Photos: Paul Rissler’s 1996 Peterbilt 379 ‘RisslerBilt’ a home-built beauty

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Updated Aug 10, 2023
Paul and Michelle RisslerPaul Rissler and his wife, Michelle, attened the Shell Rotella SuperRigs show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 18-20.

Owner-operator Paul Rissler doesn’t know if he likes the color green, but if you saw his custom 1996 Peterbilt 379 and 2008 Great Dane reefer, you’d think it’s his favorite color.

The truck’s exterior is white with a green wrap around the bottom that matches the wrap around the bottom of the trailer. Rissler, of California, Missouri, built the truck’s interior in his own shop. It’s green throughout, with a drip effect.

Side view of Risslerbilt 379Rissler named his ’96 Pete the Risslerbilt.

The truck, named “RisslerBilt,” has an N14 Cummins engine tuned up to 600 hp with a fast system on it and an 18-speed transmission. Rissler added vent shades, a new visor, 8-inch Dynaflex pipes and a 20-inch American Eagle bumper. The truck has a 304-inch wheel base. He also stretched it to a long hood and painted the grill and windshield wiper arms white.

On the inside, the truck has a 63-inch sleeper, which Rissler outfitted to look like a 120-inch sleeper. It has a sink, refrigerator, microwave and memory foam mattress.

“It was me and two other guys who did all the interior at my shop. One guy’s in a wheelchair so he rolls around on the bottom here and he’s looking up all the time so everything had to be covered up, like under the dash you couldn’t see nothing. Everything had to flow evenly with the green and the black and no screws, so we can step on,” Rissler said. 

Rissler has his own authority and usually hauls all LTL and refrigerated foods.

“The pride and accomplishment you’ve got in it, when you pull into a fuel island and everybody comes over and starts taking pictures, it makes you feel good that you did something with your bare hands to make it look like this,” Rissler said. 

Rissler is a regular competitor in the annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs contest and takes his truck to other shows, as well.

Interior of 'Risslerbilt'A green drip theme carries throughout every part of the cab of Paul Rissler's 1996 Peterbilt 379.

Three crosses on Risslerbilt deck plateThree crosses stand out against the green on the truck.

Cab interior of Risslerbilt 379The entire cab of Paul Rissler's 1996 Peterbilt 379 has been redone in a custom green drip design.

Rear view of Risslerbilt 379Paul Rissler's 1996 Peterbilt 379

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