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Right in front of a trucker, the most “hands-on” part of his machine, is the steering wheel and dashboard. When it comes to custom interior dashboards, truckers look at gauge bezels, switch extensions, and the like. Shiny chrome ventilators take the place of regular AC vents. Switch guards, glove boxes, steering columns, and every other part of it can be customized.

Where are you going to put your pen, pad, phone, iPad, Bluetooth, coffee cup, everything else a trucker has beside them in their cab?

That all gets considered when a truck is customized for use.

The steering wheel: Some prefer a 20 inch steering wheel, some an 18. Some like wood and some prefer leather ones. Colors, every color is available and done in custom semi interiors. There’s a pretty big selection of knobs when it comes to custom shifters, and covers as well, and extensions.

Here’s some custom interiors others have done.

Classic RV Motorhome

This semi-mysterious RV is as big as it is unknown. Someone uploaded this photo to a to-do-projects list. There are just so many trucks out there where there isn’t much known, but look at this RV. It’s unlike almost anything you see out there. Vintage giant tractor-based motorhome — or motorcoach. Or maybe it’s a caboverhome.

Elsewhere the photo’s posted with this title: “Used Peterbilt 362 Truck For Sale Cabover W Sleeper Heavy Picture.”

But this isn’t a Pete. Look at that grill. It’s a Ford. I emailed the guy who posted the photo. Hopefully he gets back to me and I can update this soon with what he tells us about that great big RV.

The guy does a bunch of custom projects, a wide range. Cars and trucks. So it might be he did this custom job himself. Hope so.

Ok, I heard back from the man, and he doesn’t know anything about it either. So if you do, people, let us know.

“It was a photograph taken by a family member who saw it at a campground years ago and we don’t know anything about it,” the man wrote to us.

Update: Some people on the Facebook page have filled in some of the mystery of this giant cabover RV. This is a Ford CL 900 cabover (thanks go to Brian Michael he’s the first one to id the big old RV). According to Michael,

“The CL 900 was one of the first trucks with a air ride. When you went around a corner too fast you felt like you were going to kiss the ground.” He said it wasn’t one of Ford’s better ideas. And Zosia Joji Varga said it was probably circa 1982. Thanks, guys.

Peterbilt with Mountainous Sleeper

This post follows our original write up on this truck. So many people commented with informative comments that we read them over and wrote this update to the write up. We’re going to call this a Blogunity Truck Member’s Take (because its members of the mailing list (subscribe by clicking this — it’s just a weekly email with some great trucks, and we’re going to be doing giveaways later) and the Plains Trains page).

Members take:

This is a custom sleeper, according to Michael Maucelli, who told us that most cars like this one do dedicated runs, like most conventions, or bed bugging.

Wayne Taylor filled in that the driver of this truck was hauling specialized cars like Reliable. Barry Carter commented that the driver was hauling regular units as well.

Some of the other things to consider when driving a truck like this: reduced load capacity, maneuverability issues (super long wheelbase) — pointed out by Dennis Larson, who also said it would be a great truck to live in, even if not for daily work.

Gary Johnson added that he agreed and it would be maybe a good idea to pull a smart car and motorcycle in this rig, that would make a “perfect camper.”

To read our original write up for this Peterbilt with a mountainous sleeper, click here.

“Ol School” Kenworth Cabover 1979

Who knows what custom semi is waiting to be created? This truck sat in a junkyard for 14 years before it was given this makeover into what you see today. It’s a 1979 Kenworth cabover.

The custom work, undertaken by a shop in South Carolina called K&L Chrome Shop. The owners of this custom rig called it “Ol School Truckin'”

The initial concept design and a significant amount of the bodywork were done by Jay Griffin of Quick Draw Custom Paint. This is the fist custom built truck he was involved in, and he dedicated the efforts to Alice, who had passed away not long before.
http://www.quickdrawcustompaint.com/page8.html

The truck was chosen to be in the Big Rig Build Off in March 2005 — the first annual event in Louisville, Kentucky.

They raced to complete the truck for the competition, and finished it in 31 days.

The interior has two racing bucket seats and local tech school students made the steering wheel (if there was a picture, I would have put it in). They put a loud stereo in this custom rig as well.

Done to this custom cabover:
Stripped to the frame
Cab was gutted
Chopped the top 6″
Filled any uneeded holes
Shaved the rivets
Smoothed the whole cab
Frame was tossed in favor of two new rails stretching to 310″
Front axle modified and airbagged
Rear axles welded to the frame solid
WTI fenders cut to 1/4 fenders with a tribal design
Deck was plasma cut with a tribal flame design
Drop offs were welded to the side rails.
100 gallon tanks were polished
Airtanks polished
8″ stove pipe stacks were added
Rear dropped bumper
Stailess front bumper, grill,sunvisor and other assorted items were done by the guys in the fab shop.
Painted the tribal flames blue and white
Hand painted the pin stripes and lettering.

Purple T-600 Kenworth

This purple custom tractor is a T-600 that made an appearance at the Mid-America Truckshow years back. One almost like it (except not as customized or shined up) came up for auction a couple years ago, which is how we get to know so much about it. It seems it used to have a webpage, too, but that’s not up anymore it looks like. It was sold for (or listed for, anyway) $6,710 dollars, which seems like it isn’t very expensive.

The two photos — if you compare them — give a good idea of what a few changes can make, as well as a polish, to a truck.

The semi tractor for sale was in Montana (Clarksdale). It’s a 1993 Kenworth with a Detroit Series diesel 60 12.7 liter engine and a 13-speed manual Eaton Fuller transmission. The sleeper bunk is a 56 incher, dual sleeper with storage. It has dual 120 gallon fuel tanks. The wheelbase is 230 inches.

Specs of this custom Kenworth sleeper:

1,438,341 miles on odometer
Twin screw
AC and heat
Tilt
Cruise
AM/FM/Cassette
Air ride seat
Power windows and mirrors
Heated mirrors
Exterior visor
Bumper
High rise roof wind deflector
Aluminum deck plate
Stainless steel quarter fenders
Dump valves
Air suspension
Air brakes
Jake brake
Wheel nut covers
Aluminum wheels
285/75R24.5 tires
Eaton 402 axle
3.36 gear ratio
GVWR 50,000 lbs
FAWR 12,000 lbs
IAWR 19,000 lbs
RAWR 19,000 lbs
Missing heater controls

The 2015 Race! Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Gearing Up

628-nautical mile race (1,170km) the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht will start in just a couple of months: December 26 — Boxing Day — at 1pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time.

“For the last 70 years, one yacht race has lured offshore sailers from around the world with a challenge unlike any other.” This is how Rolex described the historic race last year.

The richness of the event includes not just the sailing itself but also watching for the most successful yacht designs (so far it is New Zealander Bruce Farr with 15 overall winners) and other peripheral achievements. The race is arduous and demanding, and anything can happen on the say. Unfortunately, many yachtsmen have lost their lives during the sail to Hobart, including 6 sailors who died in 1998, when 5 yachts sunk. That year, only 43 of 115 yachts finished the race.

There are old rivalries and new records to compete for every year.

The race’s 630 miles takes around 2 days. The fastest time was in 2012 when Wild Oats XI completed the event in 1 day 18 hours 23 minutes and 12 seconds.

The 71st aniversary this December should be no less exciting.

Last year, there were 5 100-foot boats in the running among the 117 yachts total, on board which were 1,500 competitors.

Wild Oats XI won overall and has won for the past 3 years, and out of the past 10 years, the monohull boat has won 8 times. Comanche took the second in 2014.

Last year’s handicap winner came down to the smallest, oldest boat in the race Maluka of Kermandie and Wild Rose. The clock ran out for Maluka, and Wild Rose (also an old boat) took the overall title.

Image (Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi) from Sailing World. Visit them.

Big Custom Sleeper Semi

This custom semi sleeper unit is not your average bear, some might say. This one used to belong to Reliable Carriers, but it seems the original truck listing is no longer available, unfortunately, so info on this rig is limited (until we read your guys comments on social media, anyway — I keep being impressed by the wealth of info there is when you guys all start commenting on a truck).

According to “umass93UMBC12,” a user on Hank’s Truck Forum, this big custom sleeper also drove for United Van Lines.

Here’s another photo (below) — this is the only other photo available associated with this custom rig, but it does not appear to be the same truck. I’m including it anyways because if you liked the truck in the top image, you’ll probably like this one too. Compare the two trucks and see if you think they’re the same.

Is it the same one, just photographed in a different stage of massive custom semi sleeper development?

Here’s some more similar trucks. Word is the T600’s are probably company trucks. One tip to keep in mind: according to “umass93″ these trucks keep their sleepers down under 100” to be legal in Canada.

Hotel on Wheels — Sleeper Made From Multiple Sleepers

This house on wheels — or hotel on wheels — has a reputed 163-inch sleeper. It’s driven by a trucker named Melvin Davis. He’s from Michigan.

It’s a 2000 Freightliner Classic. This could be a useable long-haul truck or a comfortable RV. It has lots of space for a semi sleeper and a lot of RV amenities.

It’s powered by a Detroit Series 60 engine. The engine has around 600,000 miles on it. The truck has a 13-speed tranny.

Davis told the trucking magazine Overdrive Online about the construction of the big sleeper. It’s 2 semi sleepers cut up and put together to make one big custom sleeper.

“It’s 2 sleepers. One’s turned backwards to the other. The back out of the front one is not the back of the back one. And the back out of the back one is the two side panels of the sides. Separates at 37 inches.”

This is the truck called by its owner the “Hillbilly Hilton,” after the successful hotel chain originally developed by American Conrad Hilton.

“Gives me 173 inches altogether,” said Davis to Overdrive Online.

He took the front axle off. It’s got a dead axle in it which gives the trucker some of the weight back they took out when they stretched it. So he can put 43,5 in the box (full of fuel) as the custom sleeper semi is now. “So I can still carry a pretty good payload,” the long hauler said.

The trucker bought the truck off his business partner. His partner now drives his other semi truck.

Photos

There’s some photos of the interior, but unfortunately there aren’t any good wide-angle interior shots available for this truck. If some become available, we’ll put them in here.

Specs:
Company: Davis Trucking
Location of base: Hartford, Michigan
Wheelbase:365 inches or close to that (360-365 or
something like that)
Interior of sleeper:
Full-sized bed
Bigger than a full-sized shower
Easy Chair
Table
Computer Station
Refridgerator
Full-sized closet
storage space
Kitchen sink
Microwave
Counter top