Long trip checks

Tiamat · Post by **Tiamat** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:07 pm

Hey all.

Last weekend I drove from SF to Sacramento and then to LA and back again. Overall, more than 1000 miles. Before I took off, I checked the tire pressure, oil, and coolant levels. The car is still pretty new so I didn't check the brake pads. Any suggestions on what else to check?

Off topic: I've been averaging about 2000mi/month. Sheesh. Is that normal?

yaoming7511 · Post by **yaoming7511** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:46 pm

Damn 2000mi/month? That's almost 24000 a year. The yearly average is about 15000 miles with the high end at around 18000. 24000 sounds like a LOT.

Post by **Johnf514** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:34 pm

+1 on that. Yearly average for drivers is around 15,000 miles. It was 12,000, but Suburbia has become the way to live. 24,000 is quite a lot though, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

By the way, if you got 25 MPG and paid an average of $2.30/gal for gas, you spent over $2200 in a year for gas.

Tiamat · Post by **Tiamat** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:00 pm

Hehe, I don't normally drive this much. Or at least, I didn't until last December. I'm on a temp rotation to San Francisco but everyone I know is back at UCD so I'm back and forth a lot. Here's hoping my next rotation is closer to home so that I don't keep doing this. Previously, my average was about half that, or less, but I was a student at a very bike-friendly school, so I never had to drive.

Sypher · Post by **Sypher** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:11 pm

Hope you had fun on your trip B)

Some other things you might check for is the tire tred level (expecially important in older cars). Since when you're trvelling, you usually do alot of highway drivng, and high speed driving with a tire with low treds ins't exactly very safe. So make sure you have adiquate tred.

Chack all fluid levels in the engine bay.

Check to make sure you got everything you need (nothing worst than when you are travelling and you forgot something at home... = / ).

And not so much a issue when leaving, but while travelling, make sure you have enough gas to make it to the next gas stop

Don't wanna get stranded in the middle of the highway now do you

LS1Leader · Post by **LS1Leader** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:22 pm

That's pretty much all I check before long trips. I would also advise checking the spare tire's pressure if you don't carry an air compressor in your car.

Sypher · Post by **Sypher** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:41 am

LS1Leader wrote:That's pretty much all I check before long trips. I would also advise checking the spare tire's pressure if you don't carry an air compressor in your car.

Oh yes... that right... very important if you don't wanna get stranded

Tiamat · Post by **Tiamat** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:30 pm

I would also advise checking the spare tire's pressure if you don't carry an air compressor in your car.

Good point. I usually just figure I'm ok because I have Triple A, but I was driving I-5 which, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, runs through miles and miles of absolutely nothing.

make sure you have enough gas to make it to the next gas stop

I try to fill up at the half tank mark, unless I'm familiar with the area and about how much gas it'll take. I did discover that my car does NOT like having 5 people and their luggage in it, though. My mileage was less than expected, even though I wasn't doing 80mi/hr like everyone else.

And since I have yet to make it work properly, how do you get the quote to say who you're quoting?

scionkid · Post by **scionkid** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:03 pm

Tiamat wrote:
I would also advise checking the spare tire's pressure if you don't carry an air compressor in your car.
Good point. I usually just figure I'm ok because I have Triple A, but I was driving I-5 which, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, runs through miles and miles of absolutely nothing.

How can you drive next to miles and miles of bullcrap (literally) and not pass out? After the 2nd time, I couldn't take that crap no more. When I do those San Diego San Francisco runs, I use 101. And there's no truckers drag racing each other w/ a load of tomatos on a 2 lane hwy so you can fly at 80 for a long time.

Tiamat · Post by **Tiamat** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:45 pm

Hehe, you survive by knowing it's coming and rolling up the windows and putting the air on recirc.

Unfortunately, for me, it wasn't an LA to SF run, it was LA to Sacramento and going 101 would have added at least another hour to the drive, maybe more. And I had no desire to do 80 since it was a holiday weekend and I saw a cop with someone pulled over at least every half hour.

coolguy · Post by **coolguy** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:40 pm

Tiamat wrote:And since I have yet to make it work properly, how do you get the quote to say who you're quoting?

(1.) Just use the "quote" button...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................../\
here.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................||

or (2.) Type

XXX wrote: (with the name of the person as XXX) and end the entire quote the same way you have been doing .

LS1Leader · Post by **LS1Leader** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:20 pm

Tiamat wrote:Hehe, you survive by knowing it's coming and rolling up the windows and putting the air on recirc.

+1 on that. Plus, you just build up immunity to the smell.

Unfortunately, for me, it wasn't an LA to SF run, it was LA to Sacramento and going 101 would have added at least another hour to the drive, maybe more. And I had no desire to do 80 since it was a holiday weekend and I saw a cop with someone pulled over at least every half hour.

You can hit some pretty good speeds, far in excess of 80 mph, on I-5. I find that the temptation to speed is more of a problem than being stuck behind cars. I used to make it from LA to Sac in 4.5 to 5 hours, but now make it in 7-8 hours because I now have the willpower to keep it at 80 mph.