What do you think of when you hear the word "RV?" If you can remember 30 or 40 years ago, you might be thinking of a smallish, cramped tin can on wheels. Those were the days - the bad days! But of course, today's RV's are nothing like that. They are sleek, stylish, roomy, and you can get them equipped with just about every creature-comfort possible. And what we want to do in this brief article is briefly mention some of the ways that you can outfit your RV.
The first thing you should make sure that you have installed in your RV is a good-quality RV air conditioner. If you are traveling during the summertime, or to any of the southern states in the U.S., then an RV air conditioner is essential -- it is NOT a luxury item. Heat exhaustion is a killer of many people each summer - don't you be one of them. Of course, no air conditioner is cheap, but I GUARANTEE that you will never regret buying one for your RV. Make that the number one purchase on your list.
Next should be an RV backup camera. Why do you need this? Do you really need to ask? Haven't you had enough frustration trying to park your rig, not being able to see what you are doing? With an RV backup camera, you will be able to see exactly what is in back of you, and you will be able to navigate blind spots and tight corners with ease. If you have damaged your rig while backing up, you know that the repairs can be costly - save yourself that expense, as well as all of the frustration; get an RV backup camera.
Here's a more mundane recommendation: Make sure that your rig is outfitted with the proper size and type of RV holding tanks. These tanks hold all the nasty 'waste' from the you-know-where (ugh!), until you get a chance to empty it at your favorite campsite. You had better inspect yours -- have you ever been in an RV with a leaking holding tank? Pee-yuu!
While we're at it, you might as well inspect and install the latest water tanks (for holding fresh water while you are on the road), as well as a good-quality RV water pump. With these 2 items, you will be assured of having no problems with your fresh water supply when you are on vacation.
Here's some further recommendations: Bring along a good quality TV set. Why bother, you ask? Aren't we supposed to be on vacation? Well, what if you want to see the big game? What if it's raining outside and the kids have nothing to do? You know you need it, so bring it along.
And to go with your TV? Well, a RV satellite antenna. Without that, you might as well just leave your TV at home, because you won't be able to pull in any broadcast signals. If you don't want to stare at a black TV screen, you are going to need an RV satellite TV antenna.
So, there you are -- some GREAT accessories for your RV, accessories for modern families, that is. So, get down to your local RV dealership and get some of this stuff. We'll see you on the road this summer!
2008年2月29日星期五
2008年2月28日星期四
The most and least fuel efficient cars
It goes without saying that the more expensive the car, the worse the gas mileage. Although these results display overall value, they do not compare apples to apples. Especially when you consider that most of the cars that get the worst mpg on the road are a very small percent of the vehicle population and are probably not seeing daily use. Not to mention the fact that they possess some big engines. Take a look at what the U.S. Department of Energy display as getting the best and worst gas mileage.
Lately this category has been dominated by our Japanese friends at Toyota. The Prius tops almost every list we've researched with regards to fuel efficiency, and in fact the Prius seems to top lots of 'best of' lists. Pioneers in hybrid technology, Toyota continues to set the pace for manufacturers worldwide.
The Mazda MX-5 gets the best gas mileage in the two seater category, which makes sense when you consider their miniscule size. A two seater in every sense of the word, the MX-5 manual transmission gets just a tad better mileage in the city than its automatic sibling. They both however, get 30 mpg on the highway which makes them an ideal candidate for that guilt-free drive up the coast.
On the flip side the two seater with the worst gas mileage is the Lamborghini L-147/148 Murcielago. A car which very few of us have even seen in person, much less been concerned with its gas mileage.
No 'best of' list is complete without a nod to the Mini Cooper, who proves over and over that it is a fantastic investment. Boosting a highway mpg of 40 and city mpg of 32, for the manual transmission the Mini is one of the most stylish non-hybrid options on the most fuel efficient list.
Conversely the worst in the minicompact category is the beautifully stylish Aston Martin DB9 Coupe and Volante, probably because of that gas-chomping 5.9L engine they sport. Chances are, those that will purchase a vehicle like this will not be using it as a daily commuter anyway.
In this category Toyota does it again with their subcompact Yaris. Odd name aside, the Yaris gets good gas mileage without the hybrid hassle and price tag. This makes it a valuable choice in the fuel efficient market today.
On the other hand is the worst in our subcompact category which is the Bentley Azure, again in such a high end, specialized category most of us regular Joe's will not even see one in our life time, much less be researching their pros and cons for purchase.
The most efficient compact cars is a close tie with the Honda Civic Hybrid giving the Toyota Corolla a run for its money. The Civic Hybrid eeks out close to 20 mpg better gas mileage in the city than the Corolla, and gets about 10 mpg better on the freeway. Although in terms of best value, this is a hybrid who is competing with a regular gas burning engine. The ever popular Corolla is a very economical choice indeed.
Again the Bentley rules the worst in class for gas mileage, this time with their Continental GT. If it can really be called a compact, this Bentley oozes sex appeal, anyone buying this car is far more concerned with image than they are the ozone layer.
This is the Prius's category, so its 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway speak for themselves. Another brand in this category is the Nissan Versa, also a good buy for being a gas engine vehicle, it gets over 30 mpg both in the city and on the highway without the higher price tag of the hybrid models.
The reigning offender in the worst gas mileage category for midsized vehicles is none other than the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, but you knew that. Another automobile superbly designed for performance and the open road. Anyone lucky enough to drive one will let any concern about miles per gallon eat their dust.
Hyundai won this category with its Sonata, a 2.4L 4 cylinder engine powers this large car, managing to pump out about 162 horsepower which makes it well liked by reviewers. Not to mention a quick option that offers good gas mileage and more space.
Again Bentley takes the award for worst gas milage, and in the large car category it is the Arnage that gets the worst gas mileage, at 10 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway. An attractive if posh looking car, it is one that evokes images of chauffeurs and white gloves.
Most Efficient Overall
Lately this category has been dominated by our Japanese friends at Toyota. The Prius tops almost every list we've researched with regards to fuel efficiency, and in fact the Prius seems to top lots of 'best of' lists. Pioneers in hybrid technology, Toyota continues to set the pace for manufacturers worldwide.
Two seaters
The Mazda MX-5 gets the best gas mileage in the two seater category, which makes sense when you consider their miniscule size. A two seater in every sense of the word, the MX-5 manual transmission gets just a tad better mileage in the city than its automatic sibling. They both however, get 30 mpg on the highway which makes them an ideal candidate for that guilt-free drive up the coast.
On the flip side the two seater with the worst gas mileage is the Lamborghini L-147/148 Murcielago. A car which very few of us have even seen in person, much less been concerned with its gas mileage.
Minicompant results
No 'best of' list is complete without a nod to the Mini Cooper, who proves over and over that it is a fantastic investment. Boosting a highway mpg of 40 and city mpg of 32, for the manual transmission the Mini is one of the most stylish non-hybrid options on the most fuel efficient list.
Conversely the worst in the minicompact category is the beautifully stylish Aston Martin DB9 Coupe and Volante, probably because of that gas-chomping 5.9L engine they sport. Chances are, those that will purchase a vehicle like this will not be using it as a daily commuter anyway.
Subcompacts
In this category Toyota does it again with their subcompact Yaris. Odd name aside, the Yaris gets good gas mileage without the hybrid hassle and price tag. This makes it a valuable choice in the fuel efficient market today.
On the other hand is the worst in our subcompact category which is the Bentley Azure, again in such a high end, specialized category most of us regular Joe's will not even see one in our life time, much less be researching their pros and cons for purchase.
Compact car class
The most efficient compact cars is a close tie with the Honda Civic Hybrid giving the Toyota Corolla a run for its money. The Civic Hybrid eeks out close to 20 mpg better gas mileage in the city than the Corolla, and gets about 10 mpg better on the freeway. Although in terms of best value, this is a hybrid who is competing with a regular gas burning engine. The ever popular Corolla is a very economical choice indeed.
Again the Bentley rules the worst in class for gas mileage, this time with their Continental GT. If it can really be called a compact, this Bentley oozes sex appeal, anyone buying this car is far more concerned with image than they are the ozone layer.
Midsized models
This is the Prius's category, so its 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway speak for themselves. Another brand in this category is the Nissan Versa, also a good buy for being a gas engine vehicle, it gets over 30 mpg both in the city and on the highway without the higher price tag of the hybrid models.
The reigning offender in the worst gas mileage category for midsized vehicles is none other than the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, but you knew that. Another automobile superbly designed for performance and the open road. Anyone lucky enough to drive one will let any concern about miles per gallon eat their dust.
Large cars
Hyundai won this category with its Sonata, a 2.4L 4 cylinder engine powers this large car, managing to pump out about 162 horsepower which makes it well liked by reviewers. Not to mention a quick option that offers good gas mileage and more space.
Again Bentley takes the award for worst gas milage, and in the large car category it is the Arnage that gets the worst gas mileage, at 10 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway. An attractive if posh looking car, it is one that evokes images of chauffeurs and white gloves.
2008年2月26日星期二
Kids Learn Balloon Twisting
Kids learn balloon twisting from balloon artists who use balloon twisting to entertain, they twist and tie inflated tubular balloons into cartoon like sculptures. The balloons that are used for balloon twisting are made of extra-stretchy rubber so that they can be twisted, tied and stressed without bursting. A pump is usually used to inflate these balloons as they are chosen by the balloon artist because they are stronger than normal balloons.
For instance, decorators of functions such as weddings and parties may use hundreds of helium balloons to create balloon sculptures to add interest to the event. Usually the round shape of the balloon restricts these to simple arches or walls, but on occasion more ambitious "themed sculptures" are attempted. It is not uncommon to use balloons as table decorations and gifts for celebratory events. Table decorations normally appear with 3 or 5 balloons on each bouquet. Ribbon is curled and added with an anchor weight to keep the balloons from floating away.
Kids learn balloon twisting with balloon modeling
This is the shaping of special modeling balloons into almost any given shape, often a balloon animal or stick figure. People who create balloon animals and other twisted balloon sculptures are known as Twisters. Twisters commonly work as buskers, restaurant entertainers or clowns.
Usually there are two primary design styles, single balloon modeling, which restricts itself to the use of one balloon per model, and multiple balloon modeling, which uses more than one balloon. Each style has its own set of challenges and skills, but few twisters who have reached an intermediate or advanced skill level limit themselves to one style or another. Depending on the needs of the moment, they might easily move between the one-balloon or multiple approaches, or they might even incorporate additional techniques such as "weaving" and "stuffing".
Modeling techniques have evolved to include a range of very complex moves, and a highly specialized vocabulary has emerged to describe the techniques involved and their resulting creations.
Some twisters inflate their balloons with their own lungs, and for many years this was a standard and necessary part of the act. But many now use a pump of some sort, whether it is a hand pump, an electric pump plugged in or run by a battery pack, or a compressed gas tank containing air or nitrogen. Twisters do not generally fill their creations with helium, as these designs will not usually float anyway. The balloons for twisting are too porous for helium and the designs are generally too heavy for helium to lift.
For instance, decorators of functions such as weddings and parties may use hundreds of helium balloons to create balloon sculptures to add interest to the event. Usually the round shape of the balloon restricts these to simple arches or walls, but on occasion more ambitious "themed sculptures" are attempted. It is not uncommon to use balloons as table decorations and gifts for celebratory events. Table decorations normally appear with 3 or 5 balloons on each bouquet. Ribbon is curled and added with an anchor weight to keep the balloons from floating away.
Kids learn balloon twisting with balloon modeling
This is the shaping of special modeling balloons into almost any given shape, often a balloon animal or stick figure. People who create balloon animals and other twisted balloon sculptures are known as Twisters. Twisters commonly work as buskers, restaurant entertainers or clowns.
Usually there are two primary design styles, single balloon modeling, which restricts itself to the use of one balloon per model, and multiple balloon modeling, which uses more than one balloon. Each style has its own set of challenges and skills, but few twisters who have reached an intermediate or advanced skill level limit themselves to one style or another. Depending on the needs of the moment, they might easily move between the one-balloon or multiple approaches, or they might even incorporate additional techniques such as "weaving" and "stuffing".
Modeling techniques have evolved to include a range of very complex moves, and a highly specialized vocabulary has emerged to describe the techniques involved and their resulting creations.
Some twisters inflate their balloons with their own lungs, and for many years this was a standard and necessary part of the act. But many now use a pump of some sort, whether it is a hand pump, an electric pump plugged in or run by a battery pack, or a compressed gas tank containing air or nitrogen. Twisters do not generally fill their creations with helium, as these designs will not usually float anyway. The balloons for twisting are too porous for helium and the designs are generally too heavy for helium to lift.
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