No matter how old you are, going on a road trip is incredibly exciting. The memories of gas station snacks, beautiful views, and new experiences will stick with you for a lifetime. In order to truly maximize your experience, however, you’ll want to adequately prep your car for the journey ahead. You’ll need to plan for certain situations and be sure you have everything you need for a successful trip. Check our list of handy tips for preparing your car for a road trip.
1. See a Mechanic
The best way to save the time you would otherwise spend checking every little detail of your car is to have a professional do the job. This will help you feel comfortable as you spend several hours inside your vehicle—they mechanic will make sure everything is fresh and ready to go the distance. Have them checks your fluids, replace filters and light bulbs, and ensure your spark plugs are in perfect working order. You should also have them look over your AC and heating.
2. Protect Your Car
When you’re on your trip, your car is likely to experience some elements that it may not in your regular environment. Therefore, you may want to do a couple things ahead of time. We would recommend putting on heavier duty-tires, replacing your windshield wipers, and considering a ceramic coating.
3. Bring a Spare Tire
Many cars today come equipped with an inflation kit instead of a spare tire. While these kits are useful to have, they aren’t always going be enough to fix a blown-out tire. We strongly recommend that you keep a spare tire on hand whenever you’re traveling a long distance. It’s also important that you learn how to change a spare tire before you set off.
4. Pack an Emergency Kit
You’re sure to have plenty of luggage already, but we recommend putting together an emergency kit that stays in your car at all times. If your car breaks down in an unfamiliar area, you want to know you have everything you need to get through it. We recommended equipping your kit with the following:
- A first aid kit
- Bottled water
- Trail mix or protein bars
- Hand warmers
- Gloves and hats
- Small battery-operated fans
- Raincoats
- A small amount of money
Print Out Maps
There’s always the chance your phone could lose signal in long stretches of land. If this happens, you may become lost without the aid of your GPS. Print out maps ahead of time so that you can pull them out in case this happens. Print out traditional maps as well as a variety of listed directions to the locations you’re visiting.
