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‘Trick My Truck’ offers to replace overhauled van
  
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By ALLEN JONES &
A senior producer with cable television show “Trick My Truck” contacted The Potpourri Dec. 19 and made a public offer to replace a handicapped man’s van which the show’s mechanics had tricked-out to the owner’s dislike.
Featuring a roller coaster theme and games such as darts as well as an in-vehicle root beer dispenser, the wife of Magnolia businessman Ronnie McCurdy, SueAnn McCurdy, said the vehicle is unsafe and embarrassing to drive.
McCurdy, who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident in 2003, was selected last May for the cable television series that features big rig truck mechanics who “steal” the trucks of lucky drivers and customize them. Since Oct. 25 Ronnie has expected his 1994 GMC Rally van to be delivered by Country Music Television’s “Trick My Truck,” which is produced by Veruna Entertainment Inc.
A party with friends and supporters was set for the van’s original homecoming in October and had to be reset to Nov. 1 due to a delayed part for the van. But on Oct. 19, when Ronnie and his wife went back to Missouri on schedule, accompanied by friend Greg Holcombe who nominated McCurdy for the show, Ronnie said he found an unsound vehicle.
A list including a wheelchair lift, seat belts and flooring along with numerous other interior, exterior and electrical problems was given to producers of the show. And after the van was trucked home at McCurdy’s expense on Nov. 9, a rainstorm caused flooding to the interior.
“I was afraid the sunroof would leak,” he said. “It was the only thing that didn’t leak. There was 4 inches of water in it.”
Ronnie said he took the van out for a test run one evening and it caught on fire under the dash when he started it to return home.
“This has turned into the worst experience of my life,” Ronnie said after the first delayed van delivery in October. “I feel like I have a winning lottery ticket I paid thousands of dollars for and you’re not supposed to have to pay for winning.”
The show picked the van back up for repairs more than two weeks ago. Ronnie and SueAnn’s only vehicle, the couple have had to borrow a van to use and pay for insurance while they wait for “Trick My Truck” to fix their van. Ronnie is tired of waiting for the van to be repaired and issued at least two threats to sue the show for damages.
Perma Ball, a senior producer with Varuna Entertainment contacted The Potpourri and said he nor the staff of the cable series want anyone to feel as though they have been through a nightmare.
He said the van is being fixed, but finding parts for the 1994 GMC van has been difficult. And, he said, a vehicle with more than 250,000 miles on it is going to have a few problems even with a complete overhaul.
He feels Ronnie’s complaints are a “complete 180” from the emotion he said the Magnolia resident showed during taping of the vehicle’s reveal.
“It was the best reveal we have ever done on the show,” Ball said. “It was told to me that the crew had to stop taping for 15 minutes because the entire crew was so emotional over the reveal.”
Ball contacted the newspaper saying the show’s producers are willing to replace Ronnie’s van with a brand new, comparable vehicle in the latest line of GMC vans.
Ronnie’s friend, Holcombe, who spoke on behalf of the McCurdys, said that is all Ronnie’s friends and family want - “a van that is safe for Ronnie to drive.” He said a new van would have to be be tall enough to accommodate Ronnie’s wheelchair.
Ball said he would like to come to Magnolia to meet with Ronnie and The Potpourri to discuss the situation in more detail. Holcombe said he was sure the McCurdy family would be willing to meet with Ball.
“We are very sad Ronnie is unsatisfied with the vehicle,” Ball said, adding the show’s production staff and overhaul crew spent six months, working 12- and 14-hour days, to fix a vehicle he said was “in horrible condition” before the show.
“I am at quite a shock,” Ball said. “We’ve done 59 trucks, several trucks have come back but we do everything we can to fix them. It takes time to completely overhaul a vehicle. The cast members have taken Ronnie’s comments to the media very personal.”
The show featuring Ronnie and his van is to air sometime in April on CMT. Ball said Ronnie and friends and family involved in the show are under contract not to discuss the reveal until the show airs.
“If everyone knows what it looks like, why would anyone tune in to watch,” Ball said. “But they have been talking to people about it ever since they got back from taping. Networks don’t like that.”
He said Ronnie also told producers that since the show put $100,000 worth of work into the van he would take that in place of the vehicle’s return. SueAnn said her husband was not being serious when he made the request of the show’s producers.
Featuring a roller coaster theme and games such as darts as well as an in-vehicle root beer dispenser, the wife of Magnolia businessman Ronnie McCurdy, SueAnn McCurdy, said the vehicle is unsafe and embarrassing to drive.
McCurdy, who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident in 2003, was selected last May for the cable television series that features big rig truck mechanics who “steal” the trucks of lucky drivers and customize them. Since Oct. 25 Ronnie has expected his 1994 GMC Rally van to be delivered by Country Music Television’s “Trick My Truck,” which is produced by Veruna Entertainment Inc.
A party with friends and supporters was set for the van’s original homecoming in October and had to be reset to Nov. 1 due to a delayed part for the van. But on Oct. 19, when Ronnie and his wife went back to Missouri on schedule, accompanied by friend Greg Holcombe who nominated McCurdy for the show, Ronnie said he found an unsound vehicle.
A list including a wheelchair lift, seat belts and flooring along with numerous other interior, exterior and electrical problems was given to producers of the show. And after the van was trucked home at McCurdy’s expense on Nov. 9, a rainstorm caused flooding to the interior.
“I was afraid the sunroof would leak,” he said. “It was the only thing that didn’t leak. There was 4 inches of water in it.”
Ronnie said he took the van out for a test run one evening and it caught on fire under the dash when he started it to return home.
“This has turned into the worst experience of my life,” Ronnie said after the first delayed van delivery in October. “I feel like I have a winning lottery ticket I paid thousands of dollars for and you’re not supposed to have to pay for winning.”
The show picked the van back up for repairs more than two weeks ago. Ronnie and SueAnn’s only vehicle, the couple have had to borrow a van to use and pay for insurance while they wait for “Trick My Truck” to fix their van. Ronnie is tired of waiting for the van to be repaired and issued at least two threats to sue the show for damages.
Perma Ball, a senior producer with Varuna Entertainment contacted The Potpourri and said he nor the staff of the cable series want anyone to feel as though they have been through a nightmare.
He said the van is being fixed, but finding parts for the 1994 GMC van has been difficult. And, he said, a vehicle with more than 250,000 miles on it is going to have a few problems even with a complete overhaul.
He feels Ronnie’s complaints are a “complete 180” from the emotion he said the Magnolia resident showed during taping of the vehicle’s reveal.
“It was the best reveal we have ever done on the show,” Ball said. “It was told to me that the crew had to stop taping for 15 minutes because the entire crew was so emotional over the reveal.”
Ball contacted the newspaper saying the show’s producers are willing to replace Ronnie’s van with a brand new, comparable vehicle in the latest line of GMC vans.
Ronnie’s friend, Holcombe, who spoke on behalf of the McCurdys, said that is all Ronnie’s friends and family want - “a van that is safe for Ronnie to drive.” He said a new van would have to be be tall enough to accommodate Ronnie’s wheelchair.
Ball said he would like to come to Magnolia to meet with Ronnie and The Potpourri to discuss the situation in more detail. Holcombe said he was sure the McCurdy family would be willing to meet with Ball.
“We are very sad Ronnie is unsatisfied with the vehicle,” Ball said, adding the show’s production staff and overhaul crew spent six months, working 12- and 14-hour days, to fix a vehicle he said was “in horrible condition” before the show.
“I am at quite a shock,” Ball said. “We’ve done 59 trucks, several trucks have come back but we do everything we can to fix them. It takes time to completely overhaul a vehicle. The cast members have taken Ronnie’s comments to the media very personal.”
The show featuring Ronnie and his van is to air sometime in April on CMT. Ball said Ronnie and friends and family involved in the show are under contract not to discuss the reveal until the show airs.
“If everyone knows what it looks like, why would anyone tune in to watch,” Ball said. “But they have been talking to people about it ever since they got back from taping. Networks don’t like that.”
He said Ronnie also told producers that since the show put $100,000 worth of work into the van he would take that in place of the vehicle’s return. SueAnn said her husband was not being serious when he made the request of the show’s producers.
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