Post what you bring on a roundtrip !

[NHerron]

I'm driving the GSX to Florida (2700miles) in a couple of months and

I want to know what everyone brings on a long road trip.

Let's hear what you think!

 

[Drop Top Road Trip]

I've had my '99 GST Spyder for about two years and 30,000 miles now. It just turned over 150,000 miles. I live in St. Louis Mo and have driven it to Chicago and back multiple times, Florida and back multiple times, New Orleans and back, Colorado and back multiple times and all the way to Yosemite in California and back. Here's what has given me any kind of grief thus far:

Alternator (was screetchy noisy when I got the car) - had to replace it just before returning to St. Louis from New Orleans in the Autozone parking lot.

Radiator Cap (bad seals) - This was a doozy...cost me about $1,200. Let me explain, I was way WAY out west in the middle of nowhere and the car kept over heating. I thought I had fixed the bad seal on the radiator cap, so all that was left in my mind was the head gasket...so I rented a U-Haul and trailer to get it home. Looked it over more intensely and did a compression test. Decided to buy a new cap and THAT solved the overheating problem. CHECK YOUR RADIATOR CAP!!!

Rear Break Caliper and Rotors - Caliper froze up wearing out the pad and messing up one of the rotors.

Right now I have a TPS that randomly throws a code...but it's not a huge deal.

Uhm....that's it.

Take tools (duh) including some sort of razor knife and a wire stripper / crimper (and crimp connectors), the best duct tape you can find, some wire, at least one wire coat hanger, zip ties, jug of coolant, quart of oil, bottle of brake fluid, rags to clean up and maybe gloves to wear while wrenching.

Oh, one more thing - make sure you'll have cell service everywhere you are going!

 

[luv2rallye]

Two credit cards, 6 volt lantern, sleeping bag, tools, cheap multimeter, and a prayer!

 

[donniekak]

I bring my travel tool bag, and a transmission.

I've made several 5,000 mile round trips in my fully built talon, and only had to swap the trans once. Better safe than sorry.

 

[lasershark]

A rental car
Not a bad idea to bring spare accessory belts, fluids, and obviously the tools. Wouldn't be a terrible idea to throw some coolant hoses and a hand full of fuses in the trunk either.

 

[motomattx]

Two credit cards as was mentioned, a triple A card, an ecu, an ignition module, a spare fuse selection, a spare belt selection, spare hoses, install a brand new radiator cap, a spare good alternator, full set of sockets, full set of wrenches, a tent a sleeping bag and pillow, vice gripa (spend money on the real brand) a few crescent wrenches and a few screwdrivers (all of this will fit into a nice flat storage tote with snap down lid in your trunk btw).

 

[DogWhistle]

All good advice ^

You know your car better than anyone. If there is a particular system or component that has been giving you grief, carry spares and tools.

I would advise carrying spare parts for our cars that are getting hard to come by at auto parts stores, particularly in small towns you may pass through. Sometimes they can order you the part, but it might delay you for a few days, waiting for it to show up.

Check everything twice before you leave and enjoy the scenery!

 

[19Eclipse90]

Factory service manual, either hard or e-copy, along with the multimeter. Tools are a given. I also bring a spare set of mechanic's clothes to swap in to if need be and a regular towel, latex gloves and mechanic's gloves, bottles of water and snacks. Brake cleaner and shop towels, brake fluid, power steering fluid, oil and coolant. Spare ignition components (plugs, wires, coil pack, PTU) mainly because they don't take up a lot of space, and sometimes I will go with a spare ECU.

Now that I think about it, one of those emergency battery jumper packs may not be a bad investment...

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Tow rope and jumper cables along with the above.