Commercial Auto Dealers

You’ve probably heard dozens of ways to save gas lately. Some of them are practical and some of them are not so practical. But did you know that some of them might not even save you any gas at all? In this two part series, I’ll explore six methods that you can forget about when it comes to saving gas.

1. Fuel Additives
Many products on the market claim that they will give you more bang for your fuel dollar. But these additives simply don’t increase your gas mileage. Companies already mix some additives in the gasoline at the pumps to make it more durable for consumers, but the single bottles of additive are basically a sham.

2. Tire Inflation
Everybody knows that if your tires are too low, it causes the engine to work harder and decreases your mileage. But some people are advising people to over-inflate their tires to get more miles to the gallon. This isn’t only untrue, but it’s also dangerous. Over-inflated tires are more likely to cause a blowout at high speeds. Just make sure your tires are inflated according to the manufacturer’s suggested PSI and you’ll be fine.

3. Air Conditioning
The debate about using your car’s air conditioner or rolling down the windows to increase gas mileage will probably rage on long after I’m dead. But with today’s new technologies in air conditioners, many experts agree that using it on hot days will only affect your gas mileage about one mile per gallon. Is it worth it? I suppose that’s a personal preference. But I know I’m willing to lose a mile per gallon to be nice and comfy in the California heat.

Now that you know half of the truth (the other half is coming tomorrow), you can drive away from your local GMC truck dealer with a new truck and know that these gas-saving tips don’t actually save you any money.

It’s amazing what auto engineers are coming up with nowadays to add to vehicles. I was checking out the trucks at the GMC truck dealer down the road from me and I was amazed! Here are some of the available features that I found on the genius GMC Arcadia truck for today’s driver.

• The audio controls in the cargo area. I can’t count how many times I’ve been just hanging out with my friends by the lake or something and had to get in the driver’s seat just to turn up the radio. With this available feature, you can control everything while sitting on the tailgate without ever leaving the fun!

• The touch-screen navigation system was great! How much easier does it get than simply touching the options to get what you’re looking for?

• How many times have I backed into something and dented my car? Too many to count. But with the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist System, that’ll never happen again. It alerts you when something is behind you so you can stop backing up before bumping into it.

• The one year subscription to OnStar is perfect for me. I would get the service anyways, but I’ll take it for free for the first year if they’re offering it up.

• How genius is it to have heated windshield washing fluid? Being from Michigan, I can certainly appreciate this feature. On some of those frigid winter mornings, it’s simply too cold to stand outside and scrape the windshield. This feature should solve my problem.

Halloween Horror Nights is an annual event at Universal Orlando. In recent years, it has also been presented at Universal Hollywood. The event has revolutionized the Halloween season, drawing guests from around the world in an annual pilgrimage. Started in 1991 as “Fright Nights,” the event continues to grow in scope each year. Last year, Halloween Horror Nights featured eight haunted houses, four shows and several street scare zones and performers.

Although the event changes completely in theme and design each year, a few icons remain the same. One example is the Bill and Ted Excellent Halloween Adventure. Hosted by Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted “Theodore” Logan of the Bill and Ted films, this high energy show pokes fun at the previous year’s pop culture, movies and music.

However, there is one icon that stands perhaps above all others. She is known simply as the “Rat Lady.” The Rat Lady began as a scare inside the Dungeon of Terror house in 1991. She was a scare actor located in a plexiglass coffin below the floor accompanied by dozens of live rats. Guests entered the room in total darkness. Once they were inside, the Rat Lady illuminated the coffin and began screaming.

She proved so effective that by 1992 she was already a legend. Soon the Rat Lady was removed from the haunted house and placed into a fully enclosed plexiglass coffin. The coffin is now attached to an old-fashioned hand-drawn hearse, which is pulled by scare actors dressed as pall bearers.

The Rat Lady effect is real. A live girl lies in the coffin while numerous rats crawl on and around her. In fact, the girls who trade off the role are the only scare actors who are required to receive tetanus shots.

If you are a fan of horror, Halloween Horror Nights is truly not to be missed. Fans of antique hearses should be sure to catch the Rat Lady as she makes her way around the park. Although the hearse is a replica, the detail is truly stunning.

If you’re unfamiliar with the OnStar service, you might only think they help out in the event of an accident like those commercials portray.

But OnStar, available as a standard feature in many of today’s GMC models, is more than just that. The newest feature that this system offers is called Stolen Vehicle Slowdown (SVS). Here’s how it works.

Imagine getting your car stolen. It’s not a pretty situation, but it does happen. OnStar won’t simply send a signal to the vehicle to slow it down. In fact, the vehicle must meet three conditions before the navigation system will do anything about it. It must:

1. Be on file as a stolen vehicle,
2. Be pursued by the police at the time, and
3. Be in a situation in which it’s safe to slow it down remotely.

For instance, OnStar won’t slow the vehicle down if the police aren’t pursuing it at the time. What good would that do? It must also be in a place where it’s safe to slow it down. If it’s in the middle of the highway with other high-speed traffic, slowing it down could just be dangerous.

This new service sounds good to me. I’m not a big fan of the fact that they can track you and pinpoint your location at any time they want. But I suppose in instances such as this, it can be a valuable service.

Don’t let the thieves get away with your truck. Visit your local GMC truck dealer and ask about OnStar. The peace of mind is priceless.

One of the best ways to move is to find a friend with a big truck. For a few beers and some slices of pizza, you can gather a few close friends to help you out with this favor. But organization is the key to a successful and hassle-free move. Here are some ways to organize your move so you don’t get overwhelmed during the process.

1. Set aside at least two days for a local move. Many people try to move everything in one day, but that’s just too exhausting. By the end of the day, you might be too tired to care about doing a good job and, as a result, end up leaving stuff behind or breaking it when you move it. Try to schedule these days during one weekend so your friends won’t be working and they can help.

2. Give your friends plenty of notice. Don’t ask them the week before. Instead, let them know at least 3-4 weeks ahead of time so they can plan. It also helps to have a backup date in case it rains on the actual planned date.

3. Start packing as soon as possible. Pack the things you don’t need on a daily basis and leave the rest out for packing on the last day.

4. Find the quickest route from your current location to the place where you’re moving. This ensures that everybody is on the right track and it saves you time, too.

5. Keep your helpers fed and happy. Don’t get an attitude during the move and offer to buy drinks and lunch. When the day is over, order some pizzas and sodas and let everybody relax in the new place.

If you don’t have any friends with a truck, then this is the perfect time to visit your local GMC truck dealer and get one yourself. You’ll see how a big truck just makes life so much easier.

Prom night is just around the corner. Heavily hyped as the best night of a teenager’s young life, prom should be a night to remember. Nonetheless, the pull of alcohol, drugs and unsafe practices can turn prom night into a tragedy. Many parents are reluctant to let kids go to the expense and extravagance of renting a limo, but in fact, the right chauffeur can be a powerful ally in helping teens make the right choices on prom night. Here are a few tips for parents whose kids will rent a limo for the prom.

Screen the Limo Rental Company
Most limo services do an admirable job of screening their drivers, but some companies are less scrupulous than others. Ask questions about licensing, screening procedures and insurance. You can also search the online database of the National Limousine Association to find reputable companies in your area.

Ask for a Prom Night Promise Agreement
Many limo companies offer these written contracts between parent and child. The document can be a conversation starter for your discussion on appropriate behavior. The written and signed agreement can also help teens make the right choices on prom night.

Set Ground Rules
Go over your expectations with the chauffeur in advance, and enlist him or her as an ally. Make sure that the driver knows the teens’ curfew and the stops that can be made. Ask the driver to keep the privacy screen down and to bring the kids home if any rules are broken.

Prom night is a truly magical night for most teenagers. With a bit of advance planning, it can also be a night for parents to relax, secure in the knowledge that their kids are being safely transported in a limo with a responsible chauffeur.

Have you seen that show on MTV called Pimp My Ride? Well, in true country fashion, CMT now has a show called Trick My Truck. Instead of making cars into something much more lavish than how they began, the popular CMT show customizes semi-trucks. It’s very interesting, too! It just seems like truck owners absolutely love their trucks, whether it’s a semi or a full-size pickup truck. If you just bought a vehicle from a GMC truck dealer, here are four tips for helping you “trick it out.”

Have a Picture or Your Truck Ready
If you’re getting help from a customization shop, it’s always better to bring a picture of your truck or the truck itself. This way, they can get a better idea about the colors and actual accessories that will look good on your truck.

Search Online
Nobody knows your truck better than you. And nobody knows how you want your truck to look better than you. As such, you can search for your own customized parts and accessories online.

Have Your VIN Ready
Some accessories are specifically made for certain brands and models. The easiest way to get custom parts is use your VIN when searching online or at local customization facilities. Of course, you can always get universal parts and accessories, but they aren’t always as special as the others.

Let Someone Else Do It
One of the best parts about those customization TV shows is the look on the person’s face when they see the modifications for the first time. If you have the money and you feel like taking a risk, hire a professional to customize your truck instead of doing it yourself. When you allow their imagination to run wild, you’ll be surprised what they come up with.

On Monday, we talked about the famous hearse that resides outside the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland. The attraction did not open for over six years after the show building was built, which led to some pretty interesting urban legends flying around. When the ride finally opened in 1969, the rumors hit a fever pitch. One of these rumors, which is still passed around today, is that the hearse outside was used to transport Brigham Young to his funeral. Mormon researchers claim that the rumor is false, yet it persists. However, the hearse at Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion has its own, legitimate, claim to fame.

Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion opened with the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. It was developed alongside the Disneyland version, and consequently is extremely similar. The only major changes, other than theming the building to match the colonial architecture of Liberty Square, were made due to the fact that at Walt Disney World, the entire attraction is housed within the berm, unlike Disneyland’s version.

The berm is a manmade structure that encloses the park. At Disneyland, the actual ride building for the Haunted Mansion was too big to fit inside the berm, so it was built outside. The stretching room is an elevator that takes guests down to a walkway below the berm. At Walt Disney World, there is no need for an elevator, so the stretching room’s ceiling rises.

The queues for the two versions are extremely similar, right down to the horse-drawn hearses. However, Disneyland’s hearse is white and apparently not famous, while Walt Disney World’s is black and famous in its own right. The Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion hearse was featured in the 1965 John Wayne film “The Sons of Katie Elder.”

So the next time you are at Walt Disney World, be sure to check out this famous prop piece. In the meantime, if you are in the market for a more modern hearse, why not stop by our friendly dealership?

One of the main topics being tossed around in the lingering presidential debates is the idea of a gas tax holiday. If you’re like me, you’ve never even heard of this phrase before this election year. Of course, there are probably some informed people that know exactly what it is. But for those who are just learning about it (like me), here are some facts to help you understand what they’re talking about.

• Currently, you’re paying between 18 and 19 extra cents per gallon (24 to 25 cents for diesel) at the pump than what the fuel actually costs. This extra cost is the gas tax. It doesn’t seem like much, but that’s about four dollars at each fill-up if you have a 20-gallon tank.
• The gas tax holiday refers to the idea of putting a moratorium on this tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The idea is that this will be a great thing for the American economy because it will encourage families to take their normal vacations during this time.
• During this time period, analysts think the federal government could lose about $10 billion in revenue.

This is a tricky issue and there are people arguing both sides. For instance, it this would only save drivers a few dollars with each fill-up. Is that really enough to make people change their plans for the summer? Besides, won’t the oil companies just raise the prices to make up for that 20 cents they’re losing on each gallon? And then do you think they’re going to drop the prices once the gas tax holiday is over?

If the gas tax moratorium does occur, you can expect more people getting a great deal on a truck or SUV at your local GMC truck dealer. With the strides the automaker has made in fuel efficiency and hybrid SUV models, gas prices aren’t as big of a problem as they used to be.

The folks at Cars.com are putting hybrids to the test. Earlier this month, they started a Hybrid Mileage Challenge in which they take some of the more popular hybrid models on the road and see if they live up to the claims that the automakers make.

One of those vehicles was a GMC model – the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid – which is available at your local GMC truck dealer.

The testers took the vehicles on a long drive through the roads of Chicago and surrounding areas. Despite the bad roads and plethora of potholes, the drivers spent a total of nine hours behind the wheel to make sure they got an accurate idea of the gas mileage. But it wasn’t all driving, either. A Chicago Cubs game created a traffic situation in which the drivers couldn’t go very fast. In addition, the weather wasn’t the best. When all was said and done, the average speed they went was about 20 mph.

Here are some of the guidelines the testers followed to ensure accurate results:
• Proper tire inflation
• Keep the windows rolled up
• Drive like normal
• Avoid cruise control
• No air conditioning

They found out that the hybrid model of the Tahoe did exactly what the GMC claims. It averaged about 20 miles to the gallon and even more during some legs of the trip. For stop-and-go driving, those are impressive numbers especially for an SUV! As a result, you can feel confident that you’re getting the most from your fuel dollars without giving up your large SUV.