Hey guys,

My buddy and I are planning to go on a 9000+ mile roadtrip around America this summer. The trip is supposed to take place at the start of June 2011 and last somewhere around 45 days. We will be driving a 2009 Honda Fit Sport (30k miles on the odometer as of today), since this is the best car available to us regarding MPG, reliability, and storage space. I have read through many threads in search of some answers for our roadtrip, but we still have some questions. We'd appreciate any comments/advice, in general, too.

• I will get a oil change right before we go on this trip. We're also planning to get the oil changed at least once or twice during the trip...is this a good idea?
• Transmission fluid - Is it wise to change before the trip, since we will be doing a lot of driving in mountainous areas,etc? (considering the car already has 30k, driven on highways most of the time, and in stop-and-go city traffic, although the terrain here is pretty flat)
• Coolant - I've read that it would be a good idea to flush the system and change the coolant, since the old one may be degraded and not up to par. Considering we'll be driving through the South during the summer, we'd like to keep overheating problems to a minimum. comments?
• I'll be replacing the tires this spring anyway, after 30,000 miles they are getting really worn down.

My friend has set up a blog, describing the details of the trip, along with a map and destination list. Take a look:

http://www.aroundthestates.wordpress.com

 

what does the maintainence minder say about your oil life currently?

from my past experience of east coast trip, i def wanted the radiator flushed and new coolant added. also just check out the hoses to be safe.

I also changed the air out of my tires completely before and after the trip

 

Yes to the transmission fluid - the stock ATF Z-1 fluid that is currently in your transmission gets dark between 25-30K. I would change it to get some of the newer DW-1 synthetic Honda ATF
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...omparison.html


Coolant - I would say No. Honda puts long life coolant in their cars now.
Honda recommends changing it after 100K miles. Just make sure your overflow tank is filled appropriately ( Distilled water or Honda Type 2 Coolant Only)


Hope you have fun.


Clay

 

I checked out your map and see that you are going to not be seeing much in the way of trees or other living things for quite some time once you are east of LA to just past Abilene. You might consider doing a large part of that stretch at night because it is going to be very hot except for about an hour before sunrise but the humidity will be low.... From Tyler you will be seeing a lot of pine trees on through into Mississippi where kudzu covers most everything.. If your butts are dragging when you hit Dallas you might consider taking I30 instead of I20 to knock a few miles off your trip... It would be a little less humid and there are nice rolling hills that you will be mentally starved for after all of the flat land you will have driven through...It sounds like fun except for the sleeping outdoors in the southwest...

 

Looks like fun! Good luck and best wishes. I did something similar a few years back. (not in the Fit though) One trip was from SoCal to Washington and back along the coast. The next trip was from SoCal to Key West, FL and back.

Don't forget to keep the spare inflated, bring some fix a flat kits. If possible, look into some AAA road service for emergencies. It's a big world out there, it's fun to take the time and get out and see parts of it now and then.

 

have a 09 sport fit,it now has 48000mi on it,have been out too the ca coast twice,as far as oil change concern in my case i use mobil syn,i have anaylsis at blackstone labs(3) can drive 9/10,000 mi safely manual transmission i use amsoil. no problems so far. have a great trip.

 

good idea to replace tires as needed.

if i were you, i would just get an oil change, reset the oil life indicator, maybe replace the intake filter if dirty, check all fluid levels and just go.

no need to change coolant unless it's discolored or specified in the owner's manual. you can even run distilled water if in the summer time and just flush it with 50/50 mix when you return if you're anal.

no need to change tranny oil at 30K miles either.


have a fun trip. take picts and post them up.

 

Thanks for all the help and comments
Believe me, we need all the help we can get to make this a reality lol

 

I too am planning a cross country trip. Finances may put the trip in jeopardy. Regular gas hit $3.88 today and premium $4.10. I'm in Humboldt County in California. My proposed route would be up to Portland, over to northern Montana, take I2 to the great lakes, go above the lakes and down to Montreal, then on to Boston. That's the first half. Coming home, I'd go west over to Cooperstown, go down through the Appalachians, over to New Orleans, up to Kansas City or St. Louis, west to Orem, Utah for some of the best chocolate I've ever had, then home.

If the trip is 9000 miles and I get 35mpg (getting 31 with just 2k on it), gas will cost over $1000 ((9000/35)*$4).

 

id give it a little time unless you were leaving tomorrow...

Libya will cool over, and the rest of the country goes back to summer gas...

 

Ya change that ATF with Mobile1 Synthetic, Mobile1 0-20 full synthetic oil with a good filter Napa carries wix and they're very good quality and that will carry you through the trip, good for 10k+ . And will yield even better MPG by 5-10%! As far as tires get the light one you can find for better MPG, braking and handling. Check out Tire Rack for the best prices and tire weights. Ask Texas Coyote
Will you be posting while on the trip? If so some of us here would like to meet & greet you guys on the road! I'll treat to a NC BBQ lunch if ya make it a little more east @ VA Beach. Ask Krimson Cardinal
Big Mike
Good Luck on the Trip of a Life Time!!
PS figure 4.00 gallon gas

 

That's an interesting excursion. I've done similar cross countries and what becomes important, near critical, is the daily mileage and where you sleep. Next is how well you two get along - I mean really get along. That's a whole lot of time and many many decisions to be made and no getting away from each other unless it involves a bus ticket.

Routine will set in after the first week. The initial goal becomes getting to the left coast. At that 7 day point you're further into it than pulling out so life changes. You also begin to realize how friggin huge America is.

I can see a few all night drives in there like Coyote says. Leave LA at 8PM. You'll be driving through places that will be 100F+ at 2AM. Day 32 looks like Needles. It's hotter than anywhere at Needles.

As far as the car - what you intend to do is fine. Replace the coolant per Honda's recommendation and drain and replace [not flush] tranny. Oil change could very well be done along the way, like when you hit LA, but that depends where the MM is at now.

Good luck! We'll be watching.

K_C_

EDIT: Best dang BBQ on the East Coast - and you've never seen so many LED's__

 

Looks like a great trip.
If not already, I'd suggest tinting the windows.

 

We're starting to get worried about gas prices too, but since there's two of us the costs are bearable. Even looking at a worst case scenario of $5.00 a gallon, it would cost around $800 per each of us. We're not rich or anything, and we'd like to keep costs down, but it is still doable. This is pretty much the only chance we have to do this road trip in the near future (graduating college, starting new jobs, life in general is unpredictable), so we're gonna have to bite the bullet and just go. Maybe if we're lucky this Libya mess will soon end and if we're really lucky gas prices will crash a bit.


We're kinda on a strict schedule until we arrive at the West Coast,due to having to buy a Mt St Helens climbing permit for a specific day, but then we are free to do whatever we want. So if anyone has any recommendations or advice about the South or East (such as driving at night, taking roads less traveled) please comment Also, we're probably gonna change the last part of our trip, on account of us taking a short trip to Virginia and some of the attractions on our list a couple weeks ago. So if the offer still stands Perrenoud Fit, we'd definitely like to stop by for the BBQ

And as a final note, yes we are planning to post our progress online. My friend has a cell phone with a data plan, so hopefully we'll be able to post some pictures and write something everyday on the blog.

 

If you like good beer you might want to consider a couple small detours:
1) Take Hwy 61 north along the Mississippi from the Wisconsin/Minnesota border and visit the Town Hall Brewery near the University of Minnesota West Bank campus. The drive is pretty and Town Hall is an excellent brewery.
2) Detour up to Santa Rosa on the Sacramento to San Francisco leg and visit Russian River, another wonderful brewery.

The usual don't drink and drive good sense cautions should be scrupulously observed.

 

The offer is good! as you all get closer give me an ETA and we'll go from there. I have to say NC has the Best Dang BBQ ever passed a set of lips!

And if any other FF'ers out here have a special food in their area that's a real treat! invite these adventurers in and meet and greet over a meal. What a blessing it will be to sit and hear the adventures they have encountered, (and 1 less meal they have to buy ). We can share the ins and outs of the area, interesting routes and sites of interest too.
May all go as planned travelers and your travels be blessed
Mike

 

Over the years I've done my share of road trips. Sounds like a fun one... wish it was me going.

Consider altering the northern route to include Canada. On the eastern side cross into Canada at Ogdensburg and drive up to Ottawa the nations capital.

From there head west through Canada until you hit Vancouver. Driving through the Rockies in western Canada is a blast... either the northern or southern routes are good.

From Vancouver you can head back down into the States at Seattle.

If you decide on that... get your passports now if you don't already have them.

I'm sure you have thought of all this...

-consider a roadside assistance membership in AAA just in case something does happen. You would be covered by the CAA in Canada with your AAA membership.
-bring a GPS -and- plenty of paper road maps. If you opt for the AAA membership you can get the maps free.
-bring a notebook computer... BIG help along the road
-battery booster if your battery goes out... southern heat will be harder on the battery than cold weather
-air compressor to inflate the tires
-spare fluids, fuses and perhaps factory oil filters (if that is what you are running)
-check the air in the spare before leaving (often overlooked)

The list of things to bring can become enormous so you need to prioritize.

I recently went on a 2,500 mile trip from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec to San Antonio, Texas and immediately before departure it smacked me in the forehead how a small thing can almost become a show stopper...

The signal flasher unit on my vehicle went out and I could not find a replacement anywhere in town. I had to order one from the dealer and wait two days for it to arrive. Needless to say I ordered 2. Not being able to signal my directional intentions on remote Canadian roads isn't a huge deal... but I cannot say the same for driving through large American cities.

Above all... have fun and enjoy yourself!

 

I took a road trip last summer with my Fit. It wasn't nearly as long as yours but I took some routes simular the one you posted in your blog...particularly in the south west. By far our favorite areas were Denver, Albuquerque and Flagstaff. My Fit really had a hard time climbing through the Rockies though.

I would suggest (as others mentioned) to bring as much emergency supplies as possible. There were several occasions where my GF and I wanted to wander off and explore but we were on a tight schedule and didnt want to get lost or worse get stuck lol. I would also recommend googling "road trip America", theres quite a bit of useful info out there.

Whats kinda nice about the magic seats is that when they fold up you can fit a cooler (thats strapped down) with drinks and snacks. It makes it much easer to get to while driving.

 

Hey Chris and Chris,

Your trip sounds awesome....I have done a similar trip...only in two installments. I used to live in Toronto, then Bburg Virginia, and now I live two hours north of Albuquerque, NM.

It would be easy to drive north of Albuquerque one day and go rafting down the Rio Grande...head for a place called Pilar, NM.

If you decide to change your tranny oil, and flush the system....have it done well in advance....like even a month. Also, if you change the oil before leaving.....I am quite sure with all highway driving you will not have to change it even once......and the mm will back that up. Take a spare quart of oil with you anyway.

A big part of the enjoyment of these trips is in the planning....have a blast.