The biggest monster truck in the world, certified by Guinness World Records, is the Bigfoot 5, shown above. It is one of a fleet of 24 Bigfoot vehicles built through 2025 and developed by Bob Chandler. Bigfoot 5 was built during summer 1986. The Bigfoot origin story starts with Bob Chandler, who opened Midwest Four Wheel Drive in 1975 with his wife Marilyn and his friend Jim Kramer. The name Bigfoot was first given to Chandler, who, predictably, had a very heavy right foot.

The Bigfoot name was later applied to his Ford F-250 truck, which was steadily growing in size, as the trend toward larger tires required larger, sturdier axles, and larger engines to power them. By 1979, when Bigfoot made its first paid appearance in public, it was sporting a 460 ci V8 and a military axle setup with four-wheel steering. That‘s no slouch, but believe it or not, the engines <a href="https://www.slashgear.com/1768941/monster-truck-engine-what-types-use-explained/” target=”_blank”>monster trucks use today are even larger. 

An additional milestone was reached in 1981, when Bigfoot started crushing cars, the first truck to do so. The escalating nature of the stunts being performed led to increased danger for spectators if these trucks went out of control — Chandler developed a remote kill switch that could stop trucks threatening to enter the stands. Then, he spotted some 10-foot tall tires in a military junkyard and immediately wanted to build them into his next truck — Bigfoot 5, which would end up earning the title.

Bigfoot 5, finished during the summer of 1986, was created to accommodate these huge, 10-foot high Firestone Tundra tires that were originally developed for the LeTourneau LCC-1 Sno-Train, a vehicle used at arctic military bases during the 1950s. These tires measured 120 inches x 48 inches x 60 inches and weighed 2,400 pounds apiece. Today’s monster truck tires are much lighter, but very expensive.  

These days, Bigfoot 5 can be found displayed at the B&H Market in Pacific, Missouri, not too far from Bigfoot’s HQ. Bigfoot 5 is also still in demand for performances at live events, so it may not be present at the market every single day. Bigfoot 5, also a Ford F-250 pickup, was powered by a gasoline-fueled 460-cubic inch V8 engine mated to a Ford C-6 three-speed automatic transmission, sending its power through five-ton military axles supported by 16 gas shock absorbers. Bigfoot 5 weighs about 28,000 pounds, making it the heaviest monster truck to ever be built, and, as mentioned previously, at 15 feet 5 inches tall, it holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest monster truck.

Bigfoot 5’s first appearance in public was at Indianapolis’ Fall Jamboree, where it first showed off its 10-foot tall tires. Since then, the Bigfoot organization has evolved. For example, Bigfoot 20, finished in 2012, is the world’s only battery-powered electric monster truck. Bigfoot 24, the latest version, sports a fiberglass pickup body that looks similar to the originals, but it has a tubular frame with the engine located behind the driver, and much smaller wheels than Bigfoot 5.