Commercial Van Solutions

International Truck announced that the new Eaton Cummins Endurant™ 12-speed automated transmission, a light and efficient 1,850 lb.-ft. capable heavy-duty transmission, is now available on International® LT® Series and LoneStar® trucks. "Offering the Endurant transmission with the Cummins X15™ engine on our LT Series and LoneStar trucks reflects our DriverFirst™ philosophy, which is at the core of our product design process,” said Jeff Sass, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. “Integrated advanced transmission solutions benefit our long haul and regional haul customers through reliable vehicle performance, greater fuel efficiency and improved driver comfort.” Endurant enhances the driving experience with smooth and intuitive shift strategies and predictive shifting that uses look-ahead technology to execute shift decisions that improve fuel efficiency and provide additional driver comfort. Along with 750,000-mile lube change intervals for...

Running your car’s air conditioning, like any other feature on your car that draws power, will affect your gas mileage. The question is, how much will it affect the mileage, is it enough to warrant not using the air conditioning, and are the alternatives any better? The answers vary between car models, as well as between individual people because driving habits change from person to person. Good, master-certified automotive technicians should know what to consider if a customer asks whether running the air conditioner will be bad for mileage on that customer’s particular car. Your Choices are Limited The primary choices to consider are running the air conditioner with the windows up, or turning off the air conditioner and either using the fan-only setting, or no setting. In other words, there aren’t many. With the air conditioning, you’re actually siphoning power away from the engine and using more fuel to keep the air conditioning going. With the windows down, you’...

After first being commissioned by the German state of Hesse in August 2017 to build a stretch of electrified highway along the Autobahn, Siemens has now added the finishing touches to the system and fired it up for the first time. Intended as a greener solution for road freight transport, the eHighway follows similar installations in other countries and is hoped to demonstrate how cleaner trucking can bring significant savings in fuel costs and pollution. Siemens' first shared its idea for the eHighway back in 2012, where hybrid diesel/electric trucks fitted with purpose-built pantographs could tap into power lines running overhead to hum along the highway at up to 90 km/h (56 mph) using electricity only. It has since installed versions of this eHighway in the US and Sweden, and has now inaugurated another along Germany's Autobahn. The 10-km (6.2-mi) eHighway runs between Zeppelinheim/Cargo City Süd interchange at the Frankfurt Airport and the Darmst...

Earlier this year, Mercedes introduced the Marco Polo Horizon camper van at the CMT show, one of Germany's major annual camper expos. Now it's launching a few limited edition variants at the biggest of all those expos, the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon. The highlight is the gorgeous metallic red edition shown above, bringing some much-needed style and color to the camper van market. While there are the occasional Flow Campers and Knaus Sinner & Saints, it seems there are far too many whites, grays and blacks in the camper van market. The brown that Mercedes showed the Marco Polo Horizon in earlier this year was actually a welcome change, but the dazzling red of the new Marco Polo Horizon Limited Edition is on another level. That red is a specific shade from Mercedes' Designo palette called hyacinth red metallic, a color that's known for hugging the curves of Mercedes passenger cars like the C-Class and E-Class. Not only is it a gorgeous color ...

You’ve calculated your solar. Planned your build. Bought some components and made sure it’ll all fit. Now, how does it all go together? A tip before you begin: If you are new to electricity, then there’s a good chance you’ll make mistakes. It’s much safer and cheaper if those mistakes are on paper (or screen). We find it helpful to draw out what you plan on doing and asking experts on an electrical forum if your plan is correct. Even if you’re experienced it’s not a bad idea to have some more eyes on things. Solarpaneltalk.com and Northern Arizona Wind and Sun forums are full of helpful folks. And now, the warning: Start With Wire Size Electricity has to be able to fit in the metal wires you install. Trying to pull too much current through them can reduce their efficiency and even make them burn up. Wire thickness is determined by Wire length The amount of Amps passing through it Wire diameter is commonly measured in AWG, or American Wire Gauge, increments. The s...

Maxwell transplants the guts of a Volt into a Ram ProMaster   The Maxwell RHEV looks just like any small business' panel van, sporting large vinyl graphics and unassuming steel wheels. You'd have no idea that the co-founders of the startup based out of Seattle had grafted a salvaged Voltec powertrain from a junkyard Chevy Volt into this Ram ProMaster. Somewhere, a battery pack lurks. Maxwell's co-founders, CEO Max Pfeiffer and engineer Trey Camp, open the cargo area to reveal a completely unaltered space. Both are ex-Tesla employees with a long fascination for the #vanlife movement – that their interests intersected in a hybrid cargo van isn't surprising once you start talking to them. This is their first vehicle, a salvaged ProMaster sidelined with a blown 3.6-liter Pentastar, and it's both their prototype and the only Maxwell in existence right now. That said, the company is building a low-roof version for a customer, which will be lighter, have...

If you have an unattended trailer or caravan, you wouldn't be very happy if someone would steal it. Your damage would be even worse, when your trailer is loaded with your valuable stuff. When you let your trailer completely unattended on a parking place it is a breeze for a thief to steal it. He just needs to come with his own car and put your trailer on his towing hitch and he can pull it of. Or maybe he has to put the trailer off of your own car first, and then put it on his own car instead. As easy it is for him to steal it, so easy is it for you to put some spokes in his wheels. The easiest way to protect your hanger is a hitch lock. This is most often just a small pin which you put through the hitch receiver hole of your trailer, which can be locked up with a key. So no one can put your trailer on his own cars hitch to pull off your property. If a thief has not the right tools, he will not be able to destroy this lock in short time, so your trailer is safe for the first...