diff --git a/zuul/driver/gerrit/gerritmodel.py b/zuul/driver/gerrit/gerritmodel.py
index c80c04563d..0957612225 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/gerrit/gerritmodel.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/gerrit/gerritmodel.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import copy
 import re
 import time
 import urllib.parse
-
 import dateutil.parser
 
 from zuul.model import EventFilter, RefFilter
@@ -165,6 +164,21 @@ class GerritTriggerEvent(TriggerEvent):
         self.scheme = None
         self.patchsetcomments = None
 
+    def toDict(self):
+        d = super().toDict()
+        d["approvals"] = self.approvals
+        d["uuid"] = self.uuid
+        d["scheme"] = self.scheme
+        d["patchsetcomments"] = self.patchsetcomments
+        return d
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        super().updateFromDict(d)
+        self.approvals = d["approvals"]
+        self.uuid = d["uuid"]
+        self.scheme = d["scheme"]
+        self.patchsetcomments = d["patchsetcomments"]
+
     def __repr__(self):
         ret = '<GerritTriggerEvent %s %s' % (self.type,
                                              self.canonical_project_name)
diff --git a/zuul/driver/github/githubmodel.py b/zuul/driver/github/githubmodel.py
index 433141ec16..cc4ca747dd 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/github/githubmodel.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/github/githubmodel.py
@@ -78,6 +78,29 @@ class GithubTriggerEvent(TriggerEvent):
         self.status = None
         self.commits = []
 
+    def toDict(self):
+        d = super().toDict()
+        d["title"] = self.title
+        d["label"] = self.label
+        d["unlabel"] = self.unlabel
+        d["action"] = self.action
+        d["delivery"] = self.delivery
+        d["check_run"] = self.check_run
+        d["status"] = self.status
+        d["commits"] = self.commits
+        return d
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        super().updateFromDict(d)
+        self.title = d["title"]
+        self.label = d["label"]
+        self.unlabel = d["unlabel"]
+        self.action = d["action"]
+        self.delivery = d["delivery"]
+        self.check_run = d["check_run"]
+        self.status = d["status"]
+        self.commits = d["commits"]
+
     def isPatchsetCreated(self):
         if self.type == 'pull_request':
             return self.action in ['opened', 'changed']
diff --git a/zuul/driver/gitlab/gitlabmodel.py b/zuul/driver/gitlab/gitlabmodel.py
index fdf6de0424..88f3774889 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/gitlab/gitlabmodel.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/gitlab/gitlabmodel.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # under the License.
 
 import re
-
 from zuul.model import Change, TriggerEvent, EventFilter, RefFilter
 
 EMPTY_GIT_REF = '0' * 40  # git sha of all zeros, used during creates/deletes
@@ -66,6 +65,25 @@ class GitlabTriggerEvent(TriggerEvent):
         self.change_number = None
         self.tag = None
 
+    def toDict(self):
+        d = super().toDict()
+        d["trigger_name"] = self.trigger_name
+        d["title"] = self.title
+        d["action"] = self.action
+        d["labels"] = self.labels
+        d["change_number"] = self.change_number
+        d["tag"] = self.tag
+        return d
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        super().updateFromDict(d)
+        self.trigger_name = d["trigger_name"]
+        self.title = d["title"]
+        self.action = d["action"]
+        self.labels = d["labels"]
+        self.change_number = d["change_number"]
+        self.tag = d["tag"]
+
     def _repr(self):
         r = [super(GitlabTriggerEvent, self)._repr()]
         if self.action:
diff --git a/zuul/driver/pagure/paguremodel.py b/zuul/driver/pagure/paguremodel.py
index 93a0866da8..b06daa0a5a 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/pagure/paguremodel.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/pagure/paguremodel.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # under the License.
 
 import re
+
 from zuul.model import Change, TriggerEvent, EventFilter, RefFilter
 
 EMPTY_GIT_REF = '0' * 40  # git sha of all zeros, used during creates/deletes
@@ -71,6 +72,25 @@ class PagureTriggerEvent(TriggerEvent):
         self.tags = []
         self.tag = None
 
+    def toDict(self):
+        d = super().toDict()
+        d["trigger_name"] = self.trigger_name
+        d["title"] = self.title
+        d["action"] = self.action
+        d["status"] = self.status
+        d["tags"] = list(self.tags)
+        d["tag"] = self.tag
+        return d
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        super().updateFromDict(d)
+        self.trigger_name = d.get("trigger_name", "pagure")
+        self.title = d.get("title")
+        self.action = d.get("action")
+        self.status = d.get("status")
+        self.tags = d.get("tags", [])
+        self.tag = d.get("tag")
+
     def _repr(self):
         r = [super(PagureTriggerEvent, self)._repr()]
         if self.action:
diff --git a/zuul/driver/timer/timermodel.py b/zuul/driver/timer/timermodel.py
index d6f14152ed..d1806eed70 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/timer/timermodel.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/timer/timermodel.py
@@ -60,3 +60,12 @@ class TimerTriggerEvent(TriggerEvent):
     def __init__(self):
         super(TimerTriggerEvent, self).__init__()
         self.timespec = None
+
+    def toDict(self):
+        d = super().toDict()
+        d["timespec"] = self.timespec
+        return d
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        super().updateFromDict(d)
+        self.timespec = d["timespec"]
diff --git a/zuul/driver/zuul/zuulmodel.py b/zuul/driver/zuul/zuulmodel.py
index 036f6d2dda..6c67ab83c8 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/zuul/zuulmodel.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/zuul/zuulmodel.py
@@ -61,3 +61,12 @@ class ZuulTriggerEvent(TriggerEvent):
     def __init__(self):
         super(ZuulTriggerEvent, self).__init__()
         self.pipeline_name = None
+
+    def toDict(self):
+        d = super().toDict()
+        d["pipeline_name"] = self.pipeline_name
+        return d
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        super().updateFromDict(d)
+        self.pipeline_name = d["pipeline_name"]
diff --git a/zuul/model.py b/zuul/model.py
index 0771ff1695..05730db68d 100644
--- a/zuul/model.py
+++ b/zuul/model.py
@@ -3804,7 +3804,7 @@ class NodesProvisionedEvent(ResultEvent):
         self.request_id = request.id
 
 
-class TriggerEvent(object):
+class TriggerEvent(AbstractEvent):
     """Incoming event from an external system."""
     def __init__(self):
         # TODO(jeblair): further reduce this list
@@ -3841,6 +3841,64 @@ class TriggerEvent(object):
         self.timestamp = None
         self.arrived_at_scheduler_timestamp = None
 
+    def toDict(self):
+        return {
+            "data": self.data,
+            "type": self.type,
+            "branch_updated": self.branch_updated,
+            "branch_created": self.branch_created,
+            "branch_deleted": self.branch_deleted,
+            "branch_protected": self.branch_protected,
+            "ref": self.ref,
+            "tenant_name": self.tenant_name,
+            "project_hostname": self.project_hostname,
+            "project_name": self.project_name,
+            "trigger_name": self.trigger_name,
+            "account": self.account,
+            "change_number": self.change_number,
+            "change_url": self.change_url,
+            "patch_number": self.patch_number,
+            "branch": self.branch,
+            "comment": self.comment,
+            "state": self.state,
+            "oldrev": self.oldrev,
+            "newrev": self.newrev,
+            "forced_pipeline": self.forced_pipeline,
+            "zuul_event_id": self.zuul_event_id,
+            "timestamp": self.timestamp,
+            "arrived_at_scheduler_timestamp": (
+                self.arrived_at_scheduler_timestamp
+            ),
+        }
+
+    def updateFromDict(self, d):
+        self.data = d["data"]
+        self.type = d["type"]
+        self.branch_updated = d["branch_updated"]
+        self.branch_created = d["branch_created"]
+        self.branch_deleted = d["branch_deleted"]
+        self.branch_protected = d["branch_protected"]
+        self.ref = d["ref"]
+        self.tenant_name = d["tenant_name"]
+        self.project_hostname = d["project_hostname"]
+        self.project_name = d["project_name"]
+        self.trigger_name = d["trigger_name"]
+        self.account = d["account"]
+        self.change_number = d["change_number"]
+        self.change_url = d["change_url"]
+        self.patch_number = d["patch_number"]
+        self.branch = d["branch"]
+        self.comment = d["comment"]
+        self.state = d["state"]
+        self.oldrev = d["oldrev"]
+        self.newrev = d["newrev"]
+        self.forced_pipeline = d["forced_pipeline"]
+        self.zuul_event_id = d["zuul_event_id"]
+        self.timestamp = d["timestamp"]
+        self.arrived_at_scheduler_timestamp = (
+            d["arrived_at_scheduler_timestamp"]
+        )
+
     @property
     def canonical_project_name(self):
         return self.project_hostname + '/' + self.project_name