Famous Trucks: Bill and Jo Harding’s Dodge Ram 2500 and Jeep® J10 from Twister

The Film: Twister

The 1996 thriller Twister follows the estranged Bill and Jo Harding, brought to life by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt. Upon Bill's return to rural Oklahoma to finalize the couple’s divorce, Meteorologist Jo coaxes her soon-to-be ex-husband into assisting her with launching a prototype tornado tracker nicknamed Dorothy.   

The Hardings race against the Twisters and rival meteorologists to successfully launch the first Dorothy device, though it takes several attempts, destroyed vehicles, and near-death experiences. 

The film ends with a successful deployment, a couple of totaled pickups, and a reconciled relationship between Jo and Bill—true love does exist after all, eh?

The Trucks

Twister is just as much about the hero vehicles as it is the plot—specifically, Jo Harding’s 1982 Jeep J10 and Bill Harding’s 1995 Dodge Ram 2500. Let’s take a closer look at both screen-used pickups to learn just what makes each so memorable.

Bill Harding’s 1995 Dodge Ram 2500

At the time of Twister’s filming, Dodge had just launched its second-generation Ram pickup truck. The all-new redesign sported massive sweeping fenders, rounded yet aggressive bodylines, and an all-new 8.0L V10 Magnum power plant. Though likely the result of paid Chrysler product placement, especially considering the film’s countless Jeeps and Dodge Caravans, the Ram 2500 is the perfect addition to the film. 

The bright red Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 is bold, muscly, and reliable, spending its screen time saving the film’s protagonists and, eventually, sacrificing itself for the greater good—deploying the final, and only successful, Dorothy.

Jo Harding’s 1982 Jeep J10 Honcho

In contrast with the brand-new, shiny Ram pickup, Jo Harding’s Jeep J10 is a bit weathered and well-used—though in a way that only adds charm and character. The Sun Yellow pickup sports the über-eighties Honcho package, including radical blue graphics, an optional grille guard, and a factory-installed tubular roll bar. 

Though the J10 sacrifices itself early on during a failed Dorothy deployment, the pickup lives on in the hearts of Jeepers and truck enthusiasts alike.

Twisters: A Requel

In October of 2022, Twisters was announced—a requel to the original Twister film. Though the new film isn’t a reboot or a direct sequel, it lives within the Twister universe, following an all-new band of storm chasers. 

While we can’t grasp much of the plot from trailers, it looks to follow a similar course to the original film. Plus, we can’t help but notice the RAM product placement, including Glen Powell’s heavily modified, red, fourth-generation RAM 3500 dually and an aggressive white RAM TRX—which appears to serve as a stand-in for the original Jeep Honcho (though we might have rather seen a yellow JT Gladiator in its place.)

Twisters is set for a Summer 2024 release. We’ll post an update once our staff has the chance to watch and review the new film.

Build Your Own Twister-Inspired Jeep J10

If you’ve ever dreamed of building your own Twister-inspired Jeep J10, here’s your chance! In this section, learn our recommended products and accessories to transform a bone-stock J10 into a movie-accurate replica of Jo Harding’s 1982 Jeep J-Series.

Platform:

First, we’ll need a platform for our Jeep J-series build. While the J-Series’ body changed little over its 24 years of production, slight variations lend some years to our build over others. The screen-used pickup is a 1982 model featuring the updated “muscle” grille and square headlights (1981–1985). 

Though you may be able to find an early-model chassis for cheaper than a late-model J10, you’d need to swap the grille, fabricate the headlight buckets, and possibly replace the hood. Considering the cost of those upgrades, you’re likely better off sourcing an 81–85 model from the get-go. 

The screen-used Jeep also sports the rare Honcho Package, though a trip to a graphics shop and an aftermarket tubular roll bar will get you 90 percent of the way there.

Body:

The body of Jo Harding’s Jeep J10 sports a vibrant Sun Yellow (2B) paint job with three horizontal blue stripes—a part of the limited Honcho package. Its factory chrome grille and bumpers remain present, as do the factory grille guard and roll bar.

Wheels and Tires:

Let’s look at the screen-used pickup’s wheels and tires for the first not-so-stock part of our Jeep build. Jo’s Jeep sports classic, chrome-plated, 15x10 steel wheels—unfortunately, these vintage wheels have since been discontinued. We’d recommend a similarly styled aluminum wheel to fill the void, offering modern construction and far lower weight. 

Consider the classic styling of a bullet-hole, cast aluminum wheel like the American Racing Machined AR62 Outlaw II. Wrap them in 33-in. off-road tires, like the Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ P3, and you’ll have a well-performing wheel and tire setup that balances vintage looks with modern ride quality.

Suspension:

Suspension modifications varied between screen-used pickups. Some sported stock suspension, while others featured 2–3-in. lifts for improved performance during stunt sequences. 

So technically, there’s no wrong choice regarding suspension. Regardless, we’d opt for a subtle lift for a meatier stance, like the Rough Country 3" Standard Lift Kit.

Roll Bar:

The screen-used pickup sports the factory Honcho package roll bar. Unfortunately, used factory roll bars are known to be elusive. If you happen to find one, it’ll likely be in rough shape, states away, or the buyer won’t ship. 

Fortunately, Go Rhino® manufactures a similarly styled Bed Bar featuring a simple tubular construction and sleek black finish.

Auxiliary Lighting:

You’ll need ample lighting to cut through even the thickest twisters when you're out chasing storms. Jo’s Jeep J10 features two vintage rectangular KC lights on the factory grille guards and three mounted to the roll bar, which should have provided plenty of light to spot that oncoming bridge…but that’s beside the point. 

For a similar look, we’d recommend outfitting our Twister replica with Rugged Ridge® 7" Rectangular Off-Road Lights, offering similar styling and period-correct halogen illumination.

Other Features:

Aside from these simple modifications, Jo’s Jeep J10 is relatively stock. 

Other features we’d recommend for a tribute build include a factory Jeep front grille guard and a replica Dorothy in the bed—just watch out for tornados and bridges. 

With the accessories on this list ordered, you’ll be well on your way to piloting a replica Jeep J10 from Twister.

As always, we offer all the parts and know-how to piece together this build and countless others at RealTruck®. For additional information, check out the rest of our articles on RealSource, and don’t hesitate to contact the experts.