Month: May 2019

I am sure that most people want to be free, but how can you be living in a stationary house? Mobile homes are becoming more prevalent every single day, and there’s a reason for that. First and foremost, they give you the freedom to live where you want, when you want. The beach? Check. In the woods? Check. The opportunities are limitless, and the life that you and your family get may be everything you need to alleviate the stress of everyday life.

For these reasons, living in vans or RVs has become a trend in the world. #VanLife and #TinyHouse are two very popular hashtags, which attract new mobile home lovers every single day. People are spending not only money but also a lot of time to make their mobile homes suit their needs. But, with all the different options available, which vehicle is best-suited to be converted into a mobile home? Or, why making your own van when you can buy one that’s already made as a mobile home? Here are the best vans to live in.

Popular Types of Vans

There are several different types of vans that can be used as a starter for building your dream mobile home. The most popular type in the US is cargo vans and conversion vans. They are cheap and reliable, even though they don’t have as much space inside.

Even though less popular, Euro-style vans seem to be the better option. They are a tad more expensive but offer much more space inside and better fuel efficiency. Most of them are very reliable too and come with high-tech features inside.

Or you may go the “classic” way and buy classic vans from the ‘70s or ’80s. These vans can really brighten the atmosphere everywhere you go, and if rebuilt, they can cover a lot of miles due to their simple mechanics. That said, they are on the slow side, use a lot of fuel, and don’t have that much space inside. Their biggest downside though is safety – most of these vans don’t come with seat belts, headrests, ABS and airbags, which can be a deal breaker for most people.

Top 5 Best RVs for Living

Ford Transit

The Ford Transit is the most popular vehicle of its type in the world. It is primarily used as a commercial van around the world and is known for offering reliable motoring, tons of space inside, and good fuel efficiency. The biggest reason why it sits on the first place on this list is that it is very popular in the #VanLife community, which means that there are tons of custom-made parts available.

The Transit comes in several different configurations, with various lengths and heights – excellent for those who want to live in their mobile home full time, or just want a smaller motorhome for weekend trips. Whichever you prefer, the Ford Transit is absolutely the best vehicle to start building your dream home, especially because you can find a good used model on the cheap.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The Sprinter is the “antidote” to the Ford Transit. It is extremely popular in Europe, where most of the vans in the past few decades are Sprinters’. These vans are known for their legendary durability and reliability, especially models that were produced in the ’80s and ’90s. They are available in many different configurations, with low and high roofs, and various lengths. Mercedes Sprinter vans offer a lot of space inside and are built to a very high standard, which automatically makes them a great choice for a motorhome. The price of these vans is a tad higher than Ford Transit equivalents, but you can still find a very good used Sprinter that needs very little meddling with the mechanics.

RAM Promaster

Even though it is sold under the RAM moniker, the Promaster is very much a Euro-style van, based on the Fiat Ducato Van. That’s not a bad thing as the Ducato is already very popular in Europe due to its excellent use of the available space and fuel-efficient engines. The Promaster comes in three wheelbase configurations and two exterior heights, so it should be easy to choose one that will suit your needs the best. However, the mechanics in the Promaster aren’t known to be as reliable as those in the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, so we suggest going for a vehicle with fewer miles covered.

Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Classic vans are a very cheap and cheerful way to start building your dream home. If you go that route, Volkswagen seems to be the only option. You can choose between the smaller Bus and the bigger and newer Vanagon. With both models, you can expect excellent reliability due to the simple mechanics. With a little knowledge of cars, you can even fix some things yourself. The community is also very strong with these vans, and a lot of custom-made parts are available. That said, safety is a concern, especially if you cover a lot of miles.

Chevrolet Express

The last place on this list goes to the Chevy Express, which is a classic American van with an engine in front of the wheels. These vans don’t offer as much space inside as Euro-style vans, even though the outside dimensions may be the same. The Express also has a lower roof than those vans, but this can be alleviated with foldable high roof. This van does have some advantages, which for some people may be huge. First of all, it is very cheap to buy and maintain, it has powerful engines, and is very reliable.

Conclusion

Choosing the right van is the most important thing when building a motorhome. With all the options available on the market, it is best to start with size – smaller vans are better for weekend trips, while bigger vans are better for a full-time home solution. Then, choose a model that will suit your particular needs, and in the end, make sure that custom-made parts are available for your particular van.

Cars were pretty easy to maintain and repair in the past, even on the road. However, cars today are many things, but easy to repair is not one of them. If you happen to be on the road and your vehicle breaks down, you may be left stationary for a long time. Most of the time, the problem is a flat tire, but it also happens that drivers run out of gas or have a big mechanical failure.

Luckily, there are roadside assistance services available today that not only offer to tow your vehicle to the nearest mechanic, but they can also send a technician of their own that might alleviate the issue on the spot. That is unless it is a big mechanical issue. Still, for every driver that covers a lot of miles annually, or for a family that plans a long road trip, having a short list of the best roadside assistance services is a very good idea. That is unless the manufacturer of your vehicle already offers one free of charge during the warranty period.

To help you choosing the best roadside assistance service, we compiled a list of the Top 5 services in the USA. Keep this list bookmarked and use it in case of emergency for a more carefree traveling experience!

Top 5 Best Roadside Assistance Services

Good Sam Roadside Assistance

Good Sam is one of the most popular roadside assistance services in the US and for a good reason. They offer three subscription-based plans that cover the needs of most vehicle owners out there. Here is what they offer: Auto Platinum – basic plan for cars, such as compact cars, family sedans, crossovers, SUVs and trucks. Auto & RV Standard – this plan covers owners who possess both cars and RVs, and also boat trailers and motorcycles. Auto & RV Platinum – this plan is more advanced than the Standard one in a way that it offers roadside assistance for multiple cars, boat trailers, sport utility trailers, motorcycles, and RVs. If you already own one of Good Sam plans, towing your vehicle to the nearest service station is free of charge.

However, additional fees may apply in some places. The company also offers to jump-start a dead battery, fuel delivery, and even a tire change service. All these qualities make Good Sam Roadside Assistance probably the best choice out there.

Allstate Motor Club

Allstate is also a very popular roadside assistance service that operates in the USA. Its biggest advantage is the budget price point of their service, despite the fact that they offer premium assistance. More precisely, Allstate Motor Club offers fuel delivery, trip interruption reimbursement, lockout assistance, jump start in case of an empty battery, and even tire change. The best thing about this roadside assistance service is that it will not charge you any extra money – the subscription is all you need to worry about.

You can even add your spouse to the plan, free of charge, but not children under 23 years old. Allstate Motor Club offers an on-time arrival guarantee, which is 30 minutes. If they don’t come on time, you will have 25% off the next year. For the tech-savvy among you, Allstate even offers the ability to track their vehicles via GPS.Allstate Motor Club offers three plans. The Standard option covers cars, light trucks, vans, and SUVs, but you need to pay extra for RVs. There are also Deluxe and Platinum plans that offer some additional benefits.

AAA

By now, AAA has become a staple in the American roadside assistance business. They are known for offering plans that are well-suited to most drivers, high-quality assistance and low price. In addition to lockout assistance, jump start in case of an empty battery, and tire change, AAA offers identity theft restoration. AAA offers three plans, differentiated by how many miles they will tow your vehicle until you need to pay extra.

The Classic plan offers to tow up to 5 miles, the Plus plan offers to tow up to 100 miles, and the Premier plan offers to tow of up to 200 miles. However, the company also charges additional fees if you want to add a family member to the subscription, at a pretty high asking price. If you want to have roadside assistance for your RV, you have to choose between the RV plans (for example Plus RV).

AARP

This service is designed for elderly people. More precisely, they only offer services to people over 50-years old, and on top of that, they should be members of AARP. The driver can still add his/her spouse for an additional fee of $10 per year, or up to four children of age between 16-25 years old. The membership is very cheap when compared to other services, and it’s a shame that only people over 50-years old can use it. AARP offers four plans, with the first one towing your vehicle only up to 5 miles. We recommend the Premier plan, which tows your vehicle or RV up to 100 miles. As with every roadside assistance service on this list, AARP offers lockout assistance, jump start in case of an empty battery, and fuel delivery.

Best Roadside Service

This company has one of the largest roadside service providers across the United States and Canada. This means that a vehicle that can reach a short amount of time is always close to you and your stranded vehicle. Best Roadside Service offers two plans – one for individuals, and one for vehicles. The latter is excellent for families that own one vehicle (and multiple drivers), while the second one is a great choice for drivers who own multiple vehicles. The company offers towing services up to 75 miles and fuel delivery, with 3 gallons free of charge. They also offer lockout services and jump start in case of an empty battery.

Conclusion

Choosing between the plethora of roadside services out there is not only about which one is better, but which one is suited to your needs. We recommend that you study your driving habits thoroughly, and then make an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of every roadside assistance service before committing to it.

We live in a time when trash and litter are one of the biggest problems we face as humankind, with municipal dumps and landfills taking more and more space every day. Resolving this problem requires a lot of changes to be made in the whole system, but also how the households manage their trash.

Almost always, the issue with junk is that it takes a lot of space to dispose of. That bottle of Coke you just drank, still takes the same amount of space even though it is devoid of any fluid in it. Luckily, there are products called trash compactors that can compress the bottle to almost four times its original size.

These inexpensive products are not just viewed as a big part of the solution for our trash problem, but they might also make your life easier. Most importantly, you will empty your garbage much less frequently with a trash compactor. For example, if you do that every day, now you might do it every third day. Big difference, isn’t it?

Then, it cuts down on costs for garbage removal, be it by the homeowner association or the city you live in. Compactors are also great for our environment, as they produce more compact trash, and encourage recycling. For example, plastic bottles or aluminum cans occupy a lot of space when empty, but a lot less when compressed with a compactor. You can really compile a lot of plastic or can trash before giving it to the recycling companies, something that also saves a lot of time and effort.

It is clear that trash compactors are helpful in many ways, but there are still differences between them. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best 5 trash compactors, and we will also answer some frequently asked questions.

Top 5 Trash Compactors 2019

   • Kenmore 14733 Elite

This trash compactor is priced as a budget option, but it still offers outstanding value for money. First of all, it compresses the trash by a ratio of 5 to 1, which is the best you can get from a product in this price range. It is also very easy to use, thanks to the toe bar drawer opener and has a massive 1.4 cubic foot capacity. The interior is constructed from welded steel and zinc coating, which should prevent misalignment. The Kenmore 14733 Elite is also very quiet in its operation and doesn’t produce a lot of vibration. It comes with a 1-year warranty, which seems on the small side, but given the high-quality materials used inside, we reckon it will be good for a decade of carefree operation.

   • Whirlpool GC900QPPB

Whirlpool is a well-known appliance company that produces high-quality products with high-tech solutions. The GC900QPPB trash compactor is perhaps the best in their portfolio because it offers excellent efficiency and is made of good materials. The most important thing is that it is able to compress the trash by a ratio of 4 to 1, which makes it among the best household compactors. It is also very user-friendly thanks to the computerized command console, and on top of that, it has a lovely design. The only thing that irks is that it doesn’t come with trash bags from the beginning, but you can purchase them right away. Oh, and the warranty is only 1-year long, but being a Whirlpool product, it should last a decade without any major issue.

   • KitchenAid TKUCS03FTBL

KitchenAid is another staple in the American home due to its constant improvement from generation to generation, well-designed products, and high-tech solutions. The TKUCS03FTBL is their best trash compactor that is designed to be both stylish and efficient. It also comes with a 1-year warranty as to the Whirlpool, but it should still provide years of carefree operation. The advantages of this KitchenAid trash compactor are  the outstanding odor control system and Whisper Quiet Plus system, both of which provide a more luxurious experience. It also compresses the trash in a 5 to 1 ratio, which is impressive. That said, it is a bit more expensive, but if you want a high-quality solution that will be both quiet and odorless, this is the one.

   • Gladiator GACP15XXMG

Until now, all of the trash compactors on this list are stationary and integrated into the kitchen, while this one is portable. Despite that, it still offers excellent compressing ration of 4 to 1, and it is made of hammered granite finish that not only long-lasting, but it also gives a rugged look to the whole machine. The touch-toe drawer operation makes it easy to use, while the automatic anti-jam makes it reliable, even with a challenging load. That said you’ll need to pay extra for the portability – it is more expensive than stationary compactors with 4 to 1 compress ratio.

Until now, all of the trash compactors on this list are stationary and integrated into the kitchen, while this one is portable. Despite that, it still offers excellent compressing ration of 4 to 1, and it is made of hammered granite finish that not only long-lasting, but it also gives a rugged look to the whole machine. The touch-toe drawer operation makes it easy to use, while the automatic anti-jam makes it reliable, even with a challenging load. That said you’ll need to pay extra for the portability – it is more expensive than stationary compactors with 4 to 1 compress ratio.

   • Household Essentials Trash Krusher Manual Trash Compactor

The Gladiator GACP15XXMG may be portable, but it still uses electricity for compressing the trash. The Household Essentials trash compactor, on the other hand, is not only portable, but it can be operated only using your hand. This means that it is a much greener solution than all of its competitors, but also that it is not as easy to use. With this product, you use your hands and body weight to compress the trash, something that most people will find limiting. Still, the price is much lower than electric trash compactors, and due to its simple construction, the Household Essentials should be cheaper to repair and last longer.

FAQ

Can I Put Glass in My Trash Compactor?

Some models can compress glass, so be sure to check that the compactor you’re interested in can do that before buying. Also, it is recommended to put the glass in the middle of the trash, as it can tear the bags inside.

Do Trash Compactors Smell?

Given the fact that trash compactors are fully enclosed, they have a minimal odor, especially when compared to classic trash cans.

Conclusion

A high-quality trash compactor will not only improve the way you live but also our whole environment. Just be sure that you choose one that suits your needs the most and you’re good to go. The Top 5 list provided in this article is certainly a great way to start, as it contains the three most popular types of trash compactors, all of which should serve you in the years to come.

Remember those old days when we connected our desktop computers with a wire in order to have internet? Neither do we. Wi-Fi is perhaps the most widespread technology that makes our lives a lot easier and more convenient. Today we not only connect our desktop and laptop computers to our Wi-Fi routers but also our smartphones, smart TVs and IoT connected devices.

The plethora of devices that we connect also bring a lot of problems, especially if you own older router that is not designed for more than 5-6 gadgets. Wi-Fi routers also have limited coverage, specifically for bigger houses with a lot of walls in between. These issues are almost always a cause for panic and anger for owners around the world – imagine losing Wi-Fi signal while watching your favorite Netflix series.

Happily, there are solutions to these problems. And when we say solutions, we don’t mean paying hundreds of dollars for more powerful Wi-Fi routers. Instead, you can purchase a pretty inexpensive Wi-Fi extender and cover the areas in your residence that have never seen Wi-Fi before.

How Does a Wi-Fi Extender Work?

Wi-Fi extenders are a simple solution for improving the coverage in your home. They simply take the signal from the router and amplify it so that it reaches even further. They come in a variety of different types and sizes, but all serve pretty much the same purpose. Installing them on a half-way between the router and the area you want to cover should give you a boost in the Wi-Fi signal and consequently, your internet speed.

But, how do you choose the best Wi-Fi extender for your needs? To help you, we’ve compiled a Top 5 list of the best extenders on the market right now. There you can find solutions for smaller and bigger homes, and also budget and premium options.

Top-5 Wi-Fi Extenders in 2019

   • Plume SuperPods

The first product on our list not only provides great Wi-Fi coverage but is also one of the safest around. The SuperPods are specifically designed to counter cyber-attacks, which becomes increasingly important to people around the world. That said, to use this feature you will need a subscription service, which adds to the cost of the already high asking price of the SuperPods. However, for that price, you really get the best solution. You get three extenders in the package which when used, should cover a very big house. They also support 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi bands, or for those who don’t know much about networking, all Wi-Fi bands, including the new 5GHz one. Plume SuperPods are also very small and can be plugged directly into a wall socket, and they even have parental controls. Oh, and they look cool, unlike some competitors with big antennas. For those that trust wires, these small pods come with LAN ports for an even better connection.

   • Netgear AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6150

If the Plume SuperPods are very expensive for you, then the Netgear EX6150 range extender might be a great choice for your needs. Sure, it doesn’t look as sleek as the SuperPods, but it is still a very powerful solution. Seriously, it seems like the Netgear takes the Wi-Fi signal in your home and upgrades it to a whole new level. Put it between your router and your room, and you will enjoy super-fast internet. The EX6150 also supports all Wi-Fi bands, including 2.4GHz and 5GHz, has one LAN port and even supports Wi-Fi protected setup. Even though it is less expensive than the Plume product, it is still pricey for one extender. Still, given the fact that it is very easy to use and connect to your router, we think that it’s one of the best extenders around and worth the price if you want the best possible internet connection.

   • Linksys RE6500 AC1200 Dual-Band Wireless Range Extender

The first two products on this list are very small and inconspicuous, unlike the Lynksis RE6500, which seems like a mammoth in comparison. However, unlike its smaller competitors, this range extender is much more powerful. First of all, it can communicate with your router much further, and it amplifies the signal to a much higher degree. Being a Linksys product, it is a robust choice for users who want the best coverage and internet speeds. To help you with that, Linksys installed its proprietary Spot Finder Technology that helps you find the best spot for the extender. As with most of its competitors, it supports 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi bands, but unlike them, it has four Ethernet ports. It can also stream music to an audio device via an audio jack, which is an interesting choice.

   • D-Link DAP-1320 Wireless N300 Range Extender

If you want better Wi-Fi coverage in your home, but you don’t plan on spending a lot of money, the D-Link DAP-1320 might be a great choice. Sure, it won’t have the same power as other extenders, but for smaller and midsize condos it will do just fine. Its biggest downside is that it doesn’t support the newest 5GHz Wi-Fi bands, but most users won’t know the difference. Despite the lower price, the DAP-1320 is well-built, small and easy to use. Just plug it into a wall socket, connect it to your router, and enjoy better Wi-Fi coverage.

   • TP-Link RE350 AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender

The last product on this list is also on the budget end of the spectrum, but not as cheap as the D-Link. Still, you really get what you pay for here, including 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz coverage, one Ethernet port, Wi-Fi protected access, and even LEDs that will help you position the extender in a better spot. That said, it is not nearly as powerful as the first three solutions on this list, so keep that in mind.

Conclusion

Wi-Fi extenders can really improve the wireless signal in your house, but there are differences between all the models available. Just be sure that you choose one according to your needs – the cheaper models may offer some extending capabilities, but they are still not the best choice for larger houses. On the other hand, why paying a lot for powerful extender if you live in a small house?