Road Trip Ready: How to Prep Your Car for Travel

Getting Your Car Road Trip Ready

Summer is almost upon us, and you might be thinking ahead to day trips and excursions. To London for the bright lights and fantastic museums? To the countryside for tranquil walks and greenery? Or to bustling Brighton for beach days and sandcastles. However, you might also be worrying whether your vehicle can make a long drive or if there is anything you can do to make your car road trip ready. Here’s how to prep your car for travel excursions.

Check Your Car’s History

If you’re buying second-hand, make sure you know what the vehicle has been through. This can be tricky if you’re buying from a private vendor. You might have only a few options to help you ascertain if the car is everything it appears, to be or if someone is being unscrupulous. These include checking with various bodies: insurers, HPI checks, the DVLA – to see if the car has been in an accident or otherwise been written off. Do plenty of research and make sure you trust the seller!

Trust… But Check!

Make sure that the car is in good condition by having a mechanic check it out before you commit to buying it. It might seem an annoyance to have to pay a mechanic for the check, but think of how relieved you will be if they do find problems with the car. This might help avoid any costly issues and you can save your hard-earned cash for a car in great condition.

This can actually be avoided if you buy your car from a reputable second-hand dealer with fixed premises. These companies thoroughly vet and check each car they take on. They then sell them on for a reasonable price that ensures their customers are satisfied. A highly recommended option for affordable used cars in Brighton is KAP Motor Group, who will soon have you happily getting about this summer.

Get it Serviced

Once you have bought the car and got used to it, you can plan longer excursions. However, before each trip – especially before the first long road trip in the car – do make sure you get the vehicle serviced. This will make sure your car is in great shape. It will also give you peace of mind so you can enjoy the day out just as much as your family will.

Protecting Your Spare Tire

Before a road trip, consider using spare tire covers to shield your spare from weather, dirt, and UV rays. This keeps it in top condition and ready for emergencies, adding to your vehicle’s readiness for long drives.

Make Sure the MOT & Insurance is Up to Date

Check the paperwork of your car to make sure you don’t miss or get too close to your MOT date. If your car has already had an MOT, the certificate will have an expiry date on it. There is no grace period for MOTs, so act promptly if yours will be due during or before the summer.

And obviously don’t forget insurance! If you’re going somewhere remote then definitely make sure you have your insurance renewal setup and covered before you go. I like to use Veygo as they offer flexible monthly cover to make it more manageable too.

While older cars do sometimes need a little extra TLC before you take them out on long drives and road trips, there is no need to worry that you will never be able to do it. Take sensible precautions, drive with care – and enjoy the summer!

LL x

*This is a contributed post. As ever, all opinions are my own.