We haven't made any forward direction with Black Rhino so far as we are awaiting parts to arrive. Suspension and audio components will hopefully begin their journey to us soon where we're anxiously awaiting to cut and mold the project from paper to reality.
SEMA projects are always a large undertaking by those on both sides of the equation. Manufacturers are bombarded with "Sponsor me! Sponsor me!" billboards, and so deciding what direction best supports their marketing efforts is always a heavy burden this time of year. It's always an honor for us to build a project for not only the largest event in our industry, but to present it at an event alongside other great builders and visionaries. Most people send a lot of emails to as many companies as they can and are open to throwing whatever they can on the project. Ours on the other hand, didn't work that way. We had a specific design and function in mind for Black Rhino. It has the appeal of the show truck industry, but even under it's thick skin, it's a work horse. Every modification must in some form work towards the goal of the truck. Adding too many accessories would ruin the overall appeal of the vehicle. So to understand what my design and concepts for Project Black Rhino was, here's the scoop in brand alphabetical order.
AEM Intakes. Up to an additional 8hp. Every little bit helps when you're hauling an enclosed trailer. Black Rhino will not only serve as our SEMA Project display but as our Formula D Pro/Am and later Formula D tow pig. Every hp helps when hauling that beast of a trailer.
AIR BAG IT Airbag suspension offers us the best of several worlds. Traveling on air is just a nice feeling anyway when properly balanced. "Rides like a Cadillac" is derived from the feeling of floating on air with their air shocks. The airbags also allow us to lower the vehicle to an amazing show stance and raise the vehicle to level the truck for optimum towing.
24" 10 lug wheels helps to bring together the "Semi truck" look and feel of Black Rhino.
AUTOMATIC CARGO LIGHT There have been many drift events where we had plenty of light. But if you didn't have a generator when the sun went down, you were definitely left in the dark. These lights offers a solution where lights mounted on the inside of the bed automatically turn on when the tailgate is opened. No more searching for a flashlight.
BEDSLIDE With an 8' bed, this will be a lifesaver. Hauling to drift events, we can easily slide all our tools and equipment out of the bed of the truck instead of jumping in, moving them to the tailgate, hopping down, then pulling it off the truck.
BUSHWACKER is just the leader when it comes to giving your truck an aggressive look. Any time we build an MSA Edition Truck, it has to have Bushwacker Fender Flares on them, whether they're the pocket style or the extend-a-fender. Naturally, we looked to Bushwacker to complete our aggressive truck image.
HORN BLASTERS No "Big Rig" project could be complete without a train horn. There's not much more to say there... You'll hear it when we're coming.
NITTO TIRE Nitto offers the Terra Grapplers in a 10ply tire for 24" wheels. Having these tires allow us to easily stay under tire load capacities while we are in tow mode. That coupled with a tire that's known to last for many miles makes it the perfect fit.
RAM MOUNTS. Have you been in a scenario where you thought, "Man, I wish someone made a product to hold my phone or tablet right here." Here it is. With multiple easy to use options, these are US made products with the strength necessary to create a mobile workstation. Perfect to hold our iPad mini (which will be set up to control our air suspension).
RIGID INDUSTRIES Lights, lights, and more lights! Who doesn't love lighting? However, we aren't going for Baja here, so it wasn't necessary to overwhelm the front of the vehicle. The design was to create a "tough, big rig" appearance. The Rigid Industries grill and light bars, fit perfectly. Those alone have made such an improvement on the truck's appearance. However, we are going for an overall, flowing theme. So we added another bar in the bumper and 2 sets of lights to replace the fog lamps. With the exception of the headlights, this keeps all lighting in LED form. And of course...what Big Rig isn't adorned in lighting.
ROADWIRE Let's face it, OE leather seats just don't cut it. Black Rhino's seats will retain the light gray, however, we are adding Black "Alligator" Skin inserts as the closest appearance to "Rhino" skin. As authorized installers, Roadwire was just a natural fit.
Additional Modifications not sponsored or are still unconfirmed:
DDIN Headunit / Dual headrest monitors / Complete audio system:
For those long 7...9...10+ hours of hauling to and from drift events, this is a must. Drivers trade off while the other mindlessly allows themselves to wander off into a movie or song, passing the travel time that much quicker. If you haven't had the opportunity to enjoy that...you're missing out.
Programmer:
Hauling. Enough said. A programmer can help increase gas mileage, towing, and engine efficiency. Especially if you take it easy. In those uphill situations, these products are great.
Spray in Bed Liner:
The project is for our marketing efforts as well. The build signifies the quality and craftsmanship that this business has to offer. In addition, it shows a service we sell.
Tonneau Cover:
The goal right now is to keep it a truck look. High cab, low bed. This may change in the future as we haul more products and supplies. Right now, a Tonneau cover will serve perfectly to cover and keep our product, equipment, and supplies safe.
Exhaust:
Of course with the intake and programmer, we need an exhaust upgrade. Due to warranty concerns (electronics is one thing, that Powerstroke motor...I'd like to keep that warranty), we are leaving the diesel fluid and filter components on. I thought we had closed this part off, but I discovered there are several discussions in the works.
1:53 PM
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AEM,
AirBagIt.com,
American Force Wheels,
Automatic Cargo Light,
BedSlide,
Bushwacker,
HornBlasters,
MSA,
msauthority,
Nitto,
Ram Mount,
Rigid Industries,
Roadwire,
SEMA,
SEMA 2013,
SEMA show
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