Isn’t it strange how you can prepare for a road trip months in advance to ensure you have everything you need, only to discover that a tiny mistake you’ve made along the way has ruined the whole thing completely?
Things like that happen more often than we’d like to admit. That’s why everyone needs a trusty checklist that you can check and double-check at any moment. After all, no one wants their precious time off to go to waste, so you’ll make sure the road trip is a success.
To help you out in this endeavor, we’ve prepared a list of commonly made road trip tire mistakes that can ruin your vacation, so that you can avoid them at all costs. With that in mind, let’s have a closer look at those hiccups, shall we?
Overpacking
Let’s be completely honest here; each and every one of us likes to pack for a vacation like we’re never coming back. Even though it might just be a week-long road trip, you’re likely to pack 36 pairs of underwear.
Why someone would do that is anyone’s guess at this point. However, overpacking, although it may seem like a good idea, actually puts a lot of strain on both your car and the tires.
That said, if your tires have to endure a load greater than they were designed to withstand, chances are that they’ll fail or simply go flat, leaving you stranded in the middle of the road.
Therefore, you should always check the tire’s sidewall for a load index marker, which is the maximum weight the tire can safely carry, and try to pack in a way that won’t overwhelm your tires.
Skipping Vehicle and Tire Maintenance
Vehicle and tire maintenance is something everyone should do on a regular basis. However, most people simply forget to do it until something goes horribly wrong. And, if there’s a moment where things have a tendency to go astray, then it’s either right before or during the road trip.
So, in order to avoid such inconveniences and ensure your trip doesn’t get ruined, you should really take your car for a checkup and have your tires inspected as well.
Also, make sure you do this way before the trip, so that if something is wrong, it can be fixed or replaced on time. Otherwise, you risk getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, waiting for a tow truck to get you to the repair shop while your dreams of a relaxing holiday wither away.
Relying Only on GPS
You’ve got to admit that modern technology does make our lives much easier. However, relying on technological gadgets and doodads too much tends to backfire at the most inconvenient of times.
For example, your phone battery dies when you really need to make a call, even though it was half-full just a second ago. Or your GPS took you to a completely remote, insignificant rural place, even though you thought it was taking you to your destination. But those are just minor inconveniences.
The real danger lies in being distracted by your GPS while you drive. It only takes a second for you to look away for an accident to happen. If you have proper tires, they can improve handling, cornering, and reduce braking distance for your car, thus ensuring you avoid potential disasters, even when you fail to spot danger on time.
Ignoring the Weather
Another thing people usually don’t pay much heed to when going on a road trip is the weather. If the weather gets ugly at some point, so will the road conditions. And, if you don’t have suitable tires for those conditions, then you could potentially end up in trouble.
Speaking of which, the most common culprit that can sour your vacation is rain. It may not seem so, but wet roads can sometimes be as slippery as ice, especially when cold rain drenches hot pavement during summer days.
If your tires don’t provide hydroplaning resistance, you’ll be skidding across the road in no time. Hydroplaning occurs when a thin layer of water gets between the tire and the road.
At that moment, the tire no longer grips the surface, unless it can evacuate excess water with an adequate tread pattern and specialized grooves. As you can imagine, it’s very easy to lose control of your car if your tires aren’t capable of handling different road conditions.
Forgetting Emergency Supplies
The thing about road trips is that you can never know what might happen on the road, even after you reach your destination, for that matter. If you’re left stranded for any reason, the possibility of staying longer than you initially planned exponentially rises, depending on the circumstances, of course.
In that case, it’s really helpful to have emergency supplies, unless you forgot to bring those along. Extra rations, a spare tire, jumper cables, and other necessities should always be with you when you go on a road trip. Therefore, if something bad does happen, it won’t be a complete disaster, and the situation can still be salvaged for the better.
Forgetting Important Documents
You’ve packed everything and you’re ready to go. However, somewhere along the way, a police officer pulls you over for routine inspection and asks for your license and registration. Oh, wait, it seems you forgot them back home, oopsie.
Well, isn’t that inconvenient? The best-case scenario, you’ll get off with a fine. Worst-case scenario, you’ll spend a night in jail, and they’ll impound your car. What a way to spend a vacation, right?
In order to avoid such unpleasantries, make sure you pack important documents in a separate bag or purse that you’ll have on you at all times. If you want to be extra sure, make copies of those documents just in case. That way, you can go on that road trip with peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
Going on a road trip can be an amazing experience, especially if you go with close friends. The sense of adventure is pretty much intoxicating, but try not to get carried away.
If you do, you might forget something important that will turn an otherwise relaxing vacation into a nightmare. That’s why it’s essential to plan accordingly and ensure your care is as ready to go as you are.
