The day has come and gone and we couldn’t be more grateful for the support shown at our Grand Opening event on September 10th. While the weather could have been a bit more compliant, the day was filled with games, 4×4 competitions, a bounce house, tons of food, giveaways, and lots of laughs. We are incredibly thankful for the vendors who made it and who brought their new products to showcase. The event began at 10am with vendors demoing and answering questions regarding their product lineup and quickly shifted to the RTI competition as folks became eager to see what their rigs could handle. The RTI, or Ramp Travel Index, is a tool used to measure a vehicles suspension travel or articulation. It consists of a large metal ramp that the driver negotiates in an attempt to bring their vehicle to the top. When their rear driver side tire is lifted off the ground, the driver stops and a measurement is taken. These measurements take into consideration the vehicles wheel base and a mathematical calculation is done to ensure that all vehicles can be scored equally even though some may be modified. Lots of laughs were had as driver after driver made their way up the ramp, some more successfully than others. The competition was a great demonstration on the various advantages and disadvantages of suspension upgrades or modifications. Following the RTI competition was the log balancing competition. This required the driver to drive atop 4 logs, positioned at each wheel. Once on the logs, the driver is to stop so that the boards affixed to the them are flat. Once the vehicles motion has stopped, the time is called and recorded. We had lots of interesting vehicles participate in the event to include Mario and his Ram 2500 manual pickup equipped with a flatbed and camper! They weren’t the only ones to push their camper to the limits. Tern Overland participated as well with their Toyota Tacoma featuring a flatbed camper setup. The competitions concluded and the winners were announced, each of which received a custom made Summit 4×4 Company trophy. With the impending rain, the gathering made their way into the shop, where food and giveaways took place. All of our amazing vendors made it possible for us to raffle away products and raise money to support the Yavapai County Search and Rescue teams. Each vendor was given the opportunity to talk about their business and the various products they provide or services they offer. Scott Brady of Overland Journal and Expedition Portal even paid a visit with the all new Rivian, which we just had to put on the RTI ramp. We want to thank each and every person who attended our event or reached out to support this new chapter for the Summit 4×4 Company. We are excited at what the future brings and can’t wait to take you along for the ride.
Watch the whole event on our YouTube channel or by clicking the video link below!
