Road trips can be some of the most fun and best exploration to be had, often the best places to visit with friends are within driving distance from your home.
A major road trip can seem daunting in the way of finances, finding places to stay and keeping on your schedule, but as most would attest, a road trip with good company can be some of the best experiences you will ever have.
When preparing for a long road trip, people tend to focus more on where they are going, not how they plan to get there.
Ensuring your vehicle is in good condition and ready for the road trip is one of the most important factors that often goes overlooked, the last thing you want is to be stranded with an expensive repair bill in a city you don’t know.
What You Can Check
Not everybody is mechanically inclined, and that’s okay. You won’t need to be a mechanical expert to give your car a once over and be sure it’s ready for the long road.
- Fluids – Fluids may be the most important thing to check whenever you plan to go on a longer drive. Engine oil, gearbox oil, coolant and brake fluid are all vital to your car’s reliability and longevity.
- Lights – Check that all the lights on the vehicle are in good working order.
- Wiper blades – Commonly referred to as the 4 S’s, if your wiper blades are streaking, skipping, slipping, or squeaking, it’s time to have them replaced.
- Tires – ensuring your tires are in good condition is important as they are your only contact with the road, failing tires will result in an accident waiting to happen. Different countries have different amounts of tread required on the tire to still be deemed safe, be sure to look at local law to find if your tires are still good for use.
- Leaks – Check underneath your car before and after a few trips to be sure there are no evident leaks. The only acceptable fluid underneath your car is that of the air-conditioner, so when testing, try not to use the air-conditioner to be sure of any potential leaks.
When it comes to things like fluids, try to check them a week or two before the road trip, and again just before the road trip.
While it is typical for a car to burn some oil, burning at a fast rate is a sign of a much bigger problem and if you leave it, you may need to win big at an online casino in Dubai to fix it!
What Professionals Need To Check
While there are a lot of things we can check ourselves, when it comes to suspension geometry and wheel alignment, there is little in the way an average person can do.
It’s advised to take your car into a workshop to do a wheel alignment before any major trip, as small things like potholes can throw out a car’s wheel alignment over time. While checking wheel alignment, it will be easy for the professionals to check your suspension, tires, and brakes to ensure everything is up to the task of the journey that lay ahead.