S3, E60 - SEMA 2025, Part 3
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Concept
SEMA
SEMA is a big car show in Las Vegas where companies show off new car parts and custom cars. It's a place for car lovers to see what's new and exciting in the automotive world.
Term
diesel
Diesel is a kind of fuel used in some cars and trucks. Diesel engines are usually stronger and can go farther on a tank of fuel than regular gasoline engines.
Company
Amsoil
Amsoil makes special oils and products for cars that help them run better. They are known for using synthetic materials, which can be better than regular oils.
Term
brake dust
Brake dust is the tiny bits of material that come off your car's brakes when you use them. It can make your wheels dirty and is more common with certain types of brake pads.
Term
clay bar lubricant
Clay bar lubricant makes it easier to clean your car's paint using a clay bar. It helps the clay move smoothly and removes dirt without damaging the paint.
Term
CVT fluid
CVT fluid is a type of oil used in a specific kind of car transmission called a continuously variable transmission. It helps the transmission work smoothly.
Car
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a smaller pickup truck that can carry things in its bed and drive off-road. It's popular because it's tough and can be used for work or fun adventures.
Term
DCT fluid
DCT fluid is a special oil used in dual-clutch transmissions, which help cars shift gears quickly and smoothly. This fluid keeps the transmission working well.
Term
dual clutch transmission
A dual clutch transmission is a type of automatic transmission that can change gears faster than a regular automatic. It uses two clutches to help with quicker shifts, making the car feel more responsive.
Term
dyno
A dyno is a machine that tests how powerful an engine is. It helps engineers see how well the engine performs and make improvements if needed.
Term
Pistons
Pistons are parts inside an engine that move up and down. They help turn the fuel into power that makes the car go.
Term
oil temperature
Oil temperature is how hot the oil in the engine gets. It's important because oil helps keep the engine running smoothly, and if it gets too hot, it can cause problems.
Car
392 Hemi
The 392 Hemi is a powerful engine made by Chrysler. It's used in some Jeep and Dodge vehicles and is known for being strong and efficient.
Car
Chrysler Puts
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a small car that looks a bit old-fashioned but is very roomy inside. It's known for being different and is good for people who want something unique.
Term
viscosity
Viscosity is how thick or thin a liquid is. In engine oil, it determines how well the oil flows and protects the engine, especially when it's cold outside.
Company
Redarc
Redarc is a company that makes products to help manage power in vehicles, especially for things like charging batteries and using solar energy.
Part
BCDC
BCDC is a device that helps charge batteries in vehicles, using power from things like solar panels or the car's engine.
Term
CAN bus
CAN bus is a system in cars that lets different parts talk to each other, making it easier to manage everything without a lot of wires.
Term
dual battery systems
A dual battery system means having two batteries in your car. One battery powers the car, while the other can be used for things like lights or a fridge, so you don't run out of power.
Term
Dometic fridge
A Dometic fridge is a type of portable refrigerator that you can use in cars or RVs. It's great for keeping food and drinks cold when you're on the go.
Term
sway stop
A sway stop helps keep a trailer steady while you're driving. If the trailer starts to sway side to side, the system can apply the brakes to help bring it back in line with the vehicle.
Term
six-axis stabilization sensor
A six-axis stabilization sensor helps keep the vehicle steady by sensing how it's moving in different directions. This is especially useful when towing something heavy like a trailer.
Term
trailer brake controller
A trailer brake controller lets you control the brakes on a trailer from your vehicle. This helps you stop safely when you're towing something heavy.
Car
RAM
RAM is a brand of trucks that are tough and can carry heavy things. They are popular for work and towing.
Car
Chevy
Chevy is a brand that makes many types of vehicles, including trucks and cars. They are well-known and widely used.
Car
Super Duty
The Ford Super Duty is a strong truck made for heavy work, like towing trailers or carrying heavy loads. It's built to handle tough jobs.
Term
tow package
A tow package includes special features that help a vehicle tow heavier loads safely. It makes the vehicle better at pulling trailers or other heavy items.
Company
Red Ark
Red Ark makes products that help with electrical systems in vehicles, especially for those who tow trailers or go off-road. People trust their products because they work well even in tough situations.
Company
McLeod
McLeod is a company that makes parts for cars, especially clutches, which help the engine connect to the wheels. They are popular among car enthusiasts and racers.
Car
Jeep JL
The Jeep JL is a model of the Jeep Wrangler that started being made in 2018. It's built for off-roading and has some updated features compared to older models.
Part
ProPack clutch kit
The ProPack clutch kit is a special set of parts that helps improve how the clutch works in a Jeep, especially when driving off-road or with a lot of power.
Part
clutch cooler
A clutch cooler helps keep the clutch cool by removing hot air. This is important because a hot clutch can wear out quickly and cause problems when driving.
Car
Chevrolet C10S
The Chevrolet C10 is an older pickup truck that many people love to fix up and make unique. It's known for being strong and has a classic look that appeals to car fans.
Car
Jeep Gladiator
The Jeep Gladiator is a truck that can go off-road like a Jeep, but it also has a space in the back to carry things. It's special because you can take off its roof and doors for a fun driving experience.
Car
Ford Excursion
The Ford Excursion is a big SUV that can hold a lot of people and things. It's great for families or anyone who needs to tow heavy stuff.
LIVE
Let's head down to the car show, Get to see my time we gotta go, Underneath the Vegas lights,
We are here for the auto sight, Trucks are lifted, heaven high, Burnout smoke drips to the sky,
Homan has but one goal in mind, It's to cover the show in the allotted time,
It's Seema, It's Seema time.
The truck show, We're gonna show you what we know,
We're gonna answer what the truck, Cause truck rides with ****,
The truck show, We have the lifted, We have the lowered,
And everything in between, We'll talk about trucks that run on diesel,
Electricity in our gasoline, The truck show, the truck show,
The truck show, It's the truck show with your host, Homan.
That's right, Homan I'm back, and I'd like to welcome you back as well to the pod shed.
So in this episode, we continue to rock our Seema coverage with part three where we'll
hear from Amsoil, Red Ark, McLeod, Rockford Fosgate, Real Trucks, Deer Smarts, my friends
Jason Mulligan and Marcel Venable where we discuss the TMI Trim Awards, which I was a judge of,
but before we get into it, we have to thank the companies that bring you this podcast.
The truck show podcast is proudly brought to you in partnership with Amsoil,
the maker of the best synthetics and the same ones we use in our rigs.
Amsoil has some new merch just in time for the holidays including new t-shirt designs
from now until December 31st, take advantage of Amsoil's holiday offer,
spend more than $125 on synthetic oil, lubricants, greases, car care products and yes,
even merch and get that Amsoil Blocks UTV set for free. Use the promo code Homan2025 at checkout
on amsoil.com. And while you're out holiday shopping, consider getting your loved ones or
yourself a brand new Kershaw knife for 40% off MSRP. This includes automatics and the
code could be used more than once. Kershaw has an extensive lineup with knives ranging
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your friends. Heck, you can even share the promo code with your friends. Knives for everyone,
use the promo code to TSP2025 and get those gifts for your family, friends or yourselves today
at kershaw.kaiusa.com. OVR magazine also makes a great gift. If you want the latest
and adventure gear and upgrades for your vehicle, go to ovrmag.com and use the code
at Truckshow podcast for a discount on print or a one-year digital subscription for free.
Please help me to keep the Truckshow podcast free by supporting our sponsors or leaving reviews
on Apple or Spotify. And don't forget to check out Truckshowpodcast.com for the latest deals.
All right, of course I had to stop by the Amsoil booth to see my friends at Amsoil because
they have a bunch of new products that they're debuting here at SEMA and with Garrett
So you're the product planner, developer? Product development engineer. Oh my god. Oh,
you're an engineer. You're like, oh, you can get super nerdy on this stuff, right?
You could if you wanted to. New products we have this year. Now as many as last year, last year
we had 19. This year we have five. I think I have half of those somewhere in my garage
because I've used all of them and I love them. Fantastic. I love that. No, so we'll start
left to right here. Okay. We launched three new car care products in conjunction to the
before we launched last year. So by the way, two things that I really started to interrupt you,
but dude, I'm happy to see you here. I appreciate it. I saw your trials and tribulations.
I'm happy to be seen. Yeah, man. But thank you. It's been a while, but you know,
glad you're still with us. Appreciate it. Thank you. Have a good one, man. I'm still
standing after two days at SEMA. So that's awesome. That's awesome. The ultimate test.
And there's still two more days left. I know. There's still two more days left. Yes.
Yes. So some of my favorite products. I love the interior detailer and then the ceramic spray is
super easy to just kind of do those, you know, updates. Correct. Wash it down. We're great.
I love it. And that's exactly what we wanted with that product was simplicity and performance.
And then as a reminder, the high foam car shampoo is also, I got one of those foam canons.
Did you? Yeah. And it changes because it's not like some of them just foam and then it falls
off right away. Correct. Your foam is like a big, like, I don't know. It's like a foam party rage
thing where it just sticks to everything, right? It does. And I can go around the whole car
and I come around the other side. The foam is still doing its thing. It's not all
dripped on the ground yet. Correct. Yeah. So it keeps that sudsy layer for you.
But no, the four products last year did really good. And we thought, well, let's build upon
this. Let's kind of complete out the portfolio. So the way we did that was
trim and tire protectant. So what we did here with this one was it was always for
the outside of your tire, obviously, to give it that a little bit of like a new tire shine,
but not overly aggressive. We didn't want that greasy, right? We didn't want the grease
because I love that. Yeah. Because we're located and we're a good amount of the
our customers are located is you got dirt roads. Yeah. So if you've got that really greasy
product, you get brown tires, you get brown tires, you get the dirt that clings to it. Well,
even after like for me out in Southern California, I go to the desert and I like to wash my car
when it's in the city mode. Yep. It's clean. It's dialed and then I go off road. But I don't
want to have a bunch of greasy dirt that I rub up against it and I get it in the
interior when I sit in. Correct. I love having a nice clean tire look that doesn't have
that high gloss grease on it. Exactly. That product does that. And that's
exactly where we landed. It dries pretty quickly, doesn't sling. Another thing you
didn't want was the sling to come off. Especially on trucks where it goes all
down the side of your new clean truck as soon as you pull out the driveway.
Correct. Yep. And that's the same thing with the trim too. You know, some some
for instance, like a Jeep will have that matte fender flare. We wanted nothing
grease here, rub up on it and want it to dry. We wanted it to look new,
not overly glossy. So that's our trim and tire protectant. It's got a little bit
of UV inhibitors in there as well to help with those classic that get
heated by the sun, especially Southern California. Yeah, for sure. Next one along
we have the wheel and tire cleaner. So this one we wanted same thing with the
Stryme Xpray. One product, super simple and easy, does a really good job.
This is more of a pH balanced formula. So it's really safe on every type of
wheel. We tested multiple types of wheels. Machine, polish, powder coated,
painted, chrome. Yep, yep. So a lot of those, even after America, like methods,
those type of wheels, we tested on all of those, found them to be safe.
Number one thing is going to be brake dust, especially on the big truck.
A lot of cars have really aggressive brake pads and put out a lot of dust.
Exactly. How does it do for that? It does fantastic. We have it in two
different ways. You can spray it on, let it sit for just a minute,
close it off, or you can scrub it both ways work fantastic.
It does a really good job of foaming up, too. And then if you've noticed, as you spray it on
there, the tire turns brown, pulling that bloom, it's pulling that oxidation off.
And it gives it a really good, clean look. Then we can come behind it with the trim
and tire protectors. Kind of a one-two punch there, if you will, for the wheel and tire cleaner.
So that's a fantastic product. It doesn't smell too harsh either. We wanted a nice scent.
We didn't want that pungent, tough degreaser.
Some of them are green where you spray it and they turn purple or they bring it out.
But sometimes they have a really strong chemical spray around it. You're like,
should I really be breathing this? Exactly. And with this, it's a very pleasant scent,
not overbearing or overpowering that you get with some of those other wheel and tire cleaners.
To round out the portfolio, we ended with a quick detailer. Now, the difference between
this and the ceramic spray, a couple different things. The quick dealer detailer does not
have any ceramic in it, right? It's meant to pick up light dust and dirt, maybe some
bird droppings. And it's really good for in-your-door jams, right? So it's somewhere where you can't
really get a hose. You don't want to get your interior all wet. This is like you got your
car wash yesterday. It was a little bit windy and now it's covered in pollen and dust, right?
Pollen's huge too, especially. So that's a good spot for it. Getting in those door jams as well.
And then lastly, we added in, it is a clay bar lubricant. So if you want to clay bar your
car, it's a fantastic clay bar lubricant currently. It's got a nice scent to it as well as not super
aggressive. It's a strawberry natural melon, so it's got a good scent to it. So that kind of
rounds out our car care portfolio. And the last two products we have here are both in the ATV-UTV
space. I was very involved in both of these from a testing development standpoint. So
you really just did that so you could go drive your four-wheelers out in the woods.
You got me. You got me. So the CVT fluid. Guilty as charged. Yes. So CVT continues to variable
transmission fluid. Flairis came out with a steel drive transmission. So the 1500 HD.
I sort of got out to Ford Ranger. It is a big ATV and UTV. So we needed to come up with the
fluid specifically for that because it has a little bit different characteristics than a standard
belt CVT. So that one was a fun one. That was thousands of hours on the dyno. I know it's
horrible. You know the punishment that you must have endured doing that. Yes it sucked. It was a
terrible day of riding in Northern Wisconsin. It was terrible. No fun was had. No, no, no. And then
the DCT fluid, the dual clutch transmission fluid, this was for the K&M Maverick R. It
looks almost like a spaceship. Yeah. The big control arms coming out of the hood. That
one out of the seven speed dual clutch transmission. And I'm talking it is raw. It slams in here for sure.
So that fluid especially went through a lot of development on the front end before it even hit
the machine. So our chemical lab was working diligently on that one as well. And that one was
thousands of hours on the dyno as well to get that one dialed in and it performed fantastic.
So both those products are now available and they round out our new product showcase this
year. What's up on the Pistons? The Pistons display. Yes. I see six Pistons here. Yes,
six Pistons. So this is emulating the Sequence 3H test. It's an industry standard test. It's 90
hours. Run at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. So that's a very hot oil temperature. Oil is usually tested
at 212 and it runs in your vehicle about 180 to 212, 220. Yeah, I know some of the more
modern engines are a little bit on the high side for emissions. So a lot of people buy a new
vehicle and they go, oh, my oil temps are 220 and they might be used at 180 and you're like,
no, everything's fine. This is a modern engine using it for emissions. So this test is run at 90 hours
and of course at Amsoil we up the ante. We ran this twice. So 180 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit
and even after doubling the length of that test these Pistons were 27 percent better.
They look awesome. The deposit control than the industry standard recommends.
So I love Signature Series. I know and maybe you can kind of clear this up. There's a lot of people
who are out there, for example, 392 Hemi in a Jeep, right? And they'll go, well, it doesn't have the
API on it. But the reality is that you guys use an additive package that's far beyond what's
required for that test. Correct. And so my understanding and maybe you can clear it
up just for people are listening is it exceeds the standard that Chrysler puts for that motor
but you don't have the API stamp because you're outside of the bounds of what that test
requires because you actually have more additive, right? Correct. That's a really good way to put it.
Just because you have a set standard doesn't mean you can't go past that standard and
a lot of companies will formulate to that standard and meet that. It's more of a price
point really. We formulate for performance. So here's the other thing I'll say is I know
there's a lot of, especially in the Chrysler side, there's other vehicles. And by the way,
the European is different than, you know, either it's correct because of the extra zinc
content. So that's different between the American style blend and the European version.
You have some similarities, but Europe is very stringent on that because they're,
you know, they have the DPF on the diesel side, but they also have the gas filters.
So those as well clogged up. So in case anybody's wondering, oh, but I found synthetic in 0, 20,
whatever, signature series. And this one's European. It's like, no, use the one that's
correct for your car because it is actually formulated for your car. Correct. The other
thing I'll say is there's a lot of people like, I don't want to use it because it'll
void the warranty because it doesn't have that API rating. But the truth is that not only is it a
better oil than what is required, but you guys stand behind your oil with your own warranty as well.
We do. Yes. You use our signature series paired with our filter and you are backed by our warranty
with that product. 100%. So I want to clear that up because I've had people ask me about that.
They go, why do you use it? It doesn't avoid your warranty. No, Amazon covers everything
with this. Use their filter. Everything's designed to be beyond what the manufacturer
recommends. You're good to go. You're exactly right. Dude, this is awesome. Can we have you
on the podcast again if you're a product engineer? Absolutely. I've got lots of questions.
Yeah, let's do some more. I kind of want to dig down into some conversations on
like viscosity and there's a little bit like the penistars and some of the Chevy's that
went to a lower viscosity and the old one, which was a nearly identical engine,
might have been five instead of zero weight. What does that mean for the consumer?
Can they bump up? I would love to like dig deeper into some of that. Yes, for sure. We can definitely
talk about that. At the end of the day, it's just the starting number of the viscosity is
it's winter weight that W stands for. And it's just cold weather. I don't want to say performance,
but how it interacts with the cold weather. And when I say cold weather, I mean anything that's
not 212 degrees Fahrenheit. So it could be, you know, Southern Californics get 150 degrees
or 150. That's still not operating temperature. That W is going to matter at that time.
And that's a good point because I think people think winter and they think snow and ice
and 30 degrees or something like that. That's where you can get a little
little loss and loss in the weeds there. Well, let's get back together into a longer form on it
because I would love to dive down into that because I don't, I think we touch on it,
but we've never really like answered those questions for people. Exactly. We can get
into viscosity modifiers. Let's do it. Let's do it. The baseball matters too. So
let's talk about awesome. Appreciate it. Thank you.
All right. I found myself in the red arc booth with cold fetters and there's two products here
that I think truck guys are going to appreciate. One of these, you sent me the early press release
and you're like, Hey, this is what we're doing. And I fell out of my chair because we've talked
about, you know, red arc has been on the show before. We've talked about the power management
systems that red arc makes. I'm a huge fan. I've had them in both my jeeps. But before
you would have to take the BCDC, which is the battery charging and DC solar,
you know, unit that puts power into the vehicle or uses your alternator, solar, whatever,
then you'd have to have a fuse block and you'd have to have it shunt for monitoring. And then
you would have to, I mean, just all these individual components that you would have to do to create
the system, like I would have my house battery system in the Jeep. And as we know, modern
vehicles have can bus, you don't want to be tapping into it. And I don't want to use my,
you know, fridge and then draw down my starting battery. So I've used red arc in the past.
You guys have now taken all of those components and put them into one product. Tell me
about it. Yeah, we're just trying to make things simple for people. Right? So we've got three new
panels that are taking these existing products, putting them all together, wiring them all together
to make consumers lives easier. So all you're doing is taking a panel, you're selecting
which one you want, and then adding a battery and then you plug your fun stuff in there.
Done. So pretty simple. Before I would have to get the BCDC and the BCDC would have like
not terminated ends. So then you'd add your, you'd solder your wires together and you run
to where you needed to. You'd run them to, you know, power from the battery from the car,
trigger wire for the alternators. I know you had this smart alternator. Then you would run
your solar out and you'd put your Anderson SB50 on it. And then you would do your fuse block
and then you would wire the money and then if you had an inverter, you'd have to do a little
of this special high gauge, you know, giant wire size for your inverter. And you do all those
things and you'd have these runs of wires going everywhere and you'd pack it in. They would
be like a mission and match. But now in this one unit, this one panel basically has everything
and you guys pretty test it, pre-wire it. And even the SB Anderson SB50, which is a standard
connector that you would connect for like a winch or a solar panel, you can connect directly to it,
ready to go, you can solar panel directly to the RedWorx panel. I'm like so blown away
at the simplicity for the average person. Yeah. I mean, that's what we're trying to do.
You say all of that, you make it sound so complicated and we wonder why people were
intimidated by power management, right? So each panel, we're kind of jumping up in
functionality, right? So we've got the scout, like I just mentioned, the footprint of a sheet
of paper, 11 and a half by eight or whatever. And then we jump up to the Nomad 50, you get
50 amps of charging. Our new BCDC with star battery charge back. We have 10 fuse spots,
a smart battery monitor so you can see how much battery life you have. And then we jump
up to the next version, which gets you access to the TVMS Rogue and the RedVision display
with all the information you could ever want. That, I mean, that's amazing and it's going to
make it so much easier. It's going to be a game changer, I think, for a lot of people who
have considered power management before, but weren't, to your point, intimidated or they
didn't want to pay somebody, you know, because it's a very labor-intensive process.
And to find a good wiring guy is not cheap, right? And so they're going, well, I could just go get one
of those portable battery boxes. I'm happy with it. Yeah, but it's not part of the vehicle.
You got to bring it in and charge it. It's heavy. It takes up space. This is a pretty
flat panel. It's about three inches tall. And if you can mount it in your car, make it part
of your car, you no longer have to carry those portable batteries and remember to
charge it because it's always going to be ready to go. Yeah. And my favorite thing about
dual battery systems compared to a portable battery is your rate of charge when you're
driving down the road. You know, with this 50 amp charger and you've got a 100 amp
hours of battery, you're charged up in two hours from flat to full. And if you think
about it, you know a standard, let's say it's a Dometic fridge that's a new, the
Nuke CFX5, on average, probably 0.8 to 1.2 amps per hour, something like that.
That's a lot of fridge runtime that you have 100 amp batteries. Totally. Right?
You're a couple days and if you can fire up your vehicle or plug in a solar
panel by noon, you're fully charged up, ready to go, and your vehicle hasn't
missed a beat. That's incredible. So great product. I'm super excited about
this. I'm going to send you all sorts of emails from my OVR account and be like,
hey, project. But this is game changing for a lot of people. And then over here for
the rest of your truck guys, there's another product. And this is one that has
been talked about for a while and dabbled in. And then I saw the pressure
in this command and go, wait, I know about this. What's new? And it's
like, it's finally launched. We're here. Yeah. Yeah. We finally launched the
Topro Lynx, a part of the Topro series. Again, in the vein of making things
simpler, this Bluetooth controller is plug and play. So you plug one end into the
seven pin of your truck, you mount the controller up underneath your truck,
and then you plug the trailer into the other end of the seven pin and you're
done. So you can Bluetooth straight to your phone, but a lot of people
still want something physical. You know, there's a safety component to
having a physical control inside of the truck. And so you've got a USB power
remote, the Bluetooth to the back. And so you still have something physical you
can control gain or do a sway stop. Really great controller that has an
off-road mode. And you can hit the sway stop basically while you're driving. If you
feel the trailer coming out, you hit the button and it's going to
pulse the brakes to kind of bring the trailer back in line with the tow
vehicle. You're exactly right. And that'll happen automatically too. This
has got a six-axis stabilization sensor in it. But there's sometimes that
you might sense that before a sensor does, you know, even though it's
six-axis and that's better than most things on the market, and you might want
that manual control as well. Yeah, it's pretty awesome because there's a
lot of trucks out there, especially like the mid-sized class that don't have an
option for a trailer brake controller. And even if you get, you know, a lot of
people are like, I don't want the really expensive, you know, premium
platinum, whatever, Super Duty RAM, Chevy, whatever it is. And the
Luster models, unless you get the tow package, might not even have a
trailer brake controller. So they don't even give you all the
hardware necessary to tow the rating that that truck is rated at, right?
So being able to add something like this, it's Bluetooth, it's out of sight,
it's all foey-style construction, looks great, and then the unit itself has a
mounting plate for four screw holes you find a place to put it. It's
weathertight and it just lives underneath your bumper or something in the back.
Exactly. Yeah, nice and easy. And I mean, there's a case for folks who already
have a factory-installed brake controller that they might want this, the
extra functionality. Yeah. Or a lot of factory-installed
brake controllers won't work with electric over hydraulic brakes, you know,
so what a lot of like bass angling boats are coming on or some like kind of
mid-sized trailers and stuff like that, where you might need a brake
controller on top of your factory-installed brake controller.
Man, look at you guys, Red Ark, just like doing the Lord's work for truck
people. Oh, you think so. I love your products. I've been a user of them for
really long time, you know, we've done install articles, but I've used
them in the worst of conditions and I've never had a Red Ark
failure and they've just made my life easier and being able to do the things I
love, so I appreciate it. Great brand, guys. If you want to find out
more, RedArkElectronics.com, is that the U.S.?
Yeah. And by the way, Red Ark is an Australian company
and Red Ark does a ton of, like their management for battery, they've been
doing a ton for the overlanding market and that's commercial markets in
Australia. They're not a newcomer to the game.
They've been around for a long time and make a really quality product, so.
Yeah. Thanks, Sean. Appreciate you. Thank you.
I am standing here in the McLeod booth with my good friend
Will Mr. Clutch Beatty. How are you, sir? I'm doing well, my friend.
It's good to see you. I'm doing a lot better than I was.
Yes. Obviously, McLeod makes a lot of
transmission stuff. You guys work with companies like Tremac and
you have your line of clutch products and you also have
torque converters, automatic transmitting. You guys just do the gamut.
Drive line company. Yep. And so we'll start here.
This is a table where you are displaying the
JL clutches. I see some new hydraulics sitting on the table.
Yes, sir. Those are new hydraulics for either JKJL, but this one here is for
the JL. Okay. And that was actually one of the
key components to making a new JL clutch board.
We can talk about that in depth later, but it's. So we know that there
have been some issues with the clutches, but there's also a lot of
misinformation out there about that. So, and I know you guys put together
like a media guide of sort of walking through what the
issues are, what you found, and so we'll get you back on the podcast for a
longer form. Okay. But I just kind of wanted to hit, like, what are your new
products at SEMA? What should we be looking for?
Off-road related? Yeah, off-road truck. Well, we got all kinds of, you know,
over there, so all our single-disc line. And you know the adventure series
was something we came up with. Yeah. And that was
directed strictly for the off-road market. And that's what we developed when
we first came on board. So, yeah, we got all kinds of off-road
adventure series products for anything. Your buddy Ryan
Milly was here yesterday. That's Ryan in a while. Yeah.
And we put, you know, our clutch in his truck and he, you know, he's
running out of the wild. He's racing Teslas on the dirt.
You gotta represent that video, but yeah, he's racing cars and everything in
the dirt. And so, I mean, we have everything from
mild to wild in the off-road. And even some of the twin-disc stuff here,
we put in a couple of the bigger horsepower off-road
applications. So, going to the Jeep JL, you got the
ProPack clutch kit. And so, that comes complete. So, you get the single-disc
clutch kit, the high-clamp load pressure plate,
the sprung-up dual-performance disc, max mass seal, billet flywheel, hydraulic
bearing, bleeder, and a hardware all in one kit.
Everything. Everything you need. Yeah. There's nothing,
nothing else you need in that kit. What's the clutch cooler I keep
hearing about? Because I feel like, I feel like that's
something that people want to know about. So, a clutch cooler
is one way for us to evacuate that hot air, that stagnant hot air sitting in
the side of the bell house. And the clutch, obviously, it's going to
generate heat. Every time you slip the clutch, you're generating heat.
It's connected to the back of the engine, which obviously,
you know, 200 some degrees, 180 to 200 degrees. Not that that
air flow through there. No, there's not. And one of the things we want to do
is cool that clutch down. Because the number one killer of
clutches, and everything, is heat. Sure.
So, if we can cool that air down, we can cool the clutch down
and prolong clutch life. But it also works well for the hydraulics.
Because hydraulics are usually the first thing to let go with
heat. And that, we can cool that down. And we did some testing
in the sand car market. And we reduced the bell house temperature
50 degrees, which is substantial. That's a lot. That's a lot.
So, that's what that clutch cooler is about. And we're in
development for doing for the jail. Awesome. Yeah, the one of the
things is, you know, if you're off road and you're in
four high, you're slipping clutches and things like that,
you're generating heat just to get over obstacles. And
sometimes if you're in four low, just all day in, four low,
and in and out, and things like that. Now, you guys have the
SilverSport transmission lineup. I've seen a lot of, like,
lowered C10s and F100s and things like that here with your setup.
Yep. And then also, on the FTI and the converter side,
you and I talked about a new torque converter for, like,
more off-road-centric, lower lockup. Yep.
Is that still a thing for the EHP? It's all done for the
jail, you know, for, like, your little handy. Yeah.
Well, you know, it's funny. So, it's one of the things is on my
392, both the old one and the new one. One of the things that I
would realize is if I'm backing into the driveway, I have to
give it a lot of power before the clutch or, excuse me, before
the torque converter locks up and gets me up and like, it's
like, right? So, you can't just, like, idle backwards.
So, a lower lockup would be really nice because it would
be a little less effort and exhaust noise at night backing
and it reduces the temperature. So, when you're slipping that
converter, if that's what's happening, you're generating heat
and then you park it. Yeah. That's the worst thing you can do
because you want to get that, you know, it's one thing to
get a flash heat. Sure. And then at that time, you can
actually burn fluid and we want to get that fluid
stabilized before you shut it down and you're backing up
or loading on a trailer, worst thing people do is load
and they get a flash heat on that fluid and then they
shut it down and just sits there and doesn't recycle it.
So, is that torque converter for another application?
Like, a challenge of torque, but it works well. Yeah.
So, and that's a three-disk. Yours is a two-disk. Okay.
And we step it up to a three-disk. So, for a guy like me
off-roading things like that, where would I see the
difference in doing that type of converter swap?
Well, it depends on your rig setup and the weight of it.
So, you know, stall's going to change and we don't want
too much stall, obviously, off-road. But we would
tailor each and every converter for each and every application.
So, depending on what's needed, because gears, weight of the
vehicle, that all changes. It's all about load.
When a transfer converter is all about the load that it's seen.
So, that's one, you know, we want to make sure that we
center them perfectly. So, depending on your use and what
you're using it for, it's how we'll center them.
So, if we want a little bit less stall, then we put a
little less stall. So, that you're not slipping it,
generating a lot of heat. Some guys, well, they like
to go play in the sand or they need a little bit more
slip. So, they're going to run at the higher off
hand. So, they want to get out of the hole so
they can get in that power band that much faster.
Even in the 392, we need to get in that power band.
Which is a lot of fun in the sand when you have
decent suspension on it. Yeah. A three six guy
needing a 392, you know. It's an unfair
advantage you have over me. Well, listen, the
382 is the only vehicle I've ever bought
knew that wasn't a manual transmission. You know it
pains me a little bit. I know, I know.
And I love it. I love the vehicle, but I miss
shifting my own gears. You know, we have
silver sport transmission. We can put it on a
manual and have things. Never say it can't be
done because it can be done. Well, if you do a
392 manual conversion kit, then call me
because I might be first in line for that.
I have no idea how freaked out the vehicle
would be weird to do something like that.
You're very angry. And the electronics would not
be happy. No, no. Anything else truck-related
in here that I can tell my awesome
wizards about? I know you guys have a
lot of great diesel products that, but you
know, you know, with the advent of the newer
vehicles, obviously more automatic
transmission, but you still have a lot of
great, like, for Cummins and all that stuff
that hasn't, you know, been touted at a
long time. Still great products for the
diesel market. No, no. Yeah, we have all
that stuff and, you know, it's all
good product. You know, I'm a diesel guy,
but this is quite, you know, I'm an
automatic, so not too many manual
vehicles. Mr. Clutch drives an automatic.
The truth comes out. Duramax, you know, if it was a Cummins,
it'd be a different story. Yes, you can't
really make fun of me anymore, can you?
Well, thanks for spending a few minutes
with us at SEMA, but seriously, let's
have you back on the podcast because I
love to dive into the Jeep manual
transmission, because I had that
transmission. We did stuff to it
back in your former life. It's still
going strong. I'd love shifting for
myself, and if there's a solution out
there, or you have some insight for
folks who have that setup, I would love
to talk about it. I'd love to tell you
about it, because there's a lot to be
told, and I think there's a lot of
misinformation out there. All right,
well, let's make it happen. All right, bye.
Okay, so you guys, if you're in the
truck and especially the Jeep World,
you probably know Steersmart.
They're one of those special after
market companies that have maybe a
little secret, because they have a
little OE connection, which means
they make really high-end quality
products that can be durable.
They understand, you know, rubber,
durability, salt spray, all the things
that you have to do to have durability
OE cycle, and they're selling in the
after market. There's a few companies
like that, but not many to the
standard, and I was walking through new
products, and I saw that you guys
have a complete chassis solution that
you're introducing at SEMA this
year for the Gladiators. I'm with
Jay Velthoven at Steersmart, and
I'm in the booth right now, and you
actually have the chassis out, and I
really wanted to walk through, what were
your thoughts behind it? What are you
changing?
Everything is like one cohesive bundle,
or you can part out individual
components if you wanted to.
Yeah, so what we did is we wanted to
start with the complete
comprehensive chassis overhaul
essentially for both JL and JT.
We offer it in a two and a half inch
lift or a three and a half inch
lift package. It's not just a kit, so
it's an entire chassis system, so what
we wanted to do is design specific
vehicle handling dynamics. That was
kind of the overall target is to get
something that handled really well in
the street, still very capable on
trails and off-road, but really
something that somebody could daily
drive every day with limited body
roll that could go on on ramps, doing
a better rate of speed, not feel like
the vehicle wants to tip. Still run a
big tire, so run a 35, 37, 40 inch
tire, and again just firm up the
steering wheel feel, make a base of
maneuvers a lot more acceptable without
having roll over feel on ramps, just
really tighten everything up. Basically
take the gladiator and do a holistic
approach, touching everything needs to
be touched so it all works together
because a lot of times we know in this
industry you buy stuff as you either
have money or as your budget allows,
and so you don't always have a
cohesive solution to what you're
trying to get at. And you guys said
hey we're going to take the guesswork
out of it, we're going to put
everything into this chassis kit
and all the pieces are designed to
work in harmony with each other.
Exactly, so what we did is we started
with front end steering, so we have the
Steersmart steering package up front
that's tie rod drag link, sector shaft
support brace, all the stabilizer and
relocation, we want to relocate that up
a little bit higher, and then we did
front and rear track bars with that.
We also did our tune coils, we have a
couple shock variations, we have our
base kit is a 5100 shock and then
the optional 8100 Bilstein for somebody
who wants something a little more
aggressive, and then we also did tune
sway bars as part of that
package as well. So again full system
engineered to give you one specific
ride and handling package, but then
also these components are available
individually a la carte, so somebody who
just wants to build it as they go,
but have the peace of mind that all
the components are going to fit
perfectly and optimally react
together to give you that specific
vehicle dynamic package as you build
it. So these springs complement those
shocks, complement those sway bars,
everything's proper rate, proper
clearances, again to a minimum of an
OE standard when it comes to
coatings, when it comes to fitment,
even down to the nuts and the bolts
it's to a stilantis, chassis,
Magni coat specification, so it looks
just like the factory bolts, just
really wanted to go really to that
extra distance to make sure it's
really good quality stuff. Are these
awesome if people want to find out more
about this kit, Steersmart.com?
Steersmart.com or we also launched
this under the Romer brand, so
Romer suspension that's R-O-M-R
suspension.com, so we either want to
get you there. Cool, thanks Jay.
Yeah, thanks Sean.
Came over with our friends at Realtruck
and they have a
this booth is always giant and always
has a lot of different vehicles to show
off all the applications, but a lot of
products got released this year. I'm with
Adam Donahue and Adam you want to walk
me through because I don't even know
where to start in the booth.
Absolutely, all right so we've got a
new MX-4 that we're looking at here,
this is a hard-folding cover and what's
doing unique about this product is that
we've got a new paddle latch. Oh it's
a cable, right? Yep, we'll prove that to
a paddle latch makes it a little bit
easier to open. Yeah, this product
actually has lift-to-stick technology
to it, so when you open the cover
one of the main challenges is to get
heavier as you go back towards the cap, right?
So in this one we now have a torsion bar
built into the bottom of the cover
that makes the overall lifting of this
significantly easier and lighter weight.
Yeah, and this is particularly impactful
as you think about longer bed lengths.
Yeah, eight foot with a folding.
Yeah, correct.
So this is going to be the new MX-4
that's going to be launching in Q1 of
2026. Those are like two really small
but huge improvements that make this
this is already one of the better
tonneau covers out there and adding that.
That's something hard to cover.
Yep, very cool.
Awesome, we also have two new truck caps
that we launched here at the show.
This first is going to be a modular
truck cap which means that it assembles
together in different various pieces
versus our fiberglass which come in a
single shell. So you can ship it in a
smaller box and store it easier
and get to the customer in a package
that doesn't kill them on shipping
or need freight forwarding or something.
For us on our fiberglass years
we actually have to ship those on our
dedicated fleet of semi-trucks.
Oh wow.
And you need a semi-truck and
plus you have to have a forklift
in order to carry all the different parts.
Yeah, so this is going to ship on a
pallet but what's also unique about it
is it allows the consumer to configure
the cap in a lot of different ways.
So the panel is actually removed
once it's been installed on the truck cap.
It's built on an interior sub-structure
so there's rack on the inside
and then all the panels bolt to it.
It uses a single 13 millimeter socket
wrench to assemble the whole rack.
It takes about two hours to install
but again allows you the option to
remove those and still use the
underlying rack if you wanted to.
Now people will listen to this to go
oh but that's not that new.
There's other companies that have these
bolt together campers and toppers
but you guys are using a skeleton
that the external pieces bolt to.
Correct.
And you guys can do body color.
Correct.
Which everybody else is either
mad, apologize, raw.
This is body matched to the truck
so it looks like a more of a
traditional one but it has the
benefits of a modular one.
Absolutely.
Very cool.
So this is built in our
Maslin Ohio facility
where we build on our fiberglass caps.
The panels are fiberglass
and these are actually OE spec
color matched to the exact view.
Yeah this is really nice.
You get that modern look and flair
but if you want that color matched
for that kind of premium
you can do it here.
That's how this truck looks.
It'll come in standard black as a
base option for the customer
can upgrade to a painted match.
Awesome.
Very cool.
This will be available starting in
the beginning of the year.
Okay.
Awesome.
The next gap we have is what we call
on the Apex.
So this gap has large windows
and really more of an OE style.
It has more of a like an SUV vibe
on your pickup truck, right?
The battery's dead.
Yeah.
Huge glass windows.
Again that more OE style
really tailoring into the overall
aesthetic and aerodynamic look
of a more modern cap.
It also has the ability to have
what we're calling the individual
latch system
where you open the tailgate
and the rear latch opens up on the back.
Oh so it's a one motion deal
rather than having to lift it
and then do the tailgate.
Exactly.
That's very nice.
More seamless design, more integrated
with the overall vehicle.
It'll come fully carpeted
and also come with LED lights on the interior.
So this is definitely your premium
cap for somebody that wants
the nicest cap out there.
Absolutely.
This will launch in January
and has a retail of about $54.99.
We got a Matchbox Jeep here.
I know you guys have done a lot of
Matchbox tie-ins in the past.
Yeah.
And what's new on this one
and what's special about doing the
the Matchbox build this year?
The Matchbox promotion was a really
great partnership
where we're actually able to build
Matchbox Plus
having the little mini version
of the Matchbox truck.
Yeah.
This one has our Husky liners,
our roof rack products
as well as our bumper and accessories.
So really just a collection
of all real truck products
that really have an amazing
look and feel on this one.
Very cool.
I like it.
The next product we've got
is what we're calling
the Retracks Pro
with removable canister.
Oh, so I've installed a Retracks Pro.
Okay.
Recently did one on a Maverick.
Yep.
Did a the XR
so it had the T-slot rails on it.
Loved it.
And we prepared it with a bed rug
on the inside.
Awesome.
So it basically made this
carpeted truck
that you could open up for taller items.
Perfect.
The person who owns the truck
uses it for shows and displays
and sometimes he has taller boxes
and other times he has small stuff
that needs to be locked in.
So,
Awesome.
I'm very familiar with this cover.
I like this cover a lot
and even on a Maverick
with a four bed.
Yep.
The canister doesn't
take up a lot of space.
So,
tell me about the new version
because this is very intriguing to me.
Awesome.
So the number one complaint
about removable canister projects.
All right, sorry,
a retractable cover.
Is that it,
that canister takes up the bed space.
So,
particularly in short beds,
it eliminates the need
to be able to maximize
carrying capacity of people.
Sure.
What we've done is now
taken that insight
and turned that into a cover
where you have
all the features and benefits
of a removable,
of a retractable cover,
but with the ability
to remove the canister
when the customer needs
it for full bed access.
So the cover opens all the way up.
Oh, I see.
These latches are going to
Oh, that's cool.
on one side.
Pop open on the other.
Canister slides forward slightly
and you're able to lift it out
and remove it completely.
So if you're,
if you're listening to the podcast,
think of the rails that the,
that have the track,
the tracks or the channels
that the slatted portion goes on.
When it gets to the canister,
there's a break in the rail system
that has like an interlocking tab.
And on the T-track
where you wouldn't mount accessories
such as crossbars
or a truck,
tall, the tall bars.
There are handles
and you can pull the entire canister
by while leaving the rest
of the rails behind
so you have full use of the bed.
Absolutely.
That is,
who thought about that?
That person who gets a raise,
is that you?
Not me, I can't take credit.
That's our engineering team.
The other thing is that
the canister is wrapped
in our bedrock material
which protects it from
not only when they remove
the canister
and it's stored in your garage,
it also protects the canister
from when you've got gear inside
or protects the gear
from banging up against it.
When you have that material
and now you can add the dead rugged
totally completely inside of the truck
to get a really nice finish.
The other product we have on this
is in that T-slot
we've got a new low profile rack system
with a quick release mechanism
so you press the button on the inside
you can move the racks
when you don't need them.
And then you have kind of a tie down
on there as well, right?
Because it leaves the little bar pin behind.
So perfect for mounting planks,
kiosks, cargo boxes for skis
and everything is super accessible
because it's not so far up
on the top of your truck.
Very cool.
The last two good products we have
are two new retractable covers
and these are going to be built off of
an acquisition that the company made
called Mountaintop.
So these are going to be built
in our Alabama facility.
We've got the MRC 3000
and the ERC 4000.
Nice oversized handle
spring-loaded locking mechanism.
It's more like a tailgate handle
or door handle size on it.
So there's no,
you know, if you have gloves
or you have your hands can't reach
for the little pin
or the little pop locks
this is perfect because it's more like
a door access.
Exactly.
Large access, easy to use,
flush mount design
so it's super low profile
includes the t-track
so you can add optional accessories
and this has one of the smallest
canisters in the markets
again to maximize that bed space.
Manual version is spring-loaded
for easy access and use
and again quickly locks
against the tailgate.
It makes a nice positive click
when you lock it.
Correct.
We also have an electric version
and the electric version
uses an automated motor
to be able to open the cover
seamlessly with a one-touch button
lighting action to see
what's inside of the truck bed.
This is integrated into the vehicle
using the OEM key fob
so you use your key fob to lock
or unlock the car
which gives you access to the
mechanics that will unlock
and close the cover.
Very cool.
Wow, you guys have been busy
in the last year, huh?
Our engineers have certainly been busy.
I think this is the most new product
we've wanted to show in several years.
Yeah, I mean you guys always have
a tremendous variety of vehicles
and that in every one
of those vehicles in this booth
has something new on it.
It's pretty cool.
Yeah, for your listeners
these will all be available
on realtruck.com
for them to see and explore more.
Sorry, I'm in the first quarter of 2026.
All right, perfect.
Thanks for your time.
Yeah, my pleasure.
Okay, wandering around SEMA
I see one of the favorite audio
brands of all time
Rockford Fossgate
and I'm standing here
with Wayne Connelly
and Wayne, what's your title here?
I'm Vice President
of New Product Development
with Rockford.
How did I wind up
walking the booth and getting
with the Vice President
of New Product Development?
So you're the guy I want to talk to
because you guys have
a ton of speakers laid out here
and a lot of products
got released at this particular SEMA, right?
That is correct.
One of the big things
we did is we released
our whole new line of punch speakers.
We kind of changed
its retail positioning
and its purpose.
The last time we did
the speaker line over
cars were different.
Yeah.
The OEM application
has more speakers now.
It has better speaker placement now.
And all the applications
have become individualized
even amongst the different
manufacturers.
So part of the big challenge
with this is how to make
one speaker fit
into basically
the 100 most common vehicles.
Sure, okay.
And so one of the things
that we did in our
new series is
we took the speakers
and we separated the mounting flanges.
So the speakers now
no longer have
specific tabs on them.
I'll call it universal tabs.
So what you're seeing here
is our kind of first approach
out of universal product
and more into application specific product.
As the vehicle gets more complicated
the consumer needs to solve
that problem.
So looking at this
basically the speakers
floating the tabs around it
and so while the
the speaker itself
might be universal
it's the mounting system
that becomes application specific.
So you can
change the metal bracketry
but still have a range of the
same speakers that can
plug into those
various places.
100%.
The biggest thing too
to notice is
is all the little small
deal tails with it.
So for example
this mounting flange
you can actually flip it upside down
and put the speaker in this way
or you can mount it for the top.
Got it.
And what that does
is that changes the mounting plane.
Yeah, is it flush mount
or is it recessed?
Yeah, and so if
some applications we looked at
it's really close to the grille
and you got to sync the speaker down
and then other applications
you got lots of room
between the grille
but the speaker hit something
in the mount.
So universal
flexible
mounting flanges
from the two and a half
all the way up to the five and a quarter.
So with new vehicles
obviously the manufacturers
have gotten better
with you know
everything in audio
and it's not like a head unit
game anymore.
Most of them
are driving pretty decent amps
but they have
you know real
you know
they're not super performance based
it's all about efficiency
because I know part of it is
you know electrical
architecture efficiency for
you know
helps fuel efficiency
because your alternator is not
absolutely driving things.
So most of them have a
proprietary
or some sort of a
dutch connector
it's no longer the tabs
that we used to do back in the day.
How are you solving that problem
so are there plug and play solutions
as well
to go with these types of speakers?
Yeah, we have some
for the most part
on the vehicle side of things
there's a lot of those little
harnesses available.
We didn't get into the actual
harness
we're still with two spades on them
and part of that is
most of our
applications
we do have a lot of OEM
drop-in application
but still aftermarket
still favors everything.
Still wants the two spades, yeah.
And when you're changing out
the amplifier
a lot of time
they're running new speaker wire
using the existing
but we did do some things
to help out with the wiring
so like
you'll notice the crossovers
and the mid-range driver
you got a mid-range driver
we put the mounting tabs
this one's actually a little
give it a six and a half
we actually co-molded the tabs
into all the larger sizes
the smaller sizes just because
the universal mounting
there it is right there
so a couple things to look at
first of all
we've co-molded the terminals
into the plastic
so they don't have a little tab
like a bag
yeah
you know up and down
all the big speakers
everything's molded in
it's very very secure
the cross or the
tweeter and the crossover though
are all using now two pin
molex connectors
okay before
it used to just be universal
connections
and when the guys plugged them in
they may not have like
the right crimp connectors
when you buy a set-up on speakers
you get extra terminals
so even if you are again
to the OEM application
you can replace the ends
with the ends that we give you
on the larger speakers as well too
we include a motor cover
that's removable
once again
if you need that little bit
of extra depth
you can get it by removing the motor cover
all installation
all application
between P1
which is a coaxial
with the tweeter in the center
P2 is a convertible system
meaning you can mount the tweeter
remotely
or the tweeter can replace the phase plug
then P3 gets into the three-way systems
there's a solution for every vehicle
no matter what make
no matter what model
most of these will drop right in
awesome and they still have the
that legendary Rockford Fosgate hit on them
oh yes
yeah there's a focus on mid-base
the top end is smoothed out
on these a little bit from previous
and then
we did a lot of little just
intricate install things
even the crossover on the three-way systems
normally this is a
a bigger
the biggest crossover
because you have a mid a tweeter
in a full range
and so
the application has now changed
once again
it used to be always like
the tweeter in the door
and the mid range below it
and they take this big crossover
and mount it in the door
but in today's newer vehicles
like a Chevy for instance
they have a two and a half in the dash
and then the mid-range in the door
so
one of the things that we did help with
installation
if you've tried to run wires through a
door jam now
it's no longer a nice big rubber boot
that's open
it's got a hundred connector
or hundred pin connector crossing it
so
the crossover is kind of modular
you can break it apart
oh that's cool
so now
the wires coming in
or you can
yeah
so now you don't have to one wire
in and out of the door
you can
tackle the mid-range in the dash with
the mid-range in the tweeter crossover
and then you can put the woofer crossover
in the door
so
everything is fitment
installation focused on the new lineup
awesome
cool what else we got
yeah so over here we have
it's like a
old slam
I guess it would be
it's an ice cream truck
it's an ice cream truck
yeah it is a
old school ice cream truck
from
it's beautiful all-air bus
downtown LA
yeah Mr. Cartoon did all the graphics
and so
there is
countless hours
in the in the paint
so flake on it looks like a bass boat
I mean it's got
amazing like
the airbrush scenery is like
downtown LA meets
you know your favorite
cartoon characters
and some sort of a
I don't know what kind of ice cream
scene this is
but you got clowns with ice cream
you got the
little rider with the ice cream bar
and this is awesome
I mean you could
probably walk around this all day long
and just keep picking up details from the paint
absolutely it definitely has a west coast
LA theme to it
Mr. Cartoon is from there
and just like his tattoos
I mean the detailing in this is
second to none
it's beautiful
I don't know the total hours of paint
but I can tell you
it's
it's months not
not days
yeah right
right no
yeah we retro this with
all the new punch speaker system
so we have
all the new punch speakers
inside of there
the
subwoofers are also from the punch
series P3
it's really good at attracting attention
yeah I bet
TV on the inside
facing out through the ice cream service window
yep
even the small details of replacing the
old school
horns that you
used to know
just for that the kids know
the ice cream is coming
and they they dropped
Rockford speakers in there as well too
so
wow
lot of
canvas roof on it
it's so cool
yep drop top true LA west coast
styling for sure so
yeah great little
attention grabber right at the front of the booth
if you want to actually listen to something
we have
Chevy truck over here
yeah so crew cab c10
this is a 67 to 72 that's been
stretched basically
yep
and it looks like
lots of small little details
I don't know what engine that is
yeah they
Chevy big something
yep
they even small details like the tailgate
they have on like a little
in the mirrors
yeah
like the smite 10 degree hook on the tailgate
just makes it look faster from when you're in the back
so this is a beautiful paint job
awesome awesome build
this build has all of our new punch speakers in it
it has p2 components in the front and rear
and then a p1 five and a quarter coax on the dash
it's got our t1 or power series shallow woofers in the center console
two 750 watt
amplifiers to drive the base
and then four four underwad amplifiers driving all the mid-range
and center channel inside of it
that's awesome
really really really uh slick
yeah this thing's beautiful the flush glass and everything
no wind wings
surprise you haven't blown it out yet
you know
yeah it's a lot of lot of details in this
even like the the faux paneling in the bed
is uh all had a ton of time into it
you have raised bed floor with the wood look
yeah this this truck is uh absolutely stunning
yeah um in terms of other i'll call it categories
this year we are releasing an aftermarket system for the
pro xp or sorry for the xp and the xps razor so kind of the
entry leveler or a gateway razor we'll call it
one of the things we've done with it that's kind of different is
when we first started with side by sides
we were honestly grabbing a lot of marine product
especially with the bars it's very similar
so we had a lot of weight cans in our kits
but the problem with the weight cans is they
they interfere with the rear tire
you got a rear spare tire
adding in and out of the cooler can be challenging
so we've kind of shied away or pulled away from
the universal weight can enclosures and moved over
towards a more application or vehicle specific
it looks like a roto molded housing
they're very cool i mean it obviously matches the lines
of the vehicle fits in the space really well
and it works with all the clearance accessories
so whether you have a like a back windshield
or any of those things now it's all compatible
with the weight cans before there was really no
compatibility with all the oem systems and upgrades
so that's super cool really good
Harley Davidson we just released a new kit at Sturgis
for the 24 plus models we have a cut in bag lid kit
that's been updated kind of a different style
now going to Harley i think i'm not wrong
i think that your logo is the only non-harley logo
on some of the vehicles and your sound system
that comes from the factory absolutely motors on that thing
yeah there's road gliders there's a lot of hole
crazy hell back anymore on the motorcycle
everything down to 10-inch subwoofers that are easily
removable in the bags but no it's it is a partnership
you see we got a couple of the race bikes here
one of the really cool things when cvost is sweet
yeah when kyle went on the race bike on the podium
we actually had a system installed
so it was a cool experience
do you think we were the champions when he was up on
there was a couple good saw i think it was the M&M was the one that i heard
but it's awesome but it's good so yeah so even on the race bike here
that's the actual one the one the championship
we got some music even on that so love it
we're right on yeah
that's uh mostly everything that's new from us this year
we're going to continue on kind of expanding our system categories
their offerings rockers typically i would say one of the leaders of breaking into
new spaces where we do a really good job of following our customers
their lifestyle and where they listen to music and as you can see from the booth
all these different categories we've extended out to
it's really been over the last call 10 years yeah i mean you just look at the diversity of
vehicles you've got the motorcycle goes you've got the side by sides
got the slam c10 fully custom you got the ice cream van i mean you're you can just say
see the diversity and then all your tables with the product if people want to find out
more about rocker fozgate where's the best place to go rocker fozgate.com
also the youtube channel we are really good at posting open box videos as well as installation
videos also all the kits pretty much for all these are all plug and play
they're designed for the guy at home in your driveway with a few hand tools
we like those guys shoes i love those guys where i come from i was that guy yeah yeah so
awesome we'll appreciate your time appreciate it thank you very much
hey it's jason and marcel what's up guys how's it going hey how you doing all right so i
this is like the 27th time i've seen you guys but mostly because we were all together
judging for tmi again this year for the trim awards yeah and i just wanted to touch base and
talk to you guys and it would be weird if i was like oh and then we do this so now that i have you
guys here right let's talk about the ones we like the winners and some of the trends that we're
seeing in the interior space well i think the first trend that we're really seeing we're
seeing a lot more 3d printed parts for sure you know to me i think that uh with technology
we're seeing a lot more cleaner builds but also a lot more faster builds well and then so i would
say that clean yes but you're losing a little bit of like that organic touch like some of them feel
cold and they like the hand-done interior because of the shapes and and everything they feel like
inviting some of the news are a little bit sterile even though they're badass and they
look good in the technology they just feel like a little bit sterile like you took a step back
from not from quality not from innovation but just from wanting to sit inside of it
well i did notice that there are a lot of those that are feel very sterile and new maybe
don't match yeah that fact that it's a 55 you know car when you big square screens and yeah
but i did notice on even several the ones where you look in it and you would think it was a really
high-end interior from the 60s you look at like the door panels they 3d printed those but they
did it well aesthetic for the aesthetic matches all of the classic look of it so it's like it's
just using a new technology but it still takes a design eye and all that to make it look good
i'll say as a former trimmer myself that you're right is that it kind of looks like it's taken
away a lot of the soul yeah because then it's like computerized almost right right but at the same time
too i think it's also opened up things that the regular trimmer couldn't have done before
oh a hundred percent you know like you look at the way that entering like you know a trim line or
some piece of stainless or something like that that a guy before would have to be a master
craftsman to do now he's maybe given a drawing to somebody that will 3d print apart
and they can 3d print in metal too which is like a game changer for redoing like i think we you know
this is the trimmer words are about the interior and it was tmi's vision to you know everybody comes
to see him and gets pictures of the outside but to bring people into the interiors and kind of celebrate
that and i know that's what we're talking about but on the outside because there's the relationship
of the exterior to the interior you're seeing old trim pieces being replaced that are no
longer available with these 3d printed ones and then tied into the interior which is pretty cool
yeah one and back to the kind of the tmi trim award part of it um there was a couple cars in
there or a couple trucks as well that definitely use some of the tmi's you know seats as a basing
starting point but then kind of did a lot of custom stuff around yeah or customize them so
it's kind of like you can use different tools you can use off the shelf you know uh you know
or out of the box you know yeah seats yeah but then you can add your own twist to
your own style and and and put that foundational piece the other thing i'll say is
i was amazed at how much effort people put in the interior we saw it some incredible
beautiful tiers and there'll be a detail or two that's lost or that they didn't finish or
like something that just takes away from this incredible vision that got put in
but they're missing a excursion or a grommet or you can see the floor through the pedals or
whatever the case is and you're kind of like man it's so good but or it's like everything's
integrated but then there's a a screen for the tuner just like stuck to the dash
yeah you know and that's also i think comes down to the builder and their experience level
also to how that person pays attention to detail or even how the vehicle was originally
manufactured because some of those things might be avoidable but some of them might be something
that with some ingenuity that people can fix on their own yeah what i will say to you and
let's go back to that the the tmi portion of it where we saw some of these vehicles that
featured a tmi seat or a tmi product and then someone else built on it yeah i think that's
a wonderful thing because most of your average let's say like garage builders yeah they can't
manufacture a seat or they can't sew up the seat or but they might do they might be able to do a door
panel themselves though but look at like the stock seats where you might have a rotted out seat base
or tracks and now you get all that new foundation with tmi and then you can build on top of it and
cover it the way you want or tmi has such a wide selection of colors and patterns you can
really get close to probably what your vision is without you know adding too much of the seat
if anything yeah well and tmi will you can use your material and bring it to them yeah or you can
also get extra of their material to use on other parts like a subwoofer box you know something like
that so you're you're you're basically be able to do whatever kind of custom vision you have
and use whatever tool i will say that this is what our fourth year doing this yeah this is the
fourth year this is probably the tightest you know i think we agree the mode yeah we had some
good disagreements on several things 50 something vehicles that we had to par down to 20 and then we
had to go from there for the individual awards yeah exactly the other thing too is you know
what we chose this year as the trim award winner is probably a little bit unexpected
because it was a scout right but and we fought it was like oh yeah that'll be the best truck
interior but when we saw it in person it was so flawless we i mean we went after hours and
walked around these vehicles nobody around and you know the team of what six or seven of us
picked out flaws and and bounced things off at each other and we literally stood around the
same for 15 minutes and nobody had anything negative to say yeah and that's our job is to
be nitpicking i hate being it because people put their heart and soul into these things but
if it's going to be the best of the best it has to be good and that's the thing you can't
if it's going to be the best interior of sima it has to have all the elements and it can't have
a flaw honestly because that was basically a thing yeah once we started looking around it like okay
can anyone pick out something that's either a flaw or they don't like in this and none of us
could say anything on that and that was a really hard thing because guys it was a scout
it was a scout right yeah so i mean i know people listening right now are thinking like
you gave it to a scout but when you see the scout it makes a hundred percent
yeah it was over in the roadster shop chassis booth and it was flawless and the the vehicle
itself was beautiful and uh i just it was cool and i stand behind it but i wanted to hit you guys
up because i was fun to talk through the stuff with you guys as judges but share with the audience
here like what our thought process was it was really fun doing that this year it was really
fun doing all the years but yeah it was great to have you again back with us in doing that
and we look forward to doing it again next year right jason milligan marcel venable
auto revolution where can they find you guys for your content uh just check us out instagram
auto revolution auto revolution online dot com auto revolution on youtube got different podcasts as
well yeah you know car guy confessions influence and impact and if you have an 88 to 98 Chevy truck
check out obsplash.com there you go we we've all been magazine guys together or industry guys for
like 25 years so it's fun when you can still work with your friends and people that you've
been doing stuff with i mean we the things we did again they aren't different than we used to
but we're still doing it together and i appreciate it so uh happy semen good to see you guys
that's fantastic thanks john thank you
well that's a wrap for part three of our sema coverage but we've got some more coming your way
soon thank you amzo krisha nides and ovr for making this show possible
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About this episode
SEMA 2025 coverage continues with insights from various industry leaders including Amsoil, Red Ark, McLeod, and Rockford Fosgate. Highlights include new product launches like Amsoil's car care line, Red Ark's integrated power management systems, and McLeod's innovative clutch solutions. The episode also features discussions on the TMI Trim Awards, showcasing trends in interior design such as the rise of 3D printing. Judges Jason Mulligan and Marcel Venable share their thoughts on standout interiors, including a flawless Scout that took home the top award.
Original notes
Part 3 of our SEMA coverage takes you along for Holman's conversations with AMSOIL, REDARC, Mr. Clutch at McLeod, Steer Smarts, RealTruck, Rockford Fosgate, and Jason Muligan and Marcel Venable from Auto Revolution to talk TMI TRIM Awards and the state of interior builds. The Truck Show Podcast is produced in partnership with AMSOIL, Kershaw Knives, and OVR Mag. Don't forget to check out truckshowpodcast.com for special offers from our friends and sponsors!
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Use promo code HOLMAN2025 until 12/31/25 to get a free AMSOIL UTV Blocks Kit with any purchase of $125 or more.
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The Truck Show Podcast
Sean P. Holman
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64:30