SEMA Show convention center building
The Best of the Best at SEMA typography
Each year our Diesel Tech team leaves SEMA with our bags a little lighter than they were upon arrival, as we hand out our Show Stopper Awards at the show. These awards are meant to recognize the products that best fit our targeted audience and stop us in our tracks as we appreciate the ingenuity and creativity that went into their development. They also have you checking your wallet to see if they fit within your budget. Check out the recipients of the five Show Stopper Awards at SEMA 2021.
Dometic
From boating products to tents, Dometic does it all, including a center console refrigerator for your truck that can fit up to eight soda cans, handfuls of candy or anything else your brain and taste buds can think of.

After discovering the do-it-yourself installation takes just around a half hour, it was clear to us it deserved a Show Stopper award. It works on 2017 and newer Ford Super Duty trucks with future pickup applications coming down the line.

The cooler is powered by the diesel’s existing 12-volt power supply and boasts both low noise and low energy consumption. An LED light will keep you from reaching around in the dark and the compact unit can easily be turned off when not in use. The product even comes with a dual USB charging port.

If you’re like us and you’ve ever wanted a cold drink within arm’s reach during a long road trip, this is the product for you. (800-544-4881 // www.dometic.com)

Dometic middle console with water bottles
Dometic middle console with top closed
Dometic team with award
ETL Performance Products, Inc. at convention booth
ETL Performance Products, Inc.
Say goodbye to your stock intercooler and say hello to ETL Performance Products, Inc. While the company hasn’t been around as long as some of the other players, they built an impressive intercooler kit for the 2013-2017 6.7L Cummins that earned a Show Stopper award from us. It comes in brush silver or flat black, and includes pipes, clamps, boots, hoses, and everything you could possibly need to set it up.

The kit’s tubing is manufactured with T304 Stainless Steel, ensuring the best durability possible. If you like a little weight in the front of your RAM and are looking for an upgrade to your intercooler, this new kit is for you.

(234-575-7226 // www.etlperformanceproducts.com)

Mickey Thompson
The Baja Boss A/T from Mickey Thompson makes you stop and stare, and is worthy of a Show Stopper Award. Ours isn’t the only award this tire manufacturer won this year either. It’s also the winner of SEMA’s Best New Tire for 2021.

The new Baja Boss tires will complete the look under your diesel as they feature an asymmetrical tread pattern that reduces noise and improves the ride. Large surface area elements provide superior all-terrain handling and extreme Sidebiters give optimal off-road traction. 

After talking to the Mickey Thompson team in Las Vegas, it’s clear they have a lot of pride for the tire, and we can see why. It comes with an all-new silica-reinforced compound for on-road tread wear, cut and chip resistance, and improved wet handling and braking performance.

In the hopes of keeping every truck owner happy, Mickey Thompson recently released 11 new sizes, ensuring they’ll have the size you’re looking for.

(330-928-9092 // www.mickeythompsontires.com)

Mickey Thompson team with award
Factor 55 tool wall with hoses and hooks
Factor 55
Factor 55 is based in Idaho, so naturally they name their vehicle recovery kits after mountains in their state. Just like Mount Borah will take your breath away either through its beauty or by hiking it, Factor 55’s Borah kit will do the same through its own grandeur and earned a Show Stopper award. 

With the fully-loaded kit coming in at a hefty 47 pounds, it truly will prepare you for nearly any situation. Whether you’re in need of a winching or towing operation, the Borah has you covered with everything from the shackles to the straps that are all made right here in the USA.

(208-639-1674 // www.factor55.com)

Factor 55 closeup of products on tool wall
Factor 55 red rope
red truck with wood planks in bed trunk
Sawtooth
D.J. Potter and his Stretch Tonneau Cover advanced to the final 10 of SEMA Launch Pad, a competition designed to recognize innovation in the automotive industry, before falling short of the final five. This cover caught our eyes while walking around the new products section at SEMA and after checking it out and talking to D.J., we felt like it deserved more attention. 

While the Sawtooth Stretch Tonneau Cover lies flat like all tonneau covers, this one will also stretch, allowing pickup owners to load larger equipment and still keep it protected from the rain and prying eyes. 

This easy-to-install cover can easily roll to the cab, giving you room to load and unload. Having trouble with the installation? There is a video on the Sawtooth website you can follow along for guidance. Gone are the days of figuring out what to do with oversized cargo load with the Sawtooth Stretch Tonneau Cover.

(801-692-3368 // www.sawtootht.com)

red truck with ladders and trunk cover