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I am long overdue for a good old-fashioned road trip. So tomorrow I will be hittin’ the open roads for a smooth cruise through Ohio to Michigan. Well, when I say “smooth”, that merely means that I am expecting my trusty Ford Ranger to get me to my destination problem-free. And having prepared my car for the “long haul” of the less than three hundred mile trek, the ferocious red beast Günther (Who wouldn’t name their car?) shouldn’t give me any surprises. Albeit you may not be able to control the weather or traffic, you most certainly can make sure your car is in tip top shape to get you where you need to be safe and sound. So let’s talk about some simple things that you should always do before a road trip:
1) Before starting your car, check your oil. Back when I was a mere novice in driving, my dad would always ask me: “Have you checked your oil?” As annoying as it always was to me, this annoying and seemingly petty task has saved me from potential disasters more than once. It is always wise to make sure that your car has the proper amount of oil. It is also important to know that the quality of the oil in your car is good. If your oil has the consistency of spoiled milk, you should definitely change it before you embark on your quest (And check it more often to avoid that from ever happening!). On a side note, you should change your oil every 3,000 miles…
2) Hit up the gas station! Besides fulfilling the obvious factor of putting gas in your car, you need to check the air in your tires. Having tires with low air pressure isn’t just risky business, but it’s a threat to your gas mileage. It will also wear out the sides of your tires faster. If you need air, scrape some quarters out of your ash tray and devote 3 minutes to inflating your tires. Just about every gas station has an air machine (What better thing to call it?). For most cars, the recommended amount of air for a tire is 32 psi. If you aren’t sure, take a look at the side of your tires to see the recommended amount. Never inflate more than 5 psi over the limit! That is just begging for a tire to blow out. My pre-trip ritual at Speedway involved a tire inflation machine that was pre-programmed to inflate to 32 psi automatically. Talk about awesome!
3) What would a road trip be without a map? If you’re venturing into uncharted territory, grab some directions! Whether you go old-school with a road atlas or print directions off of the internet, get familiar with them before you leave. That would be the natural thing to do right? Just make sure that you know enough to avoid having to look at them too much while you’re behind the wheel. The best thing to do is have a passenger (If available) read them off to you while you are driving. If you’re flying solo, stop every once in awhile to safely download the next portion of the map into your brain. If you should depart from the vintage rules of going on a road trip, you can always cheat and get a GPS. Program your GPS before you start driving! You wouldn’t want to run over the neighborhood kid’s bike again.
4) Make sure all of your road-side tools are in place as well as a good spare tire and jumper cables. If you do end up becoming crippled on the side of the road, having a jack and tire wrench will make your life much easier and your trip less delayed. If you don’t know how to change a tire, check out this video. If you have any doubts whatsoever about safely changing a tire, wait for roadside assistance! If you get stranded in the dark, having road side flares is absolutely A+. If you don’t have some, get some! If you’re a glass-half-full kind of a person, breaking down when it’s dark gives you the perfect chance to finally use road flares! Without being too much of a negative Nancy, do a mental run-through of how you should be prepared for any car trouble.
5) I’m just going to state the obvious: Have your cell phone charged in case you get into any trouble. If you plan on talking on the phone during your drive, use a bluetooth!
Now that you’re all set, grab your cup of joe, crank up The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Road Trippin’“ and set sail for the best road trip ever!
