Bulk Transport Since 1950'
Custom Truck Builds  & Landscaping Yard

The Kenworth C510 was bought at auction by Leigh Dehne, previously owned by Brambles. It was the largest road registered truck in Australia at that time. In February 2018 the truck arrived at the Kuchel Custom Truck depot, Barossa Valley SA.

This was the largest project yet to be completed by the Kuchel team. The idea going into the restoration was to give the impression it had rolled off of the factory floor in its completed state. 

As with all Kuchel builds, it was to be a ground-up rebuild. Everything was stripped from the cab & chassis to ensure all facets of the truck were bought back to as new condition, with a few extra additions requested by Leigh. 

The scope for the build was to convert the Kenworth day cab to something large enough to accommodate living quarters for the driver. For this to work, the chassis needed to be extended - prior to arriving to Kuchels - so the custom 85" bunk could be fabricated to meet these requirements. The cab was fabricated to mimic the same standard and methods that would be seen in a Kenworth factory build.

The cab was sent to the Kuchel paint shop to be painted in the livery Slingshot colours, meanwhile the chassis was too long for the Kuchel paint booth, so was sent to a trailer building firm in Adelaide, SA. The decision was made to replace the current power plant with a C34 V12 CAT motor. After the chassis arrived back from paint the engine arrived at the workshop. Various cross member and mounting modifications had to be completed for the new engine to be re-homed. After a frame was put together, the team suspended the cabin high enough so that the chassis could be wheeled underneath, the modified cabin was then reunited with the chassis.

Once back in the workshop with the cabin and engine in their final resting places, it was time to address the new tasks. 

Plumbing the intake and exhaust systems was the next move, as were various modifications to ensure the turbos cleared the bonnet once fitted. 

The upholstery matched the Kenworth style with lots of diamonds, expertly carried out by Steve Baum of Stateside Trim.

The bunk is a custom build 85" and had to be specifically designed and fabricated to meet Leigh's specifications. One of them being to ensure comfort of the driver on the far flung roads of Australia without having to sacrifice the comfort and amenities of a modern highway truck stop, with the fabrication of a toilet and shower, fitment of microwave, TV, fridge and air-conditioning.

A sign writer was bough in to finish off the details on the cab. After more than four years, 'Moby' was finally completed and taken back to Katherine where it has become quite the celebrity. 

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