Ready for a summer road trip?
Chances are you have things to do before you get underway
Heading out for the annual summer vacation road trip? Taking the family? About the only thing worse than an unexpected roadside emergency is having to completely unload all the luggage, coolers and supplies to get something needed that’s buried at the bottom.
Getting the family hauler ready for an extended summer trek isn’t quite as simple as having an oil change and pre-travel inspection — although that’s a great place to start.
Most dealerships, national chains and independent shops offer package pricing for an oil change and inspection at this time of year and include quite a number of critical systems, such as brakes, steering, suspension, cooling, etc.
But for $79.95 (the typical price for an oil and filter change with tire rotation and inspection) not every component and system will get the onceover.
If your check-engine or tractioncontrol or ABS warning light has been flashing or coming on intermittently, and you’ve been putting off taking your vehicle in, getting a diagnostic test and repair before the big trip is definitely more advisable than hoping nothing goes wrong.
Air conditioning systems are relatively easy for a DIYer to check.
On a day with the temperature in the mid-20s C, the reading of a household weather thermometer stuck in one of the centre dash vents should be around 5 to 10 C after the system has been running long enough to cool the interior.
Don’t measure at the outside dash vents as the air must travel through the ducts placed just below the hot surface of the dash top to get there, and make sure the fan isn’t set at the highest speed as it won’t allow enough contact time with the AC evaporator coil for sufficient cooling.
As tempting as it is, avoid DIY AC recharge/reseal kits sold in automotive parts stores.
They contain a sealant that can play havoc with professional recharge equipment (if you end up having to take the vehicle in for a proper repair) and if you think auto AC repair bills are high, you wouldn’t want to know how much it costs to maintain and repair recharge stations.
The DIY kits also use a flammable butane gas derivative instead of R134A refrigerant gas and the last place you want a flammable gas is in the AC condenser, because it is the first area likely to be damaged in a frontal collision.
When using a roof rack, remember that almost all non-commercial racks have only a 68-kilogram capacity.
In addition, these racks can fail with less weight on them if the objects are subjected to strong winds. Keep rooftop items low, well secured and covered with waterproof material.
Avoid storing any fuel inside the passenger area of a vehicle even if it’s in a certified container.
When loading gear in a vehicle that’s towing a trailer of any type, know your weight limits.
Check your owner’s manual for both the towing limits and the GCWR (gross combined weight rating) or the max limit for the vehicle and trailer combined. You can’t cheat the system by removing weight from an overloaded trailer only to put it in the vehicle.
Load gear in the trailer to balance the load so that approximately 10 per cent of the total weight of the trailer and gear is applied down on the trailer hitch. So for a 2,000-lb. loaded trailer the tongue weight on the hitch should be around 200 lbs.
If you want to avoid hauling out all of your vehicle-stored gear to access the spare tire and tools in case of a flat and you’re towing a trailer, consider temporarily locating the tire and tools in the trailer.
When hauling a boat, never forget the aft straps that secure the rear of the boat to the trailer.
It’s amazing how a boat, no matter how large, can jump sideways on a trailer during a rough cornering manoeuvre.
Even the best trailer’s suspension has much more limited spring travel than a vehicle; so it’s easy for the trailer to bounce uncontrollably when rolling over a succession of potholes or rough unpaved roads.