The race kicks off with a funnel eating contest at a theme park in Los Angeles; the families get their first challenge of creating the signature menu item; an all-out bidding war for a prime selling spot on the grounds of the theme park.

The teams take on a challenge of one sweet and one savory dish using locally-grown strawberries at the California Strawberry Festival in Ventura County; one team uses their family network to attract customers; another team can't get organized.

The four remaining family food truck teams head inland to the Santa Barbara Wine County, where they must face a challenge involving ostriches. Beginning to gel as food trucks, the teams sell in the Danish town of Solvang, Calif., where they're given a challenge steeped in the local culture that causes some setbacks. After a busy weekend of selling, one team is sent home after a very close elimination.

The final three teams brave the sweltering desert heat of Palm Springs, Calif. as they take on a challenge that tasks them with making something sweet to eat. The next day, they must become "human roadside attractions" and create a costume to draw customers to their truck. For one family, tempers flare as temperatures rise, and in the end, another team goes home while the last two family food trucks set course for the finale.

The final two teams head back to Los Angeles, where their trucks have a ferry to catch to Catalina Island. First, however, the teams must become hot dog vendors in the port town of San Pedro, Calif. to compete for a distinct advantage. Once on the island, it's a head-to-head family face-off as the final two teams sell side-by-side, putting everything on the line before finding out who will get $50,000 and be crowned winner of The Great Food Truck Race.