Before we embark on our journey to Florida in our Journey. We need to make sure the vehicle is up for the trip and preform any necessary maintenance.
Since we’ve purchased it, almost all of the maintenance has been done at the dealership. This is mostly because they gave us an excellent rate for oil changes for 2 years; (honestly i couldn’t buy oil as cheap as their rate). It also had a manufacturers warranty on it, and bumper to bumper warranty for the length of the manufacturers warranty. If something major was wrong, it was most likely covered.
That warranty is up, and i can honestly say that for the 4 years we’ve owned the vehicle I have not had to crawl under that vehicle for any major reason. The first year I did the brakes all around for peace of mind after buying a used vehicle, and I have installed a trailer hitch and wiring associated with it. Other than that she’s been a great vehicle for my wife.
Now that we’re about to embark on a 2000km road trip next month we want to make sure its in tip top shape. Sure we could send it into the dealer for a complete look over, but to be honest I want to give this a look over for my own peace of mind again. If we’ll be that far away from home, I want to make sure i know what is good and fix what it bad before we head out. That way if anything comes up on the trip I will know exactly whats going on with the vehicle in case we have to make any repair stops along the way.
The Main maintenance points I will be inspecting before leaving
The maintenance I will be preforming on the vehicle before we head out. Some of this is mandatory, some is optional, and a couple that are just for my personal benefit.
- Oil Change
- Check all fluids
- Rotate tires (inspect and repair / replace is required)
- Inspect brakes (repair / replace if required)
- Inspect spare tire (repair / replace if required)
- Lower Spare tire from under the vehicle (I have never dropped this spare tire. So i need to make sure its still lower able with the trailer hitch like they claimed it is)
- Grease and lube all movable suspension parts (for a squeak free drive)
Honestly there could be some more, and i will add them as they pop up.
What maintenance tips would you recommend preforming on your vehicle before going on a road trip?