08 Jul The Ultimate Road Trip Checklist
Road trips make good memories, whether you’re going with family or friends. If you love adventure and seeing new places, a road trip will surely be exciting to plan and look forward to. For a successful road trip, there are multiple things you should make sure you have, and below, we expound more on them.
When planning a road trip, you always prepare for anything that could happen, like getting stuck in the middle of nowhere because your car has problems, fuel, or a weather catastrophe. In such a situation, you will need Mach1 services. When planning for a road trip, make sure you also download the Mach1 app so that you can contact them to bail you out of anything.
Everything must be planned in detail for a successful road trip, starting from your car to all you might need while on the road. Without any of those details being met, the journey could be strenuous to all the people involved and if you have kids with you here are things you could do to entertain kids on a road trip.
What Should I Do Before a Long Road Trip?
When planning for a road trip, you need to prepare your car the most for it to take you there and bring you back home safely. Below are tips for what you should do to your vehicle to make sure it’s ready for the journey.
- Clean your car– I know this sounds basic, but it will make for an awful journey in your vehicle when you leave all the unnecessary dirt and receipts. Sitting in a dirty car for a long time will be annoying, and you will lose things in your vehicle because of the mess. Make sure you get it cleaned up and ready for the road. If there are things you want to leave in the car, make sure you’ll need them during the trip. Otherwise, empty your glove department and boot.
- Pack a survival kit– Survival kits are necessary in case of an emergency. The survival kit should have; flashlight, hammer, screwdrivers, electric charger wire, bungee cords, towing rope, etc.
- Change the fluids in your car– To avoid unnecessary breakdowns on the road, make sure you change your oils, coolant, windscreen wash, and brake fluids. You can check if they need changing or just a top-up. When it comes to your engine oil, check the date you need it changed, and if it’s close, change it before the trip. Topping up old oil doesn’t work as changing it since the sludge will still be in the oil. If it is possible, change your oil filter too.
- Check your tire wear and pressure– Tires are your contact with the road. When the tire has too much pressure, it might suffer a blowout, but you might encounter some problems on the road if your tires have very little pressure. You can check the pressure in a gas station and add some more if needed. Worn-out tires could blow out during the journey. If need be, make sure a mechanic helps you determine if your tires need changing.
- Check your battery and all the lights in the car– Have someone else help you check if all the lights are working well. Change the bulbs that need changing and carry extra bulbs just in case some of them stop functioning. When lights aren’t working, they could result in accidents. An old battery that doesn’t perform well daily wouldn’t be any good on a trip. Make sure you buy a new battery if it doesn’t work well.
- Get a trip inspection. A trip inspection is necessary to help you make sure that your car is in good condition and ready to go for the trip and back. Mach1 services offer the best trip inspection out there. They will check your brake, tires, horn, windshield wipers, rims, wheels, steering wheel, mirrors and reflectors, and lights.
What Do You Need For A Long Road Trip?
When going on a road trip, there are essential things you will need to ensure comfort and safety. Below are some items you might need when going on a long road trip. Most of these items will be required depending on where you’re going and if you have kids.
- A drivers’ license
- Registration
- Insurance policy
- Spare tire and jack
- Extra car key on a different ring just in case one gets lost.
- Mach1 road assistance app/contact and an emergency kit
- Not every place uses a card, so carry money in cash for emergencies.
- A notebook and pen for when you need to write stuff down
- A first aid kit,
- Bug spray
- Spotlight
- Paper maps, you won’t have cell service everywhere, and these could be beneficial.
- Toilet paper
- Towel
- Mints, fresh breath is something we all desire at all times.
- Blankets to keep you warm, depending on the weather
- Large water bottles (fill them up, they will come in handy)
- Flip-flops will be necessary when your feet need to breathe, or you’re going to a beach.
- Toiletry bag(with all your essentials),
- Lip balm
- Body wipes
- Sunscreen to prevent you from getting tan marks.
- Hair ties
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Sanitizer
- Umbrella just in case it’s too hot or it’s raining.
- Snow shovel in case of snow
- Phone chargers and power banks
- USB cables
- Portable wifi
- Books and travel games.
- Carry pillows,
- Mugs
- Extra warm sweaters/jumpers,
- Reusable shopping bags (to avoid wastage)
- Painkillers
- Garbage bags
- A cooler
- Tweezers
- Snacks
What Should You Not Forget on a Road Trip?
If there is something so compulsory when going on a road trip, it would be to inspect your car. Mach1 services offer trip inspection services. During the inspection, you will know if your vehicle can go on a long journey or if you will need to hire a rental.
A trip inspection will also let you know what needs improvement or change. They will then change up what needs changing and service your car for you. This will save you a lot of time and inconveniences on your trip.
Since you won’t be going anywhere if your car stops, carry some tools to give your car a quick fix when the need arises. Carry a few tools that could fix your car when you need them, such as; car jack, different sizes of screwdrivers, an extra tire, water in a can, or carry a coolant and an extra can to carry gasoline just in case you’re out of gas.
You will also need an emergency roadside assistance service. Mach1 would be a good one to have. You can download their app and just make an order of the service you need if you get stuck. Mach1 isn’t demanding since you don’t have to pay any fees to register. You will only pay for the service you’ve ordered on the app. They have mechanics, and tow drivers registered with them all over the country, making the services cheap and quick. If you have a bigger problem then you might need to claim for insurance here a guide on how Determine My Car Insurance Premium must to know before claiming.
10 Essential Things to Have in Your Car on a Road Trip
- Necessary car documents– These include items like a license and insurance. Without these documents, you might not be permitted to go further with your journey, which could be a bummer. No one wants to go back home for documents after an hour of traveling, and it could mess up your schedule.
- Snacks– pre-made home snacks can save a lot of money. Carrying snacks is compulsory to prevent being hungry when there isn’t a store anywhere nearby. You can pack snacks like; veggies, fruits, and sandwiches. Put all of them in different individual bags in equal proportion so that anyone can choose what they want. You could also carry along sodas and potato chips.
- Entertainment– When on a road trip, you can’t expect to have a consistent radio frequency due to network loss, so you will need to have a means of entertainment. When going on the trip, make sure you have music/movies on your phone. When traveling with your buddies, it would be fun to blast music on the car’s Bluetooth. That will keep things interesting. When you have kids, you will need to carry headphones and tablets to keep them entertained quietly throughout the trip. When kids are occupied, they are less grumpy. Don’t forget to bring chargers, extra batteries, power banks, and USB cables.
- Insulated bottles and mugs– Water is just as compulsory as snacks on a trip. You can carry water in insulated bottles because they won’t spill in the car. You can keep hot tea/coffee in the mugs and juice and water in the bottles. Everyone will have their drinks of choice this way. Also, these bottles and mugs will prevent you from using too much plastic as you will refill them every morning.
- On the road activities– The purpose of a road trip is to engage with each other more. You can carry board games or come up with some types of games while driving to keep everyone entertained. If you have children, you could take coloring books and crayons for them to draw on.
- Maps and scheduled stops. When road tripping, it gets to a point where you keep asking, “how much longer” it can be better if you’ve carried a map and showed everyone the stops you will all be making. Having these will prevent anxiousness since everyone has an idea of where the next stop is and how long it will take.
- Comfort items– On a road trip, you should bring along neck pillows and blankets to ensure you are all comfortable and feel at home. Carry extra clothes too, just in case. You might not know when you’ll need the clothes or what emergencies you might experience. Kids will also appreciate having their favorite pillows and blankets in the car to encourage them to nap.
- First aid kit– A first aid kit should have items like bandaids, antiseptic, etc. Such things are compulsory as you wouldn’t know when you might need them.
- Toiletry– Items like tissues, paper towels, towels, toothbrushes, and paste are compulsory items.
- Emergency car tools– Items like a car jack, spare tires, toolbox, etc., will come in handy when you get stuck on the road and it’s something fixable. You will also need an empty can that can carry gasoline or an extra can full of gasoline. This is especially important when you aren’t sure of gas stations ahead.
Final Words
A road trip can be an exhilarating experience. If you would like to enjoy it better, you should make sure that your road trip checklist is in check. A good road trip checklist will save you a lot of hassle and provide comfort. It would be good not having to worry about when you’ll get back home. Instead, enjoy the time you have left with your family or friends.