Yes, but like most things in life, some care should be used. There are 2 minimum requirements for safe online shopping.

1. Make sure the business is a legitimate one.

   • Is it a corporation or LLC that must be registered with the state and can be easily looked up at the state website?

   • DO they have a telephone number that you can call? If it is an 800 number, do they also provide their local landline number?

   • Do they provide their address? If it is a PO BOX, do they also provide their actual physical address?
      

2. Make sure you are on a Secure web page (HTTPS: in the address bar) when you enter any type of personal information or Credit Card. The most advanced Security on the web today is SSL/EV (Secure Socket Layer/Extended Validation. How do you know?  Look for the address bar to Turn Green.

   • Does the address in the browser start with HTTPS:?

   • Does the Address Bar Turn Green?
      

3. Google Checkout: Ok, here is a 3d one, but, it is certainly worth a mention. RoadTrucker® Recommends Signing up and using Google Checkout or PayPal. Both Google & PayPal keeps your Credit Card Information Secure and you do not have to expose it to every store you purchase from. It's a 1 Click Checkout, greatly reducing your risk of online theft, as well as errors. Just look for the Google Checkout Logo or the PayPal Logo when you shop. Once in the Shopping Cart, you will only need to click on the Google Check Button or the PayPal Checkout button. What could be easier?

Note: Many websites will ONLY display a lock at checkout. This is OK, but it is NOT the best Security or Validation of the business and the website. The businesses that go through the Extended Validation process must be legal Corporations or LLCs. You can look them up on the State website that they are Registered in; and the address bar will Turn Green when personal information is requested. See Our Security Statement and More Tips for Your Security Online and Your Computer

There are other things that can also be helpful (ex. download the Google Toolbar and only shop at websites that have a PR (Google Page Rank) of 1 or more. 99% of the thieves' website have "0 PR". Thank you Google), but the above 2 are absolutely mandatory. Keep an eye out for our Free eBook coming out that will give you more tips on keeping your credit card and personal info safe.

Here are a couple DO NOTs.

• Absolutely NEVER click on a link sent to you in an email. Spammers are thieves; and some of them are very tricky. They can show you a legitimate business email and still send back your email as delivered, or take you to a website in Russia or anywhere else, where you are absolutely sure to get your information stolen.
   

• Do NOT get lured into a false sense of security because of Logos from BBB, Hacker Safe and others. These are all very good and trusted organizations, but the thieves know that and they will not hesitate to show you those Logos, even though they are not legitimate. To check the legitimacy of these Logos, double click them. If they are legitimate, a window from the sponsor's website will open telling you that the website your checking has their approval.  They are NOT legitimate if any of the following happens:

  • No Window pops up. (Graphic is NOT a link)

  • A Window pops up with the same websites address. (Means they are tricking you)

  • A window from the organizations website pops up, but does NOT validate the website displaying the Logo. (Also means they are tricking you).

So is your data safe on RoadTrucker®. Yes, if you use the secure shopping cart because we do not store any credit card information, except when it is given to us over the phone. We pay a professional organization each month to secure our shopping cart and we check to make sure they stay PCI compliant. Look for the address bar to Turn Green.

It is always best to use a little Caution whenever Finances are involved.

Please Note Important TV Issue: Many 12-Volt Memorex, Supersonic and NAXA TV/DVDs being sold today do not have the New ATSC Digital Tuner. They use Analog. There are a lot of the older model Skyworth TV/DVDs being sold that are also Analog and many are not 12-Volt. Caution should be used. RoadTrucker® only sells 12-Volt TV/DVDs with both the new ATSC Digital Tuner and the Analog Tuner. We have stopped selling the SLC-1551 and the SLC-1551W as a result of this decision. Skyworth uses an "A" to indicate the TV has a Digital tuner.

All TV stations Must Broadcast a Digital Signal, which basically means None of Your TVs with Analog Turners will work over Air. Please Note: They will work with your cable or satellite box, so we recommend your TV comes with BOTH Tuners. ALL TVs sold on RoadTrucker have both tuners.

You Will Have to Buy Converters for all of your TVs without the new ATSC Digital Tuner.

Both the Skyworth (SLC-1551 X) and Memorex (MVD1304 X) (our best TV/DVDs) have been replaced with the New Models that have the New ATSC Digital Tuners.

Please also note, that the 1st models of 13" TVs with the new ATSC tuners have a faulty power supply. The following models should be avoided.

Memorex:   MVD1301 X, MVD1304 X
Supersonic:   FC2035 X, FC2245 X, FC2285 X
NAXA:    NX524 X, NX539 X
Skyworth:    SLC-1551 X, LC-1551W X

Please Note: You should also make sure that your new TV has an old Analog Tuner in addition to the New ATSC Digital Tuner. The reason is that most of the Cable receivers and Satellite receivers still have an Analog output. If your TV does not include the Analog Tuner, it will NOT work with these receivers. Hopefully the Cable and Satellite companies will replace them with Digital Receivers.

Many of us think of the term “Stainless Steel” to mean Quality and Rust Resistance. But, Stainless Steel is available in many Different Quality Grades, and they are ALL called “Stainless Steel”. It's important to realize that Only the Highest Grades of Stainless Steel Exhibit True Rust-Proof Behavior. And Only the Highest Quality Steels have a Brilliant "Mirror Finish", which is an Indication of the Quality of the Surface Polish and Ability to Reflect Light. 304-Grade Stainless Steel has the Highest Nickel and Chromium Content, which makes it one of the few True “Stainless” Steel varieties. True 304-grade Stainless Steel will NEVER RUST. Our photos do not do these Stainless products justice, as they are quite beautiful.

Many of us think the amount of Chrome on a Stack is what gives the Stack it's luster or Mirror like finish. The truth is, it is the Nickel that really counts. For example, the racks in your oven that we call Chrome, have no chrome on them. They are plated with Nickel. Chrome or Chromium is almost useless as a solid, so it is used as a very thin layer over the Nickel, hence the term Nickel-Chrome Plating.

The Nickel, which has a yellowish hue to it, provides the corrosion resistance for the stack. The Nickel also provides the majority of the reflectiveness and the smoothness. The Chrome layer protects the Nickel from tarnishing. adds a slight bluish hue, minimizes scratches and helps the Nickel resist corrosion.

Chrome Plating Requires at the very least 1 Layers of Nickel and 1 layer of Chrome. Some will call this Double Chrome Plating, but it is NOT an accurate description as there is only 1 layer of Chrome. 1 layer of Nickel, covered by 1 layer of Chrome will NOT protect your stack from severe exposure.

High Quality Chrome Plating that will stand up to the harsh outdoor environment that Trucks are exposed to, Must Have at least 2 layers of Nickel. 1 layer of semi-bright under a 2nd layer of bright Nickel before a layer of Chrome. OEM's require a tight control on this via S.T.E.P. Testing. The thickness of Nickel is also important. The  standard specifies 4 thicknesses according to severity of use. The standard for Severe, moderate outdoors requires at least 30 microns of Nickel plus the Chrome.

American Chrome stacks are plated to ASTM SC4 standards, which means they will resist corrosion in standard tests for up to 96 straight hours. American Chrome stacks have 25-30 microns of Nickel (in 3 layers), followed by a chrome finish. American Chrome is the supplier for several "tier 1" exhaust product vendors in the industry, including 4 (Volvo, Mack, Freightliner, and International) of the 5 major Truck OEMs who have negotiated exclusively with American Chrome.

The quick answer here is, I don't know, but maybe I can give you some information to help you get an approximation. The answer depends on many variables, but the 3 most significant are:

1. The Amperage of the 12-Volt Appliance you are using
2. The Quality, Amperage and Age of your battery
3. The Ambient Temperature.

If you know the wattage of your 12-Volt Appliance, just divide by 12 to get the Amperage Drawn.  The higher the Amps needed by your 12-Volt Appliance, the less time a battery can provide juice to run it. A rule of thumb you can use, if you know the Amp/Hour of the battery, is to divide the Battery's Amp/Hour by 2 times the Amps of your 12-Volt appliance. Assume the answer to be the very best you can hope for when all variables are optimal.

Example: I have 70 Watt 12-Volt blanket and plan to run it from a new 100 Amp/Hour battery.  The Ambient temperature is 75 degree. 70 Watts/12-Volts = 5.83 Amps. 2 x 5.83 = 11.66.  100/11.66 = 8.58 Hours.

Obviously a higher quality battery will work better than a lower quality battery and usually a newer battery will also work better.  Batteries fatigue just like anything else. The higher the Amperage of the battery, the longer it will be able to run your 12-Volt Appliance.

Temperature is important, as anyone living in a colder climate can attest too. Batteries loose more and more of their charge as the Ambient temperature gets colder and colder.  The lower the temperature, the shorter the time a battery will provide current for your 12-Volt Product.

As far as alternators go, most of the modern alternators can run all of our 12-Volt Items, so I would not expect any problems while the vehicle is running. There are at least 7 people out there who are using a microwave in their car. And that's a 45 Amp draw, our heaviest usage Appliance.

Again, the quick answer here is, I don't know, but we get a lot of questions like, "will it work in place of my bad heater core?". We are not talking about a $200 Heaters here. The largest 12-Volt Heater we carry is 300 Watts. That's less than just about any hair dryer, so the answer is no, if you have a raggedy old car with doors floppin' in the breeze up in Alaska, you're probably going to freeze your butt off, so break down and replace that heater core.

Our heaters are designed for Truckers who use them to supplement the heat for their bunk, which is a relatively small area.

Obviously they will work reasonably well in many other applications, but it is really up to you to determine that. The heater is relatively inexpensive, and in most cases is probably worth the money to test it in your application. You should consider 2 primary variables.

1. The Ambient Temperature
2. The Size of the Area Needing Heat

If the temperature isn't too cold and the area you are trying to heat isn't too large, the heater will probably work, at least to some degree. The best way to find out if the heater will work in your particular application to test it yourself. We can't guarantee it will work in every application, but the cost for you to find out is minimal.

One last bit of information that might help you with your decision. 1 Watt is equivalent to 3.41 BTUs/Hr.  300 Watts is equivalent to 1,023 BTUs/Hr.

• Standard Coolers - Insulated boxes in both soft-sided and hard-shell cases. They help keep food cold using ice or pre-chilling. The temperature will slowly continue to raise to ambient once the lid is closed and although some of the better units can maintain ice for several days, they will rapidly loose their cooling ability once the lid is open , unless you keep adding ice, which can get a bit messy. The hard-shell units have better cooling efficiency, especially those with high density foam and insulated lids that have a tight seal. Most of us are familiar with these units.
• Thermo-Electric Coolers - In general, these coolers have the same cooling properties as the standard coolers, but go one step further by providing a simple cooling system using a thermoelectric cooler. Direct current (usually a 12-Volt Battery) is applied to a set of plates which makes one plate hot, and the other cold (which is known as the Peltier effect). They can heat or cool (unless permanently wired). The ability to cool is directly affected by the ambient temperature. Most 12-Volt coolers, including our RoadPro line only cool to 30 - 35 degree below the ambient. Koolatron 12-Volt Coolers cool to 40 - 45 degree below the ambient. Standard 12 Volt Coolers are somewhat inefficient because they run all the time and use about 3 to 4 amps. They also tend to frost up in temperatures under 74 degrees.
• Temperature Controlled Digital Precision Coolers - These are very similar to an extremely high quality Thermo-Electric Cooler with the added bonus of having a temperature controlled thermostat to maintain a constant temperature anywhere within 45 - 50 degrees below the ambient. They are specially made by Koolatron for medical applications, but work very well for the long haul trucker.  We refer to these as the poor man's refrigerator because as long as the ambient doesn't get over about 90 degrees, they can maintain a 40 degree temperature which is like a real refrigerator.  Because of the Temperature controller, these will work well without frosting up.
• Reciprocating Compressors - Most of the Reciprocating Compressor Refrigerators are manufactured by the one company in Germany using a Danfoss compressor systems. They work well in households, but are not as well suited for vehicle use. Some of the drawbacks include:
  • In General, they cannot take the shock and vibrations that occur in Trucks or other heavy vehicles, so most will not hold up well.
  • The have many moving parts and tend to be expensive to repair.
  • Their initial startup surge is considerably high and normally require your vehicle's electrical system to be re-wired to overcome the high startup Amperage, which is costly. Remember when the lights use to dim when your old refrigerator started up? That was caused by the initial surge.
  • They cannot tolerate a voltage drop in DC current which can happen with a bad alternator or battery.
  • They tend make a lot of electronic noise on ham, marine and shortwave radios. This can be very difficult to suppress.

Because of the above reasons, RoadTrucker® chose not to sell a 12-Volt refrigerator Freezer for almost a year, after Koolatron stopped making their unit. However we kept looking until we found a superior product that basically overcame every one of the pitfalls of a standard reciprocating compressor refrigerator. We found the Engel. Well actually a friend in Australia told us that the Engel was the dominant manufacture of 12-Volt/24 Volt/120 Volt Refrigerator Freezers in Africa and Australia, argumentatively two of the harshest continents on the globe. It was the 3 Year Warranty that got our serious attention. We feel the Engel is in a class by itself. Please Note that the USA Engel's warrantee is 2 Years (1 year on the small 14 Quart Models)

• Engel Swing Compressor - The Engel Fridge Freezers are built around one maintenance free moving part, which is self lubricated. The patented Swing Motor compressor design achieves a very high power output, and allows the Engel to be a compact, light weight and highly efficient unit with low friction losses and minimum power consumption. Other benefits of the Engel include:
  • Extremely high vibration tolerance, making the Engel compressor much more suitable for Trucking, Boating, 4X4, or similar activities where shock and vibration exist. Engel units are built to tolerate high vibration environments while running.
  • The Engel Compressor has 1 moving part.
  • Initial startup surge is much less than the standard reciprocating compressors.
  • Engel can tolerate voltage drops in DC current.
  • Prices start at under $589.
  • Engel Freezers can freeze to 0 degrees F. (Most Refrigerators freeze to 18 degrees).
  • Engels measures their cooling temperatures in the middle of the refrigerator and not on the lowest temperature on the cold plate surface as some manufacturers do.
  • Over 3.6 million units sold to date. See a short Video on the Engel Fridge Freezers by TV personality & hunter Rusty Faulk

Before purchasing a Trucker GPS, or any GPS for that matter, you should consider the following issues.

No GPS is perfect, but they are dynamic, which means they will continue to get better with each update that the manufacture releases. This includes the auto GPS as well as the Trucker GPS.  We will focus on the Trucker GPS.

The main purpose of a Truck GPS is not necessarily to find you the best route. it really can't because the best routes need to use all the roads and you as a trucker are not allowed on many of them. You also do not want to be heading down a road with a bridge that has lower clearance then your truck height. So the major purpose is to keep you from hitting a low bridge and keep you off any restricted streets that will get you a very expensive ticket. In order to do that it must do a tremendous amount of data crunching that a regular GPS does not have to do. It must check every single street for both the bridges and restrictions. And they have to do that programmatically because, they do not think. When you consider this, they do an amazing job of routing.

Most of the issues that I have seen, that are associated with the trucking GPS come from having them set wrong and/or a lack of understanding of how they work. As I said, they do not think, and they can not replace your skill as a professional driver.  So you must use good judgment. Unlike an Auto GPS you will need to set them up with your truck data and carefully select route types, etc.

In my opinion, the GPS has a common inherent problem with routing. The 2 types of main routes are "Fastest" and "Shortest". If you set it for "Fastest", it will keep you on main routes and you might miss shortcuts that are worth taking, especially at the start and end of your trip. i.e. The part that is not on the major highways. If you set it for "Shortest", it will tend to take short-cuts that may not be worth taking. For example, most will take you off a freeway, just to take you back on when the freeway makes a curve and going off will actually be shorter. Basically the "Fastest" Route tends to be better for long routes and the "Shortest" tends to be best for rural areas. I generally will do a sanity check before each trip and check the maps; especially from my start to the nearest main highway and also at the end of the trip. I like using the "Fastest" route, but will ignore the GPS when I know of a better way, or I prefer an alternate way. The GPS will squawk about "recalculating" a few times, then catch on to where I am going. Despite this shortcoming, the GPS is argumentatively the best tool available for the professional driver. They will save you time and money, especially if you use good judgment while using them.

There are 5 companies that make a Truck GPS and we have found that about 95% of those purchasing each are happy with their purchase. There doesn't seem to be a clear winner as far as customer satisfaction. We have been told that each is the worst by at least by 1 customer. I do think that buyers remorse plays a role here, as the few very worst complaints are very general statements that cannot be replicated.

The top complaint about the Truck GPS was, that they can not be heard. I don't hear this much any more, but I think it was because of the speaker being in the back and the early models used a 1 watt speaker. Models like the Rand McNally and Cobra have improved greatly on the volume. Another issue we have heard about all of them, is that they freeze up every now and then. I have found this to happen on basically all computers, especially when you use the resources heavily. i.e. Move the MAP around with your finger, or click the buttons too quickly ahead of where you are. All of them have a reset button which quickly fixes the problem.

So should you purchase a Truck GPS?  If the Trucker GPS only prevented you from getting a ticket or hitting a low bridge, it would be worth every penny of the cost. Sooner or later, it will pay for itself. So yes.. Every professional driver should have one, unless that have a standard route that does not change; but any long Hauler would be remiss at best, if they failed to use this valuable tool. If you ever missed the right exit on one of those muti-highway exit freeway sections. You know the ones I am talking about. They don't really exit, locally, they take you onto another major route. It drives me crazy when that happens, as you usually have to drive 10, 20 or 30 miles to get back on the right route. Well , you will love the way the TND700 changes screens to show all the lanes with an arrow traveling the correct path for you to take. Just outstanding. (Other Truck GPS do this, but the TND700 has a 7" High Definition screen, so you can see it very clearly, without taking your eyes off the road)

I will add one more consideration. If you are a critical person who is looking for perfection in a Truck GPS, please do not make this purchase, as there is normally no returns on open electronics. However, we will wave that and allow a return for a Limited period within 14 Days of purchase or 5 days after delivery with a 15% restocking Fee.  Note: Scratch or damage the GPS in any way and you bought it. There is a $100 manufacturer's fee for returning a GPS that is anything other than pristine new condition.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS.

The 24 GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the unit's electronic map.

A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the user's 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more. Note: The above was taken from Garmin's website. They also have a nice write-up on "What is WAAS". https://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

Please Note: Now that there are now several GPS with Truck Routing, RoadTrucker® Recommends all our Long Haulers Consider one

It's Here!  A Real GPS with Truck Routes

Actually there are 2 reasons the 12 Volt Coffee Maker takes longer to brew.

1. The 12 Volt Lighter Plug in most vehicles is limited in providing the power needed. That limits the ability of the manufacturer to increase the power consumption of the unit.
2. 12 Volt products need to eliminate more heat, since the amperage (current) through them is much higher than the current in your home appliance. The power would be the same (Power = Volts x Amps), but the lower the voltage, the higher the amperage.

So do not expect instant coffee from your 12 Volt Coffee Maker. They generally take at least 20 minutes for a cup and 40 minutes for 10 cups. If you are like I am, get your self a Microwave and hook it directly to the battery. Better yet, See Power Hunts new line of High Performance Appliances.
 

The short answer is "Yes", but it probably will not hurt the TV. I asked this of Skyworth's President, Jason Chen. Here is his answer.

One of our customer's sent us the following:

And finally from Wiki.answers.com, in answer to "Would an LCD TV freeze if left in an unheated space?"

"Absolutely! As the name "liquid crystal display" (LCD) implies, the display technology uses a substance that shares the same properties as liquids. It therefore can freeze if left in cold enough temperatures. In most cases
however, it will also defrost without damage once returned to room temperature. Check the specifications for your LCD device and you'll find two temperature ranges given -- one for storage and one for use. LCDs will only work properly in a certain temperature range, and can usually be stored in a larger range with colder and warmer temperatures. Most LCDs can be stored down to -40F or up to 115F before damage occurs, but will only operate properly in a more comfortable 50F to 90F range. This varies by screen, so you'll want to check the specifications in your TV's manual. If your LCD is left out in the cold, make sure to allow it to rise to room temperature before attempting to power it on, and it should be just fine."

We get this question asked a lot and to be honest, the answer is somewhat argumentative. Who is to say which transistor is better, or what circuit is superior. We believe the Skyworth is the best 12 volt TV and for several reasons.

1. Skyworth has the least percentage of Returns of any 12 Volt TV we have sold in the last 6 plus years.
2. Skyworth has a 1 year warranty on parts. (other TVS only have a 90 day warranty)
3. Skyworth has Special surge protection circuitry. (Protects the TV should you start or stop the vehicle with the TV on)
4. Skyworth has Special low voltage operation circuitry. (It will run on 15% lower voltage. i.e. As low as 10.2 volts)
5. Skyworth has much louder speakers at 5 watts each.
6. Skyworth has a local US presence.
   1. You can actually get a remote or cord, if you should loose yours. (Not so with other TVs)
   2. You can get them repaired. (Try this with another brand)
   3. You can get them repaired when out of warranty. (Skyworth charges a flat rate of only $55)
7. We own 3 Skyworth TVs, including a 26".
8. We know and Trust Jason, Skyworth's North American president; Cindy, Skyworth's US Office manger & Davis, Skyworth's US Engineer.
   
   And if you purchase the New 22" SLC2269A Skyworth, which is really 21.6", you get another outstanding benefit.
    
9. The DVD player can be easily removed by sliding it out after removing 2 screws. No wire to disconnect. We have found no matter what the TV brand the most common problem is with the DVD. Probably because it is mechanical. But if it goes bad, you have to send the whole TV back and that usually means 2 weeks without your TV. Not with the new Skyworth. With the new SLC2269A 22" Skyworth, you continue to watch your TV while a new DVD is being sent to you. When you get it, all you do is pop out the DVD and pop in the replacement. Is it any wonder why we love Skyworth so much?