road_trips
Travel

Getting Road Trip Ready for Spring and Summer

Road trip ready is a motto I live by. As a travel writer, I take many trips, and when spring and summer roll around, I’m on the road pretty often. In case you are not familiar with the life of a travel writer or travel blogger here’s a sample of what it’s like sometimes. Wednesday morning email or call comes in asking you to be in Quebec, or to drive to cottage country Friday around noon. Drop everything, pack and drive or fly.

Not a lot of time for planning. Which is why I strive to be travel ready and road trip ready always.

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image courtesy of Unsplash

In the summer every year, my kids go to camp, which means a long drive to Muskoka and back in August. In addition to that, my family takes a fair number of road trips. Last year we went back and forth to cottage country several times. We even stayed in a yurt – which was amazing. So you can see how big a part of our lives driving is. AND…this year, my daughter is likely to start the process of learning to drive too. (YIKES!!)

When you put all of that together, it’s incredibly important to me to be road trip ready for the warm months. It’s all about making sure the van is in good working order from top to bottom and front to back. After all, it’s carrying the most important thing in the world to me – my family. Because I want everyone to be as safe as possible, I’ve put together some tips on how to ensure that your car is road trip ready for all the driving you’ll most likely be doing in the coming months.

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Road Trip Ready Checklist

This checklist will help you ensure that you’re good to go whenever it’s time for you and the family to hit the road. The last thing you want is for your trip to be ruined because you got stranded or, God forbid, had an accident. Following this checklist will help you do everything you possibly can to keep you and your family safe when you’re on the road.

Emergency Kit

No matter where you’re going, or what time of year it is, be sure you have an emergency kit with you. Your kit should include thermal blankets, food and water, a first aid kit, car escape tool, batteries, a radio, a flashlight and jumper cables. If you have pets, include food and water for them as well.

Lights

Make sure that your headlights, tail lights, and blinkers are all in good working order. Visibility – both seeing and being seen – is key to being safe when you’re traveling in low light or at night.

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Wipers

Check your front and rear wipers to make sure that the blades are fully intact and making good contact with the windshield. You want your wipers to effectively remove water from the windshield so that your vision remains unimpaired.

Battery

Make sure your battery is in good working order. If you’ve had any problems with it at all, replace it immediately. You can ensure your battery is up to par by getting it checked out. It’s quick and easy, and an iffy battery can mean the difference between a great trip and getting stranded when you stop for something.

Tires

If you read my post this past winter on car safety, you remember that I advised you to switch out your tires for winter tires. Well, now is the time to switch back to all-season tires. These types of tires are better suited for warmer weather and provide the right grip for the conditions of the season.

Have Your Car Inspected by a Professional

Doing your own once over and making sure you have an emergency kit are important, but nothing replaces the trained eye of a professional. It’s important to take your car to a professional to ensure that it’s completely safe and road trip ready. My MOM taught me that.

Every single year when I was a child we drove to the cottage, and every single July as soon as school was out she had the car checked over by a professional for summer road trips. Those summer adventures were always relaxing and enjoyable, but as an adult I now know she took care to prepare so that they could be lasting memories for all of us. Preparation goes hand in hand with safety.

OK Tire can help you with that. They’ve been servicing Canadian auto owners since 1953. What started as a group of individual tire retailers is now one of the most recognized automotive servicing centers in Canada, with over 300 locations coast to coast. Each independently owned and operated OK Tire can help you make sure your car is as safe as possible. They offer service, repair, and trusted, name brand tires, allowing them to service and repair every part of your car in-house.

Their seasonal vehicle maintenance offerings include wheel alignment, ride control inspection, cabin air filter replacements, wiper inspection, fluid and brake checks, and more. Their experienced technicians can help you make sure you’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. So, do yourself a favour and prepare for summer with a visit to OK Tire today.

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Make Sure You’re Road Trip Ready

The warm months are almost here, and that means it’s time to get out and about. Make sure you have your emergency kit ready and head over to OK Tires and have their technicians give your car a good once over to make sure you’re road trip ready this spring and summer. Memories are waiting!

This post was sponsored by OK Tire and as such I have been compensated. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful. 

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

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