General | Trucks and Trailers

Trucks Fuel Economy

July 21st, 2008 by shenron

The words truck and fuel economy usually do not go hand in hand. Trucks in general use much more fuel than passenger vehicles because of their larger size, amount of weight they are towing, poor aerodynamics and maintenance issues. However, for those that own trucks or looking to own one, you can improve your trucks fuel economy by following these tips.

Choose Diesel over Gasoline Engines
If you are planning on buying a truck, it is usually better to choose a diesel engine over a gasoline engine. For most heavy duty trucks, engines almost always only come in diesel; however, light trucks usually offer you a choice. Diesel engines have been improved over the last several decades and are now more efficient, quieter and easier to maintain. Most diesel engines can increase truck fuel economy by 30% to 50%. Besides increasing fuel economy, maintenance costs can also be lower.

Keep Your Truck Properly Maintained
Since most trucks are used for business purposes, they are relied upon to work hard. However, many times this extra work duty causes trucks extra wear and tear. By keeping your truck properly maintained, you can easily increase your trucks fuel economy by 5% to 10%.

Properly Inflated Tires
Just like cars, a truck’s fuel economy can improve when the tires are inflated to the proper level. Make sure that you always have an air gauge to measure the tire’s pressure and consult your owner’s manual as to the proper air pressure of the tires.

Don’t Haul Unnecessary Loads
Many trucks are made for hauling, however many truck owners keep unnecessary weight on their vehicle that they don’t need. Keep your truck’s load as light as possible and you will save a lot when it comes to fuel economy.

Avoid Stop & Go Traffic
Obviously, you always can’t dictate where your truck will need to make deliveries, but generally speaking, stop and go traffic can waste fuel unnecessarily. Try to drive at periods of the day and night that have less traffic and offer smoother traveling. It is also a good idea to stay at a steady speed- usually 55mph in which your trucks engine is calibrated to offer the most fuel economy.

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Things You Need To Take With You When Going Off Road Driving

June 25th, 2008 by shenron

Four wheel drive vehicles are extremely popular and are an important part of many people’s lifestyles. Much like people once would head off into the hills on horseback to get away from it all, people now days can head off into the hills in a four wheel drive vehicle. Whether you are heading out for such an off road trip in a four wheel drive truck or an SUV, there are some basic things you need to take along for your own enjoyment, convenience, and above all safety. Driving off road is a great way to spend down time and also release some stress, but it can turn quickly into a bad day or even a tragedy if some of the necessary items you should have with you are not there.

Offroad Driving

Things you need to take with you when going off road driving:

First Aid Kit
The most important thing you need to take with you on an off road driving trip is a first aid kit. When driving off road on unstable land and among cliffs and trees, anything can happen. When it does you should be prepared for the worst.

Tool Box
Bringing the tools you may need for minor and even semi-major repairs is very important, knowing how to use them to make those repairs is also important. Doing this can lead you to avoid some serious expenses related to repairs and vehicle recovery.

Vehicle Jack & Spare Tire
When driving off road, the chances of having to change a tire are multiplied because the roadway you will be on is not nice flat smooth pavement. If that were to happen, having a jack and spare tire will make your situation a lot more doable.

Electric Drill
If extensive repairs are needed to a vehicle, these repairs will go much more smoothly if they are able to be done with cordless power tools.

Flashlight
Whether your off road trip is taking place in the day or night, a flashlight with new batteries is a necessary item. During engine work it can come in handy to see into dark places, and during the night time it can be useful to find your way out of the darkness.

Duct Tape
Whether repairing a hose or any number of other minor repairs, duct tape may make the difference between getting your vehicle back to civilization or having to leave it behind and walk out of the wilderness.

When all of the necessary items are included in the vehicle when you take an off road driving trip, it extremely lessens the chances that something can go wrong. In fact, if something does go wrong, being prepared for the worst can lead you to recover faster when bad things happen. Enjoy your off road trip, but take care of yourself and your passengers by making sure you are as prepared as you possibly can be.

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The Evolution Of The Jeep Cherokee

June 14th, 2008 by shenron

Sport utility vehicles have been around for a long time and they serve a number of different purposes. Some people drive an SUV because they need the stability and performance available during bad weather, others drive an SUV because of the added passenger and cargo room available, others utilize an SUV because their driving habits include going off road, and finally there are those that drive an SUV because of the status of having a more expensive car. One of the more popular sport utility vehicles for a number of years has been the Jeep Cherokee. It was one of the first successful SUVs and it made its name performing well in off road situations. The Jeep Cherokee has gone through a number of changes over the years and remains popular with outdoors enthusiasts as well as Jeep afficionados.

The Jeep Cherokee SJ series started production in 1974 and was manufactured by the Jeep brand of the American Motors Corporation (AMC) until 1983. The Cherokee was originally marketed as a more sporty version of the Jeep Wagoneer that had been manufactured since 1963. In fact, the early Jeep Cherokees shared a large number of features and parts with the older Jeep Wagoneer. One of the large attractions to the early Jeep Cherokees was the fact that if someone were to own one that had been assembled with the 6.6 liter V-8 engine, it was far faster than any other similar four wheel drive vehicle in the marketplace, it had no problem reaching highway speeds greater than 100mph. The SJ series of Jeep Cherokee was developed originally as a two door vehicle and a four door version was not added to the line until 1977.

The Jeep Cherokee SJ series ended production in 1983, and the XJ series started production the following year. The Cherokee XJ was popular and stayed in production from 1984 through the 2001 model year. The XJ was a more compact version of the original Jeep Cherokee SJ and many attribute it as the first of the modern SUVs based on it being used by many people in place of normal passenger cars. The Jeep Cherokee XJ was immitated by other automobile manufacturers and soon after its introduction the market was suddenly flooded with a great number of SUV options for buyers to consider purchasing. The Cherokee XJ was available thorugh its entire run in both two and four door versions.

The plan that Jeep, then under the ownership of Chrysler, had was to phase out the Jeep Cherokee XJ and phase in the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Due to its popularity though, it was decided to go ahead with the introduction of the Jeep Grand Cherokee even though they would continue production of the Cherokee XJ at the same time. The Jeep Grand Cherokee began production in 1993, it had been intended to hit the market in the late 1980’s but was moved to a non-priority project when Chrysler decided to focus on redesigning and marketing their mini vans. The Grand Cherokee was immensely popular upon its initial release and has remained so throughout its production run. In the first year of production, 1993, Jeep also made a luxury version of the Grand Cherokee that was sold as the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. In 1999, the Grand Cherokee was extensively redesigned including having the structure of it stiffened greatly using Porsche Engineering. The redesign of the Grand Cherokee in 2004 included many modern options like rear seat DVD players and an optional 5.7liter Hemi V-8. Only minor changes have been made to the Grand Cherokee since those last design changes.

The Jeep Cherokee KJ series was introduced in 2002, in North America the model was known as the Jeep Liberty and was seen as a replacement for the popular Jeep Cherokee XJ. The Jeep Liberty was available in either two wheel drive and four wheel drive versions, and with a great number of options and modern styling. The Liberty carries the spirit of the Cherokee which inspired it forward into the 21st century.

The Jeep Cherokee revolutionized the old sport utility vehicle market, and then it provided the impetus for the modern sport utility vehicle market too. The model won over many fans based both on its comfort and functionality in the city as well as its high level of performance when off road and putting its four wheel drive status to the test. The Jeep Liberty takes the torch from the Jeep Cherokee and appears to be well on its way to establishing itself as a worthy successor.

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Truck Buying Guide - New vs Used

June 5th, 2008 by shenron

Okay, well, What about Used and New?

If you have the money for a new truck, go for it. If you want a used one, go for it all the same, but look it up on car facts if you can, get full details about how many repairs it may have had, check for leaking oil or other fluids, and if you live in California or Colorado or another state with Smog Regulation – have the documentation that it passed BEFORE you buy. Modifications for a truck to be smog efficient can cost you a bundle and make new trucks look like a better deal. Used can be good for the environment though, as they are being recycled and re-used, rather than junked and thrown away. It’s a sad sight to see a bunch of potentially good trucks in the dump every year. Some needed minor repair, and yes many needed Smog Emissions modifications. If you truck doesn’t meet regulation… sell it on E-bay instead of trying to get it regulated. Sell it to folks in states without those laws, and make sure you say “Pick up only – no delivery” unless you have a trustworthy way of delivering the vehicle.

This is it for the truck guide, I do hope you find it useful, and remember, research is the key for getting the best deal for your money, and the right truck for you. Accept no substitutes and do not be intoxicated by the sales pitch. The salesman in 90% of your searches only wants one thing from you – your money. They don’t care if you’re trying to save cash, which is why you need to ignore the hype and the hooblahblah they spew out, and do your research to a point that you are nearly an expert on the truck you want to buy. The same thing can be said for a trailer. If you do your research, consider everything you need for a new truck, and don’t listen to the sales hype – I can guarantee you will get exactly what you need.

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Truck Buying Guide - Which Truck should I buy?

June 5th, 2008 by shenron

Okay, I know my rating – now how about a darn Engine for this beast?

I know I know, Diesel or Petrol (Gasoline to you American Folk who have no clue about what Petrol means) – the great debate. Gasoline provides for a pretty darn good power source and can give you what you need pretty much up to heavy duty, but starting around Medium I would seriously look into Diesel as the fuel source. One reason is biodiesel requires no modification and can be used straight into the engine (in fact a huge variety of fuels “could” in theory be used), and they are tough, and provide a great horsepower and torque (this is generalized, I know someone out there is going “Ma diesel can’t even pull that damn chicken” – get a better one.). Gasoline, on the other hand, works better in colder climates (generalizing here folks), and also can give the lighter trucks enough speed to make some people very envious. Some folk even have alcohol engines for drag racing – but these aren’t the kind of trucks you want to haul a horse in, and I don’t care if it is Sea Biscuit.

Cool, so I have the truck I want, and the Engine. Do I need to care about the Bed?

If you want to sleep at night – yes. You’ll need a flat bed if you’re wishing to take big things, or as another option, a flat trailer. Trailers can also be covered and carry pretty much anything, heck, if you include a camper and a trailer with a generator and your tools you could be a mobile construction crew, and Super Bowl King (as long as you bring the steaks and sauce). Most of the time a normal bed will serve you fine; but in the cases that you need something different you may need to actually call dealers and ask them about how to get a customized bed for your vehicle. Or if you want to go the warranty voiding method, get a used truck and have at some modifications by licensed shops (you want licensed. Don’t let Cousin Marvin around the back – trust me. Or Johnnie Law will be pulling you over and citing you for an unsafe truck or trailer).

Well, I have my truck, anything else I should consider?

Tires. Yes, Tires. You’ll need ones to suit where most of your driving is and the season. If you need to go up a lot of muddy slopes or muddy roads that are slippery consider getting the bigger beefy tires for that purpose – their treads are separated and blockier to provide extra traction. If it’s really snowy get the snow tires, they are built to put more weight in a smaller area to provide better traction in the snow, and some of these even have metal nubs to help. If it’s just normal day to day in the suburban or urban setting – normal tires or even some run flats. You don’t need monster truck tires unless you’re never going to use the truck for practical things. Low-rider tires and trucks – same response. What ever happened to just a normal regular truck that was meant to be a truck anyways?

Transmission. You should consider whether an automatic or a manual transmission is right for you. Most truck models from all companies have the option of a manual or an automatic. A manual is good if you like to be in full control and actually like to mess with shifting gears. Automatics take away the hassle for people, like me for example, who honestly don’t want to deal with it. Anyways, with an auto you can still downshift to one or two. Bigger heavier duty trucks that can haul the entire library of congress are usually preferred in manual, while the smaller medium and light duty trucks have more of an automatic following. Subcompacts and mini’s are both predominantly auto, but manual sales for both are enough to justify having a manual transmission available. In any case, a test drive should tell you which one you want.

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