Sunday, November 2nd, 2008
Most people who buy pickup trucks are interested in the ability to haul cargo easily. Many are farmers, construction workers, movers, or otherwise. But how many times have you been speeding down the highway or interstate only to come up on a pickup truck and realize that the driver has not properly secured the cargo he or she is carrying? Unsecured cargo has been the cause of many fatality and non-fatality accidents, and these accidents were completely preventable.
What is the best way to secure cargo in the bed of a pickup? Here are some tips.
For only $60, Isuzu sells a Bed Web Net made of a tough elastic material and designed to stretch. The mount hardware is included and installation is easy. The net keeps cargo from flying out or sliding out of the back even during hard stops or fast turns.
Buy a bed extender. Designed for the Isuzu truck, the Bed Extender, made of steel, retails for well under $300 and gives pickup owners additional truck bed length. This particular bed extender has the ability to swing in to provide a contained cargo area as well.
Bed Covers work well too. Many pickup models also can be accessorized with bed covers that not only keep cargo inside, but help to hide it and prevent theft as well.
Cargo Sports Bags are another option. These are often used in SUVs as well and do an excellent job of keeping smaller items from rolling around or flying out of pickup truck cargo beds.
It’s also important to keep in mind that using these precautions, as well as others will protect the cargo itself. When hauling cargo, it’s important to drive more cautiously than normal and make slow, steady turns. The added weight of your load can make turning more difficult and brakes may not respond as quickly or efficiently as when driving without cargo.
Every pickup truck has cargo weight guidelines. It’s extremely important to obey these guidelines. While it might not be simple to actually weigh the load you plan to haul, it is better to err on the side of caution if estimating. Hauling additional weight beyond the manufacturer’s guideline can significantly increase your chance of an accident or damage to your vehicle. There is also a chance you could be ticketed by law enforcement for hauling a load heavier than your pickup is designed to carry.
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Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Several pickup trucks, however, already have a leg up on the competition. Specifically, Isuzu truck its two high-performance pickups: the i-290 and i-370. Both models offer a wide variety of safety features you might only expect to find on a Sport Utility.
The first and perhaps most important, is the Electronic Traction Control option which also includes Automatic Locking Rear Differential. The feature helps provide more controlled acceleration on slippery surfaces and in severe weather conditions by reducing engine power to reduce wheel spin. Another features is the pickup’s push-system that allows the driver to shift from 2-wheel-drive to 4-wheel drive on-the-fly. Anti-Lock Braking Systems are a must when it comes to safety and Isuzu’s pickups offer 4-wheel anti-lock brakes to reduce wheel lockup on slippery surfaces when the need to brake hard arises. Daytime running lights and a tire pressure monitoring system also make Isuzu pickup truck safer than many competitors. The pickups also sport Head-Curtain Side Impact Airbags and an automatic Airbag Suppression System in the event that an accident should occur.
By comparison, here’s a list of the pickup trucks that made the list of the Top 20 Most Dangerous: the Ford Ranger truck and Mazda B-Series truck which doesn’t offer stability control, side airbags or curtain airbags; the Nissan Frontier (Extended Cab) ; and the Dodge Dakota 4-door pickup . A few SUVs also made the list like the Nissan Xterra, and the remainder was populated by very small economy cars such as the Saturn ION and Mazda3.
While the trend is typically to make vehicles safer by adding both passive and active safety features, the reality is that certain cars tend to fare better in accidents than others. Small, lightweight cars are no match in a collision with an SUV for sale even if they possess enhanced safety features. While pickup trucks tend to fare better than cars in SUV collisions, it’s evident from the aforementioned study that many pickup truck manufacturers simply aren’t adding valuable safety features to their pickup lines in the way they are on SUVs.
Pickup truck enthusiasts shouldn’t have to compromise safety to drive the vehicles they love. Demanding SUV safety features be added either as standard or optional to pickups is the first step. Purchasing pickup trucks for sale that have these features – like the Isuzu i-370 or i-290 – will entice others in the automotive industry to follow suit and soon, pickups will be as safe as SUVs.
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