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One of the best and iconic things to do in the summertime is a great road trip. Enjoying time with family and friends with music, games, and conversations that create memories. To ensure a fun time, it’s always best to be prepared. Forgetting something important when you’re in the middle of nowhere or far away from home can be extremely frustrating. We’ve created a list of things to do and pack before you take off for your adventure. 1. Take Care of Your Vehicle We’ve listed this as number one because the vehicle is the root of your road trip! It's going to get you from A to B, while carrying your friends and family, so it’s important to ensure your vehicle is running smoothly and safely. This includes checking fluids, lights, spare tire, and making sure tire tread is healthy. Browse tires online or schedule your appointment, our expert mechanics would be more than happy to ensure your vehicle is road trip ready! 2. Have a Travel Plan No, you don’t need to mark that 10:02am will be the first bathroom stop. The best way to plan your road trip isn’t with more numbers, but a rough estimate. Delays are to be expected on any long distance trip, and adjustments may have to be made. Make room for any adjustments. Accidents, traffic jams, closed roads, hotel closures, and even extra stops for snacks or sight-seeing are all typical incidents you can run into. Have a plan, but have fun too! 3. Keep Passengers Entertained Whether you have kids in the back or your best friends behind you, it is always important to keep them entertained. Keeping your mind occupied makes the trip go by faster – time flies when you’re having fun! Of course, it can be easy if you’re vehicle has integrated features such as entertainment screens. Crank up the tunes! Make sure you have plenty on your playlist, or a designated DJ. Looking at your phone to change songs should never be done while driving. When creating your playlist, consider all those coming with you and choose songs that you know will get everyone in the mood for adventure. There are plenty of fun road trip games you can play with your passengers as well. Check out this awesome article from Thought Catalog, it’s full of great games ideas! Are you trying to figure out where you want to go? Here are some great road trip ideas in our beautiful state of Washington! The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we make no guarantees regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information presented. Any action you take based on the context of this blog is strictly at your own risk. Always consult a qualified professional or specialist for advice specific to your situation. We are not responsible for any losses or damages arising from the use of this blog or its content.

Tires have been a part of car history as long as we can remember. Obviously, we’ve come a very long way since the wheel was invented. As time went on, the original wheel – which was made of solid wood – was covered with leather, and eventually rubber to soften the ride. Mr. Charles Goodyear, created the vulcanization process, which is heating rubber with sulfur to make the rubber a firmer material, making it perfect for tires. At this point, they were made of solid rubber. Robert W. Thomson is credited for creating the first air-filled tire, and even had the design patented as well. But, in 1888, John Dunlop claimed the invention of the pneumatic, air-filled tire and with no knowledge of Thomson’s work. The pneumatic tire eventually became a commercial hit. Since then, different types of tires have been invented to do a variety of jobs. You can learn more about bias ply, radial tires, and more here: https://www.continentaltire.com/content/history-passenger-tire Here are some great and interesting facts about the invention that has helped us moved forward: Airplane tires are filled with Nitrogen. When a plane hits the runway, there’s a large amount of friction, pressure, and heat that builds within the tire. If the tire was filled with oxygen, the oxygen will react with all of this and the tire could pop. Nitrogen takes much more energy to react, and keeps hold when in different pressures and temperatures. Lego produces about 318 million tires a year, which is actually more than any other tire manufacturer. You can check when your tire was made! Each tire in the US has an identification number, just like the VIN on a vehicle, but this one is a TIN. Find it on the sidewall, after the letter “DOT”. The last four numbers will tell you which week (01-53) of what year your tire was made if it was made in the year 2000 or later. The rubber tires are made of is initially white. Carbon black is added to reduce hotspots and increase the strength and durability. Prior to this, zinc oxide was once added to early tires, making them turn white. You can order tires online on https://www.speckcdjr.com/tire-finder.html. Our Service Experts here at Speck Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM will get you taken care of with your tire needs!

Did you know the 2019 RAM 1500 is the winner of Truck Trend’s 2019 Pick-Up of the Year? Out of so many great options out there, the battle was a close one. The scoring of these trucks is based off of many different factors. Here’s a breakdown of how much weight each category has on the final score: 15% -- Tow and Haul This category measures how the truck performs & reacts when given maximum payload and a class-specific weighted trailer. 15% -- Highway Performance How does the steering feel? How does the vehicle handle when moving at high speeds? These are the types of things that are judged in the category of highway performance. 15% -- Offroad Performance This is one is pretty self-explanatory – can this truck handle the off-road? This is the evaluation of tire performance, traction aids, four-wheel-drive system, and all that is off the road. 15% -- Functionality The test of functionality includes the easy-to-use technology, passing power, and more. How easy does the integrated tech make your daily drive? 20% -- Empirical Data Empirical Data is all the numbers. From braking power, loaded/unloaded acceleration, fuel economy, MSRP, and more. This particular category holds the most weight in the competition because this data is truly what makes the truck worth the dollars you pay. Which we must mention again – The RAM 1500’s got it in the bag. 10% -- Exterior Basically: Are you driving in style? This also includes any extra features to your truck to make it, well, extra. 10% -- Interior Comfy seats? Check. Extra room for cargo? Check. Is the leather extra leathery? Yes. This category tests all these things, including instrumentation, appearances, technology, and more. Wanna know what the RAM and its competition scored? Check it out here! We invite everyone from the area to take a look at these wonderful trucks! We happily serve the Yakima, Sunnyside, Grandview, Prosser, Richland, Kennewick and Pasco area with our RAM prowess. Join us today at Speck Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM in Grandview to get into Truck Trend’s 2019 Pick-Up of the Year! Check out our selection of new RAMs here!!!

Use your Jeep to explore what’s out there, beyond the pavement! Here at Speck Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, off-road is a way of life. There is nothing like the feeling of escaping the roads and venturing to the unknown. We’ve listed a few great places around the area to take advantage of the outdoors, off the road! Jeeping is a way of life. Naches Trail (Moderate) Greenwater, WA Over 12 miles long, this trail is easy for most 4x4 vehicles and anyone who may be new to going off the road. This trail is full of history and even connects to the Pacific Crest Trail, which connects Mexico to Canada. You’ll find this easy-jeeping area right after you pass through Greenwater on WA-210. Bethel Ridge (Easy) Naches, WA If you are trying to reach a gorgeous view, this is the ideal spot for you. Once you make it to the top you can see Rimrock Lake, and if on a clear day, Mt. Adams! This is one of the highest trails in Washington state. Yakima Rim Trail (Moderate) Selah, WA Another with a great view, this route is a great place to go. The Yakima Canyon offers fields of flowers and wildlife including bighorn sheep, pelicans, and more. You must have a Discovery Pass to use this trail. Ahtanum Ridge (Easy) Yakima, WA Just south of Yakima, this trail is a part of the Green Dot routes, which are special routes under an agreement to limit the use of motorized vehicles to conserve wildlife and the geographical environment. You must be considerate not to stray off this trail. Green Dot trails are a great resource to finding all the places you can bring your Jeep on a real adventure – they’ve been pre-approved to take on your 4 x 4! Juniper Dunes (Moderate – Tough, fun!) Pasco, WA Experience the dunes just 7 miles outside of Pasco! You must have a high-clearance 4x4 to make it through the Wilderness Trail, to the gate. This is definitely worth checking out! Take your new Jeep on a journey this summer and explore the world around you! Here are a few wonderful resources to finding your next Jeeping trail: http://nwjeepn.com/WAtrails.htm https://www.alltrails.com/us/washington/off-road-driving Be sure to check out our amazing selection of Jeeps! Wranglers, Cherokees, Renegades, and more here at Speck Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Grandview.

Have you ever wondered where we get some of these crazy terms in the car industry? Here’s a bit of history that may give you some insight as to how these terms came to be. Car: “Car” is a word derived from Celtic origin – originally karros, and seen in many other languages including  Anglo-French ( carre), Latin ( carrum). When railroads were a popular form of transportation between 1831 to the first decade of the 20 th century, “cars” were referred to the railroad train. "Car" eventually evolved into regular vocabulary as automobiles became more popular. Vehicle: First recorded in the 1600’s, vehicle derives from Latin vehiculum, which is defined as “means of transport, carriage, conveyance”.  Vehicle was used in many different contexts throughout history, including in early medicine – “a medium in which a drug or medicine is administered”. Transmission: Also found as early as the 1600’s, originating from transmissionem in Latin, transmission is defined as “conveyance from one place to another” and “to send over or across”. The transmission in automobiles is what regulates and sends power from the engine to the axle. Horsepower: This word was coined by Scottish Engineer James Watts to compare the power of draft horses to the output of power from steam engines, and eventually was used in comparison with piston engines, electric motors, and more. During this time, the definition of horsepower was established as the power needed to lift and move 33,000lbs one foot in one minute – which is about 1.5 times the power of a strong draft horse. Soup: Have you ever heard of a “souped-up” engine? Going hand in hand with horsepower, soup was slang term in the 1920’s for medicines injected into horses to make them run faster. Nowadays, we soup up our engines to make them as fast as we want. Torque: Meaning “rotating force”, the term torque was originally derived from Latin torquere, which means “to twist, turn”.  This word has been used outside of automobiles for a long time as both a verb, adjective, and noun – some recordings as early as the 1500’s. Learn more here!

We love cars. Obviously. So we decided to compile a list of some great Washington State classic car shows and swap meets where you can enjoy yourself around our favorite subject: automobiles. Tri-Cities Annual Swap Meet – Kennewick May 4, 2019 Clover Park Technical College 27th Annual Car & Bike Show -Lakewood May 9, 2019 White River High School Motorsports Club Car Show - Buckley May 18, 2019 Cruizin' Harrington - Harrington May 18, 2019 Moses Lake Classic Car Club Car & Bike Show – Moses Lake May 24 th & 25 th, 2019 13th Annual Big Rock Classic Car and Cycle Show – Duvall June 1, 2019 Rakers Annual Car Show – Port Townsend June 15th, 2019 Summer Cruise-Ins – Auburn June 20 th, 2019 Cruizin' Together Car Show – Tacoma June 29, 2019 Washington State Hot Rod Hall of Fame Car Show – Issaquah June 30 2019 4th of July Car Show – Auburn July 4, 2019 Washington State Hot Rod Hall of Fame Car Show – Issaquah July 7,2019 Bombs Away Car Show – Tacoma July 13 th, 2019 All Pontiac GMC show – Tacoma July 20, 2019 Vietnam Veterans 9th Annual Car Show – Bellingham July 21, 2019 Lake City Summer Festival Car Show – Seattle August 3, 2019 Goodguys 18th Great Northwest Nationals – Spokane August 9-11 th, 2019 Don't forget to take a look at our Model Showroom! Drive home tomorrow's classics -- today!

Fun Facts about Dodge --  one of the top automakers in the world! The Dodge Brothers co-founded a bicycle shop in 1897, and later sold it to open a machine shop to make parts for the auto industry. Henry Ford offered stock in his company to pay for the Dodge brother's work. The Dodge brothers produced almost every part of Ford's Model T, aside from the tires and wooden seats. Dodge Brothers Motor Company was founded in 1913. Walter Chrysler bought the Dodge company for $170 million in 1928 after the Dodge duo passed away in 1920 with the flu & pneumonia. The Dodge Viper's first engine was borrowed from the RAM pick-up line, prior to creating a V10 engine -- which was designed by Lamborghini. Henry Ford II denied the idea of the Grand Caravan, created by Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich in the early 70's. Moving onto Chrysler, the duo eventually introduced the new Dodge Grand Caravan in 1983 - becoming one of the most popular minivans of all time. The Dodge Power Wagon was a very popular model, and eventually was created for both civilian and military use. The Power Wagon ended up being the inspiration for the Dodge RAM pick-up. From 1962-1981, the Dodge Logo was a shape consisted of three triangles arranged geometrically. The symbol's designer named this shape a "Fratzog". You may still see this shape hiding on your Dodge today.  ( Click here to check it out) The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has a horsepower of 707, making it one of the most power vehicles in American production history. Be sure to stop by and take a look at our selection of one of the most iconic car names in history, just in time for our Dodge Performance Days. View our Dodge's online here