If you love to travel but have yet to take a long road trip around your favorite country, this has got to be one of the next trips that you make happen. But while you might think that prepping for a road trip would be easier than preparing to fly around the globe, you might be surprised at just how much you need to think about and plan before you can safely leave on a road trip. So to ensure that you have a great time on your journey and are able to make it back home safe and sound, here are three ways you should prep your car for a long road trip.
Make A Packing Plan
As you start packing for your extended road trip, one of the very first things you should do is make a packing plan. With the amount of time that you’ll be spending in the car over the upcoming days or weeks, you’re going to need to ensure that you’ve packed everything you might need. According to Mike Monticello, a contributor to Consumer Reports, properly planning and packing your car can help you avoid accidents, save money, and help you create lasting memories. So in addition to packing all the clothes you might need, make sure you pack things like emergency supplies, snacks, entertainment, extra bedding, and cash.
Give Your Vehicle A Once-Over
Before you get everything loaded into your car for your road trip, you should give your vehicle a good once-over to make sure everything’s in good working order. According to Alex Leanse, a contributor to Popular Mechanic, you should be checking things like all the fluids, your tires, your brakes, your lights, and any other area of your vehicle that you’ve had issues or concerns about in the past. Because the last thing you want to have to deal with when on a road trip is a car accident caused by vehicular malfunctions, make sure you take all of this maintenance seriously and that you get professional help if you need it.
Try To Fit Everything Inside the Car
Once you’re ready to start packing your car for your road trip, Brian Cooley, a contributor to Cnet.com, suggests that you do everything in your power to try to fit all that you’re going to bring with you on the inside of your car. While you can strap things to the roof or use cargo systems that attach to your car, these options can make things like stopping along the way, going through drive-thrus or tunnels, and keeping good gas mileage all much more difficult.
To help you have the best possible road trip, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prep your car for this adventure.
