The Ultimate Road Trip Checklist

Prepping Your New Car For a Stress-free adventure!

Anyone lucky enough to have a road trip ahead of them has a lot to plan. Read on for guidance on prepping your car for the road ahead.

Anyone lucky enough to have a road trip ahead of them will likely have a lot to plan. Depending on where you’re going, you’re probably already thinking about packing clothes, food, maybe even tents!

In all the excitement, it’s easy to overlook the thing that’s making your road trip possible in the first place: your car. Thankfully, the fact that you’re here shows you’re a bit more cautious than most, and rightly so!

Whether your car is new or used, road trips mean your car will be under constant use: this is actually a good thing for your engine!

But if something happens to go wrong, you could be miles away from help—not good if this means being stranded on your own, but so much worse if you’ve just been stranded with restless children. Thankfully, preventing and minimising the effects of such circumstances is quite simple!

Now before we continue, let’s quickly restate the obvious: if you care about the long-term health of your engine, you probably shouldn’t go on a road trip until your car has 800–1,600 kilometres under its belt. At least, not if you’re intending to:

Tow a trailer.
Load heavy items onto your boot or roof-rack (make sure you aren’t overloading).
Travel at higher speeds than what your manufacturer recommends.

But if you’re travelling light, or if the upcoming trip is worth sacrificing a little engine longevity, then read on!

Here’s the best way you can prep your vehicle for the trip ahead.

Send Your Car in For Maintenance

Or do the checks yourself, if you’re confident enough! Pre-road-trip maintenance needs to include checking:

Engine oil and water levels.
Brake fluid.
Windscreen washer fluid (especially during rainy months).
Tire depth and pressure.
Car batteries (ALWAYS use a qualified technician for this).
Car lights. All should be functional, especially for multi-day trips.
Aircon and/ or heaters, depending on time of year.

The above is essential but, if you can at all justify it to yourself (e.g. your car needs an oil change, you hear weird noises when you drive, etc.), spring for a full maintenance service for the best results. If you tell the overseeing mechanic that you intend to go on a road trip, they’ll know what to look for to help you out.

Assemble a Crisis Kit

Your “crisis kit” is a collection of items, packed into your car, that are intended to help you out in the unlikely event that your vehicle still has trouble. For these situations, you don’t want to under-prepared, so a good kit should have:

If you’re already packing blankets, don’t worry about this.
If you break down in the middle of the road on a hot day, you’ll need this.
Preferably food that doesn’t spoil quickly, like dried fruit, biltong, nuts, and raisins. If you have kids, pack a little extra as snacks—it’ll help them keep calm and sit tight if you’re stuck somewhere.
Bright camping torches are best!
Useful if you’ve had a genuine accident, especially at night. This can let oncoming drivers know to slow down, as well as signal for help.

A first aid kit. See here for how to assemble your own.
Car stuff. A spare tyre, some duct tape, cleaning rags, and some extra oil or coolant can come in handy in the event of a puncture or leakage.
Something to keep everyone’s mind occupied. A vehicle breakdown can involve a lot of “hurry up and wait”. Have something to keep everyone entertained so no one gets anxious over time passing.

Once your road trip is over, don’t forget to remove any perishables! Even dried foods go bad eventually, so it’s best to refresh those, rather than retain, between road trips. Torch batteries should also be checked.

Recharging and Load Shedding

Although your GPS is an essential road trip tool, it cannot do everything on its own. For a multi-day trip, know where (and when!) you will stop and park for each night. Have at least a rough idea of places where you can stop to refuel and use the bathroom, and have a backup plan in case a road you intend to use gets closed off.

Plotting out your route like this isn’t just for you, by the way: by sharing your route plan with a friend or family member who is staying at home, you’ll have someone who can check in on you and even come pick you up if needed!

With all the above taken care of, all that’s needed for an awesome road trip—aside from your trusty car—is good company.

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