Road Trip Preparations

[turbo2g111]

In about 3 weeks, I'm leaving for the summer, and I'm taking the DSM with me. I'm driving from SF-Bay Area to Rapid City, SD (roughly 1500 miles each way). What I want to know is, what should I do to prep the car for the trip, and what should I bring on the trip to keep it running good? I don't want any break-downs in the middle of the desert.
Here is what I have done/will do so far:
Change oil, plugs, and coolant.
Tires rotated and properly inflated
Bringing full spare, tools, spare fuses, 2 quarts of oil, and some more coolant

What else?

 

[itsover]

check and inspect all your belt, and coolant hose. Check for leak, brough 24 pack of redbull .

 

[v8killar]

Boost leak test. you can never check those stupid hoses enough. maybe the tire plugs to patch a hole if you happen to get screwed like i did and get 2 flats. and an air pump.

 

[phillabaum03]

Engine lift, spare engine, Duct tape and zip ties

 

[dyno_detour]

Paper work such as registration, insurance etc. up to date?
Might be just me, but a CLEAN car (inside) makes the trip better.
Turn signals, brake lights working properly?
How are your wiper blades?
Look at a map and plan your route.
Personally, I drink water and avoid caffeine and soda on long trips.
Got a flashlight, flares and a first-aid kit.
Plenty of CD's or iPOD

Most importantly......drum roll please.....TOOLS!!!!!
I always have my leatherman on me at all times. That tool has saved my @$$ plenty of times.

Have a safe trip,

Ryan

 

[ilikespeeding]

In about 3 weeks, I'm leaving for the summer, and I'm taking the DSM with me. I'm driving from SF-Bay Area to Rapid City, SD (roughly 1500 miles each way). What I want to know is, what should I do to prep the car for the trip, and what should I bring on the trip to keep it running good? I don't want any break-downs in the middle of the desert.
Here is what I have done/will do so far:
Change oil, plugs, and coolant.
Tires rotated and properly inflated
Bringing full spare, tools, spare fuses, 2 quarts of oil, and some more coolant

What else?

You're going to need:

4 qts of coolant
Radiator patching
8 qts of oil
8 qts of transmission fluid
Duct tape
tip ties
16, 8, 6, 4 gauge wire
spare 02 sensor
two entire socket sets (I always end up losing the most important socket)
cell phone
AAA membership
flat bed
spare tire
tire patch
spare battery
new alternator
spare timing belt
spare accessory belt

8 spark plug wires
portable soapy-water spray bottle
compression tester
a few of those things that hold the window up when the regulator ####s up
6000 fuses
2000 couplings
superglu
spare headlight bulbs
spare taillight bulbs
electric air pump
portable tire balancer
spare brake rotors and pads
portable rotor machining machine

and most importantly (feel free to sing along with the tune of 'the twelve days of Christmas'
12 seals leaking,
11 pipes corroding,
10 cranks walking,
9 gaskets leaking,
8 brake pads warping,
7 seats blowing,
6 pumps failing,
5 piston rings,
4 spark plugs,
3 cylinder heads,
2 air filters,
and a partridge in a pair tree

 

[SaiyanFury]

I find that a lot of the guys here are total doomsayers. Of course, I've recently rebuilt my engine, but I drove it to Florida from here in Winnipeg, Canada (1850 miles) and back before the rebuild without a major problem. The only one problem that I had driving down after the rebuild, was melting my factory rad fan, which was self inflicted because we had removed the heat shields (they're back now). Of course bring the usual accoutrements: Oil, Coolant, a few tools such as sockets and such, but these cars are made tougher than a lot of people are willing to admit. Just check your hoses, and oil and the usuals, and I'm sure you'd be fine.

 

[Talesin]

And your ears, hands, and body. Listen to the car, feel for unusual vibration. Especially on a trip, catching a problem before it turns severe is the best to do.

I'd at least make sure to have an up to date AAA membership, tire repair kit, spare oil and coolant, a small toolkit with long-shank wrenches and a cheater bar... and if you can find one cheap, a spare alternator.

 

[ilikespeeding]

its clear that I was joking right?

 

[president95]

Yep.

 

[mathew82284]

In about 3 weeks, I'm leaving for the summer, and I'm taking the DSM with me. I'm driving from SF-Bay Area to Rapid City, SD (roughly 1500 miles each way). What I want to know is, what should I do to prep the car for the trip, and what should I bring on the trip to keep it running good? I don't want any break-downs in the middle of the desert.
Here is what I have done/will do so far:
Change oil, plugs, and coolant.
Tires rotated and properly inflated
Bringing full spare, tools, spare fuses, 2 quarts of oil, and some more coolant

What else?

Id say buy a new K&N filter if your comming up on 50k on that thing If not id say clean it off before you go and then before you get back. Itll save you alot of gas by having a clean filter. Also what i do when i go on trips is use cruise control. If you use it and keep you foot off the gas you save gas because you not using that Heavy foot hearing 100mph once in a wile . But yea good luck with the trip

 

[turbo2g111]

If you can find a way to fit all of that in a DSM... let alone 5... I'm all ears.
But yeah, thanks for the advice guys. I've made the trip before, just not in the DSM. Last time I took my parents' 93 Dodge Grand Caravan. If that thing can make it.... any car should, but its a DSM, so naturally it'll pick the worst time to have something go wrong. I was planning on taking a full tire on an extra rim I have, instead of the spare. Good idea or not?

 

[Primaveria]

Bring a few tools and duct tape, I did a similar trip last year, and about halfway my crappy boost gauge hose blew, I was so happy I had duct tape. I replaced all of my fluids two weeks before and checked them again right before I left.