Planning on hitting the road for vacation? Before you do, make sure you are preparing your car for the road trip. Some things you might not think about is putting a spare car key in your wallet, and that all important bag to collect the trash along the way. Here is a list of some things you may want to consider as well.
Tune-Up Before Hitting the Road
Schedule your car for a tune-up. You want to make sure the car has the fluids checked, tires in good working order and your battery is strong. Most importantly you want to make sure that A/C is working! And don’t wait until the day before you’re planning to hit the road, in case there is some extra work to be done on the car.
Check Those Windshield Wipers
Windshield wipers should be added to the list. Sometimes people may forget about them…. until you hit some bad weather. You can hit all types of weather on a road trip. You don’t want to be caught off-guard with having those windshield wipers not working when you hit heavy rain.
Emergency Kits Are Not Just for Emergencies Anymore
If you don’t already have one, get an emergency kit to stow in your car. And if you do have one, check the contents to make sure the key items are still there, they work and aren’t expired. It should include things like a flashlight, spare batteries, car battery booster cables, a first aid kit and a blanket.
Stay Connected
Pack all of the essentials to keep you powered during your road trip. An extra car charger for your phone and a portable USB power pack come in handy. They even have devices that charge multiple devices at the same time.
Gadgets That Take It Up a Notch
Some extra useful gadgets are a tire air compressor, a navigation app in addition to your in-car navigation system, and a portable battery jump-starter. Also, a power inverter with AC outlets and USB ports allows you to plug in laptops and other electronics while on the road.
Pandemic Precautions
While many of the things listed are good things to do when preparing your car for a road trip, there are extra precautions to take during a pandemic. Make sure to pack disposable gloves for pumping gas. Also, don’t leave home without the disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and disposable masks. You may even want to bring an extra roll of toilet paper…. think March 2020…. Who knew??
So get that car ready and enjoy a safe road trip. Next thing to consider is where are you going to stay for vacay?
