A motorhome holiday

Welcome to OffBeatBuzz.com! I hope you find what you're looking for. If not, and if you browse around, you can still have a good time! And thanks for visiting.

Well, that’s what I started out to blog. But then I just read about this — believe it or not — motorhome race. Yes, it’s actually taking place in Ukiah this weekend in California.. at least that’s what I read in the news. Then again…

Race or no race, motorhomes are just about the best way to go on a holiday — especially if you’re in an adventurous mood to explore. Folks who do that are the flexible-minded types who love the luxury of freedom and space. A slight lack of civilization, such as hot tub or laundry service wouldn’t bother them none, and they’d just go every other way, literally, to get to be ‘out there’.

However, every ride, however large or small, has its own set of risks that comes packaged with it, whether you like it or not. For instance, you could break an an axle miles from any workshop that could actually fix it for you. Or a fire in a motorhome could prove to be extremely damaging. To top it all, even given its size, it could just be stolen, with all your goodies inside.

Now, I’m not trying to spoil your RV holiday, if you’ve planned one. On the other hand, all I’m suggesting is taking some motorhome insurance could weigh down the worry factor and let the pleasure of the motorhome vacation sink in much better.

Strictly for gift-givers – and car lovers

I can almost see Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon. And among many other things, these occasions, also mean gift-giving, as a way of exchanging compliments. However, some think of gift-giving as a mindless exercise and have real, practical difficulty in choosing a gift for their loved ones.

Perhaps. But not one of my co-workers, who says whatever the occasion, whoever the person, you can’t go wrong with car accessories.

Hmmm. How so? Well, being a nation of car and truck lovers, we can always something use something ‘extra’ on our vehicles. For instance, how about changing over to those high-tech xenon headlamps that just light up the road better?

Or one of those fancy, but extremely useful global positioning satellite (GPS) units on your dashboard? Firms such as Garmin and Magellan have come out with systems with thousands of pre-installed maps to help you locate the nearest ATMs, hospitals, motels, etc., using the shortest route possible.

Car accessories technology has advanced to the point where you can even have a GSM-based engine immobilizers. What’s that? Well, these come in real handy in case your is stolen, or otherwise missing. The car immobilizer can send text messages to your cell, telling you about the location of the car, and can receive SMS from you that will actually ‘immobilize’ the engine, preventing it from being driven any further.

And then, for the extreme gizmo-lover, you have the ‘carputer’ that comes with a USB, Bluetooth and Office applications. You also have the ‘intelligent’ audio systems and smart DVD players and burners.

All said and done, just remember that the way to a person’s heart could sometimes be just through his car.

Eight-year-old wins Ford’s Funny Car design

Eight-year-old Liam Flanagan from Williamstown, NJ, has won Ford customer service division’s (FCSD) Funny Car design contest held in support of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Flanagan’s design beat 300 competing designs over six weeks of voting on jdrf.org/ford (from July 1 to August 14).

The winning ‘Take a Walk in Our Shoes’ paint scheme will be featured on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Funny Car during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, from today (September 18) to September 20.

“In history class we’re learning about the Presidents, and that’s why I drew the American Flag on the car,” said Flanagan, explaining what inspired his design.

The Flanagan family, along with NHRA driver Bob Tasca III and representatives from FCSD, unveiled the design yesterday at Tasca’s race shop in Concord, NC.

Today, the family will attend their first NHRA race and watch the JDRF-themed Shelby Mustang qualify for the Second Annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.

“I’ve never been to a race before,” said Liam. “My mom and dad, grandparents, sisters and I are so excited to watch Bob drive the car with my design on it.”

Flanagan raised $5,200 for JDRF with his design, the most of any designer.

“Liam’s design looks fantastic on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang,” said Brett Wheatley, director of marketing, FCSD. “It’s so great to see someone so young help raise awareness for such a special and deserving cause. I’d like to thank all of our generous race fans who donated more than $39,000 towards finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.”

“The Mustang looks awesome,” said Bob Tasca III.

“It’s an honor for me to race in that all-American hot rod, but the true stars of this
weekend are Liam and his family,” he added.

I think the design is cute, but not really ‘funny’. Something leads me to imagine neither did Liam think it was funny – probably it the most business-like stuff the eight-year-old ever did.

Ferrari – is it for you?

The very name ‘Ferrari’ conjures up images of speed, style and … Schumacher, of course. While many of us could do with a little more style and speed, none of is Schumacher, which brings us to the question “Is the Ferrari for me”?

Let’s face it — Ferrari is nothing but automotive art. In other words, the purest form of car lovers could spend days just being near it, without food and water. But if you own one, and even you don’t drive it, it still needs to be pampered. It demands to be pampered like a spoiled brat.

It has to be in top running condition, squeaky clean with all accessories intact and performing. Occasionally, you may have a need to look for some Ferrari parts. It could be anything, from Ferrari floor mats and wiper blades to Ferrari seat covers and brake pads. If you truly love your Ferrari, you want nothing but original parts, and all you need to do is a little search on the Web to reach a genuine Ferrari parts retailer.

HID lighting means style and safety

A very many among the younger crowd feel a ‘compelling’ need for those head-turning Star Trek themed blue headlights. While they seem too flashy, they also provide a high level of safety. Whatever your vehicle’s model or age, if you need to upgrade it to ‘the next generation’, these HID kits are for you.

HID (High Intensity Discharge) kits emit light from a plasma discharge, rather a filament, as in the traditional ‘yellow’ lights. So what does it do, other than jazzing up your car? For one, it can add a certain level of safety to your night driving, since they give out as much as 70 per cent more illumination than the traditional lights, thus putting less strain on the eyes. They cover a larger area and brighten up the reflective road signs and markers, paving the way for easier driving.

Crisis, California and Car Insurance

What do the current economic crisis, California and car insurance have in common? On the surface, not a lot. However, if you look deeper, the current car insurance scenario in California could be a barometer to Americans’ attitude towards finance in general.

For instance, a recent study says that many people (read Californians) might forego car insurance, given the state of economy. This is augmented by the fact that the Venture county Insurance Research Council (IRC) found 18 per cent of California drivers lack auto coverage. Yet another research says the economic slowdown and/or the imminent and unpredictable danger of lay-offs is prompting more cash-sensitive people to get behind the wheel without insurance.

“An increase in the number of uninsured motorists is an unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn and illustrates how virtually everyone is affected by recent economic developments,” said IRC senior vice president Elizabeth Sprinkel. “Responsible drivers who purchase insurance end up paying for injuries caused by uninsured drivers.”

Ventura County, where a low cost auto insurance program was introduced last year, still saw a low turn-up of people who actually signed up to take the insurance. The county’s Commissioner Steve Poizner may have a point there when he says, “We are going to ramp up this low-cost auto program and expand the number of agents and brokers selling it.”

Perhaps more than anything else, it’s a matter of spreading awareness about various auto insurance schemes that we see coming up lately. Insurance in any form is never a bad idea, and it may work out to compare car insurance quotes available online.

If nothing else, it could give you an idea of where you stand and perpare a launch pad for planning your auto insurance.

Rhys Millen to Attempt Truck Backflip at Red Bull Event

Seconds before the clock strikes midnight (ET) on New Year’s Eve, motorsports star Rhys Millen will attempt to become the first person to complete and land a backflip in an off-road truck.

The event titled Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. is set to take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and will be televised live on ESPN/ESPN HD (11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT).

Millen’s flip demands the truck to travel a distance of 80 feet at a height of 50 feet. During his final practice for the event last year, Millen overshot the landing, got injured and damaged his vehicle as well.

However, the 36-year-old New Zealand native is said to be fully recovered now and more determined than ever.

“Having the opportunity and support to attempt the first-ever backflip in a truck is only going to be sweeter knowing that I will be returning back to the Rio, the place I planned to attempt this last year and the birth place of Red Bull: New Year. No Limits,” said Millen.

Fans will recall that the 2005 Formula Drift champion and 2008 Red Bull Drifting World Championship winner was also the lead stunt driver in several commercials and movies, such as Dukes of Hazzard and Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Unique Head Protection Airbag for Convertibles Unveiled

TRW Automotive GmbH, Germany, has unveiled a new head protection system for convertibles. Located in the seat mount rather than the door trim, it’s designed to offer head protection for the unique characteristics of convertibles.

The system combines a thorax or pelvic-thorax module together with a head restraint module located in the upper seat-back.

“TRW’s head protection system for convertibles has an innovative product design with two separate airbag safety systems for both head and torso protection,” said Alexander Heilig, European engineering director for TRW Automotive’s Occupant Safety Systems. “The two systems are designed to deploy in the event of a side impact or rollover accident. They work independently to allow individual tuning of the different protection zones yet operate from common sensors.”

Both the head protection and thorax modules use a light-weight plastic housing, with the module located under the fabric and foam of the seat. The head restraint module works with a hybrid gas inflator that enables it to deploy rapidly and remain inflated for a longer duration than other traditional airbags.

Source: TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.