If you like your trucks a little out of the ordinary, Brian Hermany of West Palm Beach, Florida has created a rig you have to check out. His rig is a truly unique and customized truck with a blend of vintage and modern elements. The combination of a 1953 Dodge Pilot House cab on a Cummins-powered 1996 Dodge dually chassis definitely fits the out-of-the-box mantra.

“I bought the truck at the Hershey, Pennsylvania swap meet several years ago and drove it home because I always wanted a Pilot House Dodge,” Brian quips. “I wanted the three-window cab because I live in southern Florida and less glass translates to less heat generation in the cab. I spent about 3-1/2 years building it in my home shop.”

The truck was nearly stock when Brian purchased it, and the conversion began when he located a Cummins-powered 1996 Dodge one-ton chassis and drivetrain in Texas. The 12-valve Cummins is backed by an NV4500 five-speed transmission. The engine has 404,000 miles on the odometer and has never been out of the frame. “The only thing I did was modify the fueling system a little bit,” says Brian.

The cab surrounding this Cummins-powered chassis, however, did need major modifications to fit the frame. Those changes include stretching the cowl 12 inches, lengthening the front fenders and wheel arches, and the top has been chopped 3 inches while the floor is sectioned 3 inches. Brian also added steel flares to the front fenders that were taken from a 2-1/2-ton Dodge truck.

“The front bumper is from a 1966 International cab-over semi-truck and has been narrowed 18 inches and reradiused to follow the ’53 Dodge’s body curves”, says Brian. The headlights have been “frenched” in and the grille bars are hand-made by Brian and incorporate Freightliner grille mesh.

In order to get the bed to fit the chassis, it was also lengthened 12 inches, and the sides were switched from right to left which placed the top bed rails inward instead of outward. This allowed Brian to eliminate the exterior latches and chains associated with a vintage truck.

The rear fenders were taken from an International fire truck and have been widened 6 inches. “Widening the fenders was my first experience with an English wheel and a rosebud torch, and the fenders are rather heavy to be rolling in an English wheel,” says Brian. The rear bumper and taillights are from a ’68 Charger.

The use of components from various vehicles, adds character and a mix of styles to the overall design. Brian’s hands-on work with tools like the English wheel and rosebud torch demonstrates his craftsmanship and commitment to the project.

The fact that Brian drove the truck from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to southern Florida after buying it at a swap meet adds a personal touch to the story.

If you think this Cummins-powered truck looks cool, as they say on late-night TV, “but wait, there’s more. “I pull a gooseneck trailer loaded with parts from southern Florida to Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the Chrysler swap meet each year,” Brian states. “I also do vintage racing and pull a three-car wedge trailer.”

Do you want to see more Reader’s Rigs? This column is dedicated to showcasing what you guys and girls are driving and I need your help to give the Reader’s Rigs the props they deserve. If you would like to share yours, I want to hear about it — I can never get enough. If you want to see your truck featured as a Reader’s Rig, send a few pictures of your truck showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information about it and I’ll make you internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].