What to Bring on an Off-Roading Adventure

Due to its lush pines and many mountains, New Jersey is full of drivers with a penchant for spontaneity and exhilaration – drivers of Rocky Ridge lifted trucks. These trucks are the perfect vehicle for an off-roading adventure (just as much as they're great for tending those famous Jersey blueberry and tomato farms), and this summer, there's no holding out. If you're getting ready to join in on the muddy, rocky, bumpy fun, you must have a lust for adventure. Of course, such an adventure should be a safe one…so what should you bring?

Whether you're driving a Rocky Ridge, a quad, a stock pickup, or anything in-between, one thing's for sure: they're powerful, but you never know what obstacles you're going to encounter. Always assume that something could go wrong, especially when travelling through mud and other rough, unpaved terrain.

Generally, you should treat it like you would a camping trip. Most people like to be out enjoying nature in a man-made machine all day long, so bring the necessities like a pocket knife, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, emergency flares, and even camping chairs. Then, make sure you've got the necessities to keep your bad boy up and running, like a spare key, a spare tire and/or a tire repair kit, a toolkit, spare spark plugs, bungee cords, engine oil, and the like.

At this point, it should kind of be a given that you've got your license and registration as well as some cash – just in case.

Then, be prepared to get stuck. Bring yourself a tow strap, an ax, a tarp, a winch, and anything else you could use to pull or dig your car out of wet, gravelly, or debris-filled terrain. Of course your best option is to be Offroading in a Rocky Ridge Muddigger which comes equipped with a Smitybilt 10K pound electric winch. Think about what kind of climate you'll be in – in the Pine Barrens, it's always a good idea to have sunblock and insect repellent.

As far as safety goes, you're good to go – pack yourself a lunch and/or dinner, plenty of water (and beer, if you're not the one driving), and prepare to have a great time!

New Jersey Recovers from Recession; Cars Come First

It's been in the news for a while now that New Jersey was and is one of the slowest states to recover from the recession economically. Legislators have frantically been re-investing government funds in an attempt to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and encourage high school graduates to attend college for the past few years. It may have looked bleak for a while there, but there's definitely a light at the end of the tunnel – when you look at the recent NJ car sales, the soaring number of new vehicle registrations indicates things are starting to look up.

If things continue at the pace they're going – there have been about 198,000 new cars and trucks registered in the state as of May – it seems as though we'll be close to the numbers we saw in the years before the recession in no time. In Bergen County alone, sales are up by 14.6 percent if you compare the beginning of 2013 to the beginning of 2012. That's immense progress, and the new and used car dealerships in South Jersey are excited.

Dealers all across the state are promising to keep interest rates low to keep the signings coming. Considering a car is one of the biggest purchases a household makes, the influx of vehicle purchases is a great sign for the state's economy and dealerships are doing what they can to encourage these sales. According to a dealership owner from North Jersey, far too many New Jerseyans have been tolerating their junkers since not being able to afford replacements; since buyers have begun making the purchases, he believes there is still a lot of demand to be fulfilled and therefore plenty of potential for a strong second-half of the sales year.

How can a New Jerseyan in the wake of the recession replace his or her old vehicle with something more reliable? Look for holiday sales, specials on interest rates, and financing deals. Keep tabs on your local car dealers – the end of the summer season is always rife with bargains.