Image via Complex Original
As much fun as it is to ride around in your car with all your friends, blasing music, slushie in the cup holder, in the summer, your car can actually provide plenty of annoyances. As the weather heats up, so does your car, and it's an ever-present problem of staying cool both in and outside of your ride. But what if we told you this was a good thing? And what if we told you it didn't have to be like that. Intrigued? You should be. Click forward for these Car Hacks for Surviving Summer.
Written by Ian Stroud
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Increase your interior storage.
When it comes time for a long vacation or road trip, space comes at a premium. If you need that extra six inches, try strapping a net or tote bag to the coat hooks above the windows. Giants need not apply.
Use your car as a dehydrator.
Let's face it: We all want a cheap and easy solution to satisfy our fruit dehydration needs (at least, we do now). It turns out you've been driving around the world's cheeps and easiest fruit dehydrator all along. Place your fruit in a box, place said box on dashboard, give it some time, and enjoy. Throw some chile seasoning on your mango, and you won't have to make four trips to Trader Joe's every week.
Keep food and drinks cool in your glove compartment.
If you've purchased a new car in the last few years, there's a good chance your glove compartment has an AC line feeding directly into the glove compartment. Toss your (responsible) beverage of choice in and have a cold drink any time.
Use your visor as dash cam mount.
You just became an award winning photographer on your summer vacation. Strap your point-and-shoot (or even phone) to the sun visor and you'll not only have the best view of your summer road trip, your photos will come out razor sharp. Who needs to spend hundreds of bills on a GoPro?
Bake cookies on your dashboard.
Not only will you have great homemade cookies that took almost no work; you'll also have the best smelling car on the road.
Windows Vs. AC
Depending on your speed, you'll get better gas mileage with different cooling options. When you're driving 0-45 mph, let the windows take a dive; anything faster, let the AC blast(er?).
Use a blanket, prevent first-degree burns.
Leather seats are the be-all and end-all of car interiors, right? Not in the summer, when they can burn your bottom. Fold an old blanket over your seat before you exit your car and you'll save yourself a lot of pain.
Quickly cool off your car interior.
The interior temperature of a car can easily rise to 125° F in the summer. This one is worth looking silly for. According to the Japanese video below, opening a window and opening and closing the opposite door a bunch of times will bring the temperature down by dozens of degrees.
Make a pool in the bed of your truck.
You have the tarp lying in your garage, unused. You have a standard garden hose. You're a resourceful person who can't be stopped by a little distance, proper bathing suit, or admission price. Pools flock to you.
Your engine is your new grill.
Now you can bring home the bacon and cook the bacon in the same step. Impress the family, show up the neighbors; all in a days work. Just make sure you don't mix up the barbecue sauce with the 10W motor oil.
