TOP TEN PICKS for Canadians from the SEMA 2019 Product Showcase
For roughly the last decade Iíve participated as a Global Media Awards judge during the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) Show, the largest aftermarket, trade-only, automotive show in the world, with roughly 60,000 exhibitors and just as many attendees that spread over 1,000,000 square feet of exhibit space. Iím tasked with choosing from a few thousand product entries that I think would be effective for Canadians. I narrow it down by focusing solely on truck and off-road products. Easy right? Here are my choices and why I chose them for my home in the Great White North.
1. Lightshield - Kenoh
LED light covers are essential for most parts of Canada for legal reasons and as a result, there are a multitude of covers available. However, not like this. The Kenoh Lightshield stands out because of its innovative design. In addition to easily opening and closing from one side, it has a built-in low wattage flood to give you an extra light source for a work- or campsite, which can be conveniently tightened at a number of different angles to adjust the light dispersion. Further, you don't have to stow it inside your vehicle when you need to use your lights and the flip covers are encased in epoxy rather than plastic, an industry first weather-proofing process that makes them more durable in the extreme seasonal conditions we experience in Canada.
2 Suntent - Suntop
Camping and overlanding are an easy past-time for many Canadians. Drive in any direction for 20 minutes and you can be off-road in the wilderness. The Suntent is a roof top tent (RTT) built into the Suntop soft top and mounts directly on the Jeep JLU roll bars. This reduces weight, cost, and overall height of a traditional RTT mounted on a separate (and often expensive) rack system. The tent opens to 2 x 1.3 m (7 x 4.5 ft) with a 5 cm (2 in) mattress. For Canadians whose Jeep Wrangler JLU is their daily drive and needs to fit in their garage, this is a convenient, cost-effective way for them to get away at a momentís notice.
3 SmartCap Evo ñ RDL Design
Fibreglass is fine but stainless steel is sturdier and that was the first feature that caught our eye about this truck cap? The 381 kg (700 lb) dynamic load capacity thatís just stellar as we not only need our roof top tent in the wilderness, but Canadians need to take all their other toys as well. Top on our list of innovative features include the Positive Pressure roof vent that pressurises the cargo area while weíre driving to keep dust and moisture out, and the gull wing side doors that provide easy access to the cargo area or the optional kitchen insert. Finally, Canada is a big country and shipping costs are always a concern. The SmartCap is comprised of five pan
els and is shipped knocked down to save money.
4 Winch2Go SR - Superwinch
4WDrive is all about trucks because Canadians are all about getting outdoors, which is why we buy so many trucks. Your typical off-roader has a bumper mounted winch, and thatís where it stays. What about the ATV or side-by-side or snowmobile that you haul with your truck? The Winch2Go is a great idea for users with multiple off-road vehicles. Itís a complete 1,814 kg (4000 lb) winch system in a toolbox with shackles, straps, remote, gloves and battery leads. Sure, you can permanently mount it, but more importantly you can mount it in a trailer, to a recovery point, hang it off a receiver hitch, and switch from truck to trailer to ATV to snowmobile. We admit that 1,814 kg (4000 lb) is a little light for many trucks, but using a pulley block and a double line technique will take you to 3.629 kg (8,000 lb).
5 Gas Bag Fuel Safe Bladder - Giant Loop
Space is always a concern travelling off-road and the distance between filling stations can be enormous. The Gas Bag allows off-roaders to roll up the empty container and minimize storage when they are empty. They are made of a very tough ballistic nylon and can be easily moved from the truck and strapped to the ATV, side-by-side, dirt bike, snow bike, or snowmobile using the daisy chain webbing. With sizes ranging from 4 ñ 19 L (1- 5 gal) you can match a Gas Bag to your needs.
6 Hitch Tent - Rubicon Expedition Products
Canadians love roof top tents (RTTís). Canadians hate getting into RTTís ñ more so when the temperature drops and the wind starts to blow. The Hitch Tent keeps the RTT down low, out of the wind, and this also makes it very easy to get in and out. As much as we love overlanding, good olí fashion camping and wheeling are even more popular. Being able to leave the camp site set-up and then go exploring is very appealing. Not to mention the Hitch Tent frees up our roof for Kayaks, SUPís, mountain bikes and more.
7 Baja Pro XS - Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels
Most of us would rather drive to the trail than trailer our rig. However, weíve never had a really good, reliable, street legal tire in a size and with an aggressive tread pattern that would do the job in the mud, dirt, and on our snow rigs. This is why the Baja Pro XS is so good for Canadians. With sizes from 35 to 58 inches, they will perform any job requested on the trail, while still able to get us there and home without a trailer.
8 Rope Retention Pulley - Factor 55
The move to synthetic rope is all but complete in the recreational off-road market north of the 49th parallel. This pulley is a great alternative to the heavy snatch block/pulleys and is solely for use with synthetic line and shackles.
9 NexGen Gator-Jaw Synthetic Shackle
Occasionally a manufacturer answers a question that we haven't asked, but should have. The question was can we have shackles that are lighter, stronger, and float? They would be easier to find in the dark, in the mud, and not rattle around in the recovery box. In Canada, spring rains come extra hard and heavy ñ flooding our trails ñ and the early winter sunsets make recovery in the cold, twilight and dark challenging. Pass the synthetic shackle please!
10 Topliner by CoverKing
Canada is a land of extremes. Extreme cold, heat, and wind, plague Jeep owners with wild fluctuations in temperature and the accompanying road noise from forest surface roads, snow-covered frozen highways and the noise generated by wind across our light bars. The Topliner by CoverKing insulates the Jeep hardtop from edge to edge, insulating the interior from temperature extremes, road and wind noise, and improves the acoustics so you can hear your tunes or answer your phone via a hands-free device.