How to Prepare for a Summer Road Trip

Road trips are a rustic way to spend your travelling months this summer. However, there is a lot of thought that needs to go into preparing your road trip before you set off. MyCarNeedsA.com has created this checklist to ensure that you are fully prepared for your journey and don’t come across a few bumps along the way.

1. Car Check List

About a week or so before you plan to leave for your road trip, we recommend that you get all of the below checked;

☑ Clean and Tidy?

You might be able to stand the empty McDonald bags, countless amount of napkins and animal hair in your car when you are travelling in your normal day to day life, but when it comes to a road trip you don’t want this stress… trust us. Having a tidy car will be one less stressful thing you will have to worry about on your road trip.

☑ Steering

Take your car to your local garage and see if your steering is correct. Sometimes we get so use to driving our car we don’t realise if something is up. A technician will be able to tell if your steering is leaning towards the left or right. If it does, then your wheels might need re-aligned.

☑ Tyres

It’s important that you check your tyres are in their best condition. Even though they might last you another good while, when you are consistently on the road this might not be the case. We recommend that you check for any cuts and gouges, tread depth and their pressure. If you find any problems with your tyres, get a quote from us today and find the cheapest deal for you from your local garages.

☑ Lights

Making sure all of your lights are working is a given. Get a friend to help you that all of your lights are bright and in working order.

☑ Brakes and Clutch

These are both parts of your car that you will use constantly when driving, so it’s important that they are working. If something is up with your brakes and/ or your clutch, get a quote from us today at MyCarNeedsA.com.

☑ Windscreen Wipers

You might think why do I need to get my windscreen wipers checked in the summer? Well given the UK’s unpredictable weather you’re never safe.

You’ll need to check your;

• Washer fluid levels (do you have enough)
• Jets (are the pointing the right way)
• Windscreen wipers themselves (are they clearing your windscreen efficiently)

☑ Air conditioning

If you’re travelling across the UK or going abord, it can get really hot and sticky in a car, so to stay comfortable it’s vital that your air con is working. To check if this system is working all you need to do is set the temperature to the coldest one, turn the fans up to maximum and if the air blows cold then your system is working. If it doesn’t then you need to get your air-con checked to see what’s wrong.

Get a quote from us today to see how much air conditioning servicing and repair costs in your area.

☑ Fluids

Check your oil and coolant levels. If they are low, top them up and keep an eye on them, because if level doesn’t stay up then you might have a leak! Also, make sure that your brake fluid level is acceptable; if the level is below the standard then your car is unfit to drive anywhere.

Visit our website today and get a quote to make sure that your car is fit for the road.

2. Loosely Plan your Route

It’s common knowledge that your road trip won’t go exactly to plan, so it’s a good idea hat you don’t overschedule yourself. This is guaranteed stress as you will have to cancel hotel reservation to book new ones, or still driving when you were meant to be asleep etc. Not having a step by step plan gives a spontaneous feel to your road trip and allows you to act in the moment if something catches your eye.

3. Essential Equipment

When travelling aboard some of these items are legally required. In France, you must carry a warning triable, reflective vests and at least two breathalysers, while in Spain you must have a spare tyre or in you are travelling during the winter you must fit snow chains. We have made a list of what we think is essential equipment you must carry with you on a road trip;

☑ Warning Triangle

☑ High Visibility Vest

☑ Spare Tyre

☑ Jump Start Cables

☑ First Aid Kit

☑ Torch and Batteries

☑ Spare Fluids

• Engine oil
• Coolant
• Brake fluid
• Windscreen washer
• Water

☑ Documents

• Driving license
• DVLA check code
• Insurance certificate
• V5C logbook
• Proof of ID (e.g. passport)

☑ Maps/ Sat-nav

☑ Sunglasses (or an umbrella!)

☑ Entertainment

• Music (aux cord!)
• Deck of cards

We hope that this guide has helped you prepare for your summer road trip, if you think your car might need a full service before you go away, visit our website and we will find the cheapest best deals for you to choose from.

GET QUOTES