How to Prepare Your Car for a Long Road Trip
Going on a road trip is an amazing way to take a break and have some fun on the open roads. Whether you’re heading out alone or with company, it’s important to make sure that you have the best chance of having an amazing time on the road. Take a look below and learn the details of how to prepare your car for a long road trip. This guide should help you make sure that your car is in the best possible state from the moment you set out to when you get back. By doing this, you can be sure that even if you don’t know what awaits you, car trouble is highly unlikely to be a part of the list of experiences that await you.
Find Car Emergency Contacts
To start with, while you’ll take all the measures that you can to make sure that your car is in great shape, it’s best to be prepared for the unexpected. This means that you need to find the contacts of a reliable vehicle emergency service. The service should be in operation in the area that you’re taking the road trip to. This way, you may not have a hard time if you need something like RV towing. The right roadside service company you pick should be one with good ratings, especially concerning rates and response speed.
While you may not need to get something as extensive as professional auto body collision repair done while you’re on the road trip, you could also search for professionals who deal with it. Keeping these contacts on hand may prove to be worthwhile at some point in the future even if not now. This means that it doesn’t hurt to search for these professionals while thinking about how to prepare your car for a long road trip. Keep their contact information in a few easy-to-reach places so that if you need it, you can get it fast.
Take Your Car for Service
A car that’s been serviced is going to work a lot more optimally than one that isn’t. That said, remember that heading to your mechanic is one of the things that you need to add to your list of how to prepare your car for a long road trip. While this may seem like an obvious part of the list, it’s important enough to be worth repeating. With proper service done, you can be sure that anything that’s in bad shape will be remedied and any necessary replacements made.
Make sure to follow the auto mechanics recommendations in terms of things like replacing something or repeating a particular service task within a given period. The same case applies to if they advise you not to drive your car in certain conditions or push it beyond a particular level of performance. When you do this, you can be sure that there’s a good chance that very little can go wrong while you’re out on the road.
Top Up the Vehicle’s Fluids
Next, check the various fluids and change or top up any that need topping up. These include the transmission fluid, power-steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant, windshield cleaner fluid, and more. Failure to do this could lead to anything from a minor inconvenience to serious damage to various parts of your vehicle. This is especially the case for fluids that lubricate moving parts, which help keep wear and tear low.
Don’t forget to check the oil level and condition to ensure that it’s going to serve its purpose effectively during the road trip. Finally, pack small amounts of the various fluids that may call for regular topping up so that you don’t have to buy a large amount while on the road trip at a time when a little would have served the purpose. These are all important tips to add to any guide detailing how to prepare your car for a long road trip.
Get New Windshield Wiper Blades
While the windshield wiper blades may be in good shape when you set out, you never know what may happen during the trip. This means that it’s a good idea to pack a spare pair of blades for your road trip. Even if the weather seems to be great and there’s not a lot of likelihood that there may be rain or something similar, you’re better off being safe than sorry. That’s because the windshield wipers help you maintain clear visibility of the road while you drive, improving your safety.
Additionally, windshield wiper blades are quite small and generally affordable, especially when you think about the role that they play. This is the main reason why you need to include them in your guide for how to prepare your car for a long road trip. This way, you’ll be prepared for all kinds of weather.
Check the Vehicle’s Battery
The battery of the car that you head out on the road trip needs to be in good shape. It should be able to serve you for the duration of the road trip and beyond. If you have any doubts about its condition and performance, you should carry a spare battery. Keep in mind that if you’re going to have any additional weight to your car, such as a utility trailer, you may need a more powerful battery than you normally use. That said, test the battery before you head out so that you know exactly what you have and can be prepared for all possible outcomes.
Don’t forget to pack jumper cables as the accessories that will serve you alongside an extra battery. When you add this requirement to your list of how to prepare your car for a long road trip, you’ll know that battery power is one less thing to worry about. The last thing you want to experience is a loss of power from your vehicle while you’re using the headlights to pitch a tent or something similar.
Check the Tires
Your vehicle’s weight is supported entirely by the tires, and this means that their state could impact details such as how safe your car is while on the road. With this in mind, take stock of the terrain that you’ll encounter while on the road so that you know whether your tires will be able to handle it. Check the tire treads to make sure that they have adequate grip, and change them if they don’t. If the tires have a good amount of tread on them but there are signs of uneven wear, rotate them before you start your road trip.
While thinking about how to prepare your car for a long road trip, remember that the tires are part of the most important detail of your vehicle. Remember also that anything could happen, so pack a spare tire or two. To maximize performance and safety, make sure that the tires have the right pressure so that you don’t sabotage yourself before you get on the road.
Get Your Car Detailed
A clean car is amazing to be inside, so consider heading to a nearby express car wash to get it cleaned up. If you can also get it detailed, this will be even better. Heading out in a pristine car will do a lot to improve the experience for you. When you do this, you may not have too much cleaning up to do when you get back from the road trip. Pack refuse bags so that you don’t litter the environment or your car, and especially important measure if you’re going to be traveling with children.
While this may not seem like an important item to include in the list of how to prepare your car for a long road trip, it certainly is. That’s because driving around with litter could actually pose a safety hazard in some cases. Think about what would happen if you have empty bottles rolling around in your car and one ends up logged somewhere underneath the brakes. While this may seem like a far-fetched possibility, it still points to the importance of taking all measures that will assure you of staying safe.
Protect Your Vehicle
You want to be sure that your regular life schedule isn’t disrupted after your road trip as a result of getting back with a damaged car. This is why you need to ensure that your vehicle is adequately protected before you start your trip. One of the most important ways to protect your vehicle is to ensure that you have the relevant insurance coverage that offers cover against various likely scenarios during a road trip. A good number of people will tell you that home and auto insurance are two of the most important insurance coverages to get. That’s because these two assets are among the most important investments that most people will ever make in their lifetimes.
It’s also a good idea to ensure that you have auto paint protection for your vehicle. This may take the form of carrying a protective car cover on your road trip. If you have to pack somewhere that’s exposed and leave your car, you should put the cover over it to protect it from extended exposure to the elements. This way, you may not have to get your vehicle repainted when you get back from the road trip, making this an important detail while thinking of how to prepare your car for a long road trip. Given the fact that a car’s stock paint is a great consideration to make in terms of value retention, this is clearly an important detail.
Ensure the Brakes Are Working
Your vehicle’s brakes can save you from a number of grim scenarios, and that’s why, in addition to topping up the brake fluid, you should also check the actual brakes. Head to your mechanic for a proper and detailed analysis, and if you discover that the brakes are on their last legs, don’t hesitate to have them changed. For this reason, brakes and wheel alignment is a crucial items in this guide outlining how to prepare your car for a long road trip.
After changing them if you end up having to do so, you should take a short drive to test them out. If they’re in perfect shape, you can be sure that you’ll be considerably more confident while you’re driving, no matter where your road trip takes you. It doesn’t take too much time or money to test and change the brakes, and yet it’s something that can have a massive impact on your safety and that of other road users.
Pack an Emergency Kit
Last but not least, put together an emergency kit. While the specific season may dictate some of the details that you should include, there are a few items that are practically basics and therefore a staple for your emergency kit. These are a flashlight, jumper cables, a spare tire, a mobile phone and charger, car fluids, non-perishable foods, water, and an emergency kit. These items should enable you to easily do basic car repair if you need to do so at some point in the trip. They should also help you perform basic first aid in case of minor issues like cuts, bruises, and bug bites.
Always check your car survival kit to make sure that it has the necessary items, and they’re in a functional state. Replace any that aren’t working so that you’re not simply carrying around junk. You don’t need the false comfort of thinking that you can handle an emergency or two only to discover that the tools you have are broken and don’t work. That’s why conducting a thorough inspection of all the details in this guide is an important part of how to prepare your car for a long road trip.
Once all these details have been worked on, you’ll know that you’re ready to start your road trip. Always check everything and confirm it before the trip is due so that there’s time to take any necessary steps. This way, you can be sure that your road trip will be fun and memorable for the right reasons!