This guest post was written by Glen Stansberry of LifeDev.net.
Summer is the time for travel. Beaches, vacations, family reunions … everyone seems to be driving somewhere for a little break. Some of my best summer memories are of my family climbing into our station wagon and trekking across the country to some historic site.
During many of these trips our beloved family station wagon (appropriately nicknamed “Puff the Tragic Wagon) always seemed to have some sort of problem. It took many summers of vacation car trouble before our family really learned how to be prepared for whatever the elements (or our car) threw at us.
Here are 6 tips we learned that might make your car trip a little better.
- Check the fluids in your car. It’s always a good idea to check the main fluids in your car before you leave. Oil, radiator fluid and windshield washer fluid are the biggies. Taking the car for an oil change and tune-up never hurts either.
- Check your windshield wiper blades. You never want to be in a rainstorm in unfamiliar territory with sub-par wipers.
- Invest in some RainX. This stuff works wonders on your windshield. You can almost drive in heavy rain without turning the wipers on.
- Double-check your spare tire. You never know when you’ll get a flat tire. Make sure your spare has air in it, and also make sure you know where all of the included tire-changing tools are. Being stranded somewhere without a way to change your tire is no fun.
- Keep your gas tank happy. If you’re traveling to some remote place (like a mountain), odds are there aren’t a plethora of gas stations around. You may enter stretches of highways that won’t have a gas station for 60-70 miles. Keep tabs on your gas tank, and fill up when you have the chance. Otherwise you may find yourself knocking on the door of some local begging for a gas can.
- Pack Less. It’s much easier to travel lighter and set aside some money to purchase things you might need when you get there. We tend to have the mindset of “always be prepared”, but really all that does is force us to pack everything but the dog. Only pack what you know you’ll use on the trip.
Car trips can be a great way for families to bond and share some lasting experiences. Make sure those lasting experiences aren’t bad ones and prepare your car for the trip. You’ll be glad you did in the long run.
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