I'll be driving from Orange County to San Francisco this weekend and was wondering what pre-drive checks, such as checking the oil, there were to ensure a safe and comfortable drive for myself and my passengers. Thanks!

 

oh man your gonna love that boring drive!!1


what i did was,

check the coolant,i changed my oil of course, check the tire pressure.
make sure its up to factory standards. which you can check on your door sill.


thats really all i check heh.

when i did that trip 2 months ago.

 

I'm leaving irvine tonight and heading to the bay area too! I just had my minor service done, so i'm just going to assume that everything under the hood is good. I'll be checking tire pressure, and then i'm off. Well, after pickin up some energy drinks and snacks for the road. Are you going to have a bottom to fill every seat? I had five adults in my car two months ago for the same drive. They looked miserable. Get those stops in so they can stretch their legs!

 

SD_MR_FIT:
thanks for the list! almost forgot to check the coolant... hopefully the hours of music will keep me awake and entertained. lol

electrickoolguy:

there are going to be four people total in the car. luckily, everyone is short and skinny... lol. but who knows, they'll probably complain after the first hour. i didn't even think of taking along a few snacks and energy drinks. thanks for the reminder! my friends offered to drive my car if i got tired... but i'm very protective of my baby. looks like i'll need to stack up on some energy drinks! hope you have a safe drive. maybe i'll see you in the bay, hahaha.

 

shit i had a bottom for every seat. im on lowering springs, and 17's.

it was a harsh ride for them, but i thought it was normal haha.

5 hour energy shots. 3 of them, 1 every 2 hours will do you good.


i made it up there after getting pulled over once in san diego, pulled over in buena park? i think for when i hit debris and cracked my lip.

i made it in a total of 7 1/2 hours driving the speed limit! haha.


filled up twice before i got up there.

 

gas in the tank, music in the stereo.

 

Windshield washer fluid!!
Nothing worse than being on the highway with a windshield covered in dead insects that you can't get off ewww

 

if you are gonna do the 5 hour energy shot thing... grab a snack as well cause they will make your stomach feel horrible if its empty (happens to me atleast)

 

SD_MR_FIT:

did everyone have a baboon booty by the end? lol. hopefully on the ride up north the roads will be clear of debris. i cringe every time i see bug splatter, can't imagine having a cracked lip. =/ and i'm not too sure about those 5 hour energy shots... a big can of rock star punched kept me up for two days. can't imagine something THAT potent lol. i'd probably be up for the whole weekend.

solbrothers:

i'm hoping people will pitch in for the gas... maybe i'll empty my tank and have them pay for it. lol. i'm also going to attempt to bring back the lost art of conversation. if that doesn't work, music on blast.

pastafarian:

think if i covered my car with bug repellent it would create a force field from all bugs? (ponders) that probably wouldn't work. good idea to check my washer fluid! i'd hate to pull over and throw some water on the windshield and wipe...

tofuik:

ya i get the same way when i take an energy drink on an empty stomach, but i've found that smoking creates a numbing sensation throughout my body. probably not a good idea for a long drive though... lol

Checklist:
-Oil changed
-Tire pressure
-Coolant
-Snacks
-Energy Drinks
-Gas
-Music
-Washer Fluid
-A map/directions

Looks like i'm ready! feel free to add any other suggestions though. thanks!

 

I did a 22 hour drive straight from pa to texas. I changed my oil, tire pressure, and window fluid.


+ gps, no need to go overboard, it is just a drive. Plus it's a honda, I would not expect any problems.

 

to be honest man..you wont get those bugs off your windshield. once those dam things hit, they dont come off. well most of it comes off but there are still guts everywhere.


i suggest painters tape your ENTIRE front end. seriously, you will regret it if you dont.


scraping off those bugs SUCKED.

fix a flat!!! dont forget that, your stuck in the middle of NO WHERE...towing will be super expensive.


2 cans of fix a flat....


oh yeah, replace your air filter/ clean your air filter.

 

Wow.. thats a hard core emergency kit

 

i don't see a plane ticket...

that would be so much easier, quicker and comfortable!

have a safe trip and bring sunglasses... nothing but BROWN weeds driving up and down.

oh and the cow farms. mc donalds usually has the better bathrooms.

 

I just made it up to the bay after driving six hours. Road work...ftl! Uneven pavement everywhere afer Harris Ranch. Crap all over my windshield, and stuff flying off semis' tires, all over poor Sophie's face! Ugh...all i could think was, "feck, i wish my front end was taped up." I'm about to go to sleep. I don't even want to look at her in the morning.

Oh yeah, btw... James- how the hell did you make up the horrible 5, lowered on 17's, with a full car, and not cry half the way up? Ugh. My sister better be happy to see me at her graduation.

 

hahaha...dude with a trunk full of luggage.

my REAR bumper felt like it was going to fly off. during the straight aways.....with the bumpy ass roads. my car would make that SCRATCH sound when it bottomed out haha.

my sig picture is exactly how i took my car up to San Francisco.

the people in the back had MAD whip lash. everytime there was a dip, my car would drop HARD! i felt bad i had like a 65 year old in the back and my 2 girl cousins. and they were BITCHING the whole way, i was like shut the F-word up....im not making yall pay for gas, so be greatful.

my guy cousin in the front was just chilling the whole way. wait till you drive around town up there, haha....

 

One thing that most people forget. When checking tire pressure. Don't forget to check the tire pressure of your SPARE.

 

or be safe and keep a car powered air pump, got mine for like $15 bucks at a discount hardware store, it takes a long long time to pump up a tire, but it gets the job done. Its tiny and it fits easily into the spare tire wheel.

SD_MR you're hardcore, if my fit looked like yours and I bottomed out, I would have pulled over, cried, and told everyone that we are going price bus tickets.

 

Man I'm making a trip from Texas to Disney World in July, I'm glad someone made this thread cause I was thinking the same thing, I am planning on the dealer to change the oil and check all that good stuff, but I will keep that fix a flat idea in mind. Didn't even think about that!

 

Here are a couple nice sites to check out.

Be Car Care Aware: Road Trip Preparation

Car check list before a long trip

 

Hey, don't forget the solar powered satellite cell phone and (if you plan on a lot of road trips) AAA coverage. It's not just for old folks anymore and it's worth it for the discounts.