by L Baures | Oct 26, 2018 | Trusted Auto Pros
Trunk or Treat Ideas
Trunk or treat events are basically tailgate parties for kids adults or both for fall festivals and Halloween. According to Wikipedia, “Some parents regard trunk-or-treating as a safer alternative to trick-or-treating”. Here are some trunk or treat ideas that might help get those creative juices flowing. I did notice on my hunt for cool inspirational photos, there was a lack of decorated pickup trucks.
If you have or are planning to decorate your pickup truck, send us your pics! Locations of some events around Wyoming are listed below.
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by L Baures | Oct 25, 2018 | Trusted Auto Pros
What is the Cargo Camera?
I remember a few years ago getting in a RAM 2500, driving it back from Douglas, WY seeing an option on the screen for Cargo Cam. Even though the name is pretty self-explanatory, like a child I had to play and see it for myself. So I selected the option on the touch screen and boom… a perfectly clear image of inside the truck bed appeared on the screen. Thinking to myself, wow, how cool is that and why has it taken so long for manufacturers to do this. It just seems such an obvious tool to have. The official name from RAM Trucks, is a ‘Center High-Mount Stop Lamp W/Cargo View Camera’.
Where is the camera mounted?
The cargo camera is mounted on the back of the cab, where the 3rd brake light (Center High-Mount Stop Lamp) would normally be. The whole unit is replaced with one which has the camera, brake lights and some extra white lights that point down into the bed. Adding this along with the LED bed rail lights means you can also see your cargo at night time. This camera is available on the RAM heavy duty trucks with the 8.4″ UConnect touchscreen.
Top 5 reasons you might want a cargo camera
1. Hooking up a trailer to your truck.
I’ve been told that if you have been backing up 5th wheels or gooseneck trailers for years, you don’t need a camera to know where the hitch is. It sure is handy though. It does make the process faster and easier for someone who is not used to hooking up trailers on a regular basis. Sometimes, we don’t always have an extra person nearby to help guide us either. On newer RAM trucks, both the backup camera and cargo camera images appear on the large 8.4″ touch screen so you can toggle between the two, making it even easier.
https://youtu.be/6RZ8F-ZK9lM?t=85
2. Check for loose cargo.
You have a truck, you do truck things with it. How often have you packed stuff in the bed and are constantly checking the mirrors to see if a bag is about to launch like a rocket from the bed to the road or even vehicle behind? You are able to turn on the camera whilst driving to able to see what is going on in the bed. No need to ask passengers to look behind or even try it yourself whilst driving.
RAM Cargo CAM
3. Watching the dog(s).
Everybody wants to know mans best friend is safe and happy in the back. Hopefully not trying to take a giant leap for dogkind out the box.
4. It looks better than the stock brake light.
With 6 red LED lights on the top (for the brake light) and 4 white LEDs on either side of the camera, it looks better than the stock brake light and also lights up more. Cargo could potentially block the bed rail lighting, so by having both of these lighting options available on your RAM will help in several different scenarios.
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RAM Trucks 3rd stop lamp without the Cargo Camera
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RAM Trucks Center High- Mount Stop Lamp with Cargo Camera
5. Car wash.
Yesterday, I pulled up to the car wash and almost drove in before forgetting to check the bed. Ok, so it might be complete laziness but, if I had a cargo camera, I could have checked real quick. Instead, I had to embarrassingly pull over at the car wash, get out and check if there anything in there. There was. With no room left in the cab to move all my junk in there. So… on my merry way with a dirty truck, I went. If I did make it into the car wash, I could have watched the swirly brushes and jet sprays clean the bed of the truck, on my screen using the rear cargo camera.
How much is the cargo camera on a RAM Truck?
Center High-Mount Stop Lamp W/Cargo View Camera is what Ram officially call it as mentioned before. It’s a $345 add-on from the factory. When you consider a littering fine in WY can be up to $750, this seems cheap. Much more likely to be just plain right useful for that amount though.
What do you think? Would a Cargo Camera be useful for you? Do you already have one, do you use it, like it, hate it, love it? Let us know, comment below.
Check out the all-new 2019 Heavy Duty RAM Trucks.
by L Baures | Oct 23, 2018 | Trusted Auto Pros
Photo by Ozark Drones
Pros and Cons of Changing to Winter Wheels
If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow, you may consider running winter tires.
There are some pros and cons associated with getting winter wheels though. Here they are;
Pros
More grip in the cold, ice and snow
Winter tires really do offer extra grip and safety during the winter.
The compound winter tires are made of, performs better in cooler temperatures vs a regular tire that may become less flexible.
Whilst there are a lot of new vehicles out there that come with ‘All-Season’ tires, these are limited to what they can do in the winter.
In a perfect world, they would be amazing in all temperatures and road conditions, however, the idea of an ‘All-Season’ is that they are ok in most conditions as there has to be a compromise.
A tire that’s good in summer doesn’t have the attributes that a tire needs to be great with, in the winter.
This ultimately comes down to safety, being more in control of your vehicle. Do you have precious cargo?
Damage
Changing to winter wheels such as steel rims with higher profile tires means you may cry a little less if they get scuffed.
The chances of the rims getting damaged in winter is much higher than in the summer.
You know, like that pothole or curb that playing hide and seek under the snow.
Forgiveness from a higher sidewall
Going a rim size smaller will mean a higher sidewall (to keep rolling radius the same) on the tire which means it can be a little more forgiving, having some extra flex.
Click to learn more about tires sizes.
Treadwear
Having a dedicated summer and a dedicated winter set of tires will spread out the wear on the tires.
Winter tires will wear out extremely quickly in hotter temperatures.
Photo by Pigoff PhotographY
Cons
The cost
Whether you decide to keep the wheels and just change the tires or get a whole new set of wheels and tires, there’s a cost.
Depending on the vehicle and size of the wheels, this can quickly become expensive on bigger wheels.
The type of vehicle you have will also determine the cost. If your vehicle is AWD or 4WD you will need to replace all four tires.
Even if your vehicle is FWD or RWD it also recommended to replace all four due to the change in grip levels and handling characteristics.
Changing tires each season
Winter tire can be purchased in the same size as your original tire. Changing tires isn’t really an easy DIY job at home.
Tire machines are needed to take the tire off the rim, then there’s re-mounting and balancing.
This means a trip to your local tire shop and time out of the day to do so. Whilst mounting new tires on your original rims, there is also the chance that the rims could get damaged.
Changing to winter wheels and tires each season
It may seem easier to just get a winter wheel and tire package, so you can replace the wheels yourself.
The idea would be, go a rim size smaller, get cheap steel wheels. The smaller the rim the cheaper the tires right?
Depending on the size this may be cheaper than buying a set of winter tires for your original wheel size. However, this isn’t as easy as it used to be years ago. Thanks to the invention of TPMS. This the tire pressure monitoring system.
Some TPMS systems are mounted in the wheel itself and so this means potentially purchasing a whole new set of sensors, which could be around $150 per wheel (depending on the manufacturer).
This will also need to calibrated which means extra labor. Be sure to research wheel sizes before making a purchase as it’s not quite as easy as replacing 17″ for 17″ wheels.
The bolt pattern, size and offset also have to be taken into consideration. If the offset is incorrect it may not fit over the brake caliper or rotors. The rolling radius should stay the same so the speedometer reading is accurate.
Photo by Holly Mandarich
Calculating the sizes
Changing wheel or tire sizes can be complex. Here is a tire size comparison calculator. Another option is to contact your local parts dept, or Jeff Bugher, Parts Manager at Fremont VW in Casper, who can assist you.
by L Baures | Oct 14, 2018 | Trusted Auto Pros
Restoring headlights with toothpaste
Huh? Toothpaste as a headlight cleaner? Yip, you were thinking along the same lines I was. Headlights don’t have a plaque? I was curious to see if this really worked so I thought I’d give it a try.
Headlights that are foggy, smokey, faded or cloudy
Most headlights are now made of plastic and not glass. Which is good and bad. My first car was a Rover Mini which came equipped with single unit glass headlamps. This meant that when the bulb went out, the whole unit needed replacing and was expensive. The bonus with most (not all) plastic headlamps is that you can pull them out and there’s a hole in the back to change a bulb. The downside of plastic headlight units is that over time, they will become cloudy looking and eventually yellow. Most of the time this can be fixed. There are headlight restoring kits available or you can have a specialist do it. IF the clouding or yellowness is on the inside, in which case you may need to remove the headlamps and possible have a recon/detailer fix them. They may just be cloudy on the outside.
To check: run your hand over the headlight. If it does not feel smooth, the cloudiness may just be on the outside. In which case, this trick may work.
Here’s how;
- Start with a clean and dry headlight, ie. free from bugs and dirt
- Mask around the area to avoid getting the toothpaste on the paintwork
- Add baking soda or make a paste with the toothpaste and baking soda if the toothpaste isn’t very gritty
- Apply the paste to the plastic and rub in with a brush (seem appropriate to use a toothbrush!).
- Wipe clean (again be careful to avoid rubbing the abrasive paste on to paint- it may scratch it)
- Rinse with water
- Dry off and Ta-Da
- Applying a wax or clear coat will help keep them clear a little longer.
Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk!
Tips for Safer Driving in the Snow
For Mustang Bullitt Review
by L Baures | Oct 12, 2018 | Trusted Auto Pros
Sales Tax
When purchasing a new or used car/truck, sales tax has to be paid. The process for this varies by state, but here in Wyoming, the sales tax rate is 5%. When trading a vehicle in, you only the pay the sales tax for the difference between the trade in value and the price of the new vehicle. For example, if you were to trade in your vehicle and get offered $10,000 offered for it and the new vehicle is $30,000, you pay sales tax on $20,000. In this case, the sales tax would be 5% of $20,000 which is $1000. In Wyoming, you would also need to calculate plates and registration fees.
What if you purchase a car out of state? Do you pay the sales tax for the state you purchase the car from?
No.
Sales tax is paid according to the state in which the vehicle will be registered in- not the state is it purchased from.
Purchasing a vehicle out of state may seem like a good option at the time. However, consider factors such as the extra travel, risks involved with used vehicles as laws vary by state. Other factors that may hinder the option are the hassles and the extra paperwork such as VIN inspections. Some states may also require smog or emissions testing. Wyoming does not require smog or emissions testing.
For example, if you purchased a vehicle from Montana (which has no sales tax), but you live in Natrona County, Wyoming. You pay Natrona County, Wyoming sales tax at 5%. Purchase a used truck in Wyoming, you will still pay Wyoming sales tax.
With regards to financing a vehicle, depending on the state in which you purchase the vehicle, sales tax can be added in. This will, of course, depend on individual purchasing circumstances.
Contact your local county clerks office vehicle department, or nearest dealership to clarify in your area. Buying a vehicle locally helps support your local economy.
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