Travelling is part of our lives and no matter how much we hate it or love it, we must travel to get to the next phase of our goals, objective, or life. Some choose to do it by plane, some prefer the sea, some opt for the railways, and then there are some who love to do it using their beloved car. Going on a long road trip across the country is something we all love to do. Especially if we have our families or friends along with us. The long empty roads, delicious dine inns along the journey and not to forget the amazing camping opportunities. It’s definitely something every car owner should try at least once in their lifetime. However, this fun filled trips can turn drastically bad if you don’t plan well before leaving out on your long journey. There are a lot of things to consider and prepare for so that your road trip can be completed smoothly without you ending up stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Worry not though, because we bring you FIVE tips that will help you ready yourself before leaving for a drive across the country. These carefully selected advice will definitely increase your chances of you completing your journey.
Ready Your Car
Before giving you any technical and advanced tips for the cruise, let’s cover the obvious basics. Get your car check by a professional so that he can determine whether your car is long trip road worthy or not. Road trip means continuous driving without much rest and with a strong hope of the car not breaking down in the middle of the road. So, it’s best to get checked fully and analysed thoroughly so that it can become clear if the car is in tip top condition for the drive. We will mention few of the main things you would want to check before leaving out on your journey across the country. Coolant. This liquid keeps your car cooled up during your long, heated up driving sessions so make sure plenty of it is poured in the car. Engine is basically food for your car aside from petrol so inspect the level of engine oil in your car. Next you should check the tire pressure and make sure your spare tire is good to go. No drive is safe without good, strong brakes, so ensure they are in good shape. Lastly, check your headlights, indicators, wiper blades and windshield wiper fluid.
Ready Yourself
Just like it’s important for the car to be in tip top shape, the readiness of the driver who is going to be driving for hours continuously is of equal importance. Before the trip, it’s recommended to visit a doctor and get yourself a general check up to confirm that you are in good health to undertake this strenuous journey. If there is a problem, you can take the appropriate actions to cure it so that nothing troubles your attention on the road throughout the trip. Another important thing to look after is a good night’s sleep before the day you leave out for the drive across the country. If you aren’t well rested, you would hardly be able to drive for a few hours before your attention capabilities hit zero, making you unfit to drive. Continuing your road trip in this condition would not only endanger your life, but also of your passengers and of the other drivers on the road.
Plan Out the Full Journey
Everything that is well planned out and carefully charted out from start to finish is bound to go well. If you sit down and invest a decent amount of time considering all of the elements that could directly impact your road trip and then using that information, carefully and responsibly chart out your entire trip across the country, then chances are, you will be well prepared to counter any problem that you might come across the road trip. From the point of you leaving your house, to the location of your destination, you should plan out in full details which routes you will be using, how’s the traffic on the selected routes and what weather will be of all the selected roads.
Record Everything
You can never ever be too careful about anything once you leave your house. Especially if you are planning to go a long road trip. There are just too many unforeseen scenarios that can happen, making it nearly impossible to predict each and every one of them and prepare accordingly. If you can’t predict it, simply record EVERYTHING. Get yourself a nice Dash Cam, capable of recoding crystal-clear footage that can be used as solid evidence when needed. Getting a smart Dash Cam would also grant you access to accurate GPS, road sensors, weather monitoring system, voice command and much more. It would surely make your driving experience much more enjoyable, pleasant, and most importantly safe.
Food & Gas Stops
When you are planning out your road trip, another important thing to consider are your gas stops. You never want to run out of gas while in the middle of nowhere and no cellular services. So, make sure, your gas stops are planned carefully with a safety margin, so you never run into gas problems. Gas is a must because it’s food for your car, and food is a must because it’s the vital energy that’s allowing you to drive carefully. You need to give yourself regular breaks so that you can rest. Meaning, visiting the diners located near the gas stations is the perfect solution because the food itself will give you the energy you need to drive, and while you wait for the food, you can use that time span to rest your eyes, mind and body.
