Prepping Your Ford for Your Summer Road Trip

This Monday is Memorial Day, and the open road has begun calling to you. Have you finished making preparations for your big summer road trip? Let’s run down the checklist. Are your bags packed? Playlist made? Air B&B confirmed? Perfect! All that’s left to take care of is the one component you certainly can’t leave home without: your vehicle.

Your road trip only goes as far as your car, truck, or SUV can take you. Thankfully, Charles Gabus Ford is here to optimize your vehicle’s durability, ensuring your summer plans don’t hit any speed bumps. Filling up the gas tank is only step one; here are five additional measures you can take to get your Ford vehicle prepared for an epic road trip.

Make Your Car Habitable  

For the duration of your trip, your car will essentially serve as your home away from home. Even if you’ve made overnight accommodations, you’re about to spend the vast majority of your time within those four wheels. Just as you wouldn’t allow yourself to live in squalor at home, your vehicle should be cleaned of all dust, dirt and debris before you depart – and you should prioritize keeping it in that condition for the duration of your trip.

Before embarking, take your car to one of our local car washes, such as Rocket Car Wash in Altoona. Take advantage of their vacuums, suctioning the floor mats, back seats, and hard-to-reach crevices. Make your car’s interior as spotless as possible before moving your family into it, because let’s face it – it’s probably not going to stay that way long (especially if there’s kids along for the ride).

Keep Your Tires Inflated  

Low tire pressure is a double-whammy. Not only can it result in a flat or damaged tire if left untended, but it also hinders your overall fuel economy. When you’re spending consecutive hours on the highway, those inefficient miles add up. Gage your tire pressure before your road trip, inflating to the recommended PSI level (which can be found on the sticker near the driver door). In general, you should check your tire pressure every 1,000 miles (and get your tires rotated every 5,000 miles, or six months). 

If you’ve encountered repeat problems with your tire pressure – or if your tires’ tread is looking precariously thin – it might be time to call in the replacements. Thankfully, we’re here to guide you towards the perfect set of new tires for your Ford car, truck, or SUV.

Quench Your Car’s Thirst  

Just as you should stay hydrated by keeping a water bottle handy on summer road trips, you’ll want to keep your vehicle’s six essential fluids at optimal levels. Unless you’re thousands of miles away from your standard 7,500 – 10,000-mile interval, get your oil changed before you set sail. Make sure your transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid are all filled to their recommended levels.  

To ensure you remain comfortable throughout your trip, top off both your coolant and windshield fluid. Without enough coolant, your air conditioning system may not receive sufficient cooling capacity, leading to weak airflow, reduced cooling effectiveness, and a heaping of misery for you and your passengers. Meanwhile, you’ll thank us for the windshield fluid when you’re an hour away from the nearest gas station and approximately 40,000 smeared bug carcasses are obstructing your line of vision.

Create Your Playlist in Advance 

Whether you’re still working your way through recent epics from Beyonce and Taylor Swift or have picked a side in the Kendrick-Drake beef, the spring has already given us plenty of road trip playlist material. Just make sure you finalize your musical selections before you hit the road. Long road trips can lull you into complacency, and the moment you decide to double-task on your phone could be the moment your summer plans come to an abrupt halt.

Take Care of Your Car Maintenance at Charles Gabus

If your road trip departure is imminent and you’re still wary about the state of your vehicle, it never hurts to get a second set of eyes on things. The expert team in our Service Center is here to take care of all your lingering maintenance needs, from battery diagnosis to brake service. We’ll get your Ford road-ready, whether you drive the dynamic 2024 Ford Ranger or the electrifying Mustang Mach-E. Make the first stop on your summer road trip Charles Gabus Ford: Des Moines’ road trip headquarters.