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Considerate Lifted Truck Owner

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We came across this post on the LotusTalk.com message board the other day:

“Driving home tonight I was beside a guy in a lifted truck for a little while, and he ended up behind me at a red light, and to my amazement, right when he stopped behind me he turned his headlights off so he wouldn’t blind me. Turned ’em back on when the light turned green and we started to take off. I was very surprised. Even normal trucks can blind you, but his would have been really blinding. Having the rear window tinted helps a ton. Anyone ever had anyone do this too?”

First, it’s impressive to see the owner of a Lotus giving props to a lifted truck owner. He could have easily assumed that as the owner of a Lotus, this is the treatment he deserved. But instead, he posted online his appreciation. Remarkable. Second, we were surprised to see some other Lotus owners agree. Is there an unwritten rule that when a lifted truck is driving behind an $80,000 sports car that you turn off your lights? Whether it’s mutual respect or just co-incidence, it’s a great thing to see. Here’s the link to the message board.

Black Widow Conversion Truck

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When custom vans hit the market, the entire vehicle conversion industry went from being thought of as a utilitarian necessity to more of a fun luxury. With lush interior features and intricately painted exteriors; these conversion vans had a feel to them some described as “rolling condominiums.” Today’s hottest automotive trend is to take the options once meant for vans, and utilize them on other kinds of vehicles such as trucks.

Meet the Conversion Truck: Conversion trucks are simply modified stock factory trucks that showcase an array of interior and exterior customized features. These trucks are usually categorized as class 8 or business class. Now, consumers are not limited to what the truck manufacturer has to offer. There are plenty of companies, referred to as upfitters, that offer aftermarket options. And once those options are added to a standard truck, it becomes a conversion truck.

Exterior Aftermarket Selections: When it comes to customizable conversion truck options, the sky is the limit. There are engine modification to put under the truck hood. Cab door additions, extended beds and ground effects are available to give the exterior some “oomph.” Buyers also have the choice of adding a custom flat bed or hauler bed complete with storage compartments.

There’s also a plethora of accessories to be had for conversion trucks, such as:

– Custom paint and trim
– Lighted grab handles
– Specialized electric steps
– Snow plows (can be needed – but look a little silly)
– Spray-on bed liners
– Strobe lights
– Towing packages

Depending on what customizations the buyer wants, their once ho-hum, stock truck/SUV can end up looking like a spectacular, one-of-a-kind truck.

Options for the Interior: Those who want to further personalize their truck can choose from a wide selection of aftermarket interior options, which are typically designed with comfort and convenience in mind. Some of the most popular upgrade requests include customizations such as:

– Captain’s chairs
– Custom leather seating
– Coordinating interior decor, upholstery and wood trim
– Entire entertainment systems that include DVD players
– Fold-out sofa beds

There is even specialized flooring designed to stay cleaner for a longer amount of time. Once the owner makes the changes they want, the conversion truck transforms from a workhorse to luxury ride. When a vehicle meets, and even exceeds, all of your needs, you get your money’s worth. If you have made the decision to buy a conversion truck, take it to an upfitter who will install the accessories and upgrades of your choosing. Your truck is a reflection of yourself, so why not customize the truck to your particular needs and tastes?

This article was written by Darrin Michael of Dave Arbogast Conversion Vans. His work has been featured on a number of other industry-related blogs including Woodall’s, Dealerrefresh.com and more

From Performance to Train Horns-A Reminder of How Far We Have Come

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When it comes to those who have a passion for automobiles, nothing compares to those who have a special place in their heart for trucks. This is a special type of vehicle lover and there is absolutely no greater time in history to be one of theses individuals. It’s easy to forget about how quickly the aftermarket truck industry has progressed and the extraordinary things now possible because of advancements made in technology and production. Whether you want an edge in getting someone’s attention, by using a train horn or you want more power and efficiency though performance parts, the aftermarket truck industry has products for just about anything you can imagine.

There are vast numbers of options out there which focus on a variety of areas. This can be something like simply adding on a new bed or grill, or it can be more involved to include having completely new body pieces so that your truck has a completely new and incredibly personalized look. You can get body parts that are mostly inexpensive, which are made from fiberglass or polyurethane, or you can get something that is more substantial like carbon fiber, but these are typically much more expensive.

Then you can add in a much more comfortable driving experience by converting your existing coil style suspension system over to an air suspension system, which will be surprisingly comfortable. This is achieved by using air bags and compressors at each tire, which allows the system to alter and adjust as you move over varying obstacles and road conditions. It also allows for altering the positioning of the truck, which can give you a much cleaner appearance.

Beyond the appearance and comfort, there are loads of performance pieces that can change everything from the horsepower to the fuel efficiency. You can get all kinds performance intakes that use existing systems and makes them much more effective or efficient. You can also add in performance chips that will give you complete access to the engine control unit and as a result you can change system settings and fine tune to the optimal levels. This too has turned out to be a highly effective way to get more out of your truck.

Then there are specialized parts like train horns. Train horns give you a much greater level of loudness when trying to get someone’s attention, and when every second counts in a potentially dangerous situation having something more substantial is always a good idea.

There is practically no limit to what is possible regarding your truck, whether it is adding to power with new performance pieces or volume with train horns. The limitations on your truck today are literally endless, it’s all up to your imagination.

New Wheel From Interco – The Birddog

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Have you heard about the new wheel that Interco will release at the end of 2012 called the Birddog? Apparantly the Birddog wheel developed as part of a joint venture between Interco and Dennis Franklin, a former off-road shop owner in Yuma, Arizona. Our understanding is that the wheel has a built-in bead lock system, which functions to make deflating and inflating your tire hassle-free.

We are impressed that Interco is going out to the off-road/lifted truck community for new product development ideas. So many enthusiasts have great ideas and now one of them is being put into action. We’re not sure how expensive the wheel is or whether it will function the same as a bead-lock system, but for now, we like what we see. You can read the entire article from the Yuma Sun here.

For more info on Franklin Off-Road, click here.

CASEY CURRIE TAKES BACK-TO-BACK WINS IN CRANDON!

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This past weekend, Casey Currie and team finally returned to the Big House—home of the Amsoil Cup, the Traxxas World Championship, and the largest race in all of off road—Crandon International Raceway in Crandon, WI. Casey’s return was well worth the wait as he was welcomed with the constant swarm of adorning fans, an energetic crowd of close to 50,000, and a familiar stand atop the podium on both days—a spot where he took the title of World Champion in 2010 as well.

Qualifying 5th on Friday, Casey started Saturday’s race in a land rush start—a traditional start for Crandon Raceway. Casey’s quick shift off the starting line was apparent when the Pro Lite took off to take 2nd position and soon after, 1st, setting the pace from flag to flag and taking the victory.

“Being back in Crandon is a great feeling,” beams Casey after Saturday’s race. “The vibe is great, the amount of people is insane, and you just can’t beat the support in the stands with such a large crowd.”

In Sunday’s race Casey was 6th on the start. As soon as the green flag dropped, Casey hammered down on that throttle, out-braked the competition through the gravel pit, and took a wide outside line in turn three to take the lead in only the first lap.

“Once we reached the head of the pack, we held our line and were able to keep up to 30 car lengths on everyone,” explained Casey. “The truck ran clean, with no problems, and the track was great. On top of it all, the fans were amazing and we can’t wait to do it again next year!”

Casey and team will head back to California with a few weeks to prep for the next race: Lucas Oil Off Road’s Rounds 11 & 12 at Las Vegas Speedway in Las Vegas, NV. For more on Casey, become a fan at Facebook.com/OfficialCaseyCurrie or follow Casey on Twitter at Twitter.com/caseycurrie. Only like the pictures? Follow Casey on Instagram: @caseycurrie. Official website: www.caseycurrie.com

CASEY CURRIE’S TRUCKCROSS IS BACK IN 2013 WITH 5 EVENTS!

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Well-known Short Course Champion and Off-Road racer, Casey Currie will team up with Feld Entertainment’s Monster Jam to take Short Course truck racing back to the stadiums in 2013 with TruckCross Off Road, known to Monster Jam fans as Stadium Sport Trucks.

Casey Currie’s TruckCross will join forces with the well-known Monster Jam Events for 2013, breathing life into off-road stadium racing once again. With 5 events in 2013, these events are estimated to see over 250,000 spectators and over 75,000 people pit-side, bringing stadium racing into full effect.

TruckCross/Stadium Sport Trucks utilize mid-sized trucks built specifically for closed-course racing. With 400+ horsepower V8 engines, and custom tube frame chassis, these trucks will be engineered to launch through the stadium dirt courses with crowd-pleasing ease.

“Monster Jam is one of the most exciting nights of entertainment and bringing TruckCross into the events is only going to increase the smiles in the crowd,” explains Casey of this new but familiar venture. “I am excited to bring Stadium Racing back, and with these 5 venues next year, we aim to have sold-out seating at every event.”

TruckCross/Stadium Sport Trucks will hit stadiums as a part of Monster Jam as follows in 2013:

· San Diego, CA – January 19

· Phoenix, AZ – January 26

· Houston, TX – February 2

· Anaheim, CA – February 9

· Oakland, CA – February 23

For more information, please email info@currieracing.com

Potential Dodge Ram 1500 Recall

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It appears that if you own a Dodge 1500, lifted or not, that your truck may be subject to a recall due to rear differential failures. This may cause issues in the rear wheels, including locking up or loss of control. This is a big recall, considering it would likely affect 200,000+ trucks. This is especially concerning since lifted trucks are higher of the ground, which could lead to increased injury if the rear wheels lock-up. We’ll let you know if we hear more abou this recall.

The Next Project Truck

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You may remember a recent story about a sick Nissan built by Chris Nallick at NFabWorks in Milton, Florida. Well, Chris is now with AllOutFab and he is on to his next project, a 2005 Dodge 3500 4×4. AllOutFab did a front end replacement where they changed out the fenders, grill and headlights to give it a newer look. Then they added an 8″ Pure Performance lift in the front and a set of Atlas 6″ springs to the rear.

This Dodge is running 37″ Iroks on Ultra Goliath wheels and it has a dully rear with a regular wheel up front. Also, since this is a tow vehicle, Chris got a set of Firestone air bags and their new Extreme wireless onboard air kit. In the engine bay, you will find a Borg Warner S 368 turbo and Industrial Injection plus 60 HP injectors along with an Edge Juice with Additude to control everything. In the cab, AllOutFab installed all Clarion – 7″ headunit, 10″ flip down monitor, amps and subs.

They are still waiting on the winches, bumpers and the suncoast ram air hood to show up. They will keep us in the loop on how the truck progresses and we will post photos when it’s fully complete. Keep an eye out for an update on what will be an amaizing lifted Dodge.

For more info, you can reach Chris Nallick at 850-777-6413 or email him – Chris@AllOutFab.com

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