In growing up, my parents took care of their vehicles, usually by bringing it to a reliable mechanic that was really good to our family. My parents spent a great deal of time with their regular working jobs that automotive fixes were not something they endeavored to complete a whole lot. However, we had incredible luck with traveling on vacation. Let me say that our vacationing felt like it was on par with Chevy Chase and “Vacation”. I could list most of these events to include overheating cars, blown tires, a ladder through a radiator, and many other things. Because we knew how our travel has worked out for us, preparing for the trip is important.
I could tell you that a memorable moment was driving from the Northeast of the United States down to Florida, and we had to stop in North Carolina. We blew a tire on the highway, and our backup tire irons could not fit our lugs to change the tire. If you’ve ever had that frustration at 1:00AM, you will realize that it is not a fun time. Anyway, we limped our vehicle to a Wal-Mart that was about 15-20 minutes away. It was good thing the store had a liberal exchange policy as we had to return three different tire irons for the right fit.
With my story, I am sure that plenty of you have had your own issues with traveling to and from vacation, and your vehicle has given you a little bit of trouble. Before anyone travels, I want to go through a list of things you should do with your vehicle before endeavoring on a trip. Part of this is because, I like to drive to my vacation. The other is that it’s more affordable than purchasing plane tickets for my entire family. As convenient as this is, it doesn’t quite share the same memories that I had from my childhood with travel. Plus, bringing your own vehicle helps you with more freedom to travel without restrictions you would get from a car rental company.
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Conduct a vehicle pre-check
Before getting into the car, you need to do a pre-check on the items that you need for your vehicle. This is not as exhaustive of a list, but if you know your vehicle well, it makes it that much easier to keep it within acceptable driving standards. Let us take a look at the list to prepare for your long trip.
Tire Gauge – This little handy tool tells how much air pressure you have in your vehicle. If you are under pressure, you will need to find a pump to get your tires more inflated. Or, if you are over-inflated, they will have a depress valve (or a nipple) to depress the valve in the tire stem.
Travel Compressor – This handy tool was a purchase my wife and I made a couple years ago. I could not tell you how much of a life-saver this tool has been in our household. We live in New England, and most gas stations charge you for air. In the long run, we’ve had much better wear on our tires, and save some money on filling our tires.
Emergency Road Side Kit – Gloves, emergency triangle, road flares, jumper cables, electricians’ tape or duct tape, and first aid kit. This handy little kit is nice to have in your vehicle just in case something happens. If you have something you cannot fix in your vehicle, it helps roadside services and other cars know you are broken down and need assistance.
Full operation of your dials and gauges – Check to make sure all of your signals and lights are operational; your readings are within the normal range.
Spare tire and tire kit – Know where to find your spare tire, know how to remove it, and what it takes to change out your tire. Sometimes they are in the trunk, behind the rear axle, or they hang off your vehicle. Normally, these pieces will come with the tire kit that you can use the sockets to remove the spare. Take note that not all spares are created equal, and are only designed to limp to a tire repair center
Spare fuses – I like keeping a set of fuses with me regardless of the age of my vehicle. They help when lights go out, or computer issues sneak up on you. This a relatively simple change you can make by opening the box under your hood and pulling the dead fuse. My wife and I had a unique fuse break that controlled our radio, and we found that box by the passenger panel
Spare lights – If your car is missing a headlight or a taillight, a police officer can pull you over. It helps to have a spare in your car anyway, because if it goes out during your ride, you can immediately fix the issue. You might prevent a ticket by completing this action right away.
Top of fluids – Make sure your windshield washer fluid, power steering, and oil are all in good levels. This is a good practice to make sure you have smooth operations for most weather types.
After all of the checks in your vehicle are done, take your vehicle for a test drive. By cycling through the drive, you check for the brakes, steering, and any spots that need a double-check. Remember, this is a purposeful drive, and must be done with the radio off. Through this check, you get to hear any issues with the vehicle before your really long drive. When you finish, head to the gas station, top off your gas, and possibly put a gas treatment through. By completing these steps, you will have prepared for your long trip.
Travel Safety
After all of your checks, your vehicle will be ready for your trip. Couple recommendations to know before making your drive.
Drive during the day. Even though more people are on the road, it is much safer to drive during this time. If you drive at night, be alert as you drive. Most vehicular incidents happen between 10PM and 4AM in the morning. There are inebriated drivers, wildlife, and road problems that are difficult to see.
Get plenty of rest. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA.gov) recognizes that fatigued driving is a problem with single drivers. If you feel tired, you are better off pulling over for a quick 20-minute rest. To break up the trip, you can stop every 2-4 hours to stretch your legs from the trip.
Put down the distractions. Different states have their own regulations on cell phone use while driving. Let me be clear that the road is more important than reading your phone. If you must use any devices, make sure it is quick, and not distracting you from the road for more than a second. You are better off with a passenger to help you with any of this communication, or finding the song you want to hear.
Watch your speed. I remember the roller-rinks from my childhood and most of them had a rule. You do not pass more than three people per circle. The same thing applies in the road, because the police will tag you if you pass too many people at once. If you travel with a like speed to those around you, your risk of incident decreases. I am specifically thinking of you slow drivers that make it more dangerous for everyone else on the road.
In conclusion, you will want to prepare for your long trip with your vehicle and yourself. It is important to identify safety measures and preventative maintenance with your teenager. The earlier you enforce it with your teenager, they will remember that making it to your final destination is more important than what is happening during the trip. Do not wait until the last minute or, on the day of your trip to make these things happen. Make your vehicle road worthy, prepare your mind and body for the trip, so you can enjoy your final destination. If you like these tips for long-drives, please like and follow our Pages with Ideas for Home. Share the information with your friends as we want to reach out to more people like yourself that enjoy reading these tips.
