The annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is the largest car show in the world. Automotive experts display every type of vehicle imaginable, with heavy mods of the latest aftermarket accessories. Let’s dive into some of the great new products on display this year.
Maxtrax THI Tow Hitch Insert
Maxtrax is striving to become a world leader in innovative off-road recovery solutions. In order to do this, the brand needed to step outside its recovery board roots and bring some quality new products to market. It showed off a few new products at SEMA, and the tow hitch insert (THI) was arguably the most innovative.
The THI is a billet aluminum hitch receiver recovery point for use with soft shackles. It pulls from all angles and won’t rotate. It has a large-radius opening to evenly distribute high loads, and it has a safe working load limit of 20,943 pounds.
The Maxtrax THI will be available in early 2019 for $100.
SmartWinch FTM Winch
The SmartWinch FTM is a winch rope management system that can be fitted to any winch. It’s designed to work with modern synthetic winch cables and replaces the winch fairlead. And it has powered rollers and feeder pieces that ensure your winch cable is spooled neatly and under tension every time.
As a bonus, the SmartWinch FTM also has a load indicator on the front. It indicates how much load the winch line is under by reading the power draw on the winch.
Expect to see the SmartWinch FTM hit the market at the end of 2019 and cost around $300.
Warn Sidewinder and Hyperlink Recovery Tools
Warn has been at the top of the off-road recovery winch game for a very long time. It has always offered a few accessories to complement its winch offerings. But this year, it showed up to SEMA with a bunch of new accessories.
The most interesting were the Sidewinder and Hyperlink. The Sidewinder is a winch hook/thimble replacement, which also has an integrated shackle. The Hyperlink is a dual-pin recovery shackle. Both are made of 6061-T6 billet aluminum with forged steel pins and will work with winches up to 18,000 pounds.
The Warn Sidewinder will cost $129, and the Hyperlink comes in at $89. Both should be available before the end of the year.
Dometic CFF 12V Fridge Line
Dometic offers fridges in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and price points. The new CFF line of fridges aims at price-conscious consumers who want a quality product without all the bells and whistles.
This line is different from most of Dometic’s fridges: It uses an industry-standard Danfoss compressor rather than the more efficient and optimized Dometic compressor.
A super-nice feature of the CFF line, which isn’t yet available on the other Dometic fridges, is a double-hinged lid, allowing it to be opened from either side at any time.
The Dometic CFF fridge lineup will be available in early 2019. Two sizes will be on offer, 35 and 45 L, which will cost $779 and $858, respectively.
Roll-N-Lock Tacoma QwikRak Rec Bars
Roll-N-Lock has been a leader in quality retractable truck bed covers for many years. And its Toyota Tacoma bed cover just got a serious adventure sports upgrade by way of an integrated rack system. The QwikRak seamlessly integrates into the retractable cover. It offers up a two-bar rack system that sits just above the truck bed rails. It can accommodate up to 350 pounds of gear.
The Roll-N-Lock QwikRak will be available in March for $499. At launch, it will only be available for Toyota Tacoma pickups. The QwikRak will work with Roll-N-Lock bed covers that range from $1,100 to $1,800. The new rack can be retrofitted to older Roll-N-Lock covers as well.
Autohome Airlander XXL
Autohome Airlander hardshell rooftop tents are some of the highest quality on the market. The series is a full pop (rather than just lifting on one side) and sports a crank-up mechanism instead of the traditional gas strut assist. The new XXL model is absolutely huge at 180 x 230 cm.
The Autohome Airlander XXL will be available in the spring and retail for around $3,500.
Scheel-Mann Integrated Seatbelt Seats
One of the best ways to upgrade your road trip experience is to install comfortable, supportive seats. Scheel-Mann has been making high-quality seats for everything from Porsches to Unimogs for decades.
It has been focusing on the van market lately, with a great product selection. The brand just completed certified testing for an integrated seatbelt seat with a quick-release base. These products perfectly suit rear seating in the Mercedes Sprinter and other adventure vans.
The Scheel-Mann integrated seatbelt seats and quick-release bases will be available around April. Pricing is still to be determined, but expect to pay around $2,000 per seat and $500 per base.
Rigid Industries Adapt E-Series Light Bars
Rigid Industries makes a wide range of serious off-road lighting products. The all-new Adapt E-Series line of LED light bars integrates a number of technologies that Rigid has pioneered throughout its product range.
The lights offer three different LED optics in each bar, with wide, spotlight, and hyper spotlight patterns. The Adapt E-Series bars have an internal GPS that focuses the beam the faster you go. This provides a long-reaching light when going fast and a nice wide light pattern when crawling along.
The Rigid Adapt E-Series light bars will come in 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-inch lengths. Pricing will range from $900 to $1,800 when they hit the market in early 2019.
WeatherTech TechShade Full Vehicle Kits
The one item on this list that isn’t super new is the WeatherTech TechShade, as it’s been on the market for about two years. But WeatherTech is just now getting around to promoting it properly. It’s a custom window shade for all windows in your vehicle that offers a black side, a reflective side, and insulation.
This is a super-clean and quality product for people who want to camp out in their vehicles. Not only does it keep out the light and prying eyes, but it helps regulate the temperature in the vehicle.
WeatherTech makes the TechShade for a wide range of vehicles. At $100-170 per set, they seem like a great value.
