Essential Road Trip Preparation Tips for Your Vehicle 

With vacation season approaching, many families will hit the open roads for long-distance travel and road trips. While exciting to explore new places, road trips can be hard on your vehicle, especially when towing trailers and boats or driving long distances through extreme weather and terrain. Proper planning and preparation before embarking on an extended road trip can help avoid breakdowns or issues miles from home. Read on for some key maintenance tips when getting your car or truck ready for days of adventure out on the highways.

Get a Thorough Inspection and Tune-Up 

Well before departing, have a trusted mechanic like the pros at Highland Tire perform a comprehensive inspection and tune-up based on your vehicle’s mileage and service history. Critical components like belts, hoses, brake pads, spark plugs, filters, and fluids may need replacement if they are near the end of their lifecycle. Technicians can diagnose any underlying issues and perform necessary repairs to ensure systems are in optimal shape for the demands of a long trip. Ask them to look over your tires as well. Uneven wear or inadequate tread depth requires new tires to avoid blowouts. A fresh oil change gives you clean lubrication. Don’t take a road trip without first having professionals verify your vehicle is tuned up and ready to reliably handle thousands of miles of travel.

Check Fluids, Filters, and Belts

After the inspection, also examine fluid levels yourself including oil, transmission, power steering, brake fluid, antifreeze, and windshield wipers. Top them off as needed. Bring extra engine oil, coolant, and transmission fluid with you on the trip in case leaks arise. Inspect belts for cracking or looseness and replace worn ones. They can fail without warning. Replace air filters, fuel filters, and PCV valve if suggested. Clean battery terminals ensure optimal starting capability. New spark plugs can boost fuel efficiency and performance. Take a look under the car for any oil leaks or dripping that could leave you stranded. Use this checklist to verify critical components are fresh and filled before road tripping.

Pack an Emergency Kit 

You hope to never need it, but having an emergency roadside kit provides peace of mind in case you break down miles from nowhere. Include essential tools like jack and lug wrench, jumper cables, tire inflator or plugs, flares, basic toolkit, and work gloves. Bring extra oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid, rags, duct tape, and tow strap. A flashlight, battery bank, and poncho are handy too. Store non-perishable snacks, bottled water, and blankets in case you’re stuck somewhere without services. Keep the owner’s manual onboard. For electric cars, consider a portable charging station. A well-stocked emergency kit helps get you through an unexpected roadside crisis until help can arrive. Don’t chance getting stranded without bare essential supplies.

Heading out on an epic road trip is an exciting and adventurous time, but also puts additional strain on your vehicle. Invest time upfront to get your car or truck tuned up and thoroughly checked by a trusted mechanic. Inspect all fluids, filters, belts yourself and top off as required. Fill up an emergency road kit to have onboard. Taking preventative steps ensures your ride is ready to handle long days and thousands of miles without issue. Breaking down remote from services could ruin your long-awaited vacation. Don’t leave home without having us first examine your vehicle. The technicians at Highland Tire want to get your car road trip ready so your journey is smooth, safe and enjoyable from start to finish. Have a wonderful trip!