Each summer as the military takes my husband away, I pack my kids into the car for a two-day, cross-country road trip from Michigan to Florida. We love spending summers there with family and it helps the time pass by quickly.
This summer will be no different and I've already started thinking ahead to possible pit stops and unique sites along the way.
I've also started getting our vehicles ready for travel. When I was asked to try the new Mobil 1™ Annual Protection motor oil and a Mobil 1™ Extended Performance oil filter as part of this sponsored post, my answer was, "YES, PLEASE."
Traveling across the country as a solo parent with two young kids in tow is not the time I want to be breaking down, although I can't say I look forward to it at any time! Which is why routine maintenance is so important, but especially before travel.
And the fact that I can put up to 20,000 miles on my vehicle with Mobil 1™ Annual Protection motor oil without having to worry about the oil just adds one less thing to my list of what I need to prepare for our road trips.
5 Tips To Prepare for Road Trips
Take Care of Routine Maintenance
Check oil, brake, transmission and coolant fluid levels as well as the condition of your windshield wipers and your washer fluid. You should also schedule any necessary service such as oil changes, tire rotations or tune ups.
Get an Oil Change
Our annual trip to Florida serves as the perfect reminder to get our oil changed. It used to be that an oil change was recommended every 3,000 miles. Over the years that number has been tweaked and expanded due to advances in technology and motor oil. Now ExxonMobil has developed the most advanced motor oil ever - one that would allow drivers to go one full year between oil changes. That's right - ONE FULL YEAR*.
Of course it makes our lives easier to go a year between oil changes (*or 20,000 miles, whichever comes first), but hello, that also means reducing the amount of oil used, which saves us money over the long-run too! Going down to 1 oil change a year is a huge cost savings. No more 4-6 oil changes a year.
To get even more life out of your oil and to further protect your engine, you can also purchase the Mobil 1™ Extended Performance oil filter to protect engine systems for up to 20,000 miles. Using M1 AP with M1 EP oil filters offers consumers proven protection for up to 1 full year or 20,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Can you imagine only needing to change your oil once a year? Believe me, I know the importance of routine car maintenance but that doesn't mean I like taking time out of my busy schedule to do it. Only needing to have an annual oil change is going to be a huge time saver and super convenient!
Check Your Brakes
Take your vehicle to your local service station to inspect your car’s brake pads and ensure they aren’t worn or need replacing.
Inspect Your Tires
Before any major road trip you should inspect your tires for tears, bulges or irregular tread wear. The quarter method is one of the quickest ways to check your tread. Simply place a quarter inside the tread with Washington's head down. If you can see the top of his head, you don't have enough tread left. Checking your tire pressure is another "must do." Make sure the tire pressures are set to the figures listed in your car’s owner’s manual or on the tires themselves.
Create an Emergency Kit
In the event of an accident, emergency or your car breaking down it's good to have an emergency kit - especially when you're traveling with kids. A first-aid kit, bottle of water & snacks, flashlight, blanket, a glass break tool, Swiss Army Knife and a few tools are helpful in most situations.
You can find out more about ExxonMobil products at Walmart.com and pick them up online or in store.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ExxonMobil at Walmart.
Audrey McClelland says
These are great tips. Safety is key when you're road tripping. It's very easy to let things go just by virtue of not thinking about them.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
These are great tips. I always try to get an oil change before a long tip. Not having to change your oil for a year, I hadn't heard of that oil but wow that's impressive!
diane says
My mechanic just told me yesterday that I have a small radiator leak and need to keep checking levels regularly. There are SO many maintenance things I should be doing with my car...and anything that helps me do LESS of that is a good thing!
Ladonna Maxwell Dennis says
You can never emphasize safety and security on a trip! Great tip ideas!
Kristi says
Great suggestions. I do a road trip each summer and I'm the only driver with two tweens, so this is a great post for me to read now.
Bill Pippin says
Another good idea, especially since you will be by yourself is to make sure that your lug nuts are properly torqued. This may sound stupid but hear me out. If you have flat out in the middle of nowhere, and the situation dictates that you have to change it yourself, you need to make sure the last person to rotate your tires or whatever, didn't hammer your lugs down. Even if you have a four way lug wrench, your chances of getting lug nuts loose after being tightened to 130 ft/lb is next to nothing. Then, if it was done a while back, corrosion comes into play as well. As this scenario continues, the lug nuts hammer away at the beveled edge the nuts mate with to help center the wheel on the hub. Over time the area gets wider and wider, increasing the contact area, and making it harder and harder to loosen each nut. If you have an air gun or a battery powered impact wrench, you're good to go. Please believe me, hardly anyone properly torques lug nuts. Even if a tire installer says he uses Torque Sticks to torque the nuts, that is no guarantee. If the air gun is set too high, the stick will be ineffective. Also, after using the torque stick, it is supposed to be followed up with a torque wrench. I apologize for the length of the narrative, but in the long run, I believe it to be important. Have a safe trip. Thank your husband for his service.