On the summit website it shows that you have to purchase the top and bottom separately, why isn't it just a combined deal? Obviously so that if you have the bottom you can get a different top portion, but does this seem strange to anyone else?

When you buy a Summit stand from a dealer it comes with the top and bottom. They probably just want you buy from a dealer.

back when summit first started out in1981 i believe, you could buy the entire stand from them (platform & climber) ,now there are so many dealers, i have 4 within an hrs drive you can get one there. they sell the pieces separate so if you want a different top you can get one ,you can make a revolution into a bushmaster or whatever. or if part of your stand gets damaged you don't have to run out and buy a whole new stand !

I think that maybe that got tired of sending the whole stand to me when they break. I have had 2 summit bottom platforms break/bend. The first day of bow season in 2000 a weld broke on the bar going from the cable lock to the platform. They sent me a replacment stand and in 2003 i stepped to the edge of the platform to shot a P&Y 10 pointer and felt the stand starting to give, I didn't shot for fear that i would make a bad shot. Needless to say the replacement stand the second time sold on ebay for $120 i was never so happy to lose only $80 and a nice deer.