Rental Car Questions

[Dr Goggles]

Just a note on the Rental Cars.. I've heard most of them now have GPS tracking and they will slap you with the cleaning fee if you go on the Salt, no matter how clean you return it.

Fly into Reno or Vegas  and rent at the airport and you wont have that problem.   Tony

 
That's the job, airport rental desks are separate from their lots, if you hire from a franchise you are likely dealing with the guy who's paying the bills.....he wants to find every burn, chip, or hair.....you can throw them the keys at the airport, and run.

[fastman614]

Just a note say that most plane flights to Las Vegas are amongst the lowest priced flights in the USA (or even from several other countries - including Canada) .... A couple of our team members who live in the "oil patch" area of Alberta found plane tickets to Las Vegas and a rental car for about $1000 less than to SLC.... The drive is 300 or so miles farther but what the heck.... i just hope that the $20 night in Vegas before they drive to the salt doesn't result in a temporary condition of poverty for them....

Everyone's ideas about garbage bags etc are good.... I found that using the heavy duty (thicker plastic) ones generally keeps them from wearing through or tearing apart after only a few days.... I have also seen someone who used room towels.... they are supposed to "stick" to the carpet like Velcro (his words - not mine)

Oh.... And DO clean the rental car properly prior to returning it....

[maguromic]

I used towels the last few years and they worked much better than the plastic the years before. I just go to Walmart and get some cheap towels (about $4 each). Tony

[Freud]

Take a roll of Duct tape with you for the towels.

Tape the throttle and brake pedals. It's tough to clean the grooves in them.

Nobody suspects anything if there is tape goo on the pedals.

Also tape the bottom door sill.

FREUD

[Seldom Seen Slim]

The duct tape goo is a bitch to remove, though.  I've got it on a panel here and a sidewall there in the truck - and it won't come off after having been baked on out at the salt.  Painter's tape doesn't leave much residue -- but it doesn't stick as well, either.  I haven't found the perfect tape yet.  Suggestions are welcome.

[Peter Jack]

Try gaffers tape. It's what they use to hold the world together in the theatre, video/movie and photography industries. It tends to stick well and not leave the same sticky residue.

Pete

[Glen]

I use 2" blue masking tape, also use a rubber floor mat on each side and tape it down. You might need to clean the area with acetone on the rubber and where the tape is being put down to hold the mats. Cheap mats. Tape along the bottom of the door sill and let it over lap to the out side. When done sweep or vacuum out before removing the mats etc.

[salt27]

We put a layer of duct tape over the painters tape so we have the durability of the duct tape without the residue.
Goo Gone works well to remove tape residue.
Glen is right about the cheap mats, but then again my good mats are cheap anyway.

   Don

[RogerL]

i love this thread. racers trying to beat the system/rules.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Try gaffers tape. It's what they use to hold the world together in the theatre, video/movie and photography industries. It tends to stick well and not leave the same sticky residue.

Pete

X2 

Scotch Suretape - available at any theater supply company, and quite a few music stores that deal in PA accessories.  2" wide, not cheap, but you'll find a quintabazillion uses for it.

You can order it in day glow colors, but black is available pretty readily.

I will never use duct tape again.
.

[widgeon]

Sven.  The car rental deal can get expense if not done right.  I rent every year from all the major car rentals and have never had a problem.  I will rent a car and on the way back from the salt I will pull into the Blue Beacon Truck stop on you right side approx. 10 miles from the airport.  You can't miss it.  They charged me last year $25. to clean but what is the key to the deal is to tell the guy with the gun there cannot be "ANY" evidence on salt on the car and tip him personally before  maybe $30.  Last years car I could put in the showroom.   Good luck.    PS if the car rental counter asks if you are going to the salt say "NO" just going to Nevada on Business.   

[fast_TA]

Yeah if I was washing your car 30 bucks would definatly make me go out of my way to do a reaaly good job.

[Glen]

How many cars have you cleaned after a week on salt. Wet salt is a major clean up. $30. is cheap. I take several days cleaning the underside on my truck and it still has salt in places I find a week later.

[LSR Mike]

To keep the salt out of the carpet I use the sticky plastic the construction guy and movers use to protect carpet. Comes in like 18" wide rolls at Home Depot/Lowe's, Paint dept. Sticky on one side, Slick on the other, Recommend a helper, otherwise you could end up wrapped in it yourself 

[LSR Mike]

Starting to look like Hints from Heloise for the Salt in here