Taking a road trip puts you in charge of your vacation while helping you save money in the process. You’ll get the chance to see amazing sights, experience new places, and have an unforgettable journey. Instead of renting a car, you might decide your car is in good enough shape to brave the open road to your destination. There are some things you should do beforehand to make sure your car can handle the trip. You should also ensure your vehicle has proper coverage and consider sr22 auto insurance if necessary.

Clean Your Car

You should take the time to clean your car’s exterior and interior before making a long trip. The interior is the most important because you’re going to want to make sure you have enough room for everything you’re bringing. You’ll also want to check that you have important documentation in your vehicle such as registration and your car insurance cards. If you’re going on a family vacation and traveling with children, designate a certain area for the children’s belongings to make sure they all stay in one place for safety purposes.

Change the Air Filter and Check Oil

If you haven’t changed your air filter in a while, you’ll want to do that before taking a long road trip to make sure it functions properly. The purpose of the air filter is to prevent harmful debris from entering the engine. When an air filter becomes clogged, the engine must work extra hard to work efficiently which puts unnecessary stress on it.

Whether or not you need to get your oil changed depends on when it was last changed. If you’ve recently had it changed and used synthetic oil, it’s probably not necessary for another oil change before you leave. You can check the quality of the oil using the dipstick to see how it looks. If it’s been a while since the last oil change, you should consider having it done.

Test the Car on the Highway

One way to make sure your car is ready for a long trip is to test it on the highway locally. You don’t need to go a far distance. Turn the radio down and listen for any strange noises and observe if you feel anything that doesn’t feel normal. If you have questions about noises or smells coming from your car, you can always bring it in for a safety inspection to find out if it’s okay to drive.

Check the Tires

Before going on your trip, you want to make sure your tires are okay. You don’t want to drive a long distance with bald tires or a tire that might have a nail in it. Check the sidewalls for cracks and gouges, make sure your car isn’t shaking when you drive it, and see if there’s uneven wear.

Have a Back-Up Plan in Place

With anything in life, we never know when something bad will happen to us. Even if you have a car without any issues, you should plan for the worst just in case. Have some extra money set aside as an emergency fund in case you end up needing repairs, a tow, or even a new tire. It’s good to be prepared.