Think of the time you spend planning trips, researching which RV to buy, learning how your RV works, hunting for for do-it-yourself tips on top of everything that you’ve learned, out of necessity, on the fly. You are RV experts in your own right. Whether it’s finding the best gas prices, the friendliest campgrounds, the easiest-to-use hitches, or the most durable awning, Trailer Life readers are informed through experience, the fellow RVers they meet, and a passion for the lifestyle that makes this industry a true community functioning in campgrounds, RV parks, truck stops and camping stores throughout the land.
To tap into that vast body of knowledge, we launched the Trailer Life Readers’ Choice Awards to learn more about our readers and what they value, as well as finding out what vehicles, destinations and products make life on the road easier and more enjoyable.
Conducted online at TrailerLife.com, the Readers’ Choice Awards allowed thousands of readers to vote in 25 categories among 104 brands, as well as picking the most-desirable state to visit and favorite campgrounds. And, now the winners are…
Awning
First Place – Carefree of Colorado; 303-469-3324, www.carefreeofcolorado.com
Carefree of Colorado is a manufacturer of patio awnings for travel trailers, fifth-wheels, motorhomes, and pop-up and truck campers.
Second Place – Dometic; 800-544-4881, www.dometic.com
Third Place – A&E Blind and Awning; 800-777-1221, www.aeblind.com
Campground/Resort
First Place – Great Smoky Mountain Jellystone Camp-Resort – Cosby, Tenn.; 423-487-5534, www.greatsmokyjellystone.com
Nestled among the Great Smoky Mountains east of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Great Smoky Mountain Jellystone Camp-Resort has consistently been ranked as one of the country’s top 100 campgrounds by Woodall’s.
Second Place – Ocean Lakes Family Campground – Myrtle Beach, S.C.; 800-341-8234, www.oceanlakes.com
Engine Oil
First Place – Shell Rotella; 800-237-8645, www.shell.com
A diverse line of heavy-duty engine oils, Shell’s Rotella products have long been known as quality lubricants.
Second Place – Amsoil; 800-956-5695, www.amsoil.com
Third Place – Mobil 1; 800-662-4525, www.mobiloil.com
Fifth-wheel Hitch
First Place – Reese; 800-632-3290, www.reeseprod.com
A powerhouse in the towing market, Reese makes ball mounts, hitch balls, pin boxes, brake controllers and heavy-duty hitches for the RV market.
Second Place – B&W Trailer Hitches; 800-248-6564, www.turnoverball.com
Third Place – PullRite; 574-259-1520, www.pullrite.com
Fifth-wheel Trailer
First Place – Keystone; 574-535-2100, www.keystonerv.com
Keystone is a leader in North American luxury RV sales, specializing in fifth-wheels, travel trailers, toy haulers and destination trailers.
Second Place – Forest River; 574-389-4600, www.forestriverinc.com
Third Place – Jayco; 574-825-5861, www.jayco.com
Folding Camper
First Place – Jayco; 574-825-5861, www.jayco.com
Founded in 1968 by Lloyd Bontrager, Jayco is one of the best-known names in the RV industry, and its folding campers are a staple of American highways, driveways and campgrounds.
Second Place – Starcraft RV; 800-945-4787, www.starcraftrv.com
Third Place – Aliner; 724-423-7440, www.aliner.com
Fuel Additive
First Place – Lucas Oil; 800-342-2512, www.lucasoil.com
A manufacturer of oils, additives and lubricants, Lucas Oil Products has been a major player in the oil game since its founding in 1989.
Second Place – Sea Foam; 952-938-4811, www.seafoamsales.com
Fuel Station
First Place – Pilot Flying J; 877-866-7378, www.pilotflyingj.com
After merging Pilot and Flying J in 2010, the combined travel center giant now has 649 locations in North America — and is always adding more.
Second Place – Love’s; 800-388-0983, www.loves.com
Performance Add-On
First Place – Banks Power; 800-601-8072, www.bankspower.com
Looking to boost your tow vehicle’s performance? Banks builds a range of products to make more power, from cold-air intake kits, turbochargers to diesel and gas tuners.
Second Place – Torklift; 800-246-8132, www.torklift.com
Third Place (tie) –
Bully Dog; 877-285-5936, www.bullydog.com
Edge Products; 888-360-3343, www.edgeproducts.com
Portable Generator
First Place – Honda; 770-497-6400, m.powerequipment.honda.com/generators
Recognized as a builder of long-lasting and surprisingly quiet portable generators, Honda’s power stations can be had in a very wide range of output levels.
Second Place – Cummins Onan; 800-888-6626, www.cumminsonan.com
Third Place – Yamaha; 800-962-7926, www.yamaha-motor.com
Refrigerator
First Place – Dometic; 800-544-4881, www.dometic.com
The name in RV refrigerators, Dometic builds a range of models for every type of RV.
Second Place – Norcold; 800-543-1219, www.thetford.com
RV Cleaner
First Place – Protect All; 800-322-4491, www.protectall.com
With polishes, washes, wheel and tire cleaner, rubber roof treatments, slideout lubricants and black streak removers, Protect All has RVers covered.
Second Place – Star Brite; 800-327-8583
RV Retailer
First Place – Camping World; 888-626-7576, www.campingworld.com
Camping World is the nation’s largest retailer of RV supplies, accessories, as well as new and used RVs, with more than 75 storefronts coast-to-coast.
Second Place – My local dealer
Third Place – Walmart; www.walmart.com
RV Toilet
First Place – Thetford; 800-543-1219, www.thetford.com
Making portable and permanent toilets, chemicals, cleaners and convenience products, Thetford is a time-tested and popular builder of RV toilets.
Second Place – SeaLand Toilet Systems; 800-544-4881, www.dometic.com
Satellite Hardware
First Place – Winegard; 800-288-8094, www.winegard.com
Whether it’s portable satellite antennas, receivers or roof-mounted antennas — from manual models to fully automatic — Winegard’s products ride atop many RVs.
Second Place – King Controls; 952-922-6889, www.kingcontrols.com
Third Place – KVH Industries; 401-847-3327, www.kvh.com
Satellite Provider
First Place – DIRECTV; 888-777-2454, www.directv.com
Beaming its first digital satellite transmission in 1994, DIRECTV has more than 20 million subscribers, including many who tune-in from their traveling homes.
Second Place – DISH; 765-894-4248, www.dish.com
Third Place – Shaw Direct; 888-554-7827, www.shawdirect.ca
Sit-Down Restaurant
First Place – Cracker Barrel; 800-333-9566, www.crackerbarrel.com
A friend to the RV community for its parking-lot policy, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurants has more than 600 locations throughout the United States.
Second Place – Applebee’s; 317-885-6631, www.applebees.com
Third Place – Denny’s; 800-733-6697, www.dennys.com
State to RV
First Place – Colorado; www.colorado.com
Whether it’s the many resort towns, Rocky Mountain National Park, Rio Grande National Forest or points along the way, Colorado is filled with natural beauty.
Second Place – Oregon; www.traveloregon.com
Third Place – Utah; www.utah.com
Tires
First Place – Goodyear; 800-321-2136, www.goodyear.com
Founded in an abandoned strawberry factory in 1898, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is a premier tire manufacturer known for quality and performance.
Second Place – Michelin; 866-866-6605, www.michelinman.com
Third Place – Maxxis; www.maxxis.com
Travel Trailer
First Place – Jayco; 574-825-5861, www.jayco.com
Founded in 1968 by Lloyd Bontrager, Jayco is one of the best-known names in the RV industry, and its folding campers are a staple of American highways, driveways and campgrounds.
Second Place – Forest River; 574-389-4600, www.forestriverinc.com
Third Place – Airstream; 877-596-6111, www.airstream.com
Travel Trailer Cover
First Place – Adco Products; 800-541-2326, www.adcoprod.com
Adco specializes in making RV covers, as well as covers for tires, windshields, A/C units and propane tanks, among other RV-centric items.
Second Place – Calmark Covers; 800-838-7236, www.calmarkcovers.com
Third Place – Camco; 800-535-5053, www.camco.net
Travel Trailer Hitch
First Place – Equal-i-zer; 800-478-5578, www.equalizerhitch.com
Focused on building products that reduce sway, Equal-i-zer makes four-point sway and weight-distribution products that make RV travel easier and safer.
Second Place – Torklift; 800-246-8132, www.torklift.com
Third Place – Reese; 800-632-3290, www.reeseprod.com
Truck
First Place – Ford; 800-392-3673, www.ford.com
Maker of the top selling truck for 25 years, the Ford F-150 — and its Super Duty products — have become the ubiquitous American-made trucks.
Second Place – Chevrolet; 800-950-2438, www.chevrolet.com
Third Place – Ram; 866-726-4636, www.ramtrucks.com
Truck Bed Liner
First Place – Rhino Linings; 888-450-0441, www.rhinolinings.com
A maker of bed liners, military equipment, quality flooring, epoxies and coatings, Rhino spray-in bed liners add protection and value to trucks that put their beds to work.
Second Place – Line-X; 877-330-1331, www.linex.com
Third Place – Bed Rug; 800-462-8435, www.bedrug.com
Truck Camper
First Place – Lance Camper; 661-949-3322, www.lancecamper.com
Lance makes truck campers and travel trailers, including many units with a focus on reducing their ecological footprint.
Second Place – Northwood Manufacturing; 800-766-6274, www.northwoodmfg.com
