Owner-operator Tony Huttenstine, leased to Rabbit River Transport out of Holland, Michigan, has owned and operated this 2005 Peterbilt 379, "Casablanca" for about 18 months.
The 20-year owner-operator hauls Boar's Head meats, step deck freight, even the occasional trade show with the unit, which is powered by a Cat motor with an 18-speed and 3.36 rears. It sits on a 280-inch wheelbase and boasts what Huttenstine said is one of the last Double Eagle sleepers to roll off the production line before the company closed in 2010.
The 80-inch sleeper features many of the comforts of home, including a shower, toilet and more. Huttenstine said one of the only things he changed with the sleeper was swapping out the microwave oven for a convection oven. "I like bacon-wrapped hot dogs, and they taste pretty good in that convection oven," he said.
With Double Eagle being closed for 14 years now, Huttenstine said it's "getting rarer and rarer by the day" to see Double Eagles on the road, particularly those still in good shape. "It's just becoming kind of a dying breed... they're still out there, but they're few and far in between," he said. (Catch another one recently featured here.)Video and photos by Lawson Rudisill
Huttenstine showed the truck and its sleeper at the 2024 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in March.
Custom adds to the rig include a grille insert, chrome-plated headlights, side boxes with a sunburst pattern from 4 State Trucks, an RLK visor, glass watermelon lights with stainless bases from the Dirty Diesels shop and more.
Fiberglass fenders from WTI he said "keep all the debris and everything off of your truck, off of your frame," and are "a lot easier to keep clean." The rear panel is from Southerland Bros. Air & Fab, who also did the front and rear air ride suspension on the truck.
Inside the truck, it's mostly stock with a few minor touches on the dash.
One thing Huttenstine did add to the interior was black toggle extensions to the switches on the dash. "That's a very, very nice addition," he said. "Everybody usually runs chrome. We did ours black just to do it a little bit different."
Overall, the truck has 1.6 million miles behind it, with around 550,000 on it after an engine overhaul. "It's breaking in good now," Huttenstine said. "Finally getting some broke-in miles."
As impressive as the truck looks, Huttenstine insists it "isn't exactly a build. We run and drive this truck every day. We've been running it now for about 16 months. It's just been a little bit here, a little bit there. Kind of move it forward, take care of the things that need to be taken care of, and then we get in it and go to work."
[Related: '01 Peterbilt 379 an 'ultra rare' find for Ohio-based owner]
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Tony Huttenstine: "Casablanca." It's the White House, man. It's the best we can come up with. Honestly, I've never been a great naming of a truck kind of guy. It's more who's driving it than the truck.
My name's Tony Huttenstine. I've been an owner operator for 20 years. Released to Rabbit River Transport out of Holland, Michigan. Do a lot of Boar's Head meat, a lot of step deck freight and a little bit of trade shows here and there.
This is a 2005 Peterbilt 379, 18-speed, 3.36 rears, 280 wheel base. It's got one of the last Double Eagle bunks to roll off the line. It's 80 inch sleeper, shower, potty, all the good stuff that a guy would want, be light and still be able to get home. A lot of conveniences in there. The only thing that we changed was your standard microwave oven to a convection oven because I like bacon wrapped hot dogs, and they taste pretty good in that convection oven.It is getting rare and rare by the day or more and more rare. There's still a few good ones out there. Arlyn Workman has one of the most beautiful ones that a guy can lay eye on. It's just becoming kind of a dying breed, for lack of a better term. They're still out there, but they're few and far in between.
So we added seats, so low bases. We also run Sears brand seats, had 'em move back. Basically it's a very, very stock interior Amcan Truck Services. They hooked us up with some black toggle extensions, which I love. That's very, very nice little addition. Everybody usually runs chrome. We did ours in black just to do it a little bit different.
So we've done a custom insert on the grille. We had the headlights chrome plated. The boxes on the sides have carried the sunburst pattern. We've got those through 4 State Trucks. The visor is all RLK. All of our lights are glass. It's a sealed unit through Dirty Diesels. Very, very nice stuff. Stainless bases, everything fits tight. No water, no moisture, very nice stuff.
The exhaust looks very, very stock, but it's not. It's aftermarket through Dynaflex. It's all components that you can reach through them. It's very, very happy with their pipes for sure.
So that's actually, it's a Double Eagle deal. It's just a quilted inlay that's stainless insert. The fenders that are on there are WTI. We run the full fiberglass. I really like that they keep all the debris and everything off of your truck, off of your frame. A lot easier to keep clean. The tail panel that's on all it comes from Southerland Bros. air ride. It's nice little addition. They're also the guys that did the air ride front end on the truck.
No, sir. It's mostly stock. It's 1.6 million miles. There's five and a half on the overhaul, so it's breaking in good now, finally getting some broke in miles. This isn't exactly a build. We run and drive this truck every day. We've been running it now for about 16 months. It's just been a little bit here, a little bit there. Kind of move it forward, take care of the things need to be taken care of, and then we get in it and go to work.
