For those who drive their own vehicles

[3princesses+aprince]

I'm trying to make a checklist of everything to do before we leave. We are pretty sure that we will be driving! We are about 1200 miles from Disney, so 2400 miles there and back and what ever else we rack up I drive a 2004 Ford Explorer, and the first thing is that I know I need 4 new tires before we go. The front two are balding and the back two each have a plug in them from nails. We sure don't need any blowouts!
I will of course get an oil change. We also know a mechanic that will go through the truck over the summer to see if there is anything visible that should be replaced before we go.

Does anyone have any other advice for me. Anything else that you always do before you go.

Oh, we also need to charge the AC, it was a little dull last summer, but doable. I don't think doable AC will do in Florida in September.

I just want to make sure everything that I should do for the truck is done. I would hate for it to breakdown 500 miles from home. Or 500 from Disney for that matter.

 

[tjbaggott]

We drove to FL last Fall. We have a 2006 Ford Freestar. Last summer I took our Van in for 4 new tires. We definately were planning to just after that, get a check over by our mechanic. As it happened, in the spring the van actually started acting up after being at the Ford Dealership for an expensive fix of the left automatic sliding door. We took it back to the Dealership and they said they couldn't find anything wrong. Then came summer, the tire change, and then major problems with the engine. This time we took it to Canadian Tire automotive instead of the dealership. They found Major engine problems and the fix would cost major dollars. After hesitating, then saying we'll cancel for now, the guy called back knocking off the labour charge. That saved me $400.00 bringing the total fix cost to under $1000.00. So fixed it was, and they checked over EVERYTHING when I told them we were driving to FL and we were given the Green Light. The whole trip was fine, except the Hydraulic system on our back lift gate decided to malfunction just as we got to our WDW Hotel! Go figure! Still haven't gotten that fixed and we are driving down again this fall!

We like to clean out our vehicle before a long trip too! Vacum, wash ect.....

I think you are doing the most important things already, (oil change, new tires), and having a check over by a mechanic is a great idea! I'd also recommend if you don't already have them, those do-hickey's you put on your vehicle to scare off deer! We had deer issues on our drive down. Don't know if those do-hickey things work, but it's worth tyring! We'll be getting them for our next trip. Check over your wipers too.
Enjoy the drive! I found it was kind of a vacation within a vacation!

 

[Tessa's dad]

Just a few things I would think about depending on how many miles you have on you vehicle, a radiator flush (you can do yourself just do a internet search on you vehicle and you'll find out how to do it), I would also do fluid changes on your drive train (transmission, differential, transfer case), have your battery checked (you can usually get it done for free at a local advanced auto), I'd also check your belts and hoses, after all of this it may be cheaper to rent a car. lol

Hope this helps.

 

[Lewisc]

Change your wiper blades.

 

[msmayor]

You didn't mention how many miles you have on the vehicle now, but if you have more than 80,000 and have NOT yet changed the timing belt, then take care of that as well.

Timing belts are critical to engine operation, and NOT something you want to fail while driving. This is a regular maintenance item that should be taken care of based on miles driven, not whether it is still in one piece.

While getting your tires changed, have them check the spare. Make sure it is in good shape AND has enough air pressure.

 

[cm8]

make sure AAA or any roadside assistance account is up to date and on hand for emergencies. Can or 2 of fix it flat in case you can't get to the spare or it is already in use, had that happened to a friend before, It was horrible waiting for a tow and they didn't have the cash for the driver to tow or an AAA membership. Flashlight, and GPS charging card, bottle of oil ( in case you need more) Extra windshield wiper fluid. That seems to be all I can think of hope this helps.

 

[Lewisc]

I wouldn't bother with flat fix. In the unlikely event you have the kind of flat that works with flat fix you'll find it difficult to for a station to do a proper repair.

All things being equal it's easier not having to wait for AAA. Make sure your spare is good and is properly inflated. Make sure you know where your jack and lug wrench are stowed.

This is good general advice. The OP is planning on getting 4 new tires. I doubt the OP will be driving through construction sites or on unpaved roads.

I always assume an electronic device (GPS) could break or get stolen. I'd bring some maps.

edited--A PP suggested replacing the timing belt. Some cars have a timing belt. You should replace it as suggested in the manual, usually every 60K or 90K.

Other cars have a timing chain. I think the OPs vehicle has a timing chain. Those aren't generally replaced.

 

[skiingfast]

I'm trying to make a checklist of everything to do before we leave. We are pretty sure that we will be driving! We are about 1200 miles from Disney, so 2400 miles there and back and what ever else we rack up I drive a 2004 Ford Explorer, and the first thing is that I know I need 4 new tires before we go. The front two are balding and the back two each have a plug in them from nails. We sure don't need any blowouts!
I will of course get an oil change. We also know a mechanic that will go through the truck over the summer to see if there is anything visible that should be replaced before we go.

Does anyone have any other advice for me. Anything else that you always do before you go.

Oh, we also need to charge the AC, it was a little dull last summer, but doable. I don't think doable AC will do in Florida in September.

I just want to make sure everything that I should do for the truck is done. I would hate for it to breakdown 500 miles from home. Or 500 from Disney for that matter.

It would be really important to know how many miles are on your vehicle to judge what should be done.

Ford had a problem with explorers rolling over a little before the millenia and raised the quality in them immediately. That said cars built after 2000 should have no major problems for the first 100,000 miles. Exceptions would be if you treat the vehicle bad or overuse certain components. Like slamming a door every time it is opened or pressing really hard on the stereo controls.

If you have maintained it properly which mostly means changing the oil and the airfilter you should be fine. The other thing is rotaing the tires. Original manufacturer tires usually last 75,000 miles. But if your tires are worn on the front and not the back it means they haven't been rotated. If the wear on the front tire is not even across the whole tire there may be damage to the steering or suspension. Look at the tire and see if it still has a square profile from the front and it is still a circle from the side. If not you may want to go to a mechanic that can look at the shocks and the alignment.

 

[msmayor]

I wouldn't bother with flat fix. In the unlikely event you have the kind of flat that works with flat fix you'll find it difficult to for a station to do a proper repair.

All things being equal it's easier not having to wait for AAA. Make sure your spare is good and is properly inflated. Make sure you know where your jack and lug wrench are stowed.

This is good general advice. The OP is planning on getting 4 new tires. I doubt the OP will be driving through construction sites or on unpaved roads.

I always assume an electronic device (GPS) could break or get stolen. I'd bring some maps.

edited--A PP suggested replacing the timing belt. Some cars have a timing belt. You should replace it as suggested in the manual, usually every 60K or 90K.

Other cars have a timing chain. I think the OPs vehicle has a timing chain. Those aren't generally replaced.

I respectfully disagree on this one, and have personal experience.

Driving home from WDW a couple years ago, we blew a tire on I-95 in South Carolina around 7:00pm on a Saturday night. Sun had already dipped below the trees, and darkness would be upon us in about an hour. The shoulder wasn't super-wide, and the ground beyond the shoulder of the road dropped off at a pretty good angle. Two kids and a full load in the back of the car, and a spare tire that would have required my husband to LAY on the ground to unscrew from underneath the car.

Traffic was somewhat heavy, lots of trucks. That meant a lot of 'wind' from passing vehicles.

I called AAA and they were at our side in 15 minutes. With pneumatic tools, the guy had our tire changed in 10 minutes, on our way five minutes later.

No charge.

There is no way my husband could have changed that tire in less than 30 minutes. Without the pneumatic jack, using only the jack provided in the car, we would have had to take the kids AND a bunch of luggage out to lessen the weight (how many times have you driven past a vehicle that has had to 'empty out' to change a tire?)

Our tire-changing days are over. On an interstate with traffic whizzing by at 65mph, let AAA do it.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

The basics....many listed earlier-
Tire inspection
Brake inspection
Battery Test
Wiper Blades
Air Filter inspection
Belt inspection
Oil change

Other issues-
AC performance ok?---it can be HOT in Sept at WDW
Have you checked your owners manual?...............is your coolant service and transmission service up to date?


Bring along a small tire inflator (12 volt).....that can be used to top off a slowly leaking tire until you can make it to a service facility.

Do you have a AAA membership? It can provide peace of mind.

We take our 98 truck (105k) and our 2002 car (165k) to WDW as often as we can!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Wow, thanks for all of the great advice!! I knew there were things we were forgetting. I will jot all of this down and make sure it all gets checked!!! It is our brother in law that is the mechanic so he will check all of this out for us. And yes, I forgot to add the mileage. Right now there are 79,000 miles on the truck.

I work for AAA, so I have the membership They also send out a battery service driver that can test the battery. I can get that checked too.

We have a tire inflator, we'll definitely bring that.

AC, I know, needs to be charged!

I'll bring a flashlight

We'll have new tires

I'll replace the wiper blades

And i'll have fun vacuuming and washing the truck before we leave. That will be the fun part!

And I do have a GPS, but i'll also order a AAA Trip Tik as well, just in case we need the good ole paper directions. A trip tik is a detailed book of directions, it also comes with maps.

 

[mrodgers]

Wiper blades is something that can be said again and again. They are important and very easily overlooked since you only notice when it rains.

I don't drive my wife's car much, which is what we will take to Florida. I really don't drive it much in the rain. I was astonished a few weeks ago when I did get caught in the rain with it. Her wipers need replaced bad and she never said anything.

Of course, it is something you think about currently when it's raining. I've been to the store many times since knowing she needs new blades and have yet to remember to get some because they are forgotten when it goes a long time without getting caught driving in the rain.

Running 25 minutes to work with bad blades or 40 minutes into town is different than running hours and hours on a long vacation trip in the rain. Change the wiper blades.

 

[capecoddisneyfamily]

Most of the mechanical items are covered, the one I would say is a roof top cargo carrier. We debated back and forth and finally decided to purchase one, let me tell you the BEST purchase of the trip! It will free up so much room, you will be happy to have after hours in the car.

 

[Lewisc]

Some of the roof top carriers will reduce your mileage by up to 10%. Avoid if possible.

 

[BC1836]

And join the "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread. You qualify!

All the best.

 

[capecoddisneyfamily]

Some of the roof top carriers will reduce your mileage by up to 10%. Avoid if possible.

WE got between 21-22 mpg, and we should get 23-25. I would say for the extra room it was WELL worth it

 

[torquelover]

Some pretty good tips here so far.

Using Rain-X helps with the rain, and it makes removing bugs from the window much easier.

You mentioned new tires, make sure the alignment is checked as well. Will really help with driver fatigue and MPGs if the car is tracking straight and true.

If you haven't had the rear end fluid (and transfer case and front end if AWD/4WD) changed yet, now would be the time to do it. Going with full synthetics will help with wear, low-temperature performance, and even maybe MPGs.

Might be a good idea to do a trial run of changing a tire before the trip. Doing this gets you familiar with the tools needed, their locations, and how to use them. Better to find out something is missing or broken at home and not later on the side of a narrow shoulder, in the rain, in the dark, with semi trucks whizzing past.

 

[Lewisc]

Something not previously mentioned. How many items need to be plugged into an accessory outlet/cigarette lighter? GPS? Radar detector? Cell phone? DVD player? Games? Satellite Radio plug n play unit? How many outlets do you have? Do you have enough? Do you need to purchase a "Y" adapter?

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

We routinely use Rain-X on both our vehicles. DH applies it from time to time throughout the year, and always right before a trip.

 

[mrodgers]

I love RainX, just bought some with the new wiper blades. Wife hates RainX. I usually don't put it on her car, which is the family truckster so will be the vacation runner. I doubt she will drive much of the trip, maybe and hour here and there, so I'll be RainX'ing up the windows.

I hope to have time for a good wash and wax. Time is tough because it's the wife's car and we are never home together. Have to look good while running 18 hours down the coast. Scrub those white letters on the tires and shine up those tires.

I still have to change the oil, normal due time anyways, and want to flush out the transmission before we leave in a month. All else should be good to go for me.