How to Prepare Your Car for a Road Trip

It’s time to get your car ready for a road trip to head out on the open road and see some of the epic sites this country has to offer.

Before you go, you should make sure your car is ready to handle the amount of driving you’ll do. During most days, you might drive your vehicle for one or two hours, but you could log as many as 10 hours behind the wheel on a road trip. Is your car ready to handle the added driving time?

Ten Tips to Get Your Car Ready

1. Do Your Lights Work?

You’ll probably do some driving at night. Even if you don’t intend to travel from city to city in the dark, if you have to drive to your next fun destination, you want to make sure you can see. Check your lights for brightness. Don’t forget to check the rear lights and turn signals to ensure they work properly. You want other people on the road to see you as much as possible.

2. Have a Plan for Your Travels

Even if you’re not planning to map out every leg of your journey, you want to have a general idea of where you’re going. Unless you prepare with a tent and provisions, you want to make it to the next town before you need to stop. Otherwise, you might be camping out under the stars in your car. Create a travel plan for your road trip to have a general idea of where you want to go during your travels.

3. Is All Your Paperwork in the Car?

If you’re going to be away from home for several days, there are some items you should take with you. Not only should you have your driver’s license, insurance card, and registration, but you want to have a few other items as well. It’s a good idea to have a second identification card, a checkbook, and your medical and dental insurance cards. You never know what might happen when you’re on the road, and you don’t want to get stuck with a bill that your insurance should cover.

4. Is Your Car Due for Scheduled Maintenance?

There’s nothing wrong with a road trip oil change, air filter change, and brake check, even if it’s not time for you to have the car serviced. Some service stations offer full-service reviews of all your fluids, wipers, and tires. Go ahead and have these things done to get your car ready to go. You already know that you’re going to put more miles and driving time on the vehicle than usual; give it a fighting chance to survive the journey.

5. Get Your Battery Checked

This is something not often offered at service stations that you should do. Usually, a battery check is free, and you can have it done quickly and easily. When your battery stops working, you don’t want to be stuck on a desert road with the next town several miles away. Get this item checked and make sure the connections aren’t corroded. A battery that works right can help you have a fantastic time during your travels.

6. Check the Belts and Hoses

Open the hood and look at all the belts and hoses while the car is running. This gives you a good idea of whether or not you need to do something about these items. If you see any issues with these items, have them replaced. Belts and hoses are relatively cheap and easy to replace but being stuck on the side of the highway during your road trip could be costly. Don’t let one of these items cause you to miss out on the fun, have them checked properly.

7. Create a Playlist

Unless you have satellite radio in your car and pay for the monthly subscription, you should create a playlist for your driving pleasure. Think about how far you’re going to travel, how many hours you’ll be in the car, and whether or not you want to hear the same songs every day. One way to avoid hearing the same music repeatedly is to use an app that randomly plays music from the genre you select. If you don’t like this idea, spend a little time preparing a playlist for your time on the road.

8. Get Some Drinks, Snacks, and a Cooler Ready

It might sound like the road trip list from the 1950s, but you never know where you’ll be when you get thirsty or a little hungry. It’s not always good to stop at a gas station or convenience store for a bite and a drink. You can save some money and improve your comfort with snacks and a cooler filled with the glasses you want to enjoy while on the road.

9. Take a Few Rolls of Toilet Paper With You

When traveling, it’s a good idea to have some extra rolls of toilet paper along for the ride. Some gas station bathrooms aren’t stocked properly, have rough toilet paper, or none. You might find a need for this item while driving if you need to blow your nose or wipe something off your face or hands. Extra TP can make all the difference in your day.

10. Do You Have a Roadside Emergency Kit?

Even though you did everything possible to make sure your car was ready for the road trip, you still might have a mechanical emergency. Whether it’s a flat tire or something worse, you need an emergency kit with reflective markers to show other drivers you’re dealing with an emergency, and they need to go around you. Some newer cars don’t have much to handle an emergency or a flat tire; you need to make sure your vehicle has what you need before heading out.