Tow mirrors up, let’s go! Stephen Frucella of Kileen, Texas, put the last drama-free touches on his 2015 Ram 2500 Cummins flatbed truck before making the issue-free drive (yes, some SEMA trucks are for driving) to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the 2024 SEMA Show, where he had a good, fun week enjoying the fruits of his labor.
Placed in a great outdoor spot in front of the Central Hall at the SEMA Show, this diesel truck fit in more than nicely with its lifted diesel peers. It would be a different story, however, to cross paths with this flatbed behemoth in a sea of regular, plain vanilla trucks. There’s quite a lot going on with this build—and we’re only going to hit the basics—so let’s get to it.
The 2015 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty truck sports the venerable Cummins I-6 with a built transmission and tons of Banks Power goodies—intake elbow, air filter, throttle control, and a custom exhaust system. A Gen-Y Boss Torsion-Flex Drop Hitch contributes to confident towing. There’s a BDS 4-inch lift in front and heavy-duty coil springs and helper airbags in the rear for added payload. Occupants and pets can hoist themselves in and out of the larger-than-average truck thanks to custom steps/sliders, and a custom dog bed rear-seat delete allows the real king/queen of the family to rest comfortably.
Rolling attire consists of 20-inch Fittipaldi Off Road beadlock wheels wrapped in Continental MPT81 tires (MPT standing for Multi-Purpose Tires). Impressive stopping power comes courtesy of an SSBC big-brake kit. On-board air with chucks at each tire and in the rear bumper allow Stephen to air-up with ease after a day of play in the woods.
Most noticeable, Stephen ditched the factory bed in favor of a custom flatbed with built-in toolboxes. Flatbed trucks are straight-up cool, allowing for great flexibility and customization—and tons of room for activities. The flatbed has a custom spare tire holder (and tire), off-road jack, Midnight Forest water storage tank, 8-gallon gas tank, and more.
Patriot Liner sprayed the whole truck in bed liner, contributing to its menacing demeanor. Front and rear Road Armor bumpers, dual Warn winches (16.5 in front, M8000 in the rear), and a custom exo cage protect the massive truck and give it recovery capabilities. Lighting the way are Morimoto headlights, A-pillar lights, roof lights, rear-mounted lights, and tail lights, with Auxbeam controlling all the lights and accessories.
Stephen bought the 2015 Ram 2500 Cummins truck nearly a decade ago and considers this SEMA build a dream come true. That’s what SEMA is for, right? We’d say he more than accomplished his goal of building the truck for traveling with the family (and furry family member) and can’t wait to see what’s in store for this Cummins-powered 2015 Ram 2500.
