Three vintage Tillamook cheese wagons STOLEN, reward offered

Photo credit: KPTV

TILLAMOOK, Ore -- Three highly recognizable Volkswagen mini-buses modified in the spirit of a cheese factory in Oregon were stolen in California.

Police in Manteca, CA, were called to a Hampton Inn & Suites early Saturday morning on reports of a major automobile theft.

A truck hauling a trailer loaded with Tillamook Cheese mini-buses had been stolen from the hotel's parking lot.

The buses were in the Sacramento area as part of the Loaf Love Tour, a campaign to promote Tillamook Cheese.

The cargo trailer had images of the iconic Tillamook mini-buses on the side. The Ford F350 pickup was bright orange.

At 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police found the truck and trailer abandoned on fire about an hour away in Jamestown, CA.

The mini-buses, however, were gone.

The VW mini-bus models are from 1959, 1964 and 1966. They had Oregon license plates YUM4, YUM5 and YUM6. They were emblazoned with Tillamook branding, including the words "BABY LOAF" and "MEDIUM CHEDDAR CHEESE" on the side.

Tillamook is offering a reward up to $10,000 for the safe recovery of their three mini-buses.

Anyone with information is asked to call 209-456-8101.

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