Car Jargon Everyone Should Know

ABS

An Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a safety feature that helps you to avoid skidding when braking suddenly. An ABS prevents your wheels from locking, allowing you to maintain control of the car.

Alloy Wheels

A generic term used to describe any non-steel road wheel. The most common alloy wheels are cast aluminum. Technically, an alloy is a mixture of two or more metals. These wheels are known for their light weight and strength.

Chassis

The chassis is the metal frame that holds all the main parts of car together.

Differential

The gear assembly connected to the drive shaft that permits the wheels to turn at different speeds when going around a corner, while transmitting power from the drive shaft to the wheel axles.

Four-Wheel Drive

A four-wheel drive system allows the engine to power all four wheels simultaneously, instead of the standard two wheels.

Hybrid engine

A hybrid engine is typically a combination of a traditional gasoline engine and a zero-emission electric engine. They can be configured to obtain different objectives, such as improved fuel economy, increased power, or additional auxiliary power for electronic devices and power tools.

RPM

RPM stands for Revolutions Per Minute, and is an indicator how hard your engine is working. If your RPM is high, you know your engine is working hard.

Spoiler

An aerodynamic device, normally on the rear of the vehicle, that changes the direction of airflow. A spoiler either reduces drag or creates a downward force on the car. It is called a spoiler because it "spoils" the normal air flow over the car.

Suspension

A car’s suspension is a system of springs and other parts that sits between the wheels and the frame, allowing the wheels to move independently and absorb the shock of any bumps or unevenness in the road.

Torque

In technical terms, torque is defined as a force used to turn or rotate things. In a car, it can define the power of the engine. In other words, it’s the stuff that rockets you away from the stoplight and forces you back into your seat.

Transmission

The transmission in a car is the gearbox and other mechanical parts that drive the wheels and allow the engine to accelerate through a wide range of different speeds.

Tread

Tread refers to the patterns cut into the rubber on your vehicle’s tires. Tread helps provide grip on the road, particularly in wet weather

The Best 5 Road Trips in the USA!

We wanted to present to you some ideas for a great road trip!

1. The Pacific Coast Highway:
 

1,700 miles along the Pacific Coast from southern California to Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The scenery is breathtaking with stops that include Hearst Castle, Big Sur, San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Olympic National Park. Open the windows and enjoy the fresh air as you drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and watch giant container ships glide underneath. 

 2. Florida State Highway A1A and the Overseas Highway:

 

This 600-mile trip traces Florida's Atlantic coastline from northeast of Jacksonville to Key West. Interesting stops along the way include St. Augustine, the oldest town in the U.S. (sort of); Daytona Beach, where you can drive on the beach; Canaveral National Seashore; and the John F. Kennedy Space Center. Highway A1A meets U.S. Highway 1 in Miami. Thus begins the scenic 127-mile drive on the Overseas Highway that boasts 42 bridges, including famed Seven Mile Bridge.

3. Newfound Gap Road/Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive:
 

This seamless, leisurely drive through three national parks offers some of the East Coast's most scenic landscapes. Newfound Gap Road (32 miles long) cuts across Great Smoky Mountain National Park and connects with the Blue Ridge Parkway (469 miles), which connects with Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive (105 miles). This wonderful drive is void of billboards, traffic lights, roadside trash, and speeding 18-wheelers.

4. U.S. Highway 2: 

The northernmost U.S. highway zigzags through mountain ranges, traverses the northern Great Plains, and swings around lakes as it connects Everett, Wash., with Houlton, Maine. The entire route, including a 700-mile stretch in Canada, covers 3,300 miles. In the West it crosses the North Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. In the East it meets the Green and White mountain ranges. In between it passes through small towns with local museums and inviting coffee shops. 

5. U.S. Highway 395: 

Connecting southern California with the Canadian border, this 1,300-mile drive traverses high deserts and mountain valleys through a large portion of the scenic West. The highway runs in a north-south direction through some of the most beautiful, but uncrowded sections of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The best portion is arguably California's Owens Valley, which bisects two major mountain ranges.  

Courtesy of USA Today: http://usat.ly/1l5LsuP

Three Romantic Desserts for Valentine's Day!

We thought we would give you a few ideas for a tasty Valentine's Day dessert. Let us know if you enjoyed these ideas and if you have any of your own post them!

1. Chocolate Melting Cakes: Top off these warm, melt-in-your mouth cakes with a swirl of caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream.

2.  Chocolate Pecan Tart: Crunchy toasted pecans sprinkled on top contrast nicely with the smooth, fudge-like filling.

3. Raspberry S'mores: A childhood favorite gets an unexpectedly adult twist with the addition of fresh raspberries.

Courtesy of Realsimple.com

The recipes to these treats and more can be seen by following this link: http://bit.ly/1nunAhg

The Best Things in Life Are Fresh

Mealtime in an RV is healthier, more colorful, more affordable and more fun. From stopping at roadside stands and local markets teeming with regional flavors, tastes, colors and aromas to keeping road-trip snacks within arm’s reach, RVers save their appetites and their wallets. Fewer meals in restaurants means vacation-cost savings.

Be daring and try something new. Be true to yourself and stick to favorite comfort foods. RV travelers bring along everything they need, including the kitchen sink...and stove, and microwave, and refrigerator. And with cabinets aplenty, favorite spices/dry staples can be left packed in the RV between trips, and the family chef’s go-to tools and pans can easily make the trip as well.
Meal prep is somehow more fun on the road, and family members pitch in to help. Check out some of the interesting and easy-to-prepare recipes provided by fellow RVers, and get your family cooking tonight.

Follow the link to see some simple and delicious RV meals, and upload your very own for others to see!

Courtesy of GoRVing.com: http://bit.ly/1g2O0FA