4 Things You Need Do To Prepare Your Car For a Summer Road Trip
This article is sponsored by Mr. Freeze. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own. See my full disclosure here.
If you are planning a summer road trip with your family, make sure you prepare your car by doing these 4 things before you go.
Growing up, I went on many amazing Summer road trips with my family. We went on road trips to visit family who lived in other states, to explore National parks and places of interest. We even went on a road trip to Disneyland once. My parents would always say, "We are going on an Adventure, wanna come along?"
When I was 14, my two older brothers graduated from High School early. To celebrate, we went on the most EPIC of road trips. 8 people in an 11 passenger van (the youngest was only 18 months old) with a shell on top for all our luggage and camping gear. We drove 12,000 in 6 ½ weeks. We stopped at national parks, religious and historical places of interest, museums, beaches, and more.
Really, we zigzagged through every state between Utah and the Atlantic Ocean, down to Key West Florida, and up to Prince Edward Island Canada. It was a road trip I will NEVER forget. Looking back there are soo many places we visited on this and other road trips that I want to now take my husband and kids to see and experience.
It wasn't until years later as an adult, taking my own family on road trips, that I came to fully understand and appreciate all the planning and logistics that went into making these road trips as great as they were. Despite the best of planning, sometimes unexpected things would occur like flat tires, air conditioners going out, transmission or engine issues, and more.
However, proper planning and preparation before leaving on a road trip can drastically lessen the chances of these unexpected disasters from happening.
In addition to planning your travel route, booking your accommodations, budgeting, and packing there is some preparation you should make on your vehicle itself before you head out on a long family road trip. If you do the 4 things I will mention below then you can head off on your road trip with peace of mind.
Get Your Oil Changed
Your car needs oil in the engine to function. The main purpose of oil is to lubricate the engine parts which in turn reduce the friction of those parts while breaking down debris within the engine protecting all the parts from corrosion and wear. Over time the oil in your car needs to be changed out. For most engines, it is recommended that you change out the oil every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. There is normally a light on your dashboard that lets you know when it is time to do so.
However, even if you are still within that 5,000 to 7,500 miles since your last oil change I would recommend getting it changed right before a long road trip. Especially if you have an older vehicle. This will make sure that the engine works properly on the road. If you go too long without changing your oil it could become sludge, in which case the engine could then overheat and either blow a gasket or seize up. Additionally, when you get your oil changed, the mechanic will check your other fluids like the brake fluids and windshield wiper fluid to make sure they are full making sure your vehicle is good to go for your trip.
If you decide to not get your oil changed, since you had it done more recently, I would advise you to at least check your oil to make sure it is clear and at an adequate level. I would also advise you to buy a bottle of oil to have on hand in case you need it during the drive.
Recharge Your Air Conditioner
Before you leave on your road trip, (especially if you have an older vehicle) I would highly recommend recharging your Air Conditioner unit to make sure your A/C will work properly on your journey. Mr. Freeze A/C is my go-to for recharging my Air Conditioner. It is easy to use and will have your vehicle A/C working in minutes. How it works is you hook the bottle of Mr. Freeze to your main A/C line. While you are refilling the refrigerant into your A/C system, Mr. Freeze uses special AccuFill Technology to measure the temperature coming from your car vents. It comes with a digital vent temperature display to help you know when you have reached that optimal target vent temperature. At the same time, Mr. Freeze contains lubricant and a leak sealer which will stop your A/C unit from leaking the refrigerant.
There is almost nothing worse than your air conditioner going out on you while on a long Summer road trip with kids in the car. We have had this happen multiple times on car trips throughout the years. One time, in particular, comes to mind when I was driving through the California desert with my sister-in-law and nephews to meet up with family in Utah. The Air Conditioner completely died and it was blistering hot outside. We were all suffering, but we were particularly worried about the kids who were only toddlers. We didn't want them getting heatstroke.
We didn't have any way to fix the air conditioner at the time. So we got off on the next exit and stopped by a fast food place to get some ice cream for the boys to eat to help them cool down. We also got some tall cups of ice water and then headed back onto the freeway to finish our trip. The ice cream helped but soon was gone and even with the windows all down it was soon sweltering hot again. I ended up resorting to using some of the ice water (which no longer had any ice) to wet down the boys in the hopes that the air from the open windows would help keep them cool. We made it but those last few hours of driving were miserable.
I wish I had had some Mr. Freeze A/C with me. If I had, then we could have easily recharged our air conditioner in minutes and then finished our journey in comfort. I learned my lesson, and now not only recharge my A/C before I leave on any road trip but also bring a bottle of Mr. Freeze A/C with me on my trips to have on hand just in case.
Clean Your Car Inside & Out
Many people overlook the importance of cleaning their car before heading off on a long family car trip. After all, your car is just going to get dirty on the road trip, so why clean it?
Well, cleaning the outside of your car, includes cleaning the windshield, windows, and mirrors. This will help with the driver being able to see clearly while driving no matter what time of day or night you are on the road.
In addition to cleaning before you leave, I would recommend that as you progress through your road trip to stop and reclean the windshield, windows, and mirrors. You might even want to bring with you some glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth to do this since you won't always find the needed items at gas stations that you stop at to fill up.
I would also advise cleaning out the inside of your car before you head out. I am a firm believer in starting the way you want to continue. We always clean out our car and vacuum it out before we load up for our road trip. Then place strategic trash baggies throughout the car for everyone to throw away their snack trash on the journey. This makes it easier to keep the car cleaner during the trip which makes the drive nicer. Trust me this makes a big difference in your road trip experience.
Check the Air Pressure In Your Tires
This such an important thing to do before going on a long road. Low air in your tires can mess with the performance of your car, shorten the life of your tires and even cause them to blow out which can be dangerous for everyone in your vehicle as it can lead to an accident. It can also affect your car mileage because tires with low air pressure have higher resistance to rolling. According to the EPA, you can boost your car's mileage up to 3 percent in certain cases just by making sure your tires are inflated at the proper pressure. This can really add up on long road trips.
If the air pressure is not balanced for all your tires it can mess with the alignment of your vehicle and cause your tries to prematurely wear out. Thankfully it is really easy to check the air pressure in your tires. It only takes a couple of minutes to do so. Most gas stations have an air pump to fill your tires. I recommend keeping a tire pressure gauge in your glove compartment box for when you fill your tires.
Wherever you are heading on your Summer family travels this year. I hope you have an epically fun time and create many treasured memories together.
Trust me, when I say that you won't regret taking the time to prepare your car (or vehicle) for your upcoming road trip. None of the vehicle preparations listed above take a lot of time to do. By doing them, you can enjoy peace of mind, and help you to avoid those common road trip car problems.
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