Hypermiler Fact and Fiction
The word Hypermiler has been popping up in many a conversation since the price hike in gas. Some people are infuriated by the tactics of some hypermilers, while others are intrigued as to what on earth hypermilers are. In this article we will explore what Hypermilers are and some of the fact and fiction that has been popping up around it since the phrase has been coined.
What are Hypermilers?
Hypermilers are people who do whatever they can to maximize their gas mileage. The term Hypermilers
originated from hybrid driving clubs which were started after the first hybrid cars were manufactured and sold. The people driving these cars noticed that with certain driving techniques, they could great increase the mileage they got on a tank of gas. By refining these driving techniques these drivers greatly exceeded the EPA rating for their cars.
Fact or Fiction?
1. When to fill up the car
There is a school of thought that you should fill up your car in the early morning when it is still cold. Reason being that the gas stations keep their gas underground at a certain temperature which is cooler than on the surface. Gas expands when it warms up. So, filling up your car in the morning means that you will get cold gas into your cold tank which means that you will get more gas than when it is warm.
A silly notion or true? True! And in some countries the gas stations have been passing discounts to their consumers due to the fact that they get less gas at certain times of the year. It is called “temperature compensation”.
2. Putting magnets in and around your tank will increase your gas mileage
These magnets are mostly sold online at auction websites and they claim to increase your gas mileage by 100%, give your vehicle increased horsepower, increased throttle responses, smoother shifting of gears, greater acceleration.
Sounds to good to be true? It is! It is advisable to be wary of any manufacturer that claims that their device can significantly or even noticeably improve gas mileage, especially without adversely affecting a vehicle’s emissions to the point where the vehicle may not be in compliance with the law.
3. Hypermiling can increase your gas mileage
Hypermilers claim that using certain driving and car maintenance techniques, you can shave hundreds of dollars off the cost of your vehicle expenses.
True. Using sensible driving techniques that do not go to the extreme, you can greatly increase the mileage you get on a tank of gas.
4. Using Acetone
Rumour has it that by adding just a few ounces of acetone per ten gallons of gas will have you get more mileage out of your tank.
Strange but true! Acetone helps gas to fully vaporise, which means less wasted fuel. Fuel that was previusly wasted past the rings or sent out via the exhaust, when mixed with acetone it gets burned, and the engine does not notice that it is not running on straigh gas!
Shave up to 40% off your expenses with our safe Hypermiler
tips. No vehicle modifications necessary!! Shave $$$ of your gas expenses with our Hypermiling Secrets.
What Is a Weight Distributing Trailer Hitch?
When you are towing any amount of weight with a trailer, the control you have over your vehicle and trailer is vital for ensuring a safe trip. A trailer with unevenly distributed weight or one that is too heavy for your vehicle can be very difficult to handle and may cause an accident. This is why it is so important to choose the right type of trailer for both your load and your vehicle. It is also very important to make sure that you attach your trailer to your vehicle using the correct towing hitch.
One sure way to know that something is wrong with your tow vehicle and trailer combination is that the rear end of the tow vehicle is visibly weighed down while the front end is raised up. This uneven distribution of weight will severely affect your steering and braking capabilities.
There are several different types of trailer hitches; one type is called a weight distributing trailer hitch. This hitch is most often used for heavy loads and trailers. A weight distributing hitch makes carrying a heavy load safer by distributing the weight of the load evenly between the wheels of the tow vehicle and the wheels of the trailer resulting in improved steering and brake control.
A weight distributing trailer hitch has a special bar that slides into the vehicle attachment. This attachment transfers the tongue weight of your trailer to the front axle of the towing vehicle and the axles of the trailer. It also has two spring bars, one for each side of the trailer tongue, that help provide leverage to the towing vehicle.
You should always use a weight distributing hitch if you are towing a large amount of weight. These types of hitches are considered class 3 hitches and are capable of pulling up to 10,000 pounds trailer weight and 1,000 pounds of tongue weight. The cost for these hitches generally range anywhere from $200 to $300. While a weight distributing hitch is a little bit more expensive than a standard hitch, the price is well worth the stability it provides when towing a heavy trailer.
Before attaching any trailer to your vehicle, you should find out what the maximum towing and tongue weight capacity is for your particular type of vehicle. You can do this by consulting your owner’s manual or a dealership that sells the type of vehicle you have. You may also be able to find this information online. In addition to all of these considerations, be sure to use the right type of trailer to tow your load. This will result in a smooth and safer trip for all.
Emily Sandberg is an outdoor enthusiast who takes her truck off road every chance she gets. When she’s not towing anything, she covers her hitch with a hitch cover from Trailer Hitch Universe.
The Top 10 Uses of Utility Trailers
There are many reasons why it is a good idea to invest in a well constructed utility trailer. While you may think that you will only use a utility trailer a handful of times, the truth is that once you have a trailer, you will find more uses for it than you can imagine.
Simply put, a utility trailer is any type of non motorized trailer that attaches to your vehicle so that you can haul whatever you need to. Utility trailers can be either enclosed or open; they can be large or small; and they can be simple or elaborately styled to match your towing vehicle.
Utility Trailer Uses
There are several uses for a utility trailer. Here is a glimpse at just the top ten uses of utility trailers:
1. Automobiles: From time to time it becomes necessary to haul an inoperable car or truck. Tow trucks are expensive, especially if the distance is great. A utility trailer is a great way to haul vehicles and a good investment if you need to do so regularly.
2. Boats: If you have a boat, you will need a utility trailer to get it to and from the water.
3. Lawn Care Equipment: If you live in a rural area, you may find that you need to haul your mowing equipment from one piece of your property to another. Packing equipment and loading it into a pickup truck bed can get old very quickly. A utility trailer will allow you to drive your equipment right up onto the trailer without the aid of ramps or two strong men.
4. Furniture: Moving furniture is a breeze with a utility trailer. Furniture dollies roll right up onto the trailer and you can haul more than you can with a pickup.
5. Building Supplies: Do you have projects that need to be done around the house? Pick up your own building supplies and save on delivery fees.
6. Bikes, Motorcycles, and ATVs: Recreational vehicles are best hauled on a utility trailer.
7. Livestock: An enclosed utility trailer is most often used to haul livestock.
8. Auction and Flea Markets: If you frequent auctions and flea markets, you will need the hauling capability to bring home your inexpensive and rare finds.
9. Appliances: Utility trailers are ideal for hauling appliances.
10. Debris and Trash: Loading trash in and out of your pickup bed can be cumbersome and clean up can be messy, but it would be worse to have to haul trash in your SUV. Clean up after a big job is a lot easier with a utility trailer.
As you can see, there are many reasons why an investment in a utility trailer is a smart move. I’m sure that with a little time, and its easy availability, you will come up with even more ways to use a trailer.
Emily Sandberg is an outdoor enthusiast who takes her truck off road every chance she gets. When she’s not towing anything, she covers her hitch with a hitch cover from Trailer Hitch Universe.
Don’t Overload Your Trailer Hitches: Understanding Towing Capacity
I think many of us with vehicles seriously overestimate or underestimate what we could tow with it. You might look at a boat, utility trailer, or travel trailer and ask yourself “I wonder if my car could handle that?”
Now where would you go for that kind of information? Most people would go straight to the owner’s manual of their car. The problem is, the information in that manual will be so watered down and generic that you can’t really trust it.
It’s going to say something like this: “towing capacities are calculated under the assumption of a standard equipped vehicle, normal driver, and trailers. Any other equipment or passengers will reduce the amount of weight your vehicle can handle.”
Huh? So how on earth can you evaluate your real towing capacity? The first thing you have to understand the vehicle manufacturer is using a completely stripped down version of the car or truck to beef up the towing rating. Makes sense right?
They’re trying to sell cars, and if you’re a family with a tent trailer, seeing a super high towing rating on that little station wagon could be the factor that gets you to buy. That’s why you need to bring a skeptical eye to that owner’s manual.
The last thing you want is to load up your trailer with a few quads or motorcycles, head up to the mountains, and then have your transmission go out because you trusted the manufacturer’s published towing capacity. That could be a very expensive getaway.
Here are some terms you want to be familiar with in evaluating your actual towing capacity:
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW)
You know all those times you’re headed down the interstate near the border of the state you’re entering or leaving? One of the best ways to find out your unloaded vehicle weight is to stop at one of them, pay the $5 or $10 fee, and have them weigh your car or truck.
If you do stop at one of those weigh stations, try to have your gas tank as full as possible to make the measurement more accurate.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
This is the maximum weight your tow vehicle can be without wrecking your car, truck, or suv. There are a few places you might find this number - it might be under the hood in the engine compartment, or on a sticker in a door frame, or maybe even in the owner’s manual. It’s important to know this number because the foundation for safe towing is not attempting to pull something that is just too heavy for your car.
The bottom line when towing is not to overdo it. When you buy a vehicle, if you know it’s going to be used for towing, be realistic about the capacity of the car or truck you’re buying.
The lightweight family sedan you’re buying is probably not intended to pull a 20 foot boat, or a large travel trailer. If you know you’re going to be doing lots of traveling, camping, RVing, and other recreation, be honest about what type of tow vehicle you’re going to need.
I would recommend buying a solid 8 cylinder engine with a transmission calibrated for heavy duty jobs. I would rather overkill on the vehicle than risk doing thousands of dollars in damage to my car or my trailer. Not to mention the people I’m sharing the road with.
Jeremy teaches people about installing a trailer hitch and also advises them on the right way to set up trailer hitch covers.
Give Your Truck A Totally New Appearance With Custom Truck Wheels
When I was growing up you hardly ever saw custom wheels on trucks, they were seen mainly on sports cars but now you seem them on just about any kind of vehicle and on trucks in particular. Gone are the days when trucks were used as just utility vehicles for hauling or work related jobs. Now trucks are bought by people who have no intention of ever using them to haul or tow anything. In my area you are just as likely to look over and see a girl or woman driving a truck as you are a guy. The light truck market consisting of pickups, SUVs, and vans accounts for over a quarter of all new vehicles sold so there is also a high demand for custom wheels for these vehicles.
Perhaps more than any other vehicles, trucks have a wide array of accessories that can be added to change their appearance. Think about it, you have lift kits for raising, lowering kits, ground effects, tonneau covers, racks, tool boxes, light kits, and of course custom wheels. In many cases the people don’t even make these changes for a utilitarian reason, they just like the look. I have a friend who has his truck lifted over 8 inches, has large oversized tires, tow bar, Fog Lights, etc, and he has never been off the road with it! He just likes the look of the big truck and many people are just like him.
Custom wheels bring more than just added appearance; they can also give you a better ride and increased performance. Choosing the wrong wheels can conversely affect your results in a negative way and can even cause damage to your vehicle. The great thing about custom truck wheels is that due to their popularity you can find a wide assortment of wheels to fit any truck no matter if it is a Ford or a Nissan, Four Wheel Drive, or Two Wheel Drive. The aftermarket custom truck wheel market has a product for any vehicle whether foreign or domestic.
I like to shop for custom wheels online, just like with almost everything else you can really get some super deals buy shopping the many vendors available on the internet. In addition to the huge variety of choices you can also view the wheels and in some cases they even have a virtual 360 degree view available.
You can find truck wheels in any size you want and save really big if you buy tires and wheels together plus some dealers even offer free shipping. Remember, not only are you enhancing the appearance of your truck you are also increasing the performance and handling with the right tires and wheels so make sure you get the best fit for your truck.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about custom wheels as well as custom truck wheels at http://www.vintagewheelsplus.com
Even With All Of The Imports On The Market The Chevrolet Truck Remains A Winner
Chevrolet automobiles seem to have been around for as long as cars have. This is true in more ways than one. There are still plenty of people driving vintage models that perhaps your grandfather or great grandfather drove so many years ago. These are now considered to be collector’s items by many car enthusiasts. They buy old Chevy trucks and then lovingly restore them to their previous glory. By the time they are finished, you would never know that they had rolled off the manufacturer’s line so many decades ago.
Chevy is famous for many types of vehicles. As the years passed so did the style of the car. However, even with the newer, sleeker models of cars available, there was a longing for the old style, so they brought back a classic model, slightly altered to make it look more modern. Chevy is also famous for their line of trucks. This has been true for decades and is still true today. They’ve come a long way from the models your older relatives used to drive, being sleeker and carrying all of the latest technology.
When your ancestors drove them, they probably weren’t purchased because of their aesthetics. They were probably purchased to do tasks such as hauling things. Many of them were highly regarded as farm and ranch vehicles. This was particularly true in rural areas where the roads were unfinished and rough. The Chevy truck is renowned for its ability to handle tough terrain, even while burdened with bales of hay or vegetables that needed to get to the market to sell. You will often see these trucks in old movies, covered in mud and driven by cattle ranchers. Times have changed, but Chevy Trucks continue to be a prime choice in work vehicle as well as family transportation.
Now instead of seeing them being driven by ranchers, you see soccer moms behind the wheel, with her children in the back seat. Many men purchase them, not for their capability of carrying heavy loads, but because of their cool look.
A favorite Chevy Truck is the Silverado. Not only are these sleek looking vehicles, they retain the speed and durability that Chevy is known to produce. You can get them with all the bells and whistles and may not even want to haul anything in it, because it might spoil the look. Another consumer favorite is the Chevy Colorado. With its two tone detailing and attractive contours, this truck is coveted by many.
There are a variety of Chevy cars and trucks that are suitable for just about any type of travel that you can think of. Whether a classic from old days or one with the classy look of the present, you can
The Benefits Of Owning And Driving A Truck Or SUV And Get Good Fuel Efficiency With The New Hybrids
Depending on how old you are, you may remember the good old days, when you pulled into a gas station and someone came outside to help you. There you sat, comfortably behind the wheel, while the gas attendant filled your car with gas, (requested by gallons and not dollars), checked your oil, cleaned your windshield and thanked you for your patronage. You never worried about what type of weather it was, because you didn’t have to get out of the car to pump your gas. The attendant did it for you, so your clothes would stay as fresh as they were when you left the house. You could fill up your tank, hand over a ten dollar bill and actually get change back.
Unfortunately for everyone, those days are over. Now you sit in line behind other harried customers at the gas station and have to get out of the car, go inside to pay for the gas if you don’t want to use your credit card, then come back out and pump the gas yourself. Now people no longer say they want ten gallons of gas. That’s been changed to ten dollars worth of gas, if you please, and you clean your own windshields and check your own oil. Hopefully you won
Why Many Truck Buyers Are Adding A Camper Shell
Owning a truck is extremely popular these days, particularly for the younger generation. When these trucks first hit the market so may decades ago, they were primarily purchased for their utility value. They were used on ranches and farms and in those areas that did not have finished roads. They were tough, so they could get the job done without worrying about causing any damage to the vehicle. They could handle all kinds of rough terrain and their suspension system would not be affected.
Today, you see corporate executives cruising behind the wheel of these trucks. Its not often that you see the old rancher driving around in his mud spattered truck, wearing work clothes and a cowboy hat. Even women enjoy driving these cars because the newer models are made to look so sleek and attractive that they can
Protect Your Belongings By Investing In A Quality Truck Canopy
While a truck canopy is primarily used to cover the cargo that you’re hauling from place to place, you might be surprised to learn how versatile it can be. Untie it from where it’s attached to your truck, remove it from the vehicle, and you now have a durable cover that can serve a variety of different purposes. With it’s tough construction, waterproof and weather resistant fabric options, and variety of colors, styles and sizes to choose from, your truck canopy can be an invaluable accessory to both your on and off road habits.
Truck canopies can serve as a great way to get protection from the elements. Stay dry from the rain or cool off in the shade by using your canopy as an awning, anchored to the side of a dwelling or hung above a porch to provide refuge the way an umbrella would. You can feel assured that since canopies are designed to be tough, sturdy enough to transport rugged materials like rocks, sharp pebbles or gravel, they won’t blow over or collapse the way other, more flimsy coverings could.
Another lesser known use for a canopy is as a swimming pool cover. Mesh canopies are ideal for this, as they are light, buoyant and can resist the harsh rays of from the sun. Canopies made of this material also allow water, like the rain or melted snow, to pass through the surface, not accumulate and weight it down.
Ready to find the truck canopy that’s right for you and your lifestyle? There are many to choose from, but a few recommended canopies include the following:
TUK-IT Retractable Canopies (Range Rider Truck Canopy Specialists) A perfect choice for your pick up truck, this canopy includes a customizable fiberglass cab spoiler that can be painted to match the color of your truck. Made of waterproof fabric and convenient to store, this canopy is also retractable, which means you won’t need extra hands, or time, to use it. Manage it yourself in just a few seconds time.
EZEE Truck Canopies are ideal for the outdoors, plus this canopy is tough enough to handle the extremes, both in terms of what you’re transporting and conditions like the weather. It’s made of tough, ultraviolet resistant material, an aluminum frame, top of the line fittings and a sound base. With more than a dozen different colors to select from, this canopy is perfect for storage, hauling needs, camping, and travel adventures.
Beltex Truck Canopies, constructed of less expensive P.V.C or canvas, with or without windows, and optional side access doors, depending on your preference, Beltex Truck Canopies are assembled to your specifications. Choose the type of material for structure and the blueprint for your design and Beltex will deliver, and install, a canopy built to please. Beltex also can complete metal works at your discretion.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as truck parts and accessories at http://www.truckaccessoriesetc.com
Buy A New Truck Camper To Get The Most Out Of Your New Truck
Hitch your Wagon to a Star with New Truck Campers
Do thoughts of lumpy sleeping bags, cold hot dogs and collapsing tents scare you away from camping outside? If so, there’s no longer reason to be afraid. Three manufactures of truck campers have released models that make it possible to bring the creature comforts of home along for the ride while testing your skills in the great outdoors.
From the manufacturer Lance come the models listed below.
Lance Lite Series 815:
A shower, toilet, sink, heater, and stove are just a few of the amenities this camper has to offer. After a long day outside, you’ll also be able to get a good night’s sleep in the queen sized bed this self contained camper provides for your comfort.
Lance Series 951:
Improved for 2006, the Lance Series 951 gives you more bang for your buck by adding more storage and tank capacities than previous models have in the past. It also includes a dinette eating area and refrigerator and comes complete with a top of the line roof and fiber glass exterior.
Lance Series 1181:
A premier camper that really does include everything
