How to care for your car windows

We all love that new car smell and that beautiful experience of sitting in a new car and looking at the world through those wonderful windows.

Everything looks pretty and vibrant. Like wearing a pair of new glasses and the world just looks clearer. But as time progresses, the world doesn’t seem so vibrant anymore.

Everything looks obscure as the sun light bounces off the windows. Cars function well when they are cleaned, oiled and maintained well. Car windows need to be cleaned too.

They need more than just cleaning, they require other requirements that help keep the windows in good condition.

To help your car windows last longer and have the same quality and effect it did when you first bought it you must follow some basic requirements.

Wash them regularly

There is more than just dirt sticking to your car windows especially the rear window. Water residue and even bird droppings get stuck on your glass and can obstruct your view of the world outside.

You can still get that view back. All you’ve got to do is clean your windows with a high quality cleaner. You will need to clean them both inside and out and this helps restore your windows clarity, removes all the dirt out of the way and helps it last longer.

New wiper blades

Wipers wear out over time and can cause minimal damage to the windows. The metal edges can cause scratches on the windscreen that will be irreparable.

wiper-blades

You need to replace the wipers as soon as you begin to notice that they are wearing out or they develop a tear in the rubber of the wipers.

You first begin to notice this when there are streaks on your windscreen or a little of the rubber comes loose.

Safe distance

One of the first principles we learn when we start driving is to keep a safe distance between the car ahead of us as well as the one behind us.

The cars in front of us can spin gravel onto your windscreen and rear window that can chip or crack it.

They can even chip the paint of your car. There are instances when there is a crack or chip in the windscreen that can cause a glare that will bounce off the windscreen and can be dangerous to you as well as those on the road. The only way is to replace the windscreen altogether.

Repair them right away

The best thing to do for any damage is to repair it right away. The chips caused by differing stones of different sizes can impact your window in a bad way, causing your car windows to chip or crack.

windscreen-chip-repair

The smallest of craters formed can create air to flow in and spread the crack on to a bigger surface. And so if this is left unrepaired, it can be dangerous as well as pricey to fix later on. Repairing a chip is better than an entire windscreen or window.

Avoid sunlight

Whenever possible,   avoid parking in direct sunlight. Temperatures can be a major contributing factor for the shattering of the windscreen and/or rear windows.

uv-protection

The chips and cracks can spread and can cause more damage to the car. Parking in the shade is the best option available that can help prevent damage.

About the author:

Darren Pay and Justin Oakes head A1Windscreens, and are known to offer services for car windscreen replacement and repair. Their years of expertise coupled with the latest technology makes them one of the best professional services for car window replacement and tinting windows in Melbourne.

Campers, motorhomes, high-tops… the rental jargon explained!

Australia and New Zealand have pretty much the same kinds of campers and motorhomes as anywhere else overseas. However, depending on where you intend to travel and what you need from your relocation , it’s a good idea to know what each type of vehicle looks like and what extras they come with.

Before we start, here’s a little glossary of terms or rental jargon that will help you out:

Berth: for example 2 berth. The berth quantity indicates the legal number of passengers the vehicle can sleep and also generally indicates how many seat belts are available.

High-top: A vehicle with a fixed,  extended roof.

Pop-top: A vehicle with an extended roof that must be manually folded out or up.

Campervan or camper: Has sleeping and cooking facilities.

Campervan compact: Smaller campers  that look like a Toyota Previa or similar.

Motorhome or RV: Has sleeping and cooking facilities as well as a shower, toilet and hot water.

Continue reading Campers, motorhomes, high-tops… the rental jargon explained!

Transfercar: the ideal travel buddy

Attention money-starved travellers! Have you heard of Transfercar yet, the successful Australasian car relocation company?! No?! Well, listen up because here are the deets. Transfercar has officially launched in the US this August. Transfercar provides an online service that facilitates contact between rental car companies that need to relocate their cars and YOU, the budget conscious travellers eager to drive these free rental cars all over the place. The system is super simple: Rental operators list their relocation cars on the Transfercar website where registered drivers (that’s you, remember?!) view and request these cars. How can free rental cars be so easy?!

This offers a real win-win scenario where lucky drivers get a free car to help them with travel expenses and rental car companies save on steep relocation costs. A lot of the free rental cars come with various perks depending on the car. Transfercar can set you up with free insurance, free ferry rides and free gas! It’s like Christmas! And the variety of cars you can choose from seems infinite. If you’re looking for a campervan for the entire family or a basic Sedan for just you and a mate, Transfercar has the ideal vehicle you’re looking for.

Regular rental cars can be really expensive, especially if you’re travelling at short notice. With Transfercar you save the money you’d normally spend on pricey rentals, leaving you more moolah for travel essentials like eating at diners and high rolling it at the Casino! Our campervans can save you considerable money on accommodation, too. It seems too good to be true, but there is absolutely no catch here. Registration is free. The rental car is free. But your undying appreciation for being able to travel for less money is rather priceless, don’t you think?

Transfercar is leading the way in this brave new world that’s embracing a sharing community. We share our free rental cars with you, and at the same time we’re helping rental car companies. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn’t it? So, what are you waiting for? These free rental cars open you up to a world of possibilities: wherever you want to go, Transfercar can take you there. You’re welcome!

Transfercar Vehicle Guides: The Hatchback

hatchback blog post 4We get travelers asking us the differences between vehicles all the time, so we’re here to save you a headache with our vehicle guides! These will inform you about the types of vehicles you could be driving with us and which one might best suit your needs. This week we’re covering Hatchbacks – the space heavy mini cars.
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Transfercar Driving Safety: Seasonal Driving Tips

Driving conditions change with the seasons. In the summer or hot weather roads are dry and cars heat up, along with the driver. In winter or cold weather roads can get slippery and treacherous.  The trick to safe driving has always been adapting to your surroundings and driving to the conditions, and seasonal changes are no exception.
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Transfercar featured in Road Trip article

We love it when journalists discover the wonderful world of Transfercar and this week Richard Meadows

NZ free car rental with Transfercar
How to score a cheap road trip

from Fairfax New Zealand wrote about How to Score A Cheap Road Trip.

Back in August, surveyor Taryn Martin and a couple of mates took off in a hired van for a wee road trip around the West Coast.

They jumped out of planes in Queenstown, hiked up Fox Glacier, and toasted marshmallows at the Cardrona Pub.

“It was wicked,” says Martin.

How much did Jucy charge the band of adventurers to hire an eight-seater people mover? A grand total of $3.

Continue reading Transfercar featured in Road Trip article