The Prepared Road Trip
The family road trip is a time honored tradition, here is the first part of our series on how to do it Prepper Style. A good road trip starts with pre trip planning. Vehicle maintenance needs to be addressed before you pull out of the driveway and good route planning is key to avoiding a lot of headaches.
Vehicle Maintenance
While you should be maintaing your vehicle at all times the long distance road trip provides a perfect time to whip your ride into shape.
Tires and Brakes
- Check the air pressure in all of the vehicles tires.
- Inspect the condition of all the tires.
- Check out your brakes. If you can’t do this yourself have a qualified person do it for you. Stopping is pretty darn important
Oil and other fluids
- Check the oil level and make sure it is filled. I like to change the fluid and filter before a big road trip.
- Check and top off the other fluids.
- Wiper fluid is especially important if driving into the South East. The bugs are unbelievable!
Route Planning
Putting a little bit of time and effort into planning out your route can only help the road trip go smoothly
- GPS is a great tool but I find it to be a hindrance at times. On our recent trek down I-95 from New York to Florida the GPS took us through the heart of Washington DC. I had looked at the map and wanted to stay on I-95 but instead I listened to the siren song of technology. The GPS also goes a little bit bonkers when it comes to navigating around New York City. My wife does find it comical when I argue with my Smartphone.
- Take an Atlas. Like I said the GPS had some limitations and having a good old fashioned map with you can’t hurt.
- Do a bit of internet research about potential rest stops. In this day and age there is no reason to end up in a sketchy part of a strange city. Why expose you and your family to unnecessary risk.
The Wrap-up
Some time and effort before you leave on a road trip can eliminate a host of potential problems out on the Interstate. The prepared road trip is all about maximizing fun and minimizing potential trouble! Stay tuned for Part 2: Gear and Supplies.
Resources
AAA is still an excellent resource for the family road trip
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