What are your road trip tips?

Already did new tires, oil change, air filters, wipers.

Going to be driving from the Seattle area to Disneyland with 3 boys, 4 and a half, 3 and 1 and a half, should be a lot of fun.

Check your spare tire pressure.

AAA membership, for me, more than pays for the annual membership costs by the discounts for motel rooms, as well as the peace of mind from flats and towing.

Make darn sure you have an extra car key with you or on one of your passengers.

You already mentioned filters, does yours have a cabin air filter?

Have fun!

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
Check your spare tire pressure.

AAA membership, for me, more than pays for the annual membership costs by the discounts for motel rooms, as well as the peace of mind from flats and towing.

Make darn sure you have an extra car key with you or on one of your passengers.

You already mentioned filters, does yours have a cabin air filter?

Have fun!

Yes, cabin filter done.

Extra car key is smart and we do have AAA.

Is a can of fix a flat a good idea? I've heard that stuff is controversial...

With kids that age, do you have a movie player or some other form of entertainment?

quote:

Originally posted by jaaron11:
With kids that age, do you have a movie player or some other form of entertainment?

Yes, all 4 and a half and under, we have Kindle Fires with mounts.

I hate fix a flat but suppose it could have its uses. My wife used a can once and didn't drive the car fast enough to get the fix a flat spread evenly. I'd formed a blob that ruined the tire's balance.

Get up to date on I spy type games, have some sing a longs and take plenty of snacks. A pee jug might come in handy, too.

A "real" first aid kit.
Bottled water, for "emergency use only". A shrink wrapped case stuffed somewhere.
Some "emergency use only" beef jerky and carb snacks to go with the water.
Small set of "real" tools.
Small halotron extinguisher.

Stick on/cling sun shades. Since you will be North/South and back the sun will be on the sides and anything to help block the sun and heat will be a blessing. And they can be stuck on, moved around quickly and removed as needed.

Check and clean your battery terminals.

Bring a couple rolls of toilet paper. Just zip them up separately in a gallon zip-lock. *Just in case* of an emergency or a bathroom is encountered that doesn’t have any.

Bring a flat of water. It’s only a few bucks, but will save.

Make some trail mix and put them in zip locks.

A good flashlight or two or three.

Flares and some chemical night glow sticks.

Get a reflective vest, just in case you do have to change a tire. Should have one in your vehicle anyway.

On long trips, I buy a nice hydraulic jack (at an O’Rileys or Auto Zone) and then return it if I haven’t used it. It’s just good insurance. Buy yourself a nice four-way, instead of those crap lug wrench’s that come with vehicles. A couple scrap pieces of 2x4 to level your jack or provide a tire stop.

A box of wipes.

If doing a lot of night driving clean the inside of the windshield. If its dirty it will make glare from oncoming cars worse.

Extra set of wipers, spare signal bulbs, barf bags, shop rags, Clorox wipes, towel (always know where your towel is), tire plug kit, and something to inflate the tire with.

Don't try to fight through the 'tired' if driving though the night.

I've done Houston - LA 3 times & it was a lot easier when I was 10 years younger.
The last time (earlier this year) I did Houston to Phoenix & my wife did Phoenix to LA. 1,600 miles is a lot to do in 1 go.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Extra set of wipers, spare signal bulbs, barf bags, shop rags, Clorox wipes, towel (always know where your towel is), tire plug kit, and something to inflate the tire with.

This one caught us off guard.
We were driving from my in-law's to LA (Disney) and Waze took us down Angeles Forest Hwy, amazing road, great views, lots of twisties. It was not friendly to my youngest's stomach & she got carsick about 1/2 way.

I'll plan my overnight bag(s) in advance. So when I check into a motel, my bag is ready to grab-n-go. I add the laptop, phone, camera, and some small assorted crap from the truck, but I am not hauling in three bags for only a handful of essentials.

Cell laws vary from state to state, check into it.

HOV rules might differ if applicable.

Eat somewhere that isn't available where you live (unless you need a comfort meal).

Plan the route, a hard copy pf directions can't hurt.

Program stuff into navigation BEFORE you are going down the road.

Leave flexibility into schedules. You might see something fun to stop and do or traffic might be different than you are used to.

Pack your patience.

You're on vacation, slow down and enjoy it.

Unplug from work (as much as possible), it will be there upon return.

Ask kids to count motorcycles. When they get older they will watch for them.

Have fun.

Edited to add...

If you forgot it WalMart (or favorite big box) has it.

If youre gonna buy souvenir clothes, you can pack less.

Traveling with 3 children will take more space and gear than you ever imagined.

Skip the Taco Bell...

3 boys under 5. Have you thought about noise canceling headphones?

Have a good trip

TMats just beat me to it.

Hoping that you have a good co-pilot I used noise cancelling earbuds to keep my focus on the road and pass the time.

Chewing gum is also nice.

Cheers~

Baby wipes, RainX the windows, beanie hat. That's all I can think of for now.

I've done quite a few road trips. They're a great joy for me. Lately I like putting YouTube videos on and listening to them. Helps pass the time. I also prefer to drive overnight while the kid sleeps, helps me drive more efficiently.

Pillows for car sleeping.

Something like this:

Kershaw rescue knife: cuts seatbelts, breaks window + regular blade

And of course at least one good flashlight.