Tips To Prep Your Car For A Road Trip. Traveling around the country can be one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life. America has so much to offer, so much to see, and the highways are some of the best you may ever experience worldwide.
Whether you’re traveling within the state or across the country, not only is a road-trip a check off of your bucket list, but it’s also an incredibly therapeutic experience. Be it by yourself, with your friends, or as a family, a classic American road trip is a must for everyone.
As great as a trip can be, your vehicle must be in good shape when you are out on the open road. Your car breaking down is one of the worst things that can happen when you’re traveling. Not only is it annoying and can potentially cut the trip short, but being stranded in the middle of nowhere can be extremely dangerous as well. Wilderness surrounds most of America. You never know what the woods may hide when stuck on the side of the road near a tree line.
To ensure that you don’t get caught off guard when road-tripping, it would be best to prep your car in advance and ensure everything is running smoothly. If you haven’t done this before and don’t know what to do, here are a few tips to prep your car for a road trip.
Tips To Prep Your Car For A Road Trip
Watch out for an overheating engine
The most commonly recurring issue that occurs with long-distance travel is that the car begins to overheat. When driving on the highway, pushing the speed limit is part of the experience. However, the faster you go, the further the RPMS in the car gets pushed. What this means is that the engine has to work harder and, in turn, may overheat in the process.
Before you take a trip, it would be advisable to have mechanics check the car out. Ensure the radiator is performing the way it should be. Check the engine’s health, and ensure the transmission fluid is maintained. A blown engine is pretty much irreparable, especially if you are out on the open road. Therefore, it would be a good idea to keep a towing companies number on hand, just in case disaster strikes. If you can’t find a number, open up your browser and search tow truck near me to do quick work in an SHTF situation.
Maintain your tires
Because you are traveling long distances and at such high speeds, it would be best if you took a closer look at your tires before you head out. A bad set of tires could cut the journey short in the most disastrous of ways. Losing traction and losing control of the car could lead to a nasty situation that no one wants to find themselves in. Here’s what you can do before you hit the road:
- Rotate the tires. Consider jacking the car up and flipping the tires around from one side to the other. While you are moving them, make sure you examine them and gauge whether they are ready to take on a long drive
- Check the tire pressure to ensure that there isn’t too much or too little air in the wheels. Inadequate air in the wheels can lead to the tire bursting or getting punctured respectively.
- Carry a spare tire in the trunk to give you a backup option if you ever have issues with the ones currently running.
Check the seals
Especially if you have an older car, you may notice specific issues that may only arise when driving long distances. For example, because of the constant high speeds, you may notice a draft in the car. A breeze may pass because the windows aren’t sealed properly and are letting air in through tiny gaps.
You might not notice this in everyday driving because the car doesn’t have to deal with high wind resistance. If you are driving on the country’s colder side, you may want to make sure your window and door seals are intact, as failure to do so can make for an uncomfortably cold car ride. No one wants that!
Check the air conditioning
Though we advise traveling in a season where you don’t need to use the air-conditioning, you don’t always have the luxury of choosing your road trip. Or, better said, road trips tend to be spontaneous, and you might not have the liberty of planning.
The issue with the A/c is that it puts a considerable amount of strain on your engine and fuel consumption. Therefore, if you can avoid turning it on, please do so.
However, if you need to use it, make sure you get everything checked out in advance. First and foremost, you need to make sure that the air conditioning system isn’t taking too much of a toll on the engine’s health. Then make sure that you clear the vents, the A/c has enough gas, and the air system’s general service is an excellent way to prep your car for a road trip.
Tune the car
Before you head out on the open road, make sure that the car is ready for the journey in every way possible. Test the responsiveness of the accelerator first. Try and minimize the delay between the throttle and RPM time. Doing so will make for more fun and comfortable ride for the driver of the car.
After this, you would want to ensure that the vehicle is as fuel-efficient as it can be. There’s no fun stopping every few miles to fill up the tank. Stopping will kill the vibe of the trip and will cost you a fortune on gas as well.
Lastly, clean the plugs, change the air filters, and we assume you would have changed the oil because that was the first step we mentioned in this article. If you manage all these, your car will be good to go, and you will have a considerably smoother drive than you would have before. The driver’s comfort is of paramount importance when on a road trip. After all, they are the ones getting you from point A to point B in one piece!
Secure car accessories
Road trips may be fun, but they can get uncomfortable and boring at some point. You have to sit still for hours! Don’t worry, though. You can get cozy while on the road by bringing some car accessories. A gel-padded cushion is a great car accessory for preventing backaches caused by sitting for too long. You can also install a magnetic phone mount on your air vents to conveniently scan your favorite Spotify playlists and Netflix movies. Road trips can also be messy. You may want to bring car accessories to protect your car against dirt and food stains. A no-rinse carpet spot remover gets a big thumbs up to clean spilled food and beverages easily. You can also get compatible seat covers for your Hilux to help keep as much grime and dirt from soiling and staining your car seats.
Conclusion
The longer the journey, the more stressful it will be on the car. Therefore, every few miles, consider stopping off at a rest-stop, grabbing something to eat, and giving the car a break for about 20 to 30 minutes. Rest is good for both man and machine. We recommend that you follow the speed limit and drive safely while on your road trip.
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Tips To Prep Your Car For A Road Trip
