Veteran truckers often point to the Kenworth cab as a favorite on the road because of its durability and reliability, even when pitted against models rolled out by Peterbilt. One guy who's a big believer in the brand is Winnipeg, Canada-based Andy Willerton, who's dedicated a YouTube site to Kenworths. He also wheels and deals these trucks and even lent a W990 model for use in the Liam Neeson flick The Ice Road. And, in a video released early in March, Willerton reviewed a custom Kenworth W900L he ordered earlier in 2022 for a client.

This Kenworth's Decked Out In Chrome

Willerton ordered the Kenworth for Jade Construction but not before he and a colleague added a few modifications to the beast. Jade's owner added vinyl orange and yellow stripes to the sides to break up the dark green exterior paint job. The company also added a great deal of chrome to the front end, including a giant Texas bumper outfitted at the bottom with amber marker lights as well as JBL standard and high-beam headlights perched on the truck's front fenders. Willerton added seven vertical bars on the grille breaking up the monotony of the grid pattern and installed a heavy-duty hinge in front for easier access to the engine. "I'm really pleased with how that turned out," he said about the overall look.

RELATED: Rare Kenworth Semi Bought For $300 From Junkyard Still Looks ImpeccableFurther customization included mounting turn signal lights on the bottom of the side mirrors, chrome rims on the wheels, and a nicely polished 30-gallon diesel exhaust fluid tank on the left side of the vehicle underneath the cab's bunk section. "I had to re-polish the tanks because I ordered this truck with non-polished fuel tanks," said Willerton. "When I was ordering this as a stock truck, I was going to have the tanks painted, but we liked to keep it nice and shiny."

No Bunk Grab Handles Here

Kenworth W900L left side view
YouTube/The Kenworth Guy

Other additional work included swapping out the rear bunk lights in favor of shift lights. Wanting to keep the rear clean, he ordered the Kenworth with no bunk grab handles or frame access steps; Jade Construction filled that void by adding a step box integrated with a metal tool box on the side and a deck plate on top of the frame, also painted dark green but with metal flakes adding a more industrial dynamic to the appearance.

While admiring the vinyl decorations and the straight cut smokestack exhausts, Willerton couldn't help but revel in the changes made on this Kenworth. "I love doing all the different stuff; it's just nice to see some variety sometimes," he added. "Every truck is its own piece, and it always looks good when you do something a little bit different."

Jost Supplied The Fifth Wheel

Green Kenworth W900L with Jost coupling
YouTube/The Kenworth Guy

Willerton likes how folks added the AG400L suspension system to the truck, attached with a blind mount. You won't see any hexagonal nuts anywhere on the rear exterior, all of them are neatly located underneath the truck, painted in the same dark green. And for folks who simply cannot have enough shiny parts on their cabs, Willerton added black rear mudflaps with chrome at the bottom to act as weights.

RELATED: Kenworth Debuts Its First Class 8 Battery-Electric TruckAlso underneath the vehicle, Willerton pointed out the Super 40 muffler, the Dana Spicer D40 tandem axle drives with oil pump, and disc brakes on the rear wheels. But he's especially happy with how he added the fifth wheel coupling device on the back. Rather than go with his usual choice of Holland fifth wheels, he opted for a Jost International product this time, hinting at supply chain issues as a motive for his choice. This coupling came with a 24-inch slide with a roughly 7.5-inch inclination, or slide.

A Cummins X15 Powers This Cab

Kenworth W900L with Cummins X15 engine
YouTube/The Kenworth Guy

While all those features make this Kenworth better equipped for the road and probably even better looking than most other cabs, the engine still remains as the heart of this behemoth. Willerton installed a Cummins X15 engine that kicks out 565 horsepower to the rear wheels and 1,850 lb.ft. of torque. It's an engine that's worked so well for him, he's ordered it for all of his Kenworths. He didn't need to do too much to the engine, just lower the front end a bit, change and paint the U-bolts, swap out a rear shackle for a shorter one, and perform a three-axle realignment.

Willerton got the truck running, but didn't demonstrate how it drove. Instead, he showed off what he did to the cab, by ensuring the Kenworth had all the necessary gauges, ordered a leather strapped steering wheel and leather seats, and carpeted the entire front area. In the back, he added a compartment large enough to hold a portable television and installed a flip-down table. To take advantage of the cab's height, he added a bunk bed that sleeps two.