Auto Archives - Lacamas Magazine

Market Place: Top Considerations Before Selling Your Boat

Being able to entertain friends and family on a boat has its benefits. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your vessel or make a few bucks, learning the top considerations before selling your boat provides you with the best strategies.

Understanding the Current Market

Before listing your boat, you may have a target price in mind, but it may not match what the market dictates. The state of the market always trumps the boat’s condition, no matter how immaculate it is.

Thanks to all the resources shoppers have at their disposal, they are more knowledgeable than ever. It’s easy for them to look at similar vessels and compare prices, giving them possible leverage in a negotiation.

Make a Listing That Stands Out

Considering the multiple avenues that potential buyers can view, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. For starters, any listing must have an enticing title. If you don’t feel confident in your writing skills, speaking to an experienced copywriter can help.

Additionally, several listings have pictures of the vessel, but you should go the extra mile and produce some high-quality photography content. Regardless of the product, making it look good pays.

While a picture can say a thousand words, informing buyers of your boat’s specifications helps answer any questions they may have. Buyers will want to know about the service records, how old the boat is, and if there are any substantial upgrades you made.

Get a Professional Inspection

Nothing is more frustrating than arranging a trip to the coast only for the boat to have mechanical complications, stranding you in the middle of the water. To prevent selling a lemon that angers the buyer, get a professional to inspect all components of your vessel.

A thorough inspection alerts you of any underlying concerns that may rear their ugly heads in the not-so-distant future. Upon completion of the inspection, you can repair and fine-tune anything on your boat. Consider adding a new outboard motor—just make sure you understand how the motor works!

Let Your Vessel Give an Excellent First Impression

Whenever someone wants to sell their house, they stage it to provide a vision for the buyer of what their home could be. You can use that same strategy for your boat because first impressions mean everything.

A pristine, well-kept boat should allow buyers to envision themselves with their hands on the throttle. Neglecting your boat is off-putting, causing others to look for a boat elsewhere. You should get the return you are seeking by waxing, painting, and cleaning the vessel, inside and out.

Knowing the top considerations before selling your boatpoints you in the right direction before putting it on the market. Putting in all the effort to appeal to multiple buyers may create a bidding war for your impeccable boat, bringing a smile to your face.

June 23, 2022/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

Preparing for Full-Time RV Living: What you Need to Know

Living the RV lifestyle full-time is an exciting adventure! That said, there are a lot of preparations that you need to make before you hit the road and start your new life. Fortunately, we’ve put together a list of things to do before you begin this exciting new chapter of your life.

Set a Date

It’s best to set a date for departure before you dive into the finer details of preparing for full-time RV living. We understand – doing this first might seem premature. After all, there’s no way to know when you’ll be ready to hit the road. But it helps to give yourself a deadline.

If you’re a homeowner, account for the time it takes to sell or rent your home and move out. In any case, setting a deadline for yourself will make your need to plan real and urgent. Plus, it’ll help you develop each milestone you need to hit along the way to set out for a new life on the road.

Make a To-Do List

An integral part of preparing for full-time RV living is making a to-do list. When you sit down to make this first list, consider adding the following things to it:

Find an RV
Start decluttering and organizing a garage sale
Research earning mobile income and health care
Discover where to camp
Choose a mail service and cancel utilities

Checking all these things off your list will ensure that you’re well prepared when the time comes to leave your brick and stick home behind. Plus, you can glean a loose picture of what those first couple of months to a year on the road will look like.

Simplify Your Life

After you make your big to-do list, it’s time to pay close attention to one bullet in particular: start decluttering and organize a garage sale. RVs are compact mobile homes with only so many appliances and unique features.

So there are a few things you’ll have to give up once you’re ready to take your life in this new and exciting direction. And it’s up to you to decide what those things are. But there are a few helpful strategies you can use to try and sort through it all, including:

Make time for daily decluttering
Focus on one area of your home at a time
Be decisive about your giveaways

Of course, you can hold onto anything that might help you make your RV feel like home. But the point is to get rid of any clutter that will complicate RV life rather than make it easier.

Outline Your Necessities

Lastly, it’s essential to outline your necessities. Once you declutter and figure out the logistic side of taking your life on the road full-time, knowing what your actual needs will be is much simpler. You’ll need clothes, kitchen supplies and basic toiletries. You’d also need groceries, first aid kits, bedding and cleaning supplies.

Later on, you can figure out which extras you might have room for. Regardless, prepping for a life on the road means planning and knowing how to let go of certain things to have the simple life you desire. Hopefully, we provided some valuable information on how you can do that.

June 23, 2022/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

Four of the Most Beneficial Motorcycle Modifications

There are plenty of modification options when it comes to motorcycles, but not all of them are worth considering. Riders need to be a bit more careful when modifying their bikes because the small size of the bike makes it easier for things to go wrong. However, here are four of the most beneficial motorcycle modifications and why you should consider them.

Fender Eliminator Kit

Many riders don’t like the way natural motorbike fenders look, so they invest in a fender eliminator kit to give the back of their bike a bit of pizazz. When installing a new fender, the most important thing is ensuring that you hook everything up correctly. Less expensive models or ones that installers neglect to put on correctly often have issues with rear lighting. It’s good to install your fender elimination kit properly to avoid getting into any potential trouble with authorities over a faulty taillight.

Fuel Tuner

The two things many people think about when they hear the word “motorcycle” are power and speed. Modifying your bike to have a fuel tuner ends up improving both. Fuel tuners adjust the air/fuel ratio in your bike for increased power and a few other helpful benefits.

Battery Tender

Some of the most beneficial motorcycle modifications aren’t the most glamorous to look at, but they’re the most practical. A common annoyance with motorcycles is that their batteries tend to die off quickly. The cold winter months, when many bikes sit idly in a garage or shed, are especially tough on the battery. Battery tenders are easy to install, and you plug them in when you’re not using your bike. With this, the battery should last for several years and won’t die on you in about 18 months.

New Tires

This one is entirely up to you, but most manufacturers put the most generic mid-range tires onto a motorcycle unless you’re getting a custom bike. Depending on the terrain you plan to drive on, or how regularly you drive, it’s good to invest in a new set of tires to fit your personal riding needs.

June 23, 2022/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, News

Toyota C-HR: This Car Has Excellent Styling, Roomier Than It Looks

Over the last two decades, Americans are buying fewer hatchbacks and station wagons than they used to. But data has shown the public likes them if they ride a bit higher, with optional all-wheel drive and have the feeling of an SUV, which has given room for the crossover market to take off. Toyota answered with the hugely successful RAV4, and they are hoping to continue that success with the all-new 2018 Toyota C-HR

The C-HR is smaller and less expensive than the RAV4, and was originally designed for Toyota’s Scion brand. The car is quite sporty and has excellent handling. It also has an extensive list of standard safety features, which alone are good reasons to consider the C-HR.

The Toyota C-HR is well-equipped in its base XLE form, with dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlights, and traffic-adapting cruise control — as all standard. The C-HR starting price does cost more than the competition in its class, but we do recommend the XLE Premium trim. But it doesn’t cost much more than the XLE and includes features such as heated front seats and a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert.

The car’s sporty styling delivers. It’s fun and nimble when going around turns, but the engine’s 144 hp doesn’t provide much torque.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive and tested well when driving over 100 miles on one trip. The vehicle does have a lot of tire noise.

The dashboard ergonomics are easy to use, and very pleasing to the eye.

If you want lots of storage space, you won’t find it here. Aside from a small bin in the front there is cargo space behind the second row, but it’s not substantial.

Overall, the car is fun to drive, with excellent handling and great styling. People notice when you come around the corner.

C-HR Photo Gallery

We brought the 2017 Camas 11/12 All-Stars to have some fun with the C-HR. As you can see, a lot of people can fit into the car. 🙂

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

September 26, 2017/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

2016 Toyota Highlander: A Top Safety Pick

The 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited PLT we tested proved to be a nimble, powerful, and practical vehicle that meets the needs of every day running around, while also providing a capable vehicle for touring the mountains, the snow, and even camping.

Its design is more rugged than previous generations, but it still is more of a car than a truck, such as the rugged 4-Runner. It proves to be a nice balance between the 4-Runner (the Highlander has more room) and the smaller RAV-4.

Our model came with the 3.5-liter V-6, with 270 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. It got us where we needed to, and quick. Toyota also offers a four-cylinder option, as well as a Hybrid. The all-wheel drive worked nicely in the Cascade Mountain snow.

Its interior is part-truck, part-car. It does have a truck feel, but the Teutonic-themed dash board, along with the dashboard’s lines and textures are pleasing to the eye.

Toyota Highlander: A Top Safety Pick

The 2016 Toyota Highlander has received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It’s in good company with the 2016 Honda Pilot and 2016 Nissan Murano, which are also mid-sized SUVs.

The Toyota Highlander also earned the award last year, but testing requirements have changed. To earn the Top Safety Pick+ award, a vehicle must score a “Good” rating in all five of the IIHS crash tests.

Toyota made structural modifications to change performance, and meet the IIHS’ higher thresholds. During testing, the dummy hit the front airbag. Last year, the head slid off the airbag during testing.

It should be noted that the 2016 Toyota Highlander also scored an Advanced score in optional front crash prevention technology.

What we like:

Styling (Exterior and Interior)
Storage capacity
Second-row room
Overall vehicle quality and refinement

Dislikes:

Third row is cramped

Features:

270 horsepower, 3.5L DOHC V-6 engine with dual VVT-I
6-speed automatic transmission, 5,000 lb. towing capacity
19″ chromatic wheels
Platinum package (Driver technology packaged, heated second row seats, leather second-row captain’s chairs, rain sensing windshield wipers)

Price as tested: $44,490 (MSRP). Fuel economy is 24 MPG highway/18 city.

To learn more, go to www.Toyota.com

Interior of the Toyota Highlander Limited PLT. Photo by Toyota.

We took the Highlander into the snow, and it handled very well.

The 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited PLT AWD we tested made its way through the snow in the Cascades and around the Columbia Gorge.

The Toyota Highlander has plenty of room for gear.

April 7, 2016/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

Downtown Camas Classic Car Show Coming July 5

The 8th Annual Historic Downtown Camas Car Show and Rock & Roll Night is coming up on Friday, July 5, from 5:00-9:00 pm. Last year, 200 classic and specialty cars lined the streets of charming Historic Downtown Camas and thousands of spectators turned out to enjoy the beautiful evening and autos. This year, event organizers have extended the street closures to make room for additional cars.

Westlie Ford is the title sponsor of this year’s event. Additional sponsors are Camas Burgerville, Columbia Ridge Assisted Living, Country Financials – Courtney Wilkinson, IQ Credit Union, Journey Community Church, and Prestige Care and Rehabilitation.

June 16, 2013/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

2013 Nissan Sentra: Loaded With More Style

For the last 30 years the Nissan Sentra has been an able car with good gas mileage and a proven reliability record. It was the car seen at the high school student parking lot, in front of college dorms, on daily work commutes or driven by young families.

It’s been the car that COULD, and has been a very practical part of the American scene.

The completely redesigned 2013 Nissan Sentra continues that tradition, but it also earns some serious style credentials. It almost feels like the car grew up, and is ready for a different phase in its history as it competes in the small sedan market. Its nose gives it a more sophisticated presence while the redesigned taillights have an Infiniti aura. And it also has a more aerodynamic look than the previous model.

This new model rests on an all-new platform that is about two inches longer and 150 pounds lighter.

The SL model we tested had a gray interior that was practical, surprisingly roomy and cleverly designed. The dashboard ergonomics were impressive, but also simple, with a fun-to-use touch command center. You instantly felt comfortable and in control of the car’s electronic features.

Nissan engineers were generous with interior space, giving the car plenty of head and legroom with enough space leftover for a nice size trunk. It was enough to haul four baseball gear bags, catcher’s gear, and four school backpacks with room to spare.

We tested the Sentra on winding Pacific Northwest roads and freeways, and spent a lot of time touting it around the city. Though no racecar, the Sentra has adequate acceleration and a solid ride for 1.8L four-cylinder vehicle (putting out 130 horsepower). It moved when we needed it to, and we arrived at each destination in style. It handled corners well.

The CVT transmission was designed to be more compact and economical and it performed quietly in both city and highway driving.

The SL model starts at $19,590 MSRP and touts 39 mpg highway/30 city. We feel that’s a very good price point for a car in this class. During our weeklong test period, the Sentra averaged 29.2 miles per gallon. And we did a lot of city driving.

Nissan offers the car in eight exterior colors with seven interior trim options. The SL comes with the following:

4-cyl. engine
Continuously variable transmission
Up to 30 cty/39 hwy mpg
Bluetooth
iPod input
Satellite radio
Side/curtain airbags
Stability control
Traction control
Navigation system (optional)

It also had a kicking sound system with Bose speakers.

The Sentra comes standard with anti-lock brakes, stability control, front and side curtain airbags, as well as active front head restraints.

Our verdict: The 2013 Nissan Sentra has stepped it up a couple of notches in terms of style, design, space and comfort but has maintained its roots as being a practical car with good gas mileage.

May 20, 2013/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

Lacamas Magazine Automotive in Full Gear with Scion FR-S

It’s fast, fun and sporty! The 2013 Scion FR-S kicks off our first auto video review as part of Lacamas Magazine Automotive. You’ll love it! Coming soon …

April 25, 2013/0 Comments/by Ernest Geigenmiller

Auto, Living

Local Theater Company Owner Wins Scion xB

When Kate Braidwood entered the Scion “Motivate” contest the last thing she had in mind was really winning.

But win she did.

Braidwood, co-owner of Wonderheads touring theater company, would ultimately win a brand-new Scion xB, $10,000 cash, and a business mentorship.

VIDEO INTERVIEW: This is a short interview with Kate and her husband (watch at 720p HD).http://youtu.be/0Uhq1j55vNs

It’s been a fun ride.

“I am so stunned and pleased by what’s happened,” said Braidwood. “When we entered the contest we had to write about our company and make a video about who we are. We sent it to Scion and were one of 50 semi-finalists that got invited to a conference in Southern California.”

Launched in October, the Motivate program drew applications from all over the country that described individuals’ variety of entrepreneurial goals and efforts around art, fashion, music and film. A panel selected 50 semi-finalists to participate in a three-day workshop last month in Santa Monica, Calif. with leading entrepreneurs covering topics such as growing sales, establishing a physical space and online development. The participants incorporated new insights learned into their Motivate entries and final winners were chosen.

Out of thousands of entries, Kate was only one of 10 talented and passionate young entrepreneurs who won. Other winners included authors, publishers, a backpack manufacturer, designers, artists and musicians.

All winners will be individually paired with a relevant business mentor for future career-building and had their choice of any Scion vehicle. The remaining semi-finalists each received a $1,000 grant and left the workshop with helpful industry knowledge that they can apply to their business moving forward.

“We’ve learned so much and winning the prize, it means the world to me and my business,” said Braidwood. “I won the Scion xB and that will make a huge difference for my company. It’s a touring theater company, and we’ll be able to tour safely and fit everything we need to in our car.”

Other winners planned to use the new vehicles as part of their marketing efforts by wrapping them with custom designs. Winners already had plans for how they would invest the prize money back into their businesses, including new equipment and increasing their online presences.

“The Motivate winners live and breathe the passion Scion hoped to find and elevate through this first-ever program for young entrepreneurs,” said Scion Vice President Doug Murtha. “These individuals’ continued success is what we wish for all of our customers, who continue to show us they relate to forging their own paths and creative expression. In its 10 years, that passion remains part of the Scion story.”

Kate co-owns her touring company with husband, Andrew Phoenix. You can learn more about their business at www.wonderheads.com

You also learn more at www.scion.com