Need Help on Cross Country Trip for 14 days

[Viral]

Hello Everyone,

3 of us are planning a Cross Country road trip starting in NJ. We all have a thrill for driving so we are making our own route. Therefore we have a question about what to bring along when driving cross country

What kind of Safety equipments/tools/accessories should we carry in the car

Thank you for Your Ideas and Suggestions in advnace

1. Cell phone. Make sure it's charged. Don't solely rely on a cigarette lighter adapter.
2. Flashlight
3. Invest in your standard auto safety kit. You can find them at Costco or Wal-Mart or if your can't find one, AAA probably will have one. It should have road flares, jumper cables, etc.
4. Can of Fix A Flat. This can get you to the gas station so you don't need to worry about changing a tire on the shoulder of an Interstate. If you do have to pull over, pull over as far as you think is a reasonably safe distance. Then pull over ten more feet from there.

There's other stuff out there I'm sure I'm forgetting, but the most important is some sort of communication (cell phone). Of course there's going to be some rural areas where you won't get a signal, but it's still very helpful.

[imported_Robert]

Another thing you might consider buying is one of those Global Positioning Systems. The prices are dropping and they can be fun to use. I've got the system Onstar through GM and have used it several times to locate places.

But, above all, have a great time.

Robert

[Rich Woods]

Main point here is preparing your car.Do not know what you are driving,but evaluate everything.We did this last year in a 78' Vette.Drove 7000 miles from San Diego,Ca/Virginia and back.No big problems.But good tires that resist hydroplaning was our best decision.

bring a toolbox with a socket set, an adjustable pliers, road flares, jumper cables, flashlight with extra batteries, a gallon of engine coolant (50% antifreeze, 50% water), one quart of the proper oil for your car, a roll of electrical tape, and a roll of GOOD duct tape. you can tell if its the good stuff by looking at it. it's pretty obvious if it's junk. you want the good stuff in case you have to make an emergency replacement water pump belt. (I had to do that on my friends Honda Civic once :) even with good tape, we had to make 10 belts before we were able to get to a parts store for a real one. Its also a good idea to carry extra headlight and taillight/turn signal bulbs.

[Roz]

HI, Anyone who takes the time to read this and answer back...Thanks sooo much...a friend and I want to plan a road trip at the end of this summer. Our eventual goal is to visit all 50 states...we would fly to hawaii.of course...We thought we would start off in sections of the U.S with the middle being the easiest...so we would attempt this first...The question being ...what should we bring..we are both college age...not yet 21..we also plan on Camping as much as we can to save money...any tips are welcome...any suggestions for attracations are also appreciated...Thanks so much..we will be driving a 94 ford escort

[Rich Woods]

Prepare your car,ie hoses,belts,tires etc.
Plan your trip and you can access state web sites for camping,weather etc,not to mention tips here on this site.
For driving times suggest using standards for planning.
Join AAA for towing,maps and they will make a Trip Ticket for your route which gives attractions,gas,food,and much more.

[imported_Sam]

I'm planning to drive my 98 honda civic from Boston to California the end of this month. It has about 90,000 miles on it and just want to see if that is too high to take it cross country.

How's it running? How well has it been maintained? How well do you KNOW the vehicle? Some vehicles with 90,000 miles are worn out, others are just getting started.

[imported_Sam]

I've had the car for two years and it has been good to me. It runs pretty good in my opinion. There were problems with my A and B pipes but those were minor problems which have been fixed. I give it oil changes every 3000 miles and I bring it for its scheduled checkups every time it hits a certain mileage so I guess you can say it is well maintained. I am planning to replace the tires and get a tuneup before I drive it cross country.