Advance Auto Zone

If you find yourself trying to create more quality time with the family, you just might find yourself dreaming about and eventually in the market to purchase some type of RV.

Perhaps you have already reduced your decision making process to the point of deciding between a motorhome, towable travel trailer, or truck camper – here are some very practical, brass-tack considerations.

If value is not your primary concern, and many luxuries of your home life are critical in your decision making process, you will have several makes and models of motorhomes or travel trailers to choose from.

We recommend a late model pre-owned motorhome or travel trailer as your best long term investment. You will still have many of the luxuries from home, but let someone else take the big depreciation hit during the first one to three years of ownership.

If you are a value oriented shopper looking for the low acquisition cost and efficient operating costs, than we believe you should give strong consideration to a truck camper or sometimes referred to as a truck camper shell.

During the last five years, truck camper manufacturers have made significant progress in features and strategic use of space. The two primary needs that will be addressed with this decision are luxury and value.

Truck Campers have much less acquisition cost than a comparable motorhome or travel trailer. Truck campers range in price depending on the size, equipment and quality of construction. Because there’s no chassis or vehicle to purchase as with motorized RV’s and towable RV’s, the initial acquisition cost of truck campers and truck camper shells are far less than a motorhome.

Many truck campers have the same equipment you would find in a moderately priced motorhome. And unless you are grossly overweight, you should feel just as content with a far less expensive contained truck camper as a motorized RV because the only major difference is the amount of space.

Truck campers offer much lower cost of ownership. Insurance costs vary widely from state to state. However, in every case, truck camper insurance is far less than a motorized product and somewhat less than a travel trailer. With the pickup truck already insured, in most cases a rider is all that’s needed to cover the value of the truck camper shell. Because the camper is considered cargo rather than a vehicle, most states don’t require an annual license for a slide-in camper. This can be a significant savings over the life of the camper.

Let’s not forget fuel cost savings. A truck camper gets better gas mileage than a larger, heavier motorhome, and newer trucks will get much better fuel economy when used for transportation without the camper.

Truck Campers Eliminate Storage Costs. Storage costs for motorhomes and travel trailers is costly, If you’re reside in a cold weather climate you may also consider indoor storage which can be very expensive as well. Whereas with a truck camper, you can possibly find space at home at home. Storage for a motorhome or travel trailer could be costly, if you don’t have a place to keep it at home.
Tow the Toys for the Boys

The impact of this benefit will depend on wheter there are additional toys needing to be towed. If you own a boat, trailer with personal watercraft, horse trailer, snowmobiles – or anything else you wish to tow – there’s no RV better than a truck camper to tow with. Factor in the four-wheel drive capabilities of many pick up trucks and you can go and tow places you would never dream of reaching with a motorhome. This flexibility is priceless when considering that family vacation time is limited and anything that that takes time away from family time is considered a time stealer. Oh, by the way, did we mention that there are laws in most states that prohibit you from towing behind another trailer, so this may influence your decsion as well.

Flexibility is Key to Getting Around. In the old days, leveling a truck camper was not just a task, it very well could be an adventure. Pop-up campers were the same way. Not only was it a challenge, it could be very time consuming as well. With today’s truck campers you might consider purchasing one with wireless remote control camper jacks. This is an awesome feature that allows you to set up camp in minutes rather than hours. This can be very adventageous if you’re like me and have storm clouds following you everywhere you go so the heavens can open the moment you get arrive at your camp.

Today’s truck campers can be set up in a couple of minutes so you’re free to take your truck to town, head out for sightseeing or to the boat launch for some fun on the water. These truck campers shells are the ultimate crossover vehicles. They are highly versatile SUV’s and very affordable RV’s.

What if You Need Service on the Road? Your truck, depending on the make and model, has a comprehensive warranty that can be honored at new car dealerships across the nation. Not so with most motorhomes.

Where do you get service – and how much will it cost?

You know the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you have to purchase motorhome or travel trailer service from an unfamiliar organization. You could be stuck for days waiting for expensive parts.

Regardless of whether you’re considering a truck camper, motorhome, or travel trailer, make sure to check the number of authorized service centers. If you ever need service on your truck camper when away from home, you want access to visit any one of more the listed factory truck camper authorized dealerships.

Or, if there isn’t an authorized service center close by, just stop in at any reputable RV service facility and have them contact the truck camper manufacturer for authorization to perform repairs under warranty, if applicable. It’s that easy.

Comfort and Confidence Behind the Wheel. When you drive a pick-up truck camper it’s not much different than driving just a truck. On the other hand, driving a motorhome or pulling a travel trailer can be extremely stressful and challenging. When considering a camper shell, if you already have invested in a truck, you are halfway to owning an RV! And when it’s time to sell the truck, you can do it without having to sell your camper, many of which are built to last the life of several trucks.

The author has twenty five years experience in the automotive aftermarket in sales, marketing, product management, benchmarking and best practices, and E-Commerce web development. He is an internet marketer and the webmaster behind a light an heavy duty truck parts and accessory site Trick-my-Truck.com/ Trick-my-Truck.com

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Gas prices have really shot up. Most people don’t have much money to spend on their automobile. But it is important to take care of the exterior of your car and have the paint waxed.

Some people like to get their car detailed. But prices can get pretty steep for car detailing. Depending on where you live, you can pay $150-$200 to get your car detailed at a local car detailing shop.

Here is the secret to paying less money to get your car detailed. Get your car detailed by a mobile detailer! Mobile detailers usually charge you $10-$50 less than car detailing ships. The best part is that they will travel to your house to detail your car.

That means no waiting in lines, no sitting in a waiting room, no worrying about being stranded until your car is ready, and no worrying about traffic. You even save money in gas because you don’t have to drive anywhere.

As you can see saving money is not the only benefit of using a mobile detailer. Make sure you compare the prices of mobile detailers in your area. You can find some really good deals. Mobile dealers will compete for your business. Some mobile dealers will throw in extra services like vacuuming your car if you choose them.

Jeff Mulat is an expert at finding deals in various markets on the Internet and offline. His latest web site reveals how to buy the Playstation 3 for less than $200. To learn more, visit jeffmulat.com jeffmulat.com

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Made available in twelve trim levels, the Toyota 4Runner proves to be another vehicle that would be making and reaping in success. Another success story on wheels. This is because the Toyota 4Runner not only shows a range of choices but it also offers functionality as well as performance.

This vehicle has four doors. It has a capacity to take in a maximum of seven passengers. It is a sport utility vehicle. The trim levels range from the SR5 4 x 2 V6 to the Limited 4 x 4 V8. During its introduction, the SR5 4 x 2 V6 trim level came equipped with a standard 4.0 liter V6 engine. It has the capacity to produce some 245 units of horsepower. It can also achieve 18 mpg for driving in the city and some 22 mpg for the highway. As per the Limited 4 x 4 V8 trim level, it has been manufactured so as to contain a standard 4.7 liter V8 engine which can actually produce some 270 units of horsepower. It can achieve 15 mpg for city travails and 19 mpg for some highway adventures. Made standard for both trim levels is a five speed automatic transmission system with overdrive.

The 4Runner has certainly been a consistent performer not only on the road but also in sales. It was first introduced back in the year 1984, thus this vehicle has been in the business for more than two decades. During that time, the Toyota 4Runner was competing with the Chevy Blazer, the Ford Bronco, and the Jeep Wagoneer. But because of the Toyota 4Runner’s unique ability and consistency in performance, the Toyota 4Runner is the only one left standing among his competitors from the past.

People who are looking for options when it comes to vehicles would be very fascinated with the Toyota 4Runner. This sport utility vehicle actually offers various options. This includes driver and front passenger seat mounted side airbags, front and second row roll sensing side curtain airbags with cutoff switch, a power tilt and slide moonroof with noise reduction technology and sunshade, the JBL Synthesis AM/FM 6 six disc in dash CD changer with ten speakers, an MP3/WMA playback capability, a rear seat DVD entertainment system with rear audio remote control, RCA jacks, two wireless headphones, a color keyed rear spoiler with center high mount stop lamp, daytime running lights, and a weight carrying tow hitch and ball mount kit just to name a few.

tpartswarehouse.com/ Toyota Parts Online offers top of the line Toyota replacement parts and accessories like tpartswarehouse.com/Toyota_4Runner_Parts.html Toyota 4Runner parts to match Toyota’s efforts to provide excellent vehicles that deliver superbly.

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Mark Clarkson is a 35 year old marketing consultant for a leading auto parts store. This native of Denver is also an offroad enthusiast.

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