SEMA Preview: Three Custom Trucks Worthy of the Spotlight

The annual monster custom auto show that is the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas starts Nov. 5, and all the truck makers are getting their project trucks ready for the spotlight. But that's not as easy as you might think when thousands of companies are trying to do same thing.

We'll be there for the duration (SEMA runs through Nov. 8) looking for the best and most interesting vehicles we can find on the show floor; in fact, we've already heard about three pickups that should be quite interesting, with a few more from Ford and Chevy as well. Here's are a few pictures ahead of the big show but to see more of these trucks you can go to the PickupTrucks.com Facebook page. 

• The first notable monster pickup truck is part of Toyota's Dream Build Challenge (to vote for this vehicle go to www.toyotadreambuild.com before November 4) for which Toyota invited four teams composed of professional extreme-sport athletes and custom fabricators to create some wild custom vehicles. The one we thought was most interesting was the giant Tundra built by Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross, N-Fab and professional motorcycle racers Josh Grant and Justin Brayton. The Tundra is specifically designed to be the ultimate support vehicle for a motocross team, with bike storage, a power washer and a tool shop.It even has a helmet and glove dryer. To read the press release, .

• Ram debuted a new half-ton project truck ahead of the SEMA Show: It wants to be the ultimate support machine for those who love the surf and sand. Called the Sun Chaser, the Ram 1500 Crew Cab's highlights are the RamBox equipped with an electric shower in the side storage box and the rear tailgate that has a cool integrated flip-up seatback to make the rear of the truck a comfortable seating area. To read more about the Ram Sun Chaser and other Mopar project vehicles that will be on the show floor, .

• The last noteworthy vehicle is from Jonathan Ward of Icon 4×4 in Southern California, and its definitely falls into the "custom" category. You may remember the 1965 Dodge D200 Power Wagon we got to drive last year that was such an attention-getter at the 2012 SEMA Show. This early 1950s Chevrolet pickup restored modern creation from Ward looks to be another big spotlight grabber as well. Like the D200, the outside looks like a classic Chevy 3100, but underneath it is all late-model Corvette.

We'll have more stories and videos on these and all the other special pickups we find in Las Vegas next week.

Toyota Moto-Tundra Interior 

Ram Sun Chaser Seat & Shower

ICON 4×4 Chevy Thriftmaster Interior