Stock Jeep Rubicon Transforms into a Show-worthy Gem at Carlisle

Aug. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- For three days at the 2012 Carlisle Truck Nationals, August 10-12 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds, the Light Truck Accessory Alliance and its partners transformed a brand new stock Jeep Rubicon into a very special show vehicle.  The transformation from stock to show was handled by representatives from RV 4 Wheel Drive and Performance Inc. of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and their trained professionals quickly made use of the products donated by LTAA member companies.

"This build gave us a great opportunity to showcase what we can do as a company as well as what we do on a daily basis at our central Pennsylvania shop," said Bob Smeigh, Sr., President of RV 4 Wheel Drive and Performance Inc.  "We were also able to help the LTAA and were very happy with the results.  Better yet, our customers were able to follow us via Facebook and it helped us connect with everyone at the show.  People could see the before, during and after at Carlisle and now are able to see the completed project at our shop in Mechanicsburg," added Smeigh.

Partners and products for the Jeep showcase include the following:

AirRaid (Air Intake), Bestop (Soft Top and Tubular Products), Dick Cepek Wheels (Alloy Wheels), Daystar (Assorted Urethane Components), Go Rhino (Exhaust Tip), Hellwig (Sway Bars), Mickey Thompson Tires (Mud Terrain Tires), N-Fab (Side Bars and Steps), Putco (Chrome Accessories), Rampage (Interior and Exterior Accessories), RBP (Grille), Skid Row Manufacturing (Skid Plate), Skyjacker (Shocks and Stabilizers), Superchips (Programmer), Superlift (Suspension Kit), Timbren (Suspension Enhancement System),  T-Max (Winch, Winch Accessories & Jack), Warn (Tire Carrier & Winch), Weathertech (Floor Liners), Wade/Westin (Rear Cargo Liner).

Throughout the process, photos and video were shot to document the transformation.  The Jeep, which started the weekend parked against the south wall of Building T, eventually made its way onto the WGTY Main Stage for a grand unveiling by mid-morning Sunday.  All told, hours upon hours of time were put into this Jeep and none of the work could have been done without the LTAA.

“We are constantly challenged to provide goods and services that benefit our members," noted George Lathouris, chairperson of SEMA’s LTAA Select Committee.  "This project did exactly that and even out performed our own expectations.  After we connected with RV 4 Wheel Drive, we agreed that a project like this was something everybody could benefit from and we got the ball started rolling!"  Lathouris continued, "RV 4 Wheel Drive provided the vehicle, tools and mechanics to install the product and best of all, they took the time to “dry-fit” the parts ahead of time to eliminate any unforeseen issues.  What really helped was that the manufacturers’ community came through with the products in a timely fashion and we were proud to bolt on and show off their quality and durability all weekend long.  Also, the LTAA provided the connectivity between all of the parties, including the staff at Carlisle which assured that the proper exposure was given to everyone involved.  The end result was a win-win-win for all of us."  Lathouris concluded, "I’m not sure what the future will hold for the “Stock Jeep to Show Jeep” but you can be sure that we will be looking to do even more at next year’s Carlisle Truck Nationals."

“This project also brought to light another benefit of SEMA and LTAA membership, the real “community” that exists in the aftermarket and especially this light truck accessories segment," added Jim Skelly, Council Director.  "George put out the word to manufacturers, Bob Smeigh offered his resources to conduct the build and the whole thing came together like clockwork.  It was a textbook example of association volunteers working together to benefit an industry. The entire LTAA membership should be proud to be part of such a group.”