Hi everyone,
I came to the 3D modeling scene quite late. For the last 30 years, I’ve worked with SQL databases, written books, won awards, and worked on some exciting projects around the world. However, none of that helped me achieve my ultimate ambition: recreating the Wagon Queen Family Truckster car jump scene from one of my favorite movies, National Lampoon’s Vacation.
For those who might not remember the scene, it’s the iconic moment where Clark Griswold and the family hit a “Road Closed” barrier and end up jumping this massive, ridiculous, completely inappropriate wood-paneled car 140 yards through the desert air. The absolute peak of the scene is the landing—after they survive the crash and are just catching their breath, there is an absurd delay before the driver’s airbag (which is literally just a brown bin liner) suddenly inflates right in Chevy Chase’s face. That specific brand of absurdity is exactly why this film resonates with me so much.
I have been obsessed with this car for years. I started by making physical models—learning 3D printing, painting, and creating the car in various sizes. That rabbit hole eventually led me to owning eight 3D printers and creating physical variations ranging from matchbox-sized models to massive two-meter-wide dioramas.
Eventually, I thought, “Why not create the scene in Unreal, Unity, or Blender?” What started as an idea for a simple 2D render evolved into animation, then game development, and eventually full scene creation.
My experience with SQL databases hasn’t counted for much in this new world. Learning 3D has been a steep curve for me, as my brain is wired for logic and structured data. But when I read the article CG Cookie is More Than Learning, It’s Connection, it really resonated with me. I haven’t been the type to methodically go through fundamentals or structured training. That’s just not how I learn. Instead, I have an absolute urgency to complete what I’ve started.
That urgency is because I have stage 4 colon cancer. I underwent major surgery, which was initially successful, but unfortunately, the cancer is returning. Now, I am doing everything I can to finish this scene while I still can. These days, my photographic memory isn’t quite what it used to be; if I read how to do something and don’t apply it immediately, I have to relearn it all over again.
Despite that, I’ve pushed forward. Through sheer persistence and a lot of “brute force” learning, I’ve gathered everything I need: objects, textures, animation examples, jump mechanics, particle effects, and controllers. I’ve gained extensive knowledge of Unreal Engine (from 4.26 through 5.7), as well as Blender, Unity, and numerous add-ons. I’ve even managed to achieve the highest-quality car model I’ve ever seen online (trust me, there aren’t many people obsessed with this film!).
However, I’m currently struggling to put everything together into one complete, final scene. I have near-working versions in Blender, Unity, and Unreal, but every time I move the model between software packages, I end up in texture and material hell. Just when I fix one problem, another pops up—like a wheel inexplicably turning inside out. Mastering camera work and handling the immense processing power required for rendering have also been huge hurdles. It has been a frustrating but deeply fascinating journey.
This project isn’t for any financial gain—it’s purely a hobby and a learning experience. Over the years, I have always given away my work in the hope that it could inspire others, and I plan to do the same here. Some may call it foolish, but I believe in the power of shared knowledge. I think if even one person finds this interesting and is motivated to see how someone with no prior 3D experience has managed to get this far, then I will be happy.
I’ve probably talked your ears off by now, so I’ll let the art speak for itself. Here are some screenshots of various stages along the journey. This is an Unreal forum but there is some shots of other tools I have used. The final version is in Unreal and I am wondering if a cinematic would be the end of this or a completely playable level would be the final part? 
I have both developed but need to finish these off.
Best regards,
Trevor
P.S. I’ve had a lot of help along the way to get this far. A massive thank you to Ye Pai, Daniel Vesterbaek, jhmodelator, Alessandro Gaggia, Kristen Protheroe, and Charlie Kim.
P.P.S. As I mentioned, my goal is to give this work away to help others learn. I am currently organizing my assets and files into a Google Drive folder to share with the community, and I will update this thread with the link as soon as it’s ready!
