Sometimes you just have to jump head first into something you’re scared of or hesitant about. Fear of uncertainty holds you back from your potential, and you never know what’ll come out on the other side unless you take some risks.

That’s precisely what Damon Edmonds did when he first jumped into the custom truck scene. Always one for automotive eye candy, Damon had been intrigued with the scene but was always just an appreciative bystander. But then his friends Chris Payne (aka Truck Guru) and his co-worker talked him into selling his beloved custom Porsche to build his first truck.

After his baby was sold, he plunged deep into the build, making sure it was done right but with his own spin on things. “I wanted to do something out of the ordinary and different from what everyone else was doing, so I chose to go with a heavy-duty gas application,” which he describes as the reasoning behind his 2017 Ram 2500 with a 6.4 Hemi. “What makes this truck so special is that nobody builds a gas truck on the diesel scene at this level.”

As the very first truck he’s ever owned, Damon only had experience with lowered and performance rides, so having a big truck was a huge difference, which made him feel out of his element. But that didn’t stop him from moving forward with his newfound passion, and he was able to have his friends along for the ride as support, including one of his best friends Cory McIntosh of McIntosh Motorsport in Cincinnati, Ohio, who built the one-off custom suspension that makes the Ram tower as you see it now.

Because no custom should go without a name, Damon decided on “Hard As Nails” about the mean machine he sought to build. The plan was to transform the stock truck into something impressive but plans always change when dealing with something of this caliber. “The plan for the build got out of hand from the start,” he confesses. “It started as a moderate truck build on air ride with 24s and evolved to what you see today.” He relied on some industry vets for guidance, who helped steer him in the right direction regarding modifications, parts and adding extra flair to the build.