Even with the price of gas, the road trip remains a viable and relatively inexpensive vaction option for a lot of people. But prior to embarking on your adventure, it is best to have the car prepared so you need not come back for forgotten supplies or buy them on the road at vastly elevated prices.
1. Plan a road trip
The great thing about road trips is the flexibility you have while exploring a new place. However, you should have a rough route in mind. Check out the approximate route you will be driving. Driving without a target can be fun but getting lost in the middle of nowhere isn’t. Also let friends and family know where you will be approximately.
2. Prepare your vehicle for a road trip
Coolant: Engine coolant (or antifreeze mixture) is usually changed every 25 thousand miles or once in two or three years. However, if your last coolant change was a year or more back (or 15K miles) you might want to consider changing the coolant before a long trip to increase its effectiveness in keeping the engine under control.
Engine Oil: Check your vehicle’s engine oil level and its color to make sure that it is good enough for a few more thousand miles. If the oil is already very dark or has blackish sediments within, it is advisable to change oil before your long drive.
Wiper fluid: A lot of people don’t care about the wiper fluid. Well, if you run out of wiper fluid you could actually fill it with distilled water but it’s always good to have the viscous fluid mix as purchased from auto shops. Smoothly running wiper blades are needed for highway driving.
Engine Oil: Check your vehicle’s engine oil level and its color to make sure that it is good enough for a few more thousand miles. If the oil is already very dark or has blackish sediments within, it is advisable to change oil before your long drive.
Wiper fluid: A lot of people don’t care about the wiper fluid. Well, if you run out of wiper fluid you could actually fill it with distilled water but it’s always good to have the viscous fluid mix as purchased from auto shops. Smoothly running wiper blades are needed for highway driving.
It is very important that when going on a road trip that you check your vehicle before you leave. You might want to check tires, engine, oil level etc…
3. Pack only things you really need for a road trip
The following would be the typical road trip check list on top of the points mentioned above:
- Jack and basic toolkit
- Breakdown triangle or reflector
- Jumper cables for jump-starting
- Tire sealants (Use only if you can’t change the tire)
- A flash light
- A Swiss knife
- Warm clothes
- Couple of gallons of water
An advantage of a road trip is that you can carry much more than you would take with you when you would fly somewhere. You don’t need to carry all that camera gear etc…
4. Use your stops on a road trip
If your traveling in the states. Use every gas station, every toilet and every restaurant you can find on the side of the road. In some states rest stops are few and far between.
5. Use the time on the road
When driving for a longer time, use your time to check the itinerary and make plans with your passengers. Also prepare some road games for the quieter time in the car.
You can also use the quiet time to read a book. When traveling for such long distances and in order to safe some space I would always recommend to travel with a tablet iPad.
Get out there and see this great country.
