Let us address the cost of this product.

If you look at the price tag of the product in the photo above (taken in a truck stop in February 2010), you will see that the price was $26.99. (This cost may have changed since then.)

You can order this from Amazon.com for the price shown at left. (As of September 2011, the cost is $21.00.)

Now in our case, we needed the product in Mike's truck right away. We couldn't wait to obtain our product, so we were willing to pay the extra $6 (not including tax).

However, if you're planning to order online, make sure to factor in the cost of shipping in your calculation.

Money saving tip: If you have to buy the product at a truck stop and you have the luxury of time to do comparison shopping between them, then shop for and buy the lowest cost product. If all products are the same, then the lowest total cost is your goal. Remember to factor in state and local sales tax.

If you buy online, don't forget to factor in shipping costs.

There are different brands of cigarette lighter style inverters on the market. You may wish to compare features.

Remember what happens if your product is purchased at a truck stop with a limited return period or an exchange-only policy.

Review the warranty period. Some RoadPro(R) products have only a limited 90-day warranty. Evaluate for yourself if this is satisfactory.

A 12 volt DC inverter is much lower in cost than a battery-connected inverter that can deliver more wattage. If your needs are simple and your power requirements are low, then the less expensive product may work for you.

Bear in mind the portability factor of this product. If you have multiple 12-volt outlets in your vehicle, you may be able to move the device around. Once, Mike had a truck in which the 12 volt outlet on the dash did not work. So, we plugged it in a different outlet and connected a power strip to it to let us have power in the front seats.

We have never tried using multiple 12 volt DC inverters plugged into multiple 12 volt outlets in a truck. Although it shouldn't, don't be surprised if something overloads.