Rental Cars Minivan – Take the Whole Family on Vacation

If you didn’t know yet, the car rental companies with their knack at reading market trends, have included minivans in their vanguard of vehicles for rent. Rental cars minivan is actually a very practical and generous vehicle if you want to tug along the rest of the family cum baggage on a trip to where it’s sunny, across the border perhaps. There is enough room in a minivan for kids to jump around if you are a family of 5, just make sure they don’t damage the car upholstery. A family of 7 would fit quite comfortably and plenty of room for luggage.
If you are taking a long trip and stopping around in many places, using a car might be a traumatic experience for the kids. . A lot of youngsters don’t like traveling around when you have to pack them tight in a sedan. What really makes the rental cars minivan ideal for long family trips is that you can bring along kids You won’t hear them complain on the way because they can amuse themselves with parlor games and card games in the minivan. So to keep the whole family happy on the road, the best vehicle your can rent for a family vacation will be a rental cars minivan.
Since minivans are popular family vehicles, long before your trip, start window shopping at the many car rental companies in the real world or on the internet for rental cars minivans. Ask around for their prices, then pick a choice based on van size and the most reasonable price. On the internet you will find sites where private individuals rent out their minivans.
Before you decide on the rental cars minivan of your choice, if you are thinking of renting from a non-commercial source, be sure to come to an understanding with him about the terms and conditions covering your rental of his van. It would even be good to have your agreements written down in black and white, perhaps notarized. This is specially true if you are not personally acquainted with the person renting out his van and if he was referred and recommended by a friend. And then ask him for possible discounts which he can give you. It’s a wild try, but worth it.
On the better and safer end, just go on pick your rental cars minivan from the many licensed car rental outfits in your town. Because of the experience these people already have about renting cars, you are sure that the vehicle you are renting has been conditioned for the trip. They can also tell you how to maximize the performance of your vehicle on the road. What is more, you can avail yourself of rental coupons to cut down on the total amount you have to pay at the end of your trip. If you and your family are going to some tourist spot, there is a chance that your car rental company will have coupons for those places. This includes such places as Disneyland, Universal Studios Tours and many others. The rental people may even have coupons for lodging houses and hotels which they usually give away. You can double your discounts with car rental companies.

Car headlights – style by design

A man is known by the company he keeps or the company that keeps him. A man is also known by the car that he owns. He, therefore, attempts to give a unique look to his car. If one wants his car to look exclusive he has to choose exclusive accessories. Accessories and parts like hoods, grilles, steering wheels, spoilers, headlights, tail lights etc. are eyed upon by the designers to impart an attractive look to a car. The more visible a part, more crucial it is for the designers.

Car headlights are highly visible because of their location and the very nature of their function. The efforts of the designers to make the car look more attractive and simultaneous technological innovations have both contributed to create a sort of revolution in designs of car headlights. The very concept of two similar headlights in front is no longer considered quite the thing. Headlights have become brighter with the use of halogen lights, LED lights, Xenon lights etc. Some of them have a purplish tint. They do not only illuminate the road but have themselves become an object to be observed. New types of reflectors and lenses allow the beam of light to be directed in a way that suits the conditions and weather obtaining at a given time.

The housings of headlights have also not remained unchanged. Metallic, chrome, black, and colored housings have been made. They give a new look to a car. The car ranks along with other possessions of a man, like his house, his neighborhood, his club membership, to be flaunted to create an enviable image. The car has become his calling card. No doubt, the manufacturers cash upon this facet of a man’s personality to design and market various designs of car accessories such as body kits. The market is flooded with innumerable designs of accessories. The buyer has to choose judiciously as to what would suit him best and at the same time create the desired impression on the onlookers. With so many options available, it is not that easy. You can see the latest headlights at www.ilovebodykits.com.

Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (phevs) – Save Up to 80% on Fuel Costs

electric vehicle (also called PHEV) is a car that has batteries that can be recharged through a conventional outlet. PHEVs have both traditional internal combustion engines and batteries that can fully power the car by themselves. The advantage of PHEVs is that when they run on their electric charge only it is estimated they cost about 20-30% of what they would running on gas. Not only does this benefit the consumer, it is also great news for the environment, as these cars reduce air pollution and the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

The future is bright for plug in hybrids. The first PHEVs by large commercial carmakers will be produced in 2009, with even more companies entering the market in a large way in 2010. Even today its possible to have a PHEV if you already have a conventional hybrid vehicle through the use of easily obtained conversion kits. In fact, the Prius you saw today may be a converted PHEV!

Plug-in hybrids are often driven in what is called charge-depleting mode at first, exclusively running from cheaper and cleaner battery power. At a certain level of the battery’s depletion, the internal combustion engine kicks in. More advanced PHEVs may be able to use what is called blended mode, driving in different modes depending on the maximum energy efficiency that can be achieved on a long trip. As of now it is unclear what the all electric range will be for new PHEVs, but it will be easy to tell: It is likely that PHEVs will come in denominations such as a “PHEV-50” indicating a 50 mile all-electric range.

In parts of Europe recharging spots in parking areas are being installed. These are pay-per use outlets for use by people who drive PHEVs and want to get a full charge for their ride home or to their next destination. In fact, a major car maker has plans to install an electric recahrging spot infastructure in parts of Europe for its fleet of PHEVs. It is possible that as PHEVs get more mainsteam, many hotels and places of business may have recharging stations in their parking lots as well

Despite the fact that carbon emissions are produced when electricity is created, PHEVs are still much less polluting than conventional cars and even regular hybrids. If clean coal, nuclear, or other clean means of producing electricity become more widespead, this difference will be even more pronounced. In addition, PHEVs help create a more efficient and distributed use of electricity production, because they are often recharged during off peak periods (e.g. at night). Finally, a little known but powerful potential use of PHEVs is as a source of emergency power for the home.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are soon to become available in the mass commercial market, and could be a significant means for the reduction of our dependence of fossil fuel, our contribution to global warming, and the financial stress on people who have to fill their tanks with gas. For these reasons we can all hope that PHEVs develop into a preferred and widespread means of transportation.

Installation of Car Security

The security and safety of your car is not something to be taken lightly. Having a reliable security system is something that most people feel is a necessary part of car ownership. Choosing the right kind of car security is your first step. However, after you have selected the right type of security for you, installation will be next. Many people opt to do this on their own rather than paying big bucks for a professional to install it for you. It is possible to do as long as you are careful and have a reasonable idea of what it is that you are doing.

It can make a huge difference to your wallet to make the decision to install your car security system yourself. It can be an incredibly large job though and it may be beneficial to have a friend assist you to make it go smoother and faster. You will want to read through the instructions first and make sure that you are comfortable doing all that is required. If you have zero knowledge in this area then you may want to seek out help so you don’t overlook anything important.

Keep the instructions for the installation close at hand. The first thing you will have to do is find a good place to mount the brain of the security unit. Make sure that the brain is secure and will not be jostled around when the car is moving. After this you will need to mount the sensors for your system. Many people find that putting these components under the dash is the best place. It is out of the way and out of sight.

If you wish to have a keyless entry system then you will have to tie in the system to your door and lock controls. This will definitely require instructions because not every car is the same. After you hook this up you will need to make sure that everything is working as it should. All it takes is a crossed wire to throw everything off. Test each feature as you go.

The siren for your security system is usually mounted under the hood of your car. When doing this you need to make sure that it is not directly touching anything that will get very hot, like the engine itself. If you are not sure where to mount the siren, call a professional just to ask or consult the instructions.

You need to look over everything and be certain that it will not become too hot or wet in any way. This is very important to the working condition of your security system. It can be tempting to do it your own way and call it a job complete but it does not always work that way. Every feature and component of the security system should be tested. If something does not work correctly, look it over. Call or visit the place of purchase if it still will not work. Installation of a car security system has to be done right or it will not be effective.