Driver takes curb appeal to next level with Western Star garage and mail box replica
Owner-operator Dennis Creps' new home with added garage for his Western Star and his truck replica mailbox
The Trucker News Services
6/3/2008
REDFORD, Mich. — When Midnight Express Trucking Inc. owners Dennis and Nadine Creps built their new home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., they added an extra garage for their 2007 Western Star 4900 EX Stratosphere sleeper. And, in case that escaped notice, their mailbox out front is a Western Star truck replica.
“A lot of people in Havasu build bays for their RVs so I decided my Western Star truck needed that kind of special treatment,” said Dennis Creps.
According to spokesmen for Daimler Trucks North America, of which Western Star is a part, the Creps’ proud display of their beloved truck has redefined the idea of curb appeal and taken it to a whole new level.
After retiring from the automotive business, Dennis Creps became an owner-operator. He hauls fiberglass insulation and waste paper in the western U.S. six days a week. The 2007 model is the second Western Star he has had.
According to Daimler, the Creps chose the 82-inch high roof Stratosphere, which it says is the largest sleeper in the industry by volume, specifically for its roomy interior and luxe styling. It was spec’d with such amenities as upholstered swivel bucket seats, a portable bathroom and full refrigerator.
“I really love my sleeper,” said Dennis Creps, “because I’m on the road so much, I wanted a home-away-from-home and my truck truly accommodates all of my needs.”
He worked with Bobby Balda of Quality Truck Care Center in Oshkosh, Wis., to make sure every detail was just right.
Outside the truck is spec’d with extra LED lights laser-cut into the front bumper; stainless steel skirting and lights and chrome detailing.
Creps added a Detroit Diesel Series 60 with a chrome engine package. Creps said his Willis Auxiliary Power System has saved him more than $2,400 in fuel thus far, while reducing idling.
The truck is painted in a jet black pearl metallic and the cab has a “3” painted on both sides in honor of the Creps’ favorite NASCAR driver, the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.
And as far as the mailbox, they commissioned it according to detail, too, and worked with a local artisan who custom builds mailboxes. The all-metal Western Star replica took two months to construct and weighs 65 pounds.
Dennis Creps says he shows off on the road with his truck and that the mailbox does the showing off when the truck’s away.
Western Star Trucks Sales Inc. is headquartered in Redford, Mich., and produces heavy-duty custom trucks for long-haul and vocational applications.
Western Star is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC.
For more information go to www.WesternStar.com. 8