How to Prepare Your Car for a Road Trip

Road trips are a thousand times better than a luxury tour to overrated places and five star hotels. A tour is about getting away from the world, doing something different, and exploring new places. A planned vacation doesn’t exactly allow you to do it. On the other hand, a road trip gives you the freedom to stop wherever you want, go wherever you want, do whatever you want. That said, all this fun will turn into a nightmare if you faced a slight issue with your car. So, enjoy the road trip but make sure your vehicle is ready for that. 

Check Tire Pressure and Tread

Bad tires make the vehicle difficult to drive, and they can pop off anytime. First, make sure their tread is not worn off and then check the pressure is appropriate. You can follow this guide to check the tire tread and read the owner’s manual to see the normal air pressure for your car. 

Replace Bad Bulbs

Though driving at night is not recommended, you may have no other option on your road trip. First, make sure the head lights work. After that, test all indicators and brake lights. Replace with bulbs if you see even a minor issue. 

Inspect Battery

A dead battery can cause a lot of trouble, especially when you are in the middle of nowhere. Make sure all leads are tight and terminals are corrosion-free. One can judge this by the starting sound of a vehicle. If it’s sluggish, you should consider repairing or replacing them.  You might also need to consider investing in a car battery charger. As mentioned by Kelvin green, founder of green4u, these car batteries not only charges up your battery, but also maintain, test, and fix minor defects in the battery.

Read Tint Rules

Window tints might be useful for you, but different states have opinions about them. Unless you want an unexpected and unnecessary ticket, read the policies of the place where you will be driving. Take them off if they could get you stopped. 

New Tires for Long Trip

Tires enable your car to stay connected with the road and bear all pressure and friction. That’s why they wear off with time and get replaced. Tires are more likely to cause a problem during your road trip. So learn how to find tires near me prior to finding yourself in such a situation. 

Test Heater and Air Conditioner

Check the weather of your route and test the heater and air conditioner of your vehicle. The road trip will be no fun if you have a temperature problem. Besides, no one wants to get sick during their vacation. 

Use New Engine Oil

A car usually requires a change of engine oil every 3,000 miles. The oil burns with time, affecting the performance and health of the engine. It is suggested to feed your car new oil to keep up with constant driving.

Check Engine Belts

Turn the engine belts sideways with your hand to see if they need to be changed. It runs the water pump, A/C, and power steering. Replace it if it’s torn, cracked, or ragged. 

Extra Stuff to Pack

Pack some additional tools with you to deal with worst case scenarios. Your kit should include:

  • Flashlight
  • Electric charger wire
  • Screw drivers and wrenches
  • Hammer
  • Offline music library

Author: Brandon Park