2015 Glamis UTV Industry Ride: 80 Custom UTVs

Posted on July 10, 2015
10:04 am

The fourth annual Glamis UTV Industry Ride brought nearly 80 custom UTVs and many of the industry’s leading builders, manufacturers and aftermarket companies to the Imperial Sand Dunes in February 2015. The invitation-only gathering combined fast dune rides with new-product testing, vehicle photography and plenty of time for people throughout the UTV industry to compare ideas.

UTVGuide.net and Fullerton Sand Sports hosted the annual event near the Glamis Beach Store. Although public jamborees and events such as Camp RZR attracted thousands of participants, the UTV Industry Ride was deliberately smaller and focused on the companies developing, building and supporting the vehicles.

Custom UTVs stopped during a group ride at the 2015 Glamis UTV Industry Ride — Taking a break during a group ride at the fourth annual UTV Industry Ride.

Nearly 80 Custom UTVs Arrive at Glamis

A record number of attendees parked near the Glamis Beach Store, bringing nearly 80 custom UTVs to the Southern California dunes. Our event began late Wednesday night as we rolled into camp and started setting up. A few early arrivals soon joined us for dinner in nearby Holtville before the photography and riding began the following morning.

KC HiLiTES vehicle at the 2015 Glamis UTV Industry Ride — KC HiLiTES brought its equipment and display rig to Glamis.

As additional trucks, trailers and UTVs arrived on Thursday, we began cataloging the details of each build and heading into the dunes to take advantage of the early morning light. Photography was an important part of the event, with individual shoots arranged around several group rides.

Platinum sponsors received additional photography intended to support dedicated features about their vehicles and products. By Saturday, our photographers had documented more than 50 different machines—a record for the annual gathering.

Bert's UTV vehicles and camp at the 2015 Glamis Industry Ride — Bert’s UTV brought a large selection of customized machines.

Builders Bring Their Latest Glamis UTVs

Some of the support rigs arriving at Glamis were almost as elaborate as the UTVs they carried. Bert’s Mega Mall brought couches and a projector, turning the side of its coach into an outdoor theater. KC HiLiTES arrived with a full-size semi, while SDR Motorsports brought four different Polaris RZR builds.

SSV Works supplied the soundtrack around camp with an assortment of UTV audio systems. The gathering provided an opportunity to see and hear products in a real dune environment instead of inside a showroom or convention hall.

SDR Motorsports custom Polaris RZR at the 2015 Glamis UTV Industry Ride — SDR Motorsports brought four custom Polaris RZR builds to the event.

Rugged Radios Polaris ACE and RZR Builds

Friday was the primary group-ride day. Rugged Radios brought a Polaris RZR XP 4 1000 equipped with a complete communications package, along with the event’s only Polaris ACE 570.

The extensively modified ACE featured a custom cage, doors, seat, fresh-air system, radio communications and specially tuned Walker Evans Racing shocks. It was a good example of how quickly builders began developing the single-seat ACE platform after its introduction.

Rugged Radios Polaris UTV at the 2015 Glamis Industry Ride — Rugged Radios used the ride to demonstrate its communications and fresh-air equipment.

TMW El Diablo Launches More Than 140 Feet

During one of the group rides, the participants stopped near Osborne Lookout to watch drivers hit the area’s massive tabletop jump. Freestyle motocross rider Ronnie Renner and the TMW Offroad crew produced some of the longest jumps of the day.

TMW’s “El Diablo,” a Kawasaki ZX-14R-powered RZR, earned the unofficial over-the-top award with a jump estimated at more than 140 feet. The landing broke a wheel, but the UTV and driver otherwise emerged intact and drove away under their own power.

TMW Offroad El Diablo RZR jumping at the 2015 Glamis UTV Industry Ride — TMW always catching big air

UTV Industry Networking in the Dunes

Wind arrived toward the end of Friday’s ride, sending the group back toward the Glamis Beach Store for a pizza dinner sponsored by Acorn Woods Communications.

The 2015 UTV Industry Ride accomplished what the annual gathering was created to do: bring companies from across the country together to ride, photograph new builds, test products and make connections in the environment where the equipment was intended to be used.