by Gabrielle DeSantis

In many states, fall brings a beautiful change of scenery. The leaves begin to changes and wither from the tree, making for a beautiful watercolor of reds, oranges, and yellows. What isn’t so beautiful, however, is the mess that it leaves for our lawns and lawn mower, giving us a seemingly endless number of tasks to keep our yards in the best shape possible. While the leaves haven’t quite started to fall yet, it is time to start preparing our lawn equipment, like our lawn mowers, for a rougher season, which will not only make our jobs easier but also keep our equipment in the best shape possible all season long.

It’s probably time to sharpen your lawn mower blades

In the fall, your lawn mower is responsible for tackling more than just cutting your grass. Chances are, no matter how many times you rake the yard, you’ll still find yourself plagued with debris — which is always important to remove the bulk of prior to mowing. Sharpening your lawn mower blades can be an easy DIY task, and it can make your chore of mowing go much more smoothly, as the blades have to cut through more debris to trim the grass. This will also help prevent your lawn mower from clogging with wet, mushy dead leaves and twigs from the hibernating trees.

Check on your tires

Lawn mower tires are about as annoying to replace as vehicle tires — no one likes doing it, and we often put it off until the last minute. Unlike with car tires, having older, worn-out mower tires doesn’t serve as an immediate danger, having old mower tires can really put a damper on your mowing experience and efficiency, especially in the fall. In the damp grown, having worn-out tires can pose more of a threat than most owners realize because they aren’t able to get as much traction. Checking to make sure the air pressure is good before each mowing is also important, as low tire pressure can decrease your efficiency and also be dangerous.

Remove rust, dirt, and debris from your lawn mower

It isn’t a bad idea to clean up your lawn mower at any point in the year, but if you’ve been pushing it off until the fall, now is a good time to start. Rusty patches on the mower deck and other areas can sometimes be repaired if they haven’t been left to fester, and removing wet dirt can help prevent future rust or damage. In the fall, your lawn mower sees more debris from falling leaves and dying trees and plants, so ensuring you start with a clean, unclogged lawn mower is essential to fall mowing and lawn maintenance and keeping your lawn mower in the best condition possible year-round. If you notice that you’re yard is particularly damp, or you’re running over moist, dying leaves, giving your mower a quick wash after mowing the lawn isn’t a bad idea, either.

Lawn mower maintenance in the fall means, for most people, that we get a break from mowing for a few months when winter approaches — except that means switching to colder tasks like shoveling snow from the driveway. Preparing for fall means breaking out the rakes and shovels and trash bags, but it also means preparing our more expensive equipment, like our lawn mowers, for the long, rigorous season ahead.

RELATED: 3 Common Mistakes That Will Damage Your Lawn Mower

The post Top Tips on Preparing Your Lawn Mower for Falling Leaves and Autumn Weather appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Overlanding is basically camping with an everyday car, like an SUV or a truck. There’s a lot to consider logistically, starting with the car. Overlanding is typically done with a car that’s either all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, is high off the ground, and has a lot of cargo space. It’s possible to turn an econobox into an overlander, as long as there are suspension upgrades that give it the ground clearance it needs for rocky terrain. However, outfitting something like a Honda Civic for overlanding adventures may be more expensive than just buying a used Honda CR-V from the early 2000s. Here is some basic equipment for taking on overland adventures.

Basic necessity: roof rack

Yakima makes some of the best roof racks. Some are made of aluminum, so they’re lightweight, and they are aerodynamically shaped. They’re also surprisingly strong. They’re sold in different lengths, so be sure to pick the one that’s appropriately sized for your roof. Any car can have a roof rack, so if considering converting a Camry into an overland adventure vehicle, getting a roof rack won’t hold up the process.

Borderline camping luxury: rooftop tent

Overlanding needs shelter. Tents that mount above a truck bed abound for less than $200, but a rooftop tent will run closer to $2,000. It hooks into the roof rack and sits collapsed and strapped to the roof, ready to be unfolded and set up. Tepui rooftop tents come with ladders, and some are big enough for three people. Other brands sell for around $1,500. Fortunately, this may be the most expensive part of the conversion. REI sells many different kinds at multiple price points. It’s also possible to skip the tent altogether and go for a van instead, as long as it stays on the pavement.

Pure convenience: rolling table and chairs

Overlanding is much more fun with niceties like a rolling table and folding chairs. The table runs about $100 at one of the cheapest parts of this conversion, and collapsable chairs can be found at Walmart for $10 each. A rolling table comes in multiple sizes and easily packs away, taking up very little trunk real estate. 

Portable barbeque: 2-burner stove

A camping stove with two burners is also one of the cheapest parts of overlanding. Coleman Gas sells a tried and true, highly rated camping stove for $43. Getting one with a grill top would add to the functionality as well. There are even camping stoves that come with legs, so they don’t need a base. However, those cost closer to $150. 

Preserve food: ice box

Bringing fresh food across the country while overlanding requires a dependable way to transport it. Consider the Yeti Tundra or Pelican cooler boxes. Thanks to several layers of insulation, Yeti coolers can keep food fresh for days and can defend from bears and other wildlife thanks to the solid construction. They cost around $350, but are worth it.

Power supply: electric generator

Cars can charge small electronics like cell phones on the road. As long as the engine is running, the car can charge anything. This does waste gas, if not driving anywhere, so consider a generator of some kind. Amazon sells solar-powered portable generators that provide enough power to charge several electronic devices at once. Bluetti makes a portable charger with solar panels included that provides 500Wh for $700.

Overlanding is getting more popular, and remains affordable. All this equipment rounds up to $3,600 on Amazon. It isn’t a bad price, considering these are all one-time purchases. A cheaper tent could cost $1,500, or if overlanding with a truck, a proper size tent only costs $200. Trucks don’t need roof racks either. It depends on the kind of car that’s going into the wilderness. Again, it is possible to overland with a commuter sedan but could cost considerably more just to outfit the car for the terrain. Shop around for equipment, and get quality that’s comfortable.

RELATED: Can You Go Overlanding on a Motorcycle?

The post Turning a Daily Driver Into An Overlanding Ride Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank appeared first on MotorBiscuit.