With the sounds of drifting behind, this Tacoma standing high on 37” Mickey Thompsons stood out in the crowd sporting a summit series CVT, stunning KMC wheels, BDS and Fox suspension, Addicted Desert Designs front bumper and CBI Offroad rear bumper and bed rack.
Catuned Off-Road brought a stunning 1988 FJ62 with a Mercedes OM606 turbo-diesel swap. Inside and out, the finish was very pleasing and was a shame to find it tucked away and not more in the spot light.
One of the major releases this year in the off-road market was ARB’s new LINX Vehicle Accessory Interface. Through a single touchscreen display and out of sight controller, the system allows you to have control over a variety of accessories. Supplied with modules for: front & rear traction, compressor control, accessory switchboard such as lights, battery monitor, speedometer, and air suspension control. The touchscreen device also has a built-in GPS to determine the vehicle location and speed. A nice feature is the ability to set your desired air pressure when airing up or airing down, which will utilize your ARB compressor to either air up to or let air out until your desired pressure is achieved.
ARB gave the Tundra some love this year by adding the model to their ever growing line-up of BP-51 options as well as a new Summit front bumper for the Tundra models.
Baja Designs had their newest high output LED light on display, the LP9 consists of nine forward facing and six peripheral facing LEDs. The Integrated Peripheral Technology (IPT) produces 200 degrees of usable light with a lumen output of 2,280 lumens from the IPT, while the forward-facing LEDs put out a massive 11,025 lumens. The LP9 offers three modes which include a backlight, low beam or full on high beam depending on your light output needs.In the near future, keep an eye out for smaller versions of the LP9 to fit the more compact needs of users.
Bringing the lighting game to a whole new level, Baja Designs will be coming out with laser technology in their light lineup. First to be included alongside their existing LED technology to provide a complete short-range to extreme long-range lighting needs, then later to potentially offer a laser only light pod. Seeing first-hand the output of the laser, it is amazing how far and clear the beam of light is projected.
Bubba Rope released their new Gator-Jaw Proline which eliminates the need for metal in the winching process. The Gator-Jaw technology has been integrated into their synthetic winch line which acts as a built in soft shackle. Another benefit besides removing additional links in the line, without a hook/shackle/thimble, the full line will now be able to float on water if needed.
Comeup Winches had a fully submerged Seal winch to show off the waterproof design. Coming out soon from Comeup is a new lineup of clutch levers to fit your mounting needs. A longer single sided lever, air controlled and a hybrid lever/air control.
We were pleased to see a wicked Tacoma build at their booth this year showcasing their Discoverer STT Pro tires with long-travel underneath and a built out bed ready for adventure. Cooper Tires took home an award this year at SEMA for their introduction of the Evolution H/T which is the mid-range highway tire for crossovers, SUVs and light pickups. The Evolution series will be expanding over the year to include options for those looking for a quality tire at a mid-range price. In addition to the Evolution series, Cooper has been making some impressive developments on their winter specific tires for those who need reliability in the harshest winter conditions.
Dometic brought out their true dual-zoned CFX fridge for display and announced they are working on new size options for this versatile portable fridge. A great way to expand your meal and beverage options while on a long trip.
A true mammoth in the overlanding world, the Earthroamer XV-HD made its presence known out front while the smaller (not really that small) XV-LTS took a smaller spotlight still towering high amongst the Baja-bound trophy trucks.
Factor 55 has been busy this year releasing their new Flat Splicer and Rope Guard. The Flat Splicer design allows the winch rope to be better protected from abrasion and UV damage. The Rope Guard is a protective cover for current Factor 55 Flat Link and Ultrahook owners that acts as a skid to protect the winch rope from abrasion and UV exposure.
Field Craft Survival built a decked out camo wrapped 3rd gen Tacoma for SEMA this year that will be sold to benefit the Gold Star Teen Adventures – A program built to provide healing, mentorship, development and opportunity to children of Special Operations Service members who lost their lives in the line of duty. It’s always great to see great builds being used for great causes.
It is always jaw dropping to see the works of art The FJ Company brings to the show. It’s hard to find flaws when examining their builds and great to see some of the upgrades they slide into a vintage package.
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In addition to a sharp Camburg equipped Tundra overland build featured out front and the most expensive TV mount in the show inside, Fox displayed their more reasonably priced 2.0 Coil-over IFP and rear 2.0 IFP shock for the Toyota truck market. The Coil-over will utilize the OEM spring and top mount while allowing 3 ride height adjustment and their IFP technology. A great way to add performance upgrades to your truck without breaking the bank.
Becoming known for their month-long expeditions to SEMA, the Garage Shop brought back their modded FJ40 for another year of adventure. We’re always amazed that they let these guys in with theirrig looking like it should! The mud is a great contrast to the tire shine found elsewhere at the show.
Icon Vehicle Dynamics had the beautiful X Elles Racing Land Cruiser (Gary) stretching out its Icon Suspension. IVD also were showcasing their expanding 3.0 series which now includes 3.0 suspension options for the Toyota Tundra.
King Off-Road released two new 3.0 coilover and 3.0 rear bypass shocks options for the 2007+ Tundra as well as the 2016+ Tacoma. The coilovers now feature a lower coil adjustment for easier ride height adjustments and better fitment as well as finned remote reservoirs.
Behind the Equipt built Land Cruiser, Maxtrax had a few new treats up their sleeves for 2017. Their new extreme version is made out of a reinforced nylon utilizing aluminum replaceable studs for increased strength, durability and grip. Maxtrax also released two smaller versions that are ideal for the side-by-side market or for easier storage inside of a vehicle. One version of the mini boards is designed with a flat bottom that can be used as a hi-lift base for off-road applications.
Patriot Campers made their presence known throughout the south hall with numerous trailers scattered throughout the booths, but the gem that stole our hearts was their 79-series featured in the Nitto booth. The LC79 is a rig built to truly “dominate the landscape.” For more details on Patriot Campers in the USA, see Phillips Interview on page 48.
Built for a purpose, Project Front Runner is a remarkable story of students coming together to restore and upgrade an old 4Runner. Their purpose? To raffle off the truck and raise funds for the Freedom High School Auto Club. Money raised will help pay for tools, materials, scholarships and other items to keep their auto program available for students so they can learn and explore their passion for automobiles.
Proffitt’s Resurrection had a few amazing Land Cruiser builds in the show this year. Two in particular that caught our eye were the 79 Series with a Cummins R2.8 swap, and another featured at the Bilstein booth named the Retro Crawler that started life as a 1972 FJ40.
For those looking for more mounting options in their rig or on their gear, the new Aluminum Tough-Track from Ram Mounts may be the answer. Available with multiple mounting ball sizes, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Rhino-Rack had a sharp Tacoma on display showcasing their numerous products offered for the Tacoma and other models. Bed racks, roof racks, rack ladders, multiple mounting options and awnings were all on display. Shane’s new “Project4 GX-460” features a Rhino Rack, so look for detailed overage online and in future issues.
Scosche brought out a nice looking Tacoma this year showing off many great mounting options on their bed rack. It’s always great seeing new ideas on how to mount your gear to best utilize the space given. They had a small roadshower/water tank inside the bedrail and showed off some accessory mounts on the bed rack rails for their Bluetooth radio and fire extinguisher. Another nice mount we noticed was their use of a magnet phone mount on the inside of the bed rail for quick storage of your phone while out back playing music at camp.
The Shadowrunner Tacoma came out to Vegas to play. Built for the desert, made to go anywhere.
Warn released new Ascent front and rear bumpers for the Toyota Tundra. The rear bumper has a built-in winch mount allowing for the large platform to have winch control in front and rear. A Semi Hidden winch kit is now available for the 4Runner as well as a Control Pack Upgrade Kit that allows owners of select Warn winches to add a new control pack and replace the old basic looking box. The Control Pack mount utilizes the mounts above the winch line to center the new control pack above the winch.
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