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As we head into the spring and summer seasons, it's road trip season across the country. But before you set off on your next big adventure, you need to recognize that anything that can go wrong surely will. This is why it's imperative to meticulously plan out every part of your excursion. This includes not only what you plan to do and where you stay but also several aspects of the trip itself. Here are several road trip tips from our years on the road that we want to share with you!
First and foremost, you need to get a road trip safety check. We had one customer who was gearing up to drive to New Mexico for college, and knowing he was traveling across the country, we checked all the belts, hoses, brakes, suspension parts, and wiper blades. We even test-drove the car to ensure he was going to be safe on his journey.
When we start to do a road trip safety check, we inspect your tires for nails or any debris that could puncture your tread. After that, we check your air pressure and tread depth. In addition, we then take the wheels off to ensure they're properly balanced. Something like this takes only a half-hour, and you will have the peace of mind that your vehicle is ready for anything. This safety check is standard with every service request we handle, but we encourage every one of our customers to do it before an extended drive. You don't have to pay for it, and we don't even think twice about it.
But for simple road trip tips, we recommend monitoring your phone use. Occasionally people try to check their phone for texts and missed calls while driving. It's best to save this for gas stops. If it's something important, simply pull off to the side of the road to address the call or text.
If you use a map app, go hands-free with a Bluetooth system and a stick-on attachment for your dashboard. This way, you won't be distracted and your eyes won't veer from the road. When using one of these map apps like Google Maps, make sure you put in your destination before you leave the house.
It's also important to take a map with you. You never know when you will be without service, or a low phone battery, so it's a great way to ensure you'll never get lost. Additionally, it helps to print out all of your instructions. On one of our road trips to San Francisco, we lost service and were only able to find our way by our printed instructions.
It's also important to know where your gas stop are. Most map apps will have these noted, but it never hurts to already have them highlighted on your written instructions. When traveling in the Midwest especially, keep at least a quarter-tank of gas until you start looking for a gas station. Locally, gas stations are plentiful. But as you go further west on the highway, you will start to see them every 40-50 miles instead of every 10-20 miles.
Since we're in the heart of spring, check the weather reports for every area you're traveling through. Some areas may still be getting snow or heavy rain, so this will give you an idea of what clothes to pack and what to include in yourroadside safety kit.
Download a list of items to include in your roadside safety kit.
Do you have any additional road trip tips? Let us know next time you're in the shop! We're always eager to learn new and fun road trip ideas.
Are you getting ready to head out on a road trip? If you'd like to schedule your road trip safety check, never hesitate to reach out. Call us anytime at 919-231-6164 for Raleigh or 919-453-0345 for Wake Forest or request your appointment online.