Ways to Care for Your Car Before and During a Trip!

Road trips are another great way to spend your holidays! And since Christmas is coming up, why not spend it on the road with loved ones? You’ll be able to see how other places celebrate Christmas through wondrous Christmas lights, home decor and so much more!

But before or during your trip, you want to make sure you and your loved ones are safe! And one important thing to consider is your vehicle. This is what you’ll be depending on for the whole trip so it’s essential to make sure it’s in tip-top shape before and during your trip.

So to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip, make car care essential! To help you out with that, we made a list of car care tips before and during your trip. Check them out below:

1. Check basic maintenance off the list!

Before your trip, consider getting your car its basic maintenance (if you still haven’t). This entails checking your fluids, getting your tires checked, checking your battery and also getting your bakes inspected. To be more specific on how you can maintain these basic car maintenances, here is a summary for each one:

• Fluid check – When getting your fluid checked, these are the fluids to consider: oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid and your windshield washer fluid. Make sure they’re all at an appropriate level needed to get your car running efficiently.
• Tire inspection – Before your trip make sure to check your tire pressure and tread depth. Also, keep a lookout for signs of wear and damage. + Remember to pack a spare tire and also get it inspected.
• Battery – This is what will help your vehicle start so make sure it’s charged and the terminals and clean. Give it a test before leaving for your trip.
• Brake – When it comes to car safety, brakes are also mentioned! So before heading out, check on your car’s brake pads and make sure they work perfectly fine.

1. Get your car mechanically checked!

This covers your car’s belts and hoses, lights, wipers and air filters. Each of these components has an important impact on your trip’s safety so it’s best to get them checked!

• Belts and hoses – If you don’t know how to check belts and hoses alone, get a car technician to help. Make sure to let them check for signs of wear, cracks or even leaks!
• Lights – This covers headlights, brake lights, turn lights and hazard lights. These are ALL VERY ESSENTIAL for road safety so greatly consider checking if each one works properly.
• Air filters – To make sure your engine runs properly, make sure to check on your car’s air filters. Replace if needed before your trip.
• Wipers – For better vision when driving, consider getting your wipers checked. If they’re worn out, consider replacing your wiper blade before the trip.

1. Consider emergency essentials!

Emergency essentials consist of an emergency kit, jumper cables and spare ties. For you to better understand the urgency of why these things are needed, here is a list to consider:

• Emergency kit – Accidents can happen anytime and anywhere! So make sure to have an emergency kit in your car at all times. An emergency kit should consist of a first aid kit, blankets, water, basic tools, necessary medication and a flashlight.
• Jumper cables – If you happen to have battery issues during your trip, jumper cables are your best friend!
• Spare tires – Consider having a spare tire/s especially if you’re going on a long trip. 

1. Have the necessary documents on hand

This category covers documents like license, registration, insurance and roadside assistance contact information. These are essential to have since these are required documents every vehicle should have on hand to prove the driver and vehicle are legal to be on the road. 

• License, registration and insurance – For these 3 documents, make sure they’re all up-to-date and are with you during your road trip.
• Roadside assistance contact – When things go south and you get into car trouble, roadside assistance can help you out. So it’s essential to have their contact number with you.

1. Have stops!

Stops during trips are essential. Not only for the driver and the people in the car but also for the vehicle itself. The stops allow passengers and the driver to have comfort room breaks, buy some snacks and beverages, stretch out and so on. For the vehicle, this allows the engine to take a break and also a great time to fuel up. This is also a great time to check on your tires, fluids, lights, engine and so on. To give you ideas of great stops to take on your trip, here are some to consider:

• Gasoline station – Gasoline stations are a great stop to consider since this allows you to fuel up your vehicle, get your tires aired up (if needed), get some snacks and beverages and also have a potty break.  
• Accommodations – Staying the night at an accommodation is great! This allows everyone to comfortably sleep during the night, take a bath, have potty breaks and relax and unwind before hitting the road again. This is also great for your car since this allows it to rest as well.
• Tourist spots – This is a great way to make your road trip all the more enjoyable! Plus this allows you to let your car rest for a bit before hitting the road again. This fun little stop can make the road trip more memorable and less boring.

For accommodations, you can consider motels, budget hotels and serviced apartments. They’re more abundant along the road and most of them offer free parking. 

1. Make sure you’ve packed your comfort items!

This includes snacks, drinks, pillows, blankets and anything else that can make your trip more comfortable and less taxing. So before you leave, make sure you’ve packed these items:

• Snacks and drinks – Having something to munch on during a trip is pretty nice. So make sure to pack your favourite snacks! Make sure the snacks you pack aren’t easily tarnishable, are easy to eat and don’t have a strong smell (to be considerate of other passengers).

For your drinks, we recommend you go for water. This will help keep you hydrated better during the trip. Or if you want a flavour drink, consider electrolyte drinks. Also, make sure to bring a tumbler! This is a sustainable way to quench your thirst also also is more cost-efficient since you’ll be able to refill it for free when visiting restaurants or stops.

• Comfort items – These items consist of pillows, blankets and any item you have that brings you comfort, like a stuffed toy or a fidget toy. This will make your road trip all the more comfortable.