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How Your Choice in Cars Reflects Your Personality

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Automobiles have become an integral part of our society. Intended to be used as a tool to get from point A to point B cars have extended their use in today’s society.

This article discusses a few points on car selection and personality. Cars have long stopped being tools that get us from one point to another and have transformed into status symbols and reflect the driver’s values and personality.

Often people judge a person by the car they drive. If you are stepping out a Bentley for example, you would garner much respect from just about anyone who witnesses you getting out of the car.

The condition and look of your car has extended the mantra of your discipline being reflected on how your wear your clothes. Being seen parking a dirty car is the equivalent to going to the office in a disheveled suit. Analogously, alighting from an impeccably detailed car is the prim and proper look that many office executives are known for.

In fact nowadays what you drive adds more to your reputation than what you wear. Studies have shown than rides reflect more of the personality of the person than clothes. Cars have ceased becoming tools and have transcended into the realm of lifestyle.

Playboys want fast looking coupes while daddies are opting to get minivans. Buicks are said to cater to the less internet savvy drivers compared to Honda which has an overwhelmingly digital age buyer group.

This trend even goes to driving tendencies. Sports cars owners tend to be a little less patient on the stop light than station wagon drivers. The gigantic proportions of some SUVs tend to make their owners bully smaller sized vehicles in rush hour traffic.

Brands like Lexus are tend to be bought by wealth and well educated owners. Aside from that demographic the brand caters mostly to married couples. This reflects stability and a more settled down personality for the buyers.

Your choices in the car you are driving very much reflect your personality. Stop thinking of your car as something that takes from one place to another but take great care in choosing your car. You may not think it matters but your peers will gauge your personality on the car you drive.

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Source by M. Maxx

5 Must Dos When Selling a Car on Craigslist

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If you are new to selling a used car on Craigslist, you may be unsure how to proceed. Stop right now. Whatever you do, don’t mosey on over to Craigslist and post “I have a red truck for sale.” This will get you nowhere and it does nothing but waste your time and the time of everyone who reads your ad.

So what should you do when selling a car on Craigslist?

1 – Take a Picture

Even if your Craigslist location page is for a relatively small size city, there are still likely hundreds of other used cars listed for sale. Guess what? Most of them have pictures and yours should too. Craigslist buyers aren’t necessarily lazy, but why should they spend five minutes emailing you to ask for pictures when it would have taken you that long to upload a picture?

2 – Use the Kelley Blue Book

Don’t just pull a figure out of midair or base your selling price around how much money you want to make. This will get you nowhere, especially if you are living in dreamland. It is best to use the Kelley Blue Book’s online version. It is free and will take you less than 5 minutes to get an estimated value for your car. Base your selling price around this.

3 – Be Realistic

As previously stated, use the Kelley Blue Book to get an estimated value from your car. Pulling a figure out of nowhere and trying to justify it by using phrases like “car runs like new,” “this is a great deal,” and so forth won’t change the fact you are asking too much. Craigslist used car sellers aren’t the only ones who know how to use the Kelley Blue Book; buyer know too. Pop that bubble you are living in or come back down to reality.

4 – Don’t Use Stupid Phrases

Many buyers on Craigslist aren’t avid internet users. Many of them just heard through the grapevine that Craigslist was a great place to buy a cheap used vehicle. These potential buyers are not familiar with internet lingo. You know, LN and OBO means like new and or best offer respectively, but not everyone else does. It takes a total of one second to actually type out the words, so do it. Also, avoid common clichés, like “still runs,” “runs like a dream,” “great car to get from Point A to Point B,” and so forth.

5 – Don’t Keyword Stuff

When selling on Craigslist, you choose keywords for your articles. These help your for sale car listing appear in searches that interested buyers perform. You are selling a Ford truck, so state so. Use the make, model, and year as your keywords, but don’t overstuff your ad with irrelevant keywords, like car, van, SUV, and so forth. This does nothing but tick off the internet users who now have more junk to weed through.

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Source by Adnan Masood

How to Start Your Own Mobile Tire Installation Service Business

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You could start your own mobile tire installation service business, and be in business for yourself! You could offer your service, by contacting certain tire dealers, in your neighborhood. Talk to them, and let them know, you want to start your own business, and you would like to get a discount on tires from them, if you become a regular customer for them, and better them, than their competition, up the street.

Tires stores are just about everywhere these days! Everyone needs tires eventually, just no way around it, and that is good for you! It is a hassle, for most people to take their car to a tire dealer, wait sometimes forever, if they are busy, and then get shoddy service, and hidden extra charges, almost all the time.

If you take that worry away from your customer, you will do good! If your customer had to pay $500 for a set of tires from the same dealer you just made a deal with, to get them, say, for example, $400, you would make an instant $100 profit on that, and then if you install them, and charge another $100 for that, you could make $200, in just one or two hours time! Walk around any neighborhood, and look at the cars you see in the driveways, or on the road. You could go threw any parking lot in America, and look at the tires on cars as you walk around. The cars with the bald tires will be your best customers!

Let them know you will take care of everything. In the beginning, you can come to their house, put their car up on jacks, take the tires to the tire dealer, have them put the new tires on, and take them back, and install them, back on their car, and your customer will be happy, that they did not even have to leave the house!

You could later, after you get more experience, and a better truck, you could get your own tire machine, and do the tires yourself, right in the back of your truck, and pick the tires up ahead of time, for your customer, so their car, is not up on stands for too long. You would want to have signs made up for your vehicle, and pass out business cards to all the cars you see with bald tires!

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Source by Vince Stead

Bakflip F1 Tonneau Cover Review – It May Not Be Right For Everyone!

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Bak Industries make a series of Bakflip truck bed covers and the particular one we are going to review here is the Bakflip F1 tonneau Cover. It is their premier Bakflip truck cover. It is their thickest of truck covers and suggested better than any other folding tonneau cover. We will see how it ranks through the summary of customer reviews I happened to go through. I find customer reviews particularity good to base an opinion upon as the customers usually have the cover on for a period of time allowing for a better opinion to base a review on. Truck forums give you a good indication as well.

I will let you have a brief description of the Bakflip F1 tonneau cover to fill you in on just what this truck bed cover is and how it is structured. First of all it is a hard type folding truck cover. It folds all the way to the cab rear window and can be secured there with the two arms which are supplied. It does cover the rear window and would protect the rear window if you were throwing things into the cargo area of your pickup truck. You are capable of driving with the cover opened. The panels of this cover have a high density EPS core which is sandwiched between a fiberglass top and aluminum underneath. The panels are connected together with a seamless rubber hinge which the company says will outlast your truck.

The F1 Bakflip tonneau cover does not have a lock that you open with a key but it does latch underneath the truck bed cover and you need to lower the tailgate to open it. This is good in the sense that you can add an aftermarket tailgate lock and then you will have a very secure cargo area. Just as well because I was never too thrilled with the locks on the top of a cover. They get moisture in them and freeze up in the winter something terrible. The company also says you can distribute up to 400 pounds on top of the cover. The cover suppose to stay cool to the touch with the UV protection coating it has which is also supposed to keep the cover looking good for years. The company says they made this cover for people who are particularly rough on a truck bed cover and who may live in harsh weather situations such as hail, ice and snow.

After reading many customer reviews and sneaking around in truck forums as well as doing searches on the net, in my opinion I found the Bakflip F1 tonneau cover to be the best folding tonneau cover around as far as craftsmanship and usability. The cover looks great as it is low profile and sits level with your truck box. With some this may be an issue because the rails that the cover sits on are attached between your truck sides which will take away a small amount of space if you really need to squeeze something in there.

Many have complimented the cover on being very water resistant. Some have tested with hoses and car washes and may have found a couple of drops of water might have entered but not any real amount. If your truck does not already have drain holes in each corner of your truck box behind the cab, you will have to drill one in each side to accommodate the drain hose that help make the Bakflip F1 tonneau cover so water resistant. If you have a bedliner you should check from underneath the truck box for pre drilled holes. Some may even have rubber grommets sealing them.

Some major benefits of the Bakflip F1 tonneau cover include the ability for the cover to fold fully open, right up to the cab rear window. At the time of this article no other folding tonneau cover has this capability. This comes in handy when it comes to hauling large items. The cover is also installed between the truck sides so it allows you to use the stake holes for side rails, tie downs, racks that are level or above the truck cab which is another feature that other folding tonneau covers do not have.

In conclusion in my opinion this folding tonneau cover has all the features that I would look for in a folding truck cover. For some reason, truck owners may have width issues and they may not want the bakflip f1 tonneau cover because it is installed between the truck sides. In this case most of the other folding covers sit on top of your truck’s side rails. Others may not wish to drill the holes in the truck bed to accommodate the drain hoses. I am just letting you know all your options, the decision is up to you and your needs.

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Source by Ken Bishop

Replacing a Caterpillar 3126 – Useful Information to Help Find the Correct Replacement Diesel Engine

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So you have a truck with a diesel engine in your truck and it just went bad or is about to and your looking for a replacement. This article has some useful information that can help. If you are looking for one make sure you have the serial number and horsepower off your engine.

Some engines can change out for others, but it is important to note how many pins are on the computer. The older computers will have 40 pins while the newer engines will have 70 pins. They will interchange, but you will need an adapter wiring harness to make it work. Below is a list of serial numbers that will let you know how many pins are on the computer.

Number of pins on your computer:

  • 40 pin will be an older engine
  • 70 pin will be a newer engine

Serial Numbers:

  • 9SZxxxx 8YLxxxxx 7ASxxxxx = 70 PIN computer
  • 1WM = 40 PIN computer. Twin air induction on right side of engine
  • HEP = 70 PIN computer. Air inlet on left side of engine, one tube faces forward
  • 7AS – Can be used in place of a HEP – 70 PIN computer
  • 6RW = 70 PIN computer

If you are having trouble finding a good used 3126 with low miles you can use a Caterpillar C7. It will have 70 pins so make sure your computer has 70 pins also or you will need to buy an adapter wiring harness.

You can put the same model engine with a different amount of pins with the addition of the following harnesses.

40 pin computer to 70 pin harness = Mawk Industries Harness, Phone number 602-909-1961

70 pin computer to 40 pin harness = Caterpillar part number 133-8109

Your best value will be to find a used diesel engine, just make sure the place you are buying it from knows the miles off the computer. You are able to find out how many miles are on the engine by hooking up a pro link. All quality heavy truck salvage yards will have one of these.

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Source by Michael Hurwitz

Recat Racing Avalanche XTR Review

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In the last few years, Redcat Racing has brought to the market a wide range of vehicles from 1/16 scale all the way to 1/8 scale nitro. They have also included in their line four 1/10 scale electric vehicles, making your selection even more abundant.

Everyone knows the bigger companies in the R/C market but I like to find the smaller companies with smaller price tags, quality products and good service! Redcat Racing has some very tough competition and will need vehicles that are affordable and can take abuse in order to compete.

The 1/8 scale Avalanche XPR is the big dog in their line, being slightly larger than the earthquake. First impressions were good. I love the wide stance and beefy look. This truck looks durable!

Specs:

Model: Avalanche XP

Price: $359.99

Type: 1/8 Monster Truck

Length: 20″

Width: 16″

Height: 10″

Wheelbase: 15″

Ground Clearance: 3″

Weight: 7.25 lbs

Engine: M28 P3

Transmission: 1:17.7 Single Speed

Differentials: Metal Gear

Clutch: 3-Shoe Aluminum

Chassis: 2.5″ 6061 Aluminum

Shocks: 4 Adjustable Oil Filled

Brakes: Dual Steel Disk

Fuel Tank: 125cc

FIRST IMPRESSION

When you open the box you are greeted with a brightly colored body. There are optional bodies available if you don’t like the color or scheme of the one that comes with the truck. And you can always pick up a 1/8 scale body from your favorite hobby shop! The body that comes with this truck is complete and need no further decals!

There is however one little thing about the body on this truck, and it appears to be normal business for the Redcat line of Nitro cars and trucks. You will notice there is no engine opening and the body is not cut to provide clearance for the exhaust exit. Both are quick and simple things to take care of and I rather enjoyed working on mine. You will notice the body mount holes are pre-drilled!

This truck is sold as a ready to run (RTR) truck. That means it comes with everything you need to use the truck except for the transmitter batteries, fuel and field equipment.

The Avalanche comes with a 2.4GHz radio system that is quite sufficient for this truck. If you prefer to use your own radio you may have to replace the receiver to match your transmitter as the Redcat radio systems may not be compatible with other brands.

CHASSIS

You will notice the Avalanche shares it’s chassis with other models in the Redcat lineup. However, it benefits from bigger tires, stronger shocks and towers. This truck is somewhere between a small monster truck and an overgrown truggy. Whatever you decide to call it, the Avalanche looks good and should take some punishment with this design.

The front suspension and steering system looks very robust. One thing I often order when I get a new truck is suspension parts. Roles, flips and cartwheels are hard on a truck of this size and it is not uncommon to snap a hub or control arm but the Avalanche appears to be quite robust and I hope to be pleasantly surprised when nothing brakes.

The rest of the suspension, shocks, shock plates and turnbuckles follow suit in quality. The shocks are adjustable and the connecting plate is simple to remove and adjust.

Power Plant

Now let’s turn our attention on what gets the Avalanche moving! A big block.28 engin from SH Engines is installed and ready to make smiles happen! When it is go time and you command full power from the engine, that power is delivered to the wheels by way of a quality 3 shoe clutch system. This type of clutch is my favorite design. The clutch hooks up hard and fast when you nail the throttle yet it engages smoothly and confidently if you ease into the power slowly.

The muffler on the Avalanche is a tuned pipe that does its job, but there are better pipes out there. Keep in mind this is a stock truck and you can’t have all the upgrades out of the box at this price, or even at a price 5 times this price!.

TEST DRIVE

When you get your new Avalanche you will have to break in the engine. As this is not an article or teaching about proper engine break in and maintenance I will forgo the “how to” but let me just say this. Nitro engines turn at high RPM and have extremely tight tolerances that have to be “worn in”. Follow the instruction that come with your Avalanche to the letter – if you do nothing else do this! You will be rewarded with a longer lasting, more reliable and higher power producing engine. Nuf said.

I conduct most of my test drives at one of two places — The local track or a large open dirt and grass field. This truck, being so aggressive looking was begging for the sand! So I packed up my new truck and headed out to the beach where I found a variety of surfaces to drive on. I drove the paved parking lot, loose sand of the beach, hard packed sand near the water and the dunes just off the beach that provided me the opportunity to get some sick air!

With the single speed transmission of the Avalanche and it’s light weight, climbing the hills, banks and dunes was no challenge. Acceleration and handling was awesome with the 4 wheel drive and oversized tires and the Avalanche was even more fun in the air.

The suspension kept the Avalanche in contact with the ground even after high jumps the truck did not have a tendency to bounce. The truck flies well too. When this truck is in the air it is quite stable and the ability to set the angle with the brake is impressive. I was able to get mine to do a front flip and land on its wheels on command.

The dual brakes are great. They really work well and compliment the truck. No matter how hard I run, the brakes remain strong. They are also extremely helpful in balancing the truck in the air. In the times it’s needed, push the throttle back to hit the brake and the truck will help you balance for a smooth 4 tire landing. Well, most of the time anyway. I occasionally miss the mark, but that has to do more with the driver than the truck. The Avalanche makes jumping pretty easy.

I ran the tar out of this truck for about a week and I intentionally played rough with it. I was trying to break it so I could report just how hard you can expect to run the Avalanche. What I found was a surprisingly tuff truck. The body was banged up and I did manage to break one of the body mount posts (a quick fix). All in all this is a very good value and a well-built truck.

WRAP-UP

As much as I like this truck, and I will continue to buy and test other Redcat vehicles, it is not without its flaws.

The Avalanche could use a few small things to make a it a 10! A larger fuel tank would be my first upgrade. A better tuned pipe would be number 2, I prefer the adjustable type offering settings for more torque or more top end. Lastly I would replace the steering servo with a higher torque metal gear type.

Offsetting my list of upgrades are a few of the points that make Redcat trucks my favorite all around – back yard bashing trucks. The Avalanche is competitively priced with other trucks in its category. The Avalanche XTR as tested is strong and fast. It is predictable and can be driven on just about any surface. Not to mention Redcat has a great warrantee program on its engines and vehicles along with awesome customer support. I have put the customer support to the test with questions and product help. I called contacted Redcat about a warrantee concern about an unrelated product and was promptly shipped a replacement part. I have been quite happy with Redcat’s customer support.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall the quality of the Redcat products and the excellent customer support keep me coming back. You can be sure of one thing; you will see more Redcat product review from me as I intend to put many of the Redcat Racing vehicles and planes to the test.

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Source by Tom D Rassier

How to Pick the Right Big Rig Towing Company – Is Price Your Only Motivation?

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In big rig towing a price estimate is generally computed based on port to port which means round trip from the tow company’s yard and back again. When the big rig tower gives an estimated time say 3 hours, the first reaction of the customer is well “it only takes me an hour to get there”. which is really saying it should only be a 1 1/2 hour job. What is not taken into consideration is that a big rig tow truck towing a truck or a tractor with a trailer combination will travel slower and how about hook up time which involve:

1. removing the drive line,

2. installing tow lights and safety chains,

3. running air to the truck to release the brakes.

After hook up, now tow the disabled truck to the customer’s location. Where are we headed? If the driver of the disabled truck is not with his or her truck then good directions are crucial in the final price.

Park in that perfect spot in the lot between other trucks on an uphill slope or how about around the corner behind the building against the fence.

Unhook the truck – take everything off and re-install the drive line. Having the tow operator re-install the drive line is becoming more and more a practice required by dealerships and repair shops which is yet one more added time factor.

Finally drive back to the towing company’s yard and hopefully not during commuter traffic.

So you see pricing can be tricky when you are given prices per hour. Usually, a tow company will estimate based on port to port charges and the pricing could become negotiated due to variables such as the “less than experienced driver” or traffic conditions.

Now that I have explained pricing, other factors to consider in selecting a good company:

1. How long have they been in business? Over 10 years means they rely on repeat customers. Referrals are essential to a tow company. If the company is fair there will be no problems in getting a good referral.

2. Many are registered for business ratings with The Better Business Bureau or Dun & Bradstreet.

3. They are active members with their state trade organization such as CTTA in California.

4. Clean trucks and drivers showing pride in the tow company and therefore reflects taking great care of their customers.

So, don’t let price be your only motivation. If you have these additional factors you will know that a good tow company has a pretty solid idea on their price. Why? Well they’ve been in the area long enough to know port to port times so their estimate will be pretty close to the final price. If a big rig tow company quotes a “low ball” hourly rate, they may make it up in charging more hours or add an extra charge such as a fuel surcharge.

Sure, competitive pricing is essential in today’s market but consider it with all these factors when picking the right towing company for you.

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Source by Kathy Ramirez

Trick My Truck & SUV – Ford Expedition Add Ons to Increase Horsepower and Gas Mileage

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Ford’s Expedition line of full size sport utility vehicles are among the most popular selling vehicles in their class. With dependable quality, powerful engine choices, and a variety of trim levels available, they are the most diverse group around. Ford’s 5.4 liter V8 engines delivers smooth yet powerful performance, there’s very little that the manufacturer needs to improve on with exception of gas mileage. That’s where the aftermarket community comes in. There are a large number of available performance products that will increase your gas mileage and horsepower. Don’t worry about rising summer gas prices, here are a few products you can buy at auto retail outlets and install in the same day with basic hand tools.

Probably the easiest and most widely available performance part you can buy is a higher flowing air filter from. A performance air filter will do a couple things for you. A higher flowing filter will help the engine breathe better by intaking more clean air into your intake, therefore netting you 8-10 more horsepower and increasing gas mileage 1-3 mpg’s. Another great feature is the reusability of the filter, there are cleaning solvents available you can use or just rinse off the dust and debris. Therefore making your overall maintenance costs lower. These particular air filters are made by K&N and Airaid and are available at retailers like Wal-Mart, Autozone, and Pep Boys. A great addition to any vehicle for only $35-55 and you’ll notice the change immediately.

Another great performance add on is a custom exhaust. Custom exhausts not only look great, sound great, but you’ll get better performance because of its efficient design to dispel burnt gases. Kits are available from Flowmaster, Borla, Magnaflow and Ford and have all the available hardware and instructions to make installation a snap. And best of all, ready-made kits can be installed in several hours using just basic hand tools. Custom welded exhaust jobs can be done but may cost more money unless you can perform the welding duties. As a result, you will notice the difference in you 5.4 V8 and you’ll get more satisfaction over the throaty sound it will make on the street.

And finally, another fantastic modification is a performance chip. With a performance chip installed on your Expedition, you will net extra ponies and better gas mileage. Chips are designed to enhance the transmission shift points and fuel curve by relearning the computer’s dynamics with the new info on the chip. Chips are made by well known companies such as Hypertech and Superchips. Typically, they only cost about $80-100 and they can be installed in less than half an hour with basic hand tools. Don’t leave this inexpensive part off your customization list for better performance.

So as you can see, there are a lot of available parts that you can purchase at your local retail outlets. An approximate combined increase would be about 30-40 HP gain and about a 3-6 mpg increase. To maximize the increases, there are lots of other ways to modify your Expedition to achieve those numbers. For instance, there are conversion kits you can make that can transform your truck or suv into an electric/gas hybrid. Made popular by the Prius, hybrids will multiply your fuel economy and the IRS will pay you tax credits just for driving a clean fuel vehicle.

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Source by Shaun Patrick Davidson

Do You Know The Proper Hand Signals For Knuckleboom Trucks?

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Whenever operating equipment such as industrial or heavy equipment, being able to clearly communicate with co-workers or other people at a job site is essential for everyone’s safety. Due to the noise common when operating many types of equipment, OSHA has added to crane operator requirements the ability to understand and communicate with certain hand and verbal signals; workers are even beginning to be qualified for this job to help keep communication open between equipment operators and anyone observing the work without being a direct part of the actual machine operations.

Knowing Job Site Hand Signals

Even in the best of environments, listening for cautions and warnings is not always possible. On a noisy industrial job site, there is little chance that a worker’s voice would be heard over noise generated by the equipment or truck itself. In such situations, the best way to communicate clearly has always been with hand gestures and OSHA is working to increase all crane operator awareness to such signals and meanings.

When operating many commercial heavy-duty vehicles, all it takes is a fraction of a second for something to go wrong, which means there should always be spotters and other trained personnel watching work progress, ready to stop it should a problem develop. The most reliable way to communicate with equipment or vehicle operators from a safe distance is through hand signals, which every operator should watch for and be able to interpret quickly in order to act accordingly. Through fast, precise, non-verbal communication between signal person and operator, accidents damaging the vehicle or the job site can be avoided – which is the main goal.

Qualifying As a Signal Person

Since equipment operators, workers, and other personnel will be depending on the signal person to be observing the work and ready to relay warnings quickly and accurately, candidates for this job must meet the following:

  • Understand Crane Operations – Before a signal person can work effectively, it is important to understand how cranes and knuckleboom trucks operate, any limitations, and typical use or maneuvers that could be dangerous. This person will only be able to provide correct directions to operators by understanding ahead of time how the vehicle is likely to react or must be operated to prevent problems.

  • Know Standardized Hand Gestures – Every qualified worker must know and explicitly understand all standardized signals and be able to accurately display them in all situations. Although some companies may continue to use localized hand gestures, this is being discouraged by OSHA as emphasis is being made for all companies to adopt standardized gestures for personnel training and qualification.

  • Know Voice Signals and Usage – There are also verbal cautions related to the different hand signals, even though most of the time voices cannot be heard. In any situations where verbal warnings can be used, it must be done in certain ways, in certain tones, etc.. to be recognized. Knowledge of correct verbal warnings is an important part of passing the certification exam.

  • Understand Routine and Special Assignment Zones – The primary job of a signal worker is to oversee and assist during routine equipment use. Certified workers must also be capable of overseeing and evaluating special lifting situations, such as relaying information between such workers, lifting in prohibited areas, and any lifts that involve raising workers to a higher level.

  • Reaction and The Breakdown of Correct Communications – If communication through gestures has somehow broken down, qualified signal workers should be able to quickly determine options to regain control of the situation and be able to use such options. It is essential to be able to prevent accident or injury in spite of any glitches in communications.

Although most of this seems to be common sense, a thorough understanding of hand gestures on the job site is essential because of the precise and specific language spoken between signal persons and team members. Extensive knowledge of communications must be known and used when working with equipment such as knuckleboom trucks in order to keep things moving as safely as possible!

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Source by Christopher M. Hunter

Camper Shells – Are They Right For Your Rig?

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Ah, the pickup truck. That open payload in the rear gives you the freedom to haul everything from bricks to gravel to your convertible bed. But, that open payload also leaves your gear and furniture exposed to the elements and the sticky fingers of parking lot bandits.

A lot of truck owners opt to install a camper shell because they want to safeguard their stuff from Mother Nature’s wrath and good-for-nothing crooks. However, this cuts down on their pickups’ versatility. You can’t exactly pack a full-size reproduction of the statue, Laocoon and His Sons, into your payload when it’s sporting a truck cap. There are clear advantages and disadvantages to camper shells, so consider these pros and cons before you make the investment.

Pros

Protection: Hands down – camper shells give you the most protection against nasty weather and parking lot Vikings. Because they’re lined with an insulated seal, rain water and slushy sleet should not be able to infiltrate your truck bed. And, the lockable latches on their access doors stop all but the most determined burglars from burgling your valuables.

Better MPGs: Camper shells improve your truck’s aerodynamics and can improve your fuel economy. You may not have known this, but your open payload is killing your MPGs. When air flows over your cockpit, it spills into your bed, hits your tailgate and creates drag. With a camper shell in place, air breezes smoothly across the roof instead of smacking into the back.

Cons

Less carrying capacity: Your truck bed is always constrained by its length and its width, but it also becomes constrained by height when you add a camper shell. Instead of having open skies overhead, there will be a fiberglass roof limiting the cargo that’ll fit. Because of a shell’s bulky size, lifting it on and off every time you’ve got a couch to move is just not practical, especially in impromptu moving situations like when you stumble across a free mattress in an alley. Of course, there are truck cap racks available to give you more room up top.

Extra weight: Don’t let the word “shell” trick you – camper shells are hardly as dainty as an egg. These sturdy truck caps are constructed from layers of fiberglass, and they weigh in at around 100 pounds. That kind of extra weight over the rear of your ride puts added stress on your shocks. Plus, it can cut into the fuel savings that come from the improved aerodynamics.

Choosing to get a truck is no small matter. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons carefully before you shell out the big bucks for a shell.

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Source by Jordan Catalano