Douwanna — Danny Kleine’s Kenworth C509

Danny Kleine’s Kenworth C509 combines livestock work with a distinctive custom finish.

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Based in Henty, NSW, Danny Kleine has been running his own livestock transport business and his own farm for over a decade. He has been a truckie for 14 years and a farmer for 10.

Danny grew up on a farm but has always loved transporting stock and says he has been lucky enough to follow both paths.

The transport side of the business has two trucks at the moment with the recently bought C509 monster and a soon to be picked up T909 replacing a T608 he has been running.

The C509 is rated at 130 tonnes and is specced to be future proof.

Danny says the truck mainly runs B-doubles but when the time comes it will be able to pull B-triples as well.

“We pull B-doubles mainly but I set her up for B-triples as well and it is set up to do road-train work if need be,” he tells ACT.

“One day when we have the opportunity to pull B-triples we’ll be all ready, I like to stay up with the trends!”

He reckons the truck is a winner with its Cummins SCR ISXe5 15 litre engine pushing out over 550 hp @ 1800 rpm providing ample torque down the rev range with 1850 lb ft @ 1200rpm and proclaims it could be the best engine yet.

This power-plant is matched to an Eaton Fuller RTLO22918B 18-speed overdrive transmission.

He says performance wise what he really likes is the ride quality of the unit which travels with its Neway AD246/10, 20.8T extra heavy duty airbag suspension on the rear that he says provides a high level of comfort and stability. His driver and son-in-law Alex Gobbo reckons he wanted the six rod suspension instead but his father-in-law won out.

It also has 4.3 ratio Meritor diffs.

For Danny the C509 is a special truck and a project he has always wanted to do.

“I just took the opportunity to build a truck like I always wanted to, this is not a kind of truck that you buy every day,” he says.

With this truck Danny went the whole hog and made use of all the space available.

“I always liked having a separate bedroom, like we had with our 2007 T950, I like the old style trucks, I like a functional cabin.

I also like the 909s, they are heavy but they get plenty of air underneath,” he says.

“I was always going to build myself a C series so I thought I would do it now rather than later, the other truck we’ll be getting is more of a fleet truck, more of an everyday truck but to build yourself one big truck, you can have a bit of a play.

“We wanted a large cab to fit everything we need when we are away,” he says.

I also find out that Danny used to own the Henty Hotel and built that up from a run-down establishment, so I figure he has created his own hotel room on wheels with the C509.

With this five-star accommodation theme for comfort on the road it is plain to see why he fitted a Custom Air sleeper air conditioning unit.

“The Custom Air is reverse cycle so we have both hot and cold [functionality].

“We have a standing bar fridge as well under the TV and we have a little stool in there so you can watch TV beside the bed,” Danny explains the luxury accommodation in the cab.

The truck hasn’t got an official name but it’s got a name on the bonnet “Douwanna”, he tells ACT.

“It doesn’t mean much but when people look at it they say do you wanna do what,” he laughs.

He says the C509, like all the trucks he has had, have had “Wilbonlee” written on the back of the cab, which is the name of his farm, which in turn, is named after his three children William, Bonnie and Charlie.

Talking to Danny it’s easy to gauge his sentimental nature and that extends to his gratitude to everyone that was involved with making the C509 what it is today.

From the front the bullbar was provided by Kentweld, part of AJs Truck Gear. The custom extras were designed and fitted by Kyzer Kustoms. This includes the 13” drop visor, roof lights, the smooth mount painted air cleaner risers, mirror lights, elephant ears, air cleaner covers, headlight backings and stainless steel wings with LED lights.

It also has a one piece under bunk stainless, and polished tank straps with the rubbers removed.

Kyzer Kustoms also put in the stainless steps and set up the tool box at the back of the cab with an added fake tank over the battery box. They created new deck plates front and rear, along with steer mud flap extensions. The C509 is now the perfect truck for Danny and he is thankful.

“I would really like to extend my thanks to Luke McIntosh from Kyzer Kustoms for everything that he has done, he is a credit to the industry, he is very particular,” he says.

“I have to add, Graham Thompson from Kenworth Shepparton with Warwick Talbert and Mick O’Keefe, they did a really good job.

“Mark Hodgson from Shepparton Motor Panel & Engineering Works did a lot of work to it, including painting the tanks and George McCraken has done well with all my trucks, he is incredible, he did all the signs and scroll work by hand,” he says. This is one C5 that has been done up to the nines.

Rear Vision: where are they now?

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