There are many add-on devices and gizmos for cars that can
provide features to make your ride better. There are accessories
that will give you music that is more to your liking. A gps with
maps can display the route to take to your chosen destination. A
heated mug will keep coffee hot as long as the car is running.
There are other useful functions and nice effects that add-on
accessories can provide. Many car accessories are low enough in
price so that they may be well worth installing. This article
concentrates on the lower priced accessories. Most are under
$50. You might find these at larger auto parts stores, large
department stores, electronics stores or online.
Here’s the list with some information and comments about each:
12 volt heated mug - A mug with a plug for getting power
from the cigarette lighter socket. It keeps a liquid such as
coffee hot for as long as the vehicle is running. Some models
have a thermostat to set the temperature.
Example models:
- Wagan Tech Heated Travel Mug. At At www.autoanything.com.
- NexxTech Travel Mug with
Thermal Control At
www.circuitcity.com .
- Power Up Thermal Mug. At www.radioshack.com.
Cooler/warmer - These give the choice of keeping food or
beverage hot or cold. Some are sized to hold a can of soda or a
mug of coffee, larger units might hold a six pack or more.
Example models:
- Wagan Car Cooler/Warmer. At www.autoanything.com.
- Koolatron 8 quart Food
Cooler/Warmer. At www.jcwhitney.com.
- Vector 6-can Portable
Food Cooler & Warmer Chest. At www.jcwhitney.com.
Cell phone charger - Plugs into the cigarette lighter
socket to power or charge your cell phone.
Example models:
- Custom Accessories Deluxe Power Cord
Charger - Motorola. At
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ecid=25&dirpage=dir2&curitempos=6&numitems=13&itmid=197&eflag=0 rel="nofollow">w
ww.carlovershop.com.
- Custom Accessories Power Cord
Charger - Motorola. At
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ecid=25&dirpage=dir2&curitempos=12&numitems=13&itmid=200&eflag=0 rel="nofollow">
www.carlovershop.com.
- Radio Shack 273-1288 Car Power
Adapter for Hitachi SH-P300 Wireless Phone. At
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tegory%5Fname=CTLG%5F008%5F001%5F014%5F028&product%5Fid=273%2D128
8 rel="nofollow">www.radioshack.com.
- Quick Cell 3900 Car Charger Nokia.
At www.advanceautoparts.com.
12 volt coolers - These range in size to hold 2 soda cans
up to full size refrigerators for recreational vehicles.
Example models:
- VDP Road Chill 2-pack Cooler. At www.jcwhitney.com.
Multipurpose lights - Can be incandescent, flourescent or
led. They might plug into the cigarette lighter socket, might be
wired directly into the car’s power circuits, or be battery
operated and portable. If used while the vehicle is not running,
a consideration may be that led models will drain the battery
the least (but in general produce less light).
Example models:
- Bonatrade International 6-Watt Single
Tube 12V Fluorescent Light. At www.jcwhitney.com.
- Custom Accessories
10716 Power Lite: Magnet Mount. Plugs into cigarette lighter
jack. At www.acehardware.com.
- Custom Accessories 76665 Utility Light 12v. At www.acehardware.com.
- Voltec Industries 0800255 Trouble Light: 12 Volt. At www.advanceautoparts.com
a>.
- Alert HC20 Halogen Worklight 12v. At www.advanceautoparts.com.
Compass - Some are magnetic, some mechanical; some are
battery powered with digital displays, can be lighted to read at
night, and/or have additional features such as time, date,
and/or temperature.
example models:
- Wayfinder V100 Digital Compass. At www.autoanything.com
a>.
- NexxTech Digital Compass with Calendar, Clock and
Temperature. At www.circuitcity.com.
- Radio Shack
63-1221 Digital Vehicle Compass. At www.radioshack.com.
- Custom Accessories 18100. At www.advanceautoparts.com
.
- Custom Accessories 55558. At www.advanceautoparts.com
.
- Black Type S Compass. At www.autobarn.com
>.
4 point safety harness - Has four anchor points and a
restraint for each shoulder. These are more likely to get you
through a crash with less injury than if you had been using a
standard belt (across one shoulder and across the lap). Many of
these models are made to attach to a roll bar, so make sure the
one you are getting is appropriate for your vehicle.
example models:
- Peak Racing Equipment PEK-507-2. At www
.amazon.com.
- Peak Racing Equipment PEK-507-2. At www.summitracing
.com.
Power inverter - Plugs into the cigarette lighter socket,
clips to battery, or wire it in. The vehicle’s 12 volts dc is
changed to 120 volts ac to power things like laptop computers,
coffee makers, cell phones, camcorder battery chargers and other
small appliances. Don’t go bigger than 400 watts unless you want
to go directly to the battery with heavy wire. Even then, high
power devices will drain your battery quickly and could fry the
alternator if the engine is running.
example models:
- Coleman Powermate CMN-PMP400 400 watt. At
www.summitracing.com.
- Motor Trend power inverter
HDL-MTI-12-3716. At www.summitracing.com.
- Xantrex X Power Mobile
Plug 75. At w
ww.fisheriessupply.com.
- Go Power GP 175 Modified Sine
Wave Inverter. At www.
hamiltonmarine.com.
Other accessories that can be used to enhance your car include
seat covers, floor mats, steering wheel covers, sun shades, head
rest covers, litter bags, can and cup holders, inside/outside
thermometer, gps/map device, extra loud or novelty sound horns.
Items to keep in your car for repair, emergency, safety and
miscellaneous - Jack, lug wrench, trouble light, flares, jumper
cables, maps, cell phone and phone numbers, coolant for
radiator, drinking water, long storage food, empty container for
gasoline, various hand tools, gloves, coat, hat, blanket, rain
poncho, and a first aid kit.