Famous Trucks: Marge Simpson’s Canyonero From The Simpsons

At RealTruck, we love all vehicles—even the fictional ones. In our Famous Trucks series, we explore vehicles seen throughout pop culture—from mild, utility-focused rigs, like Cordell Walker’s pickups from Walker, Texas Ranger, to iconic custom builds, like the original “Bigfoot” showcased in Take This Job and Shove It. 

Of all the fictional rides—as in, those that’ve never actually graced roadways—one of the most memorable appeared in the longest-running animated sitcom, known for its spot-on parodies and future-predicting episodes. First appearing in Season 9, Episode 15 of The Simpsons, the Canyonero is the wacky, oversized SUV driven by Krusty the Clown and later, in Season 10, Episode 15, by Marge Simpson. 

In this Famous Trucks feature, we’re diving deep into this fictionalized behemoth of a sport utility vehicle, including its aesthetics, its usage in the series, and even a quick build guide to construct your own Canyonero-inspired SUV with parts from the nation’s best automotive accessorizer and parts manufacturer—RealTruck. 

Since debuting in 1989, The Simpsons has become one of the most influential TV shows of all time. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, the long-running animated series follows the misadventures of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show delivers an overdramatized and wacky caricature of American family life, culture, politics, and everyday life. 

With over three decades on the air, The Simpsons holds the title as the longest-running scripted primetime television series in US history. 

The Simpsons is all about parody, and it rarely leaves a stone unturned. One of the series’ most memorable parodies for gearheads is the Canyonero—a satirical take on America’s unfounded obsession with oversized SUVs. 

First appearing in the episode “The Last Temptation of Krust,” from season nine, the Canyonero is a massive, fictionalized SUV driven by Krusty the Clown. Perhaps the most memorable scene from this episode is the iconic Canyonero jingle, guest-sung by none other than country music legend Hank Williams Jr. In the song, the SUV is described as “12 yards long, 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American Pride!”

In episode 15 of season 10, titled “Screaming Yellow Honkers,” Marge Simpson develops a severe case of road rage after Homer buys her a Canyonero of her own. After initially despising the massive gas guzzler, Marge eventually comes to enjoy the Canyonero, though it turns her into such an aggressive driver that she’s forced to attend traffic school.

While fictionalized, the Canyonero isn't a complete abstraction. Like all great bits from The Simpsons, the Canyonero picks fun at American car culture—namely, the nation’s infatuation with oversized, gas-guzzling SUVs. If anyone has the parts to turn an animated auto into a real-world driver, it’s RealTruck. In this section, we’ve crafted a loose build guide to piece together a Canyonero-inspired rig.

While you won't be able to find a 1999 Canyonero for sale on Craigslist, you can definitely find a vehicle that inspired it. When I think about a large, boxy, late ‘90s full-size SUV, my mind immediately jumps to the GMT-400 Suburban. Any SUV that comes with an optional 454 big block V8 and ¾-ton running gear epitomizes American excess—the exact thing The Simpsons satirized with the Canyonero. 

When “Screaming Yellow Honkers” first debuted in February of 1999, the GMT-400 Suburban was in its last year of production, so it feels only right to choose this staple of the American suburbs as our platform. I recommend finding a Dark Carmine Red Metallic (72U/WA675F) example to mimic the Canyonero’s red paint job. Plus, the red SUV will double as a replica of Tony Soprano’s original SUV in season one of The Sopranos.

Bold, boxy, and covered in chrome—much like the LT trim of the Suburban. The Canyonero features chrome bumpers, cladding, and red paint. So long as you find a Suburban with original chrome bumpers and trim, you’ll be one step closer to a Canyonero replica. 

What’s a gaudy SUV without flashy, polished aluminum wheels? For a Canyonero tribute, consider outfitting your Suburban with classic bullet-hole alloys and all-season tires, like American Racing Polished AR172 Baja wheels wrapped in Nitto Dura Grapplers. 

You can’t talk about the Canyonero without mentioning the iconic commercial, featuring a song sung by country music artist Hank Williams Jr. Take a look at the marketing of the outlandish, make-believe SUV below. 

Can you name the truck with four wheel drive?

smells like a steak and seats thirty-five.

Canyonero! Canyonero!

Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down,

It's the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown!

Canyonero! (Yah!) Canyonero!

[Krusty:] Hey, hey

The Federal Highway Commission has ruled the

Canyonero unsafe for highway or city driving.

Canyonero!

12 yards long, 2 lanes wide,

65 tons of American Pride!

Canyonero! Canyonero!

Top of the line in utility sports,

Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!

Canyonero! Canyonero! (Yah!)

She blinds everybody with her super high beams,

She's a squirrel-crushing, deer-smacking, driving machine!

Canyonero! Oh, whoa, Canyonero! (Yah!)

Drive Canyonero!

Woah Canyonero!

Woah!