Going on a road trip can truly be a wonderful experience, unless you forget something important. This could be anything from forgetting to bring your passport to forgetting to check the tires on your vehicle. This is why you should carefully inspect and double-check everything.
After all, why would you let something trivial like a poorly inflated tire ruin your trip? Since it’s in our nature to forget things, whether we like it or not, we’ve prepared a road trip tire checklist to make sure you have everything you need before you hit the road. So, let’s get to it, shall we?
Don’t Ignore Tire Health
No matter how great your car may be, you’re not going anywhere if the tires are in poor condition. That’s why it’s crucial to inspect the tires before you start your journey, or you won’t make it very far. That said, here are a couple of things you should keep an eye out for.
- Check the air pressure – If your tires aren’t inflated properly, chances are you’ll get a flat somewhere along the way.
- Check for any damage – If you spot cracks, holes, bulges, and anything else that’s unusual, it means there’s a disaster waiting to happen.
- Check if you have proper tires – You forgot to switch tires to accommodate the following season? That’s okay, as long as you spot this on time and replace the tires before you head out.
Blowout Prevention – How to Spot Potential Issues?
As mentioned before, inspecting tires for any bulges or cracks in the tire can prevent a leisure road trip from turning into a complete disaster. A tire blowout is neither safe nor easy to handle once it happens. Even the most experienced drivers end up in a ditch or worse.
So, in order to prevent that from happening, make sure you check your tire closely while looking for bumps, punctures, scrapes, or anything else that might indicate that the tire might fail during the trip. If you spot anything that might give you pause, it’s better to replace the tire than risk an accident.
Don’t Forget the Spare Tire
Having a spare tire is like having insurance. You probably won’t need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you brought it along. Sure, spare tires take up trunk space where your other stuff could fit in nicely.
However, it’s better to pack lightly for your road trip and bring a spare with you than to regret your decision down the road.
That said, if you don’t have a spare, you can easily procure one at the nearest shop or even buy tires online, which is a much more convenient way to find the right spare on time.
Compact Emergency Kit
The chances of something going wrong on your road trip are slim. However, the less prepared you are, the greater the likelihood that something will, in fact, go astray. That’s Murphy’s law for you.
Therefore, it’s best that you’re prepared for anything, just in case, and the best way to do that is to have a compact emergency kit with you at all times during the trip.
Aside from other essentials, like first aid, booster cables, spare fuses, and so on, this kit also has the tools needed to replace a flat tire with a spare one, should the need arise.
What to Do if You Get a Flat Tire Far from Help?
Well, let’s hope you brought that aforementioned spare tire with you. If not, you’ll have to call a tow truck to come pick you up. If you do have a spare, then you can easily replace the flat tire and be on your way in a couple of minutes.
And, even if you have never replaced a flat tire before, you can simply check the owner’s manual in your car for instructions or wave down a noble soul who is willing to help you change the tire.
After that, it’s best that you drive to the nearest auto repair shop and see if your spare tire can handle the rest of the trip or if it needs to be replaced.
The fact of the matter is that not every spare tire is capable of replacing the original one that went flat, which is why you should have a professional examine it. After all, better safe than sorry, right?
Final Thoughts
A road trip without a car isn’t much of a road trip, is it? Of course, you can take a bus or some other means of public transportation, but then you don’t control the trip anymore.
That’s why you should always inspect your car, especially your tires, so that you can actually ensure that your road trip goes as smoothly as possible.
Otherwise, you’re risking an inconvenience at best, or a potential accident at worst. Be that as it may, both outcomes can be easily prevented by conducting a simple checkup.
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
