Holiday Roadtrip To-Do's

Status
Not open for further replies.

gathermewool

Site Donor 2023
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
Messages
10,193
Location
New England
In the very near future 7 of us will be taking a 1,200 mile road trip from New England to FL, with one stop halfway, probably NC. The group will include my wife, her sisters and their S.O.'s, as well as one tween kid (who is very well-behaved and low-maintenance, FWIW.) We all get along really well, and have pretty easy-going attitudes.

I'll be driving my Subaru, and the other vehicle will be my brother-in-law's late-model Rav4. We plan to break the trip up into two days there and two days back, with a week in FL, to include 4 days at Disney. We plan to split gas and tolls three ways, to keep things fair. We'll also pack things where they fit, such as keeping the cooler and vehicular tools in my car, and maybe an extra piece of luggage in theirs.

I've begun prep'ing the Subaru in my signature, but would love to hear what you guys do, check, pack for long road trips. I'll list as much as I can remember, and you guys can pick it apart, go off on a tangent about past amazing/horrific adventures you've been on, lessons learned, whatever! Many people choose to fly during the holidays, but some of us are crazy enough to look forward to road-tripping it instead!

Vehicle: Listed in sig ~16k miles.

Oil: GC 0W-30, with an estimated 3,300 miles on the oil by the time we begin the road trip. I plan to change it within a few days after returning, with a conservative max of 7k miles on the oil (1,200 miles each way, with a week's worth of driving around the local area.)

-Subaru recommends 7.5k-mile OCI's, though it was reduced to 6k subsequently. I don't see an issue with going 7k miles, seeing how almost half of the OCI will be all-highway

-Based on the dipstick, I haven't consumed any perceptible oil in 16k miles (last checked a week ago.) I still plan to bring an extra quart of GC with me.

Fuel: 93 AKI, which should be available along the entire trip. To give every one a chance to stretch and minimize fatigue, we plan to stop every 300 miles or so for gas.

Tires: The forecast is for mild temperatures where we're going, but still warmer than here. With this in mind, I plan to bump up the front tires to 34 and the rear to 35 psig.

-I usually check the spare tire every year (last checked a couple of months ago @ 50-55 psig, IIRC,) but I'll make sure to check again within the next couple of days, just in case.

-Last rotated 5k miles ago - I'll do it again when I get back.

-Just installed wheel locks today - won't stop a determined thief, but maybe it'll prevent me from waking up on four cinder blocks one morning, in a strange city.

Fluids: All checked - SAT, but I'll top off the wiper fluid before we leave.

ETC.: I'm going to detail the car tomorrow, to include all interior cleaning, as well as applying some Rain-X on all glass.

Besides our luggage, I plan to bring the following:

1. 1 qt GC

2. Simple hand tools

3. 12VDC air compressor

4. 12VDC-120VAC inverter (it won't put out much, but it's better than nothing)

5. Blankets, pillows

6. Cooler, snacks, etc.

7. Two USB chargers (one single port and one dual-port, for three total ports.)

8. At least three external battery packs, more for while we're out and about, not necessarily for on the trip itself.

9. Day bag, with a single change of clothes and toiletries, so we don't have to dig through our luggage at the hotel

10. Sirius sat radio, as well as a bunch of downloaded audio books. The one I'm looking forward to the most, is A Christmas Carol, narrated by Tim Curry. I listened to Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events, narrated by Tim Curry on a previous road trip, which was great, so I"m looking forward to that.

-Any other great audio books you guys can recommend?

I'm sure I'm missing a ton of stuff, but that's what I can remember off the top of my head. Thank in advance for the posts to come.
 
Originally Posted By: hypervish
Jumper cables (just incase).


I've got one of those 12VDC-to-12VDC port charging cables, though I bet actual cables would be better. Aside from leaving a light on, the chance of two newer cars needing a jump is pretty low, I think. I've also got roadside assistance via Subaru and USAA.
 
Originally Posted By: Bandito440
Rent a minivan.


Cost prohibitive, unfortunately. I feel safer in my Subie with Eyesight, anyhow.

Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
Two words: South of the Border!!!


We almost stopped on our way down a couple of years ago, but decided against it at the last minute.

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
I'd remove the sharp objects from the interiors of the cars.


Haha. Ive got plenty of ear plugs and every one has their own electronic distractions. Trust me, I have no delusions that we'll be singing Christmas carols the whole way down! Lol
 
Xanax.
19.gif
 
First aid kit. Bring one of those kits to patch a flat tire as well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-tubeless-tire-repair-kit-45183.html

Some rubber gloves to keep your hands clean if you need to fix anything on the van or change a flat and paper towels.

You probably won't be caught in a snow storm, but it's wise to bring some tealights and a tin can and matches or a lighter if you were stuck in a bad storm and needed to keep warm.

Regards, JC.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
At 16k on the odo you shouldn't have to do anything. Wash and wax, clean the interior, check tire pressures, and drive it.


+1,

And enjoy the drive
smile.gif


I think you are all set.
 
A quart of oil perhaps just in case? Your car has low miles, if all fluids are up to date and tires are in good shape you should be good. I am about to take my Accord on a road trip with the g.f. to meet up with family for Christmas. Will be leaving in a couple days, all I did was check fluids, tires look good, then washed it and detailed the interior today. Ill do a quick fluid check the day we leave and top off the gas and we should be good to go Lord willing! Have a fun trip, you will pass through my territory on the way down to Disney. Might even pass each other on the highway
wink.gif
Be safe!
 
Your list sounds good. In July my brother was in Montana visiting family with his girlfriend when his intake manifold started leaking (he thought it was the head gasket). I got a call Saturday evening to either bring him up or help him fix the car and left the next morning in my 1997 Camry with 194k miles before the trip. Put 3,000 miles on it too and was trouble free. I'm sure your new car will be fine lol.
 
Originally Posted By: Throt
Xanax.
19.gif



Haha, maybe. I know which of us will snap first, but the rest of us are used to driving long distances and actually like road trips.

The only thing that makes me grumpy is MASSIVE traffic. I've allotted for 2 hours of traffic, 1 hr for bathroom breaks, and 2 full hours for dinner for our first day. With an average speed of 65 MPH, our estimated time on the road for the first day will be just over 15 hours. Dinner is planned for a BBQ place in southern VA, which is only a couple of hours away from where we plan to stay the night the first night. It might turn out that we're not hungry after snacking all day and choose to skip the BBQ place and keep on driving to the motel.

I hope to be done with driving for the first day well before midnight, and before 2200 if all goes well.

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
At 16k on the odo you shouldn't have to do anything. Wash and wax, clean the interior, check tire pressures, and drive it.


I didn't even consider washing and waxing the exterior, but I may just do that. Unless work randomly gets crazy before the trip I should have plenty of time one of these "warm" afternoons to take care of it. Today is supposed to be in the 40's and cloudy, so maybe today.

Originally Posted By: JC1
First aid kit. Bring one of those kits to patch a flat tire as well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-tubeless-tire-repair-kit-45183.html

Some rubber gloves to keep your hands clean if you need to fix anything on the van or change a flat and paper towels.

You probably won't be caught in a snow storm, but it's wise to bring some tealights and a tin can and matches or a lighter if you were stuck in a bad storm and needed to keep warm.

Regards, JC.



I've got an expired kit that my dad gave me way back when, that my wife is going to populate with new expired stuff. The bandanges and patches should all be good to go, so all she really needs to replace is the Neosporin-type stuff. I probably would have forgotten to remind her (if she was to forget) had you not reminded me - thanks!

I always keep neoprene gloves stashed in my fix-it bag, but thanks for the reminder. I am out of shop towels, but I'll make sure to stuff the quarter roll that's left of our normal paper towels, and designate them the "dirty" towels.

I also forgot to mention that I have a solar lantern (cheap job, but it puts out a couple hundred lumens,) and I always keep a flashlight on me (I've got a Zebralight SC52w L2.) I'll make sure to stuff my LED headlamp, a lighter and some candles in the pack, too. Thanks for the recommendation.

Originally Posted By: DoiInthanon
Insurance and registration documents up to date.


I actually just got my renewal notice for insurance earlier this December. Thanks for the reminder to print out the new sheet and stuff it in the glove compartment.

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Your list sounds good. In July my brother was in Montana visiting family with his girlfriend when his intake manifold started leaking (he thought it was the head gasket). I got a call Saturday evening to either bring him up or help him fix the car and left the next morning in my 1997 Camry with 194k miles before the trip. Put 3,000 miles on it too and was trouble free. I'm sure your new car will be fine lol.


I used to drive a bunch of miles on my old '97 Legacy with > 200k miles without worry of breakdown. I'm not so much worried about the vehicle, so much as wanting to hear recommendations on what to bring along, how you guys maintain sanity, and any stories you might want to tell about your past road trips.

I may have remembered before the trip, but you guys have already reminded me of several things to ensure I have (first-aid kit, updated insurance card, etc.)
 
u mentioned satellite radio, i keep my cd full of what I call road pounding music, so that i can keep driving steady and it helps make the time go well.

an insulated coffee mug and or thermos is an essential for me as well as water and or a pop or two in case i need the caffeine. other wise i'm not to much for pop.

there are some things you can't avoid, but i try to pass the largest cities after or before rush hour. for example Dallas/Fort Worth Area is a huge metropolis with major traffic during rush hour. I have been stuck there many times. So i always try to drive through this area at night.

best of luck, if i think of anything else, i will post back.
 
I really doubt you will average 65 mph, even though that might be your road speed. Figure 50 if you're lucky. less with heavy holiday traffic, possible inclement weather.
 
Slow but steady!!! That's my motto.

Do what you can when you can. You really are at the mercy of the flow of traffic during the holidays. Add rush hour traffic and you have a mess.
 
The chase car and tools get you a lot. Safe travels! I bet you'll donate the GC to the RAV.
wink.gif


Believe both Rav4 and subaru takes 5x100 rims, so your spare being inflated, could, worst case scenario, fit the other car.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top