The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) rolls into Vegas about this time every year, with all the glitz, glam and chrome a person can stand. It's four days of business-to-business meetings, seminars, product demonstrations and celebrity autograph sessions. For the off road market, there is plenty to check out - and we hit it for you - camera in hand.
We stopped by the CounterAct Rust Protection booth for an education, and were amazed at the many testimonials - from around the globe - about the technology and product line. Unlike some other corrosion-protection processes, the CounterAct system is specifically designed to address open air corrosion problems. That means besides the obvious applications like boat trailers (manufacturer EZ-Loader uses them at the factory-level), you'll also find their units on Beach Patrol in Australia and amusement park equipment on the Eastern Seaboard of the US.
It basically stops corrosion - rust - on metals from the inside out, repelling the magnetic attraction that causes iron and oxygen to combine in the first place. In an environmentally friendly way, without chemicals. The simple module can easily be moved from one vehicle to another as well, so you don't lose your investment if you sell your vehicle. It can immediately go to work preserving your next truck or trailer.
If you work or play in extreme conditions (and don't we all), you have to check this out.
Award-Winning New Products SEMA kicks off each year with the New Product Awards Breakfast. This year, more than 1,200 attendees packed into a ballroom at the Hilton to find out who rose to the top in a dozen categories, out of 1,500 products submitted for consideration. .
For the category of Best New Off-Road/Four Wheel Drive Product, sponsored by Advanstar's own "Off-Road Business" Magazine, the winner is the MyRide tuning system by Rancho.
The MyRide Tuning System includes the industry-first wireless, in-cab tuning of RS9000XL series shock absorbers. The Wireless Controller includes a variety of one-touch presets, including Highway, Sport, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, and a driver-determined MyRide, which allows the owner to set his own preferred ride setting and save it for future use.
Best New Pickup or SUV Product went out to Go Rhino! Products for their simple-but-brilliant Step-&-Tow. In fact, the product was a double winner, also being names the Best New Exterior Accessory.
Now there's a convenient way to access your roof rack or truck bed, even when you may have a trailer hitched up. Tow without removing your step. The Step-N-Tow comes in black powder or polished finish.
For more vehicle bling and accessibility, Go Rhino! also brought to SEMA their new Dominator Wheel to Wheel side bar. Yes, accessibility even for those monster Quad or Crew cabs - available in the first quarter of 2008.
Best New Tool or Equipment was the unique PullzAll by Warn Works.
We know their name for winches, but Warn has come a long way and is about more than that these days. The PullzAll is a hand-held electic pulling tool, ideal for many recreational and work applications.
Available in AC and cordless models, it's portable, variable speed, forward and reverse - and a 1,000 pound pulling/lifting capability. Accessories include a 24v charger, Rapid charger, Car charger, replacement battery, and a carrying bag.
It looked new to us, so we were surprised to find out this Suzuki Grand Vitara is actually a 2006 Concept Vehicle. Okay, so they hadn't shown it at SEMA before, so we weren't totally in the fog. The "Dune" has some cool features, like ATV-inspired fender flares, RM2 dirtbike-style exhaust pipes, offroad light bar, skid plates. Open the back, and you'll find some great gadgets to keep the fun rolling, like an on-board mobile air compressor and a tool kit built inside the rear gate.
As GPS manufacturers race for gadget-supremacy, Magellan antes up with their Maestro line. Look for built in maps of Mexico and Puerto Rico for the first time, docking and antenna built in - packed into a case claiming to be 2mm thinner than Garmin's thinnest. They are also proud of a brand new five-year exclusive partnership with AAA, giving you their nationwide TourBook right there at your fingers tips. And Voice activated to boot.
Your cost? $399 for the three-inch screen and $499 for the "wide screen" four-inch model. We think that's downright reasonable!
Want your late model fun with the retro look? Check out this Front Clip Kit by Innovation Retrokits in Germantown WI . This kit includes fiberglass panels for the front fenders, hood, grill, bumpers, head and parking lights. Kit costs about $3,000, and is intended to be do-it-yourself friendly. Want to go further? Go with the full body, and swap out your fenders for a stepside look for a grand more.
If you want to show your true colors in every way possible, check out this fully-functional tool box from GoBoxes.com. Get it portable, wall-mounted or chest-topped. Or you can stay more traditional and just get the logo in the back of your workbench or rolling cart.
More of a fan of the Ford oval? No worries - they have a line for you as well.
Ummm - could this be the ultimate in unnecessary BLING?
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