The Five Best Places to Go Off-Roading in the U.S.

Off-roading is an adventurous and exciting way to see the world in a more natural state. Some prefer to rough it on back trails and dirt roads instead of park at a hotel. The sense of enthusiasm from rattling around the rocks and sand can get you ready for some fishing or camping, whatever you plan to do.

There are so many great places to go off-roading, but here is a list of 5 that anyone who off-roads shouldn’t miss.

Moab, Utah

The Moab area offers hundreds of miles of scenic trails that are some of the most iconic and well-known in the nation. The range offered, from beginner to advanced, is enough to keep an off-roader busy for years! The red rock terrain offers expansive views and a unique desert atmosphere with sandstone fins and great pitches. A great place to start and continue going for avid off-roaders.

Superlift ORV, Arkansas

With 1,254 miles of roads available to drivers, Superlift ORV is well-marked and ready for off-roading. This privately-owned site is perfect for families and casual enthusiasts, as there are cabins available along with a bath house and a crawling course. The people who run the trails can give you suggestions and advice, if you ask, enhancing the experience.

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Off-roading is so popular in Las Cruces that they’ve established a club for it. The Las Cruces Four Wheel Club holds events through the year, the most famous being the Annual Chile Challenge. While it isn’t a competition, it is a good-natured adventure in off-roading enjoyed by many.

Redington Pass, Arizona

This secluded area offers panoramic desert views, and the well-maintained rock trails are great for all off-roaders. Hidden gems like a 75-foot waterfall make the trip worth a go, and combines rockin’ off-roading with trail hiking for a well-rounded trip.

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia

While the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest offers only specific trails open for off-roading, those trails are so scenic and stunning they are worth the ride. To maintain those trails, they are sometimes shut down to prevent overuse, so the view is guaranteed. They offer trails for beginners, intermediate, and advanced off-road enthusiasts.

A great off-road ready vehicle, like lifted Rocky Road trucks, are perfect for any of these trails. Spark your adventurous spirit and head out into the hills!

Off-Roading for Beginners

The great sport of off-roading is a rough, rugged way to spend some vacation time. The only things you need are an off-road vehicle and a sense of adventure! Both experienced drivers and beginners can enjoy this sport, and it can make a great addition to a camping trip or other outdoor activity.

But getting into off-roading may be a bit intimidating to those who have never tried it before. There are some simple tips that you can follow to make sure that your first off-roading trip is a roaring success.

The first step is to know your vehicle. Knowing your vehicle helps you determine how far to push it, what to do if you get stuck, what width you can fit through, and other details. If you are comfortable driving on the road, you will be comfortable off it.

Part of knowing you vehicle is knowing what gear to use and when. Four-wheel drive is good for when one or more tires may come off the ground. All-wheel drive is good for trails made of rock, sand, gravel, or ice. AWD provides the handling and flexibility perfect for those conditions.

The next step is to remember to remain aware of your speed and momentum. One of the most important things to do is to keep moving, as stopping can rut you in sand or other places. Controlling your momentum can get you safely from start to finish.

Keep the driver’s side closer to any obstacles you come across. This gives you a better view of the situation, allowing you more maneuverability to get out.

If you are really a beginner, find an easy trail. The road you pick should be bumpier than a flat dirt road, but challenging enough to get you used to the experience of off-roading. This way, you can build up gradually to rougher and harder trails, giving you a new adventure each time.

One important step that may not occur to all drivers is to pack and be prepared for anything! Have a first-aid kit available, along with healthy and protein-packed foods. It’s always better to have too much and not need it, than to need something and not have it.

Never attempt anything that you as a driver do not feel comfortable doing. Anything beyond your skill level can cause serious damage to your vehicle and put an end to any future off-roading trips.

If you want to get into off-roading, there are plenty of great cars you can get, like a Rocky Ridge truck for sale. Talk to your local dealer to find the best fit for you, and get out off that road! 

Leasing a Car

Leasing a car comes with a different contract, but also different freedoms from purchasing the same car. Americans who want to drive a new car have fallen in love with leasing again, and it accounted for 22.5% of new car transactions in July, according to J.D. Power.

Leasing a car comes with great benefits and options that suit each leaser. Here, you can look over some of those benefits, and decide if leasing is right for you.

The Basics:

A sign and drive lease is one of the easiest ways to end up in a great new car. The lease-friendly events require very little more than your signature and information. You drive off the lot with a new vehicle, and agree to maintain the car as if you own it. For example, in a leased car, you are still responsible for oil and fuel changes, and any mechanic maintenance that needs to be done. You are also responsible for any automobile taxes the government may impose.

Some of these sign and drive deals require no cash at all at the signing. Others, where you can pay some amount of money, can get you lower monthly payments. Lease payments are already cheaper monthly than owning a car, and lowering those payments more is always good for your wallet. Just make sure your credit is in good condition.

Ease of Upgrading

A car depreciates in value as soon as you start the engine, and it can sometimes be hard to sell a car for a decent amount of money, especially a car with wear and tear. With leasing, you don’t have to worry about the stressful process of buying and selling.

If you lease a car, you turn it in after the mandated amount of years and you can get a new one! Some people really enjoy getting to drive a new car every few years, and leasing allows them to do so. You can always have the newest innovations in automobiles, and feel luxurious every time you get behind the wheel. You can get all the latest options as well.

Sign and drive lease deals are a great option for some people. The longer you lease, the more the lease price is spread out, so you’ll have lower monthly payments. You can always have the newest car with the best innovations. If you like the car, you can even buy it after the leasing term. Decide if leasing is the smarter choice for you, and visit your local dealership. 

Buyer Trend: Used Car Prices on the Decline in New Jersey

According to James Appleton, the president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, "Used cars are one of the last true commodity markets where supply and demand pretty much dictate price." There's no place in the country where this is more clearly demonstrated than in New Jersey. It's been an economically interesting – which, yes, is a euphemism for 'straining' in this case – couple of years in our state, what with NJ being one of the slowest states to recover from the recession, the recovery from Hurricane Sandy, and the like. The state of the used car market has definitely mirrored this economic rollercoaster.

That being said, if you're a New Jerseyan in the market for a used car, now would be the time to buy it. During and in the immediate wake of the recession, anyone who needed a car was buying used. Not many people had the extra funds to spring for a brand new model and unemployment rates were peaking. Due to the high demands, the prices at used car dealerships in South Jersey went up and stayed there for quite some time. Now, though, we're creeping up on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy and the recession is behind us. Our state has taken this time to recover, and it shows – the demand is now in the used car market. That benefits those who prefer the pre-owned because the prices have finally started to slump.

Bargain hunters are benefiting greatly from these lowered prices. Business owners are finding themselves purchasing company vehicles such as vans and pickup trucks at two to three thousand dollars cheaper than expected. The used car industry is booming. It's a great sign for the New Jersey economy.

The decline of used car prices is a fairly recent breakthrough and the prices could continue to drop, especially since the cost climb happened so quickly. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the average cost of a used automobile went up by 4.7 percent in 2009, 11.5 percent in 2010, and another 11.4 percent in 2012. Only this year have they begun to slow down. Regardless, it's difficult to say whether the price drop is temporary or if it will be sticking around for a while, especially considered how many cars were lost in Hurricane Sandy. Dealerships filed tens of thousands of insurance claims, and the need to recover those vehicles could affect the price once more. For that reason, economists are definitely suggesting that now is the time for purchasing used vehicles.

Buying Your First Real Car

The first-time car buyer many envision is a starry-eyed teenager desperately seeking a clunker they can afford that will get them from Point A to Point B without exploding. This is sometimes the case, but many don’t fit this stereotype. Some are college grads looking for a ride to their first real job. Other may be adults with an income that allows them to replace their old hand-me-down vehicle.

Car buyers are deeply varied, but all need to heed the same advice: Do you research! Start with these essential questions:

How much can I spend?

This is the question every potential car buyer should start with, after day dreaming about sports cars. This includes everything from the price to the registration to the insurance. Consider every payment carefully!

Your car should be affordable, but that’s not all you commit to buying with a vehicle. To make sure it’s legal, you also need to title and register it. Insurance is also a must. Keep in mind that, along with these expenses, you may also have to pay for any repairs, replacements, or maintenance needed.

Make sure that your monthly budget can cover all these expenses. Establishing a realistic budget can help you choose a vehicle. Don’t buy what you can’t afford!

What car suits my needs?

This is a question that begs many other questions, mostly to do with your lifestyle. How many passengers do you need your vehicle to hold? What do you carry? Do you have a long commute? Asking yourself what you really need in a vehicle can narrow down the vast market of cars out there, and help you pick the right one for you.

For example, if you drive long distances often, you’ll need a car that gets good gas mileage. Or, if you have to cart a lot of stuff around with you, a van or truck could be better for you. A dealer at your car dealership in South Jersey can help you with these questions, pointing out the best vehicles for you.

Do I need help?

One important step that many overlook is talking to someone who has been through the process before! By getting the expertise of someone, a friend or family member, who has bought their own car, you can get help navigating the world of vehicle purchase. If you know a mechanic, even better. He or she can also help you inspect the car.

Buying a vehicle can be scary, but going in prepared is a huge help. By asking yourself these questions before you make a purchase, you can get the right car at the right price for you.

Four Items for Keeping your New Car Clean on a Trip to the Beach

Even though the summer is wrapping up, South Jerseyans know that the end of the season is the best time to go down the shore. Kids are heading back to school, tourists' vacations are wrapping up, and the weather is cooling ever-so-slightly; the dwindling crowd combined with unbeatable sales on the boardwalk are difficult for locals to resist. But if you took advantage of one of the many summer sales that were going on at South New Jersey Ford and Chevy dealerships, you're going to want to keep those interiors fresh as a daisy. Here are four items you need for preventing sand from making its way into every nook and cranny.

A Bristly Brush

The biggest way that sand gets tracked into a vehicle is on the feet. A nice wooden brush with soft bristles is great for brushing off the bottoms of sandals and sneakers, getting into the crevices of the bottoms of shoes in a way you can't do with your hands. Brush your shoes off before getting inside and you're good to go.

A Mesh Bag

Don't throw all your beach belongings, like buckets, umbrellas, and shovels, into a canvas bag. Put them in a mesh bag, then rinse them with a hose before throwing it in the trunk. The water will get all the sand off, and the fact that mesh is porous will let the plastic items air dry on the way home.

A Sheet

Always line your trunk with a sheet! That way, even for your items that you can't brush off – like towels and tents – you can just throw them on top of the sheet and bundle everything up when you take it out at home. It's not a bad idea to put one on the back seat if you're bringing kids, too.

A Jug of Water

Bring a jug of water in your trunk – but it's not for drinking. Use it to rinse off your hands and feet before you get in the car on the way home. Isn't it always the one thing you wish you had anyway? Nobody wants to be sitting in sand the entire trip home, and a jug of water costs less than a dollar at the food store.

There's nothing worse than immediately dirtying something that's brand new. While your main priority should be having fun, it's easy to prevent sand from getting everywhere (and staying there forever!) in your brand new Ford or Chevy, so you might as well take some easy precautions.

Popular Pickup Truck Accessories

Pickup trucks are one of many types of vehicles that we often see decked-out with lots of aftermarket accessories. Just look at Rocky Ridge Trucks – you can choose to buy one of their many limited edition versions, all of which have themes and come with a variety of special accessories. No matter what you use your truck for – from off-roading to toting around equipment for carpentry jobs – there's always a way that it can be improved. That's why these accessories are the most popular in the world of pickups.

Truck Tailgates

Did you know that you can swap out your tailgate for one that will help you get better gas mileage? Stock tailgates are heavy and known for trapping air in the truckbed, which creates drag and makes the engine have to work harder during acceleration. Air flow tailgates are just as secure but help to eliminate that drag, giving you better fuel efficiency and equal confidence when moving equipment. Best of all, they're extremely easy to install with standard tools.

Tonneau Covers

One thing a lot of people don't like about pickups is that they're often afraid to leave them unattended when the bed is full with valuable equipment. That's the beauty of tonneau covers. They're attractive and provide coverage so that you don't have to worry about bringing everything in and out of the house when you aren't finished a job. They come in both hard- and soft-tops, always keep your cargo secure, and don't leave everything out in the open.

Engine Chips

There are a lot of ways to improve an engine's performance, such as using high-quality air filters and upgrading your exhaust system. However, nothing gets the job done quite like engine chips. They allow you to personalize the performance of your pickup to allow you to increase your horsepower, get better gas mileage, and simply perform better and more efficiently. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and make a huge difference when you drive a vehicle of this caliber.

Taking Advantage of Labor Day Car Sales: To Buy or to Lease?

Labor Day is coming up, and while to many people this means barbecues and back-to-school, you've probably also heard your fair share of weekend-long sale events at car dealerships. It's long been considered one of the best times of the year to buy a car, but the deals aren't just for buying. In fact, most dealerships put plenty of emphasis on lease deals this time of year as well. Of course, the power of choice always raises the question: which is better? It depends heavily on what type of consumer you are.

Fickle buyers: take advantage of those sign and drive lease deals! Leasing is the ideal decision for anyone who doesn't think they'll want to keep a vehicle for the long haul. It's more economical than driving a new car off the lot then attempting to sell it only a few years later. The car will have depreciated in value greatly by then and you'll probably be eating several thousand dollars.

Getting a great lease deal does require doing your homework and understanding how leasing works. The basic principle is that your payments are calculated by determining the difference between the capitalized cost – which is the car's selling price – and the residual value – which is the anticipated value that the vehicle will hold at the end of the lease. Essentially, when you're leasing a car, you're only paying the cost of its value depreciation over time. Know these terms before you go to be able to have the most informative talk with your car dealer and decide if the payments and contract seem to fit your lifestyle. Around Labor Day, many dealerships have the aforementioned "Sign and Drive" deals which require no money down, and they often flaunt much lower payments. If you plan on leasing, it's a great time of year to take advantage of that.

However, if you think you're going to end up buying the car after your lease is up, it's in your best interest to buy up front. It's been said that buying a brand new car and keeping it until it's monetarily not worth keeping anymore due to value depreciation and mechanical issues is the best financial route to take. Of course, unlike leasing, this doesn't take into consideration the fact that you might not want to keep the same car for its entire life, so take that into consideration. You can get some great deals on brand new cars around Labor Day, but be sure to do your research first if you're actually committing to purchasing it – vehicles are, of course, a big commitment of a purchase.

Both buying and leasing are attractive options depending on what you're looking for. Leasing is definitely a great short-term option, especially if you get a Labor Day deal. Buying, however, can be more economical for someone who plans to keep the car for the next decade or so.