It’s hard to believe it but summer is only a few months away, which means it’s currently summer holiday booking time. Road Trips can be great fun, especially in Canada, but there are some things you should prepare before you set off, this article will walk you through how to get your car in ship-shape before setting off on your adventure.
Complete All The Checks
When you’re out on the road if something breaks you’re going to have a tough time trying to fix it, especially if you’re half way through the middle of nowhere. Make sure you check that all of the following are working and properly maintained:
● Tires – full of air and unworn, no cracks or anything else worrying (Check the spare too!)
● Lights – turning on when they should and shining at the right brightness
● Brakes – no squeaks or unusual smells, stopping distance as it should be.
● A/C – It’s summer, depending on where you’re going you’ll need the A/C
● Fluids – oil, washer, radiator, breaks, make sure they’re all running properly and filled up
If anything isn’t right or even just slightly concerning, get it fixed, it’ll be a concern lifted from your shoulders so that you can focus more on enjoying the holiday.
Do A Thorough Cleaning
If you’re going to be practically living in a car for the next few days it’s going to end up quite messy no matter how hard you try, but you can at least start off from a nice clean base. Give the car a thorough cleaning both inside and out, but especially inside, that’s where you’ll be 90% of the time.
Vacuum the carpets, empty out all the cubbies and containers of all but the essentials, scrub the dashboard and throw out any old trash that may be hidden under the seats. If you’re planning to eat in the car it may be worth setting up a temporary trashcan in the car before you set off, so that it doesn’t end up all over the car.
Pack Supplies
With all that newly cleaned out space you can start tucking away some things for the journey that you might need just in case, spare phone charging cables are a must, they’ll always break at the most annoying time possible. Along the same lines, even in the age of GPS it never hurts to have a physical map just in case. You’ll need some fuel too, not for the car but for the passengers, pack plenty of water and snacks for the road.