Whether you’re planning some travel off road – as we are – or are sticking to paved roads, the car safety items that you need to take on a summer road trip are basically the same, with a few exceptions which we’ll discuss later.
Have Your Vehicle Checked Out Before Leaving Town
The first step that you should always take to ensure that your car is ready for a road trip or vacation is to have it thoroughly checked out by your mechanic. Many people are afraid to get their vehicle inspected for fear that the mechanic will “find something wrong”. It’s always your choice as a customer to pay only for a basic inspection, and get a second opinion about the supposed problem, and to have it repaired by another mechanic if necessary. Some recommended things to do to your car before taking a trip are as follows.
Before Road Trip Checklist For Your Vehicle
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Have your oil changed and fluids checked. Also have a mechanic check your transmission fluid, belts and air filter. Change your cabin air filter as well as these are often neglected. Have your mechanic show you how to check your oil, since most cars do burn some amount of oil on long trips.
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Have your tires rotated (if necessary) and get your vehicle’s alignment checked.
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Have your battery checked out and replaced if necessary.
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Replace your windshield wiper blades if necessary.
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Have your brakes checked out by a mechanic.
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Have your radiator flushed and replace coolant.
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Have any small cracks in your windshield repaired.
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Fill your windshield washer reservoir.
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Make sure that your headlights are working, as well as brake and turn signals and horn.
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Make sure your tires are properly inflated and check your tire’s tread. When you have your tires rotated the shop should be able to tell you the condition of your tires and recommend the correct pressure. Have the tire place check your spare as well and show you how to remove it. This is no easy feat on some new vehicles.
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Locate your car’s jack and tire tool and learn how to use it. Watch YouTube videos if this helps.
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Locate your car’s wheel lug nut lock key. This unlocks one of the lug nuts on each of your wheels. Without it, you can’t change a flat, even if you have all the rest of the tools you need.
What’s In Our Road Trip Tool Kit and Supply Kit ?
We’re not hard-core off road enthusiasts, yet we carry many of the same things that those folks do, even if we tend to stick to the tamer unpaved roads. Here’s what we carry in our Ford F-150 four wheel drive truck:- Tool kit with pliers, electrical tape, socket set, Crescent wrenches, screwdrivers, jumper cables, LED road flares, flashlights, empty one gallon gas can, 12 volt air compressor, two cans of tire sealant*, tire plug kit, air pressure gauge, Allen wrenches, wire, super glue
- Heavy duty jack and tire tool.
- Hi-Lift Jack
- Spare fan belt – universal belt
- Extra gallon of coolant
- Extra wiper fluid
- Squeegee for cleaning the front window
- Large hose clamps for repairing radiator hose
- Two spare tires
- A couple of spare lug nuts for the wheels
- Two recovery traction plates to help get unstuck
- Tow strap and shackles
- Extra water
- Shovel
- Fuel injector cleaner
- Space Blanket
- Two extra quarts of motor oil
- Duct tape
- 100 watt solar panel battery charger. Will recharge a dead battery in about a half day.
- Maps and GAIA Topo app with downloaded maps.
*Only use canned tire sealant such as Fix-a-Flat if absolutely necessary. If you do use it, your car’s electronic TPMS tire pressure monitors – located in the valve stem of each tire – will be damaged and they’re very expensive to replace.(There are some more items that I’m sure that I’ve forgotten, and I’ll revise this as I determine what they are are.)Best Quality - Better TractionBest Overall ValuePreviewModelARB TREDPROBOB Vehicle Recovery Boards Traction Tracks and...PLIOSAUR Recovery Traction Tracks Boards with Jack Lift Base...Price$349.95Price not availableMaterialNylon/NeopreneEngineering-grade nylonMore InformationBest Quality - Better TractionPreviewModelARB TREDPROBOB Vehicle Recovery Boards Traction Tracks and...Price$349.95MaterialNylon/NeopreneMore InformationBest Overall ValuePreviewModelPLIOSAUR Recovery Traction Tracks Boards with Jack Lift Base...PricePrice not availableMaterialEngineering-grade nylonMore InformationOther Vehicle Items To Check Before You Leave Town On Your Road Trip
Here are some things that you should do after you’ve had your vehicle all checked out for your road trip and have packed your emergency car tool kit.-
Make sure your tags and registration information is up to date and that you have your proof of insurance cards in the glove box.
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Make sure your driver’s license is not expired.
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Make sure your tank is full.
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Clean your windshield.
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Have your cell phone charged and ready to go and bring a battery power pack to charge it if your car battery goes dead.
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Take a spare charging cable for your phone.
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Bring a spare key that you keep on your person.
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Have water and snacks to take.
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Be well rested and leave early in the day so you avoid driving in the dark.
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Have a map or road atlas in case you don’t have a cell phone signal to use Google maps.
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Download helpful road travel apps on your phone. Wayze is a good one to help avoid traffic and road blockages.
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Download your insurance company’s app for access to help if needed. If they don’t offer a road service plan, add one from AAA or another provider. Some credit cards offer road service as a benefit, so call customer service and find out if they do.
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Take an extra cell phone, any that still power up will do. (See below.)
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Stash a way $20 or more in cash (or more) in a secret hiding place in the car.
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Remove any items in your car that may not be legal in the state you’re visiting. You know, that stuff that’s legal in Colorado but not in Texas, etc.
Even though there is no SIM card in this phone, you can still use it to dial 911. How to Use an Old Cell Phone In An Emergency
Did you know that even old phones that don’t have a SIM card or even a subscription plan can still work to dial 911 and summon help in an emergency? It’s the law that phones in the US still have to be able to call 911, even if they are not registered with a cell phone service provider. Do not use an inactive cell phone to call 911 unless it is a life and death issue, otherwise you may be in trouble with the law.Post Road Trip Check For Your Vehicle
After you’ve put a few miles on your vehicle over the course of your summer road trip and return home, it may be time for things such as a fresh oil change, coolant top-off or tire rotation.Before your road warrior machine becomes your daily driver again, it’s a really good practice to have it checked out once again by your mechanic, post trip. Desert heat, mountain driving, salt air and a host of other conditions that your vehicle may encounter on while you are on vacation, may give it quite a workout.My Background for This ArticleI’ve worked for many years in agriculture and heavy industry and have owned a number of on and off-road vehicles, including a Jeep Rubicon, Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma and several Chevy Silverados (all of them four wheel drive) and all of which required some degree of constant repair and maintenance. My wife and I have lived in British Columbia, Texas and Colorado, and have spent a fair amount of time off-road in those areas, each having its own unique challenging conditions for cars and trucks.If you know of any road trip safety gear items that should be included in the article, please contact us. Simply subscribe to the blog and send us a direct message.Safe Travels!
