in Oskaloosa, swap stories and admire each other’s work.
“The camaraderie in the trucking community is absolutely amazing,” Grafke said. “Especially here in southeast Iowa.”
While many visitors will see rows of beautifully detailed trucks, DeBruin says most aren’t museum pieces.
They’re still earning a living.
“The majority of the trucks that’ll be at this show are trucks that go out and run 2,000 to 4,000 miles a week,” he said.
His own fleet is no exception.
“My drivers are out all week long. They bring them back Friday, we wash them, and we go stick them in the show.”
Some trucks arriving in Oskaloosa have well over a million miles on the odometer.
One truck that attended last year’s event had more than 2.3 million miles.
Yet many of them look nearly new.
DeBruin credits that to the pride truck owners take in maintaining their equipment and the work done by the technicians at Outer Limits Truck Repair.
“We’ve got one truck with almost 1.5 million miles, and you’d never know it by looking at it,” he said.
Putting on an event like this isn’t cheap.
Between renting the fairgrounds, purchasing trophies, advertising, entertainment, insurance, goodie bags and prize payouts, DeBruin said the expenses add up quickly.
People sometimes assume the registration fees generate a profit.
“They don’t,” he said with a laugh.
Instead, he views the truck show as a way to give something back to an industry that has supported his business.
“We do it because it’s fun. It’s fun seeing everybody come together.”
One thing organizers want the public to know is that admission to the truck show is free.
Only truck owners who want their vehicles judged pay an entry fee.
Anyone else is welcome to spend the day walking through the fairgrounds, talking with drivers and looking over dozens of working and custom trucks.
This year’s event also adds several attractions beyond the truck show itself.
Saturday evening will feature an East Central Iowa Pullers Association points tractor pull, replacing last year’s four-wheel-drive obstacle course.
Food trucks will be open throughout the weekend, vendors will line the grounds, bounce houses will give children a place to play, and local musician Nick Ryan will perform Saturday night.
Once darkness falls, many visitors will gather for what has become one of the show’s signature attractions.
Hundreds of lights mounted on the trucks will come to life all at once.
“It’s really cool,” Grafke said. “When the music starts and then all the lights come on, it’s just different.”
The display has quickly become one of the weekend’s biggest crowd favorites.
Sunday shifts the focus back to the trucks as judging begins during the morning before awards are presented later in the day.
By early afternoon, many drivers will begin the trip home, some traveling hundreds of miles after spending the weekend in Oskaloosa.
For DeBruin and Grafke, the goal has never been to build just another truck show.
They want people to leave with a better appreciation for the trucking industry and the people who keep it moving.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to do this,” Grafke said. “Bring your family. Bring your friends. There’s going to be something for everyone.”
No Limits Truck Show Schedule
Friday, June 27
• 8-10 a.m. — Vendor setup
• 8:30 a.m. — Tin Roof opens for pastries
• 9 a.m. — Truck registration opens
• 10 a.m. — Gates open to the public
• 11 a.m. — Vendors, food trucks and kids’ area open
• 5 p.m. — Vendors close
• 5:30 p.m. — East Central Iowa Pullers Association tractor pull
• Approximately 9:45 p.m. — Nick Ryan concert followed by the truck light show
Saturday, June 28
• 8 a.m. — Vendors open
• 11 a.m. — Food trucks open
• 11 a.m. — Truck judging begins
• Awards presented following judging
• 5 p.m. — Vendors close
