Popular Post kscarbel2 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 Mike Johnson found this original BJ and the Bear Aerodyne in Georgia back in 2007. These are the photos he took of it before it was purchased and restored by father & son team Craig & Paul Sagehorn, who now uses it to haul a reefer trailer across 48 States. This particular truck was actually used on screen in the popular television series. The following story is available on line. The link is at the bottom. With many thanks to Land Line mag.com __________________________________________________________________________ 10/4/2012 'B.J. and the Bear' truck still delivers By Kimberely Lennard, Land Line staff writer Although the television show “B.J. and the Bear” only ran from 1978 to 1981, the truck behind the show remains a show-stopper over 30 years later. OOIDA headquarters was abuzz on Thursday when Life Member Craig Sagehorn from Sparta, WI, stopped by in his famous 1980 Kenworth cabover, one of the trucks driven by character B.J. McKay in the TV show. Craig and his son, Paul Sagehorn, bought the truck from a man in Douglasville, GA, in 2007 and rebuilt it. They took it completely apart and sandblasted it. While restoring the truck, Paul found the inscription “BJ and the Bear by WS” under a bunch of rust where the fifth wheel was welded. Craig drives it mostly for local hauls of about a hundred miles, although he told “Land Line Now” he left Wisconsin about three weeks and 7,000 miles ago, hauling potatoes to Miami, FL; liquid eggs to San Antonio, TX; and rice to Boise, ID. He was headed to Raleigh, NC, to deliver potatoes and onions when he visited OOIDA in Grain Valley, MO, and will run another 5,000 miles before he sees Wisconsin again. It’s not uncommon for people to approach Craig and shake his hand and thank him for saving history. “We didn’t go at it with that attitude. It’s just a really neat truck,” Craig said. His son watched the show as a kid and at 30 years old decided he wanted one. The Sagehorns originally had a 1984 Kenworth Aerodyne they painted to look like the “B.J. McKay” truck. They bought that truck in 1999 and sold it in 2008 after they found the “real” truck. The 1980 Kenworth is from the 1981 season of the show, according to Craig. They found it on the Internet and called the owner, who wasn’t actually looking to sell the truck, Paul told Land Line. They made an offer and are the fifth owners of the truck. “Anybody that’s ever seen the show knows the truck instantly,” Craig said. He added that four years ago a guy got on the CB and sang the “BJ and the Bear” theme song when he passed by. Greg Evigan, aka B.J., has joined the Sagehorns at several truck shows and Craig says people tell Evigan they drive a truck because of that show. “Greg never had an inkling initially of what impact that show had on kids that age.” Craig hasn’t forgotten about “Bear” either, although his chimpanzee travel companion is of the stuffed variety. http://m.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=24250#.VqTdhyp97IX . 6 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post h67st Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 It's sad to see a cool truck like that relegated to sitting in the weeds, but it looks fantastic now. My hat's off to guys who will put in the sweat and money to bring it back and put it on the road. 2 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450041 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullheaded Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Ya, poor old girl really got picked over too before it was restored eh. You would think famous trucks like that would have been kept and not abandoned. Glad to see the great work they did to bring it back to life. 2 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450051 Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex g Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 I never realized that truck was left in such a poor state. Hats off to them for taking on such a project 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450057 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brocky Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 He has participated in the South Carolina Special Olympics Convoy with that truck for several years now. 1 Quote Brocky Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450222 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kscarbel2 Posted May 3, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 3, 2020 If I was Kenworth (Paccar), I would have bought the truck back, performed a meticulous restoration and used it going forward at promotional events. The value of promoting the Kenworth brand with this truck is priceless, and yet Paccar over the years never could grasp that. Were I running Kenworth, I would have bought back the Smokey and the Bandit truck as well. I would have originally provided the trucks "free of charge" on the condition they be returned to Kenworth at the end. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450281 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 i would have thought that thing belonged to someone now,,,,,keeping it up.....like wow man...bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450963 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Back a few years ago there was an outfit in California that ran a whole fleet of them setup the same way Called bunny love carrots same colors I am sure some of you remember them..... bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-450978 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwloverhoss Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Thank you for the props, this is the photographer mentioned above, Mike Johnson Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-459955 Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubleclutchinweasel Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 The twin grandsons at Brad's show, checking out the B.J. & the Bear truck... 2 Quote "Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-459974 Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex g Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 5 hours ago, doubleclutchinweasel said: The twin grandsons at Brad's show, checking out the B.J. & the Bear truck... Do you color code your grandsons to tell them apart?😁 1 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-460004 Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubleclutchinweasel Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Ha-ha-ha! No, we just refer to them as "the little one" and "the big one". The "big" one is a good inch taller. But, sure enough, whatever color one is wearing, the other one will wear a different color or die! I hadn't even noticed those matching shirts! Good catch! 1 Quote "Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-460009 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Waters Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 (edited) I saw a BJ and the bear truck in Ohio this week on I 75 wondering if that’s your truck I wanted to stop but I’ve already pulled out the rest area so I just snapped a picture. I would love to know if that was the real one sorry I didn’t stop but I thought you might’ve been sleeping in the cab Edited September 10, 2020 by Jerry Waters Repeated my message some how Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-460599 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 Glad to see it wound up a happy ending... bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-460773 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky K Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 My uncle in the real BJ and bear truck!! 1979 ! file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/76/06/E8CC7941-AE53-40A7-8A3D-D00BB84D6743/image000000.jpg Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477711 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rocky K Posted July 31, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted July 31, 2021 BJ in the Bear truck from Chillicothe Ohio Dallas Davis Kenworth 1979. truck was the first one off the Assembly line there was two others one was a shell. In the scenes of the BJ the Bear you got the truck going over 35 miles an hour. The monkey would start going crazy and pull the pieces apart Inside the truck. They had to re-do the truck several times. The Cabover was a very popular model.William Michael gilmerr Pictured in truck.of new Holland Ohio. Was an employee truck driver for Dallas Mavis. Died July 27, 2021. Rest in peace one of America’s best truck drivers has passed to heaven. The picture is a real photo of the first truck off assembly line plate was put in underneath. To commemorate the TV series. Welded. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477712 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 my pop was an old union freight driver.....and he thought that dumb monkey was rediculous....and so did i.....dont even know why they needed it.....i really liked the show myself,,,,but like my pop.didnt know why they need the stuped monkey...thanks for the post...bob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477733 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 Been 30 or 40 years since it was on TV, dunno exactly when If memory serves me correct and its probably wrong the chimp was with him when got shot down flying choppers in Vietnam ? Actually no I think the chimp bought him food when he was a POW or something after getting shot down Am I even close to been correct ? Its a long long time time ago now Paul Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477736 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 Greg Evigan was never in the military Paul. Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477741 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 Not the actor, the part he played as a actor as in BJ Mc kay or however you spell his name I have no idea about the actor, dont think he ever did much after this n7t open to correction there Paul Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477768 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 oh ok. Greg has stayed active after that show both on tv and stage i knew him when he was a nobody back in the late 60's Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477771 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark T Posted August 1, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted August 1, 2021 I think the chimp has more brains (and ability) than some of the guys in trucks now. 1 2 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477772 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 1 hour ago, Mark T said: I think the chimp has more brains (and ability) than most of the guys in trucks now. fixed it fer ya. 😁 1 Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477777 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted August 4, 2021 Share Posted August 4, 2021 Well I googled the show, turns out even Google doesnt know why the chimp was in the show but the rest of what I remember was pretty close https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._J._and_the_Bear Im more stunned about the fact it was 40 years ago !!!!! Bugger me were did the time go ? Paul Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-477943 Share on other sites More sharing options...
h67st Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 On 8/1/2021 at 4:46 PM, Mark T said: I think the chimp has more brains (and ability) than some of the guys in trucks now. And the chimp could probably drive without slides and a wife beater shirt on. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/62309-found-bj-and-the-bear-truck/#findComment-478085 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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