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

• 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?
     

• 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.

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

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

Note: Almost all older browsers show a little yellow lock at the bottom right hand corner of the secure webpage. Unfortunately, Microsoft in there divineless ignorance, decided to remove it in IE 7.0. Great move Billy. Just remove the only thing user have grown to trust. So the best way to check this is when you are on the page that actually will accept your credit card information, make sure the address in the address bar, starts with HTTPS:. The magic letter here is the "S".  The "S' indicates that the browser is now working with a secure protocol (the way it talks to the server).

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.

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.

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 the new ATSC Digital Tuner. We have stopped selling the SLC-1551 and the SLC-1551W as a result of this decision.

In less than 15 Months, all TV stations Must Broadcast a Digital Signal, which basically means None of Your TVs with Analog Turners will work.

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

Expected Arrival dates for New Model TVs are as follows:

Skyworth 15":   In Stock NOW
Skyworth 19":   In Stock NOW
Supersonic: 13"  In Stock NOW (ATSC with Good Power Supply)
NAXA: 13"  In Stock NOW (ATSC with Good Power Supply)Memorex: 13"  In Stock NOW (ATSC with Good Power Supply)

We Have Both the New 15" LCD TV/DVD Skyworth in Stock and the New 19" LCD TV/DVD Skyworth in Stock and YES! Both Have the ATSC Digital Tuner. PLUS, the 19" has Video Widescreen Format.

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 drop 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. 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 semiconductor which makes one side of it hot, and one side cold (which is known as the Peltier effect). They can heat or cool. 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.
• 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 up to about 90 degrees, they can maintain a 40 degree temperature which is like a real refrigerator.
• 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:
  • They cannot take the shock and vibrations that occur in Trucks or other vehicles, so they do 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.
  • They cannot tolerate a voltage drop in DC current which can happen with a bad alternator or battery.
  • They tend to be expensive.
  • 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 is warrantee is 2 Years (1 year on the 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 $400.
  • 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

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