Long distance driving questions.

[iaowings]

I know some people here drive long distance a lot so I am wondering what do I need to do as far as the car is concerned before I drive from VA to CA at the end of July?

Anything special I should have. I am thinking of getting one of those emergency road side kits and a bad weather kit.

Oh what kind of weather can I expect as I cross the country? I know it will be hot as heck in most places. What about t-storms isn’t that the time of year for them.

Any advise will be appreciated.

[hobbit]

For the t-storms, bring a camera!
.
_H*

[galaxee]

rain-x the windshield if you're into that. and get new wipers. we did that before driving from nc to wi in january and sure enough, we got rain/sleet/snow all the way up. that stuff made driving a lot less of a pain in the ass.

check your tires and make sure they're still good, if you're thinking of replacing soon you might wanna do it before the trip.

are lulu and thelma going too? casper's regular cage folded nicely in the back, and a smaller travel cage strapped in the back seat easily.

[mjms2b]

I've done the trip from FL to Ca 5 times. if only I had my prius back then. Anyway. Take lots of water in the car with you because as you cross the desert you get really dried out and water at the rest stops is expensive, Plus you don't always want to stop just for water.

make sure your passenger has a pillow and lots of CD's or ipod.

I'm in Cali, Hollah!!!

[iaowings]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 8 2007, 11:53 PM) [snapback]438056[/snapback]</div>

are lulu and thelma going too? casper's regular cage folded nicely in the back, and a smaller travel cage strapped in the back seat easily.
[/b]

Yeah they will be with me. I was going to fly but I don’t want to do it with those two. They would get upset and not shut up and outing them in the cargo would cause them so much stress they would probably die.

They like car rides so I figure this will be enjoyable for them. My only concern is them eating but I figure they will do fine.





<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 8 2007, 11:53 PM) [snapback]438056[/snapback]</div>

rain-x the windshield if you're into that. and get new wipers. we did that before driving from nc to wi in january and sure enough, we got rain/sleet/snow all the way up. that stuff made driving a lot less of a pain in the ass.
[/b]

Does rain-x work. I am down for anything that will help out in the rain.

My car has only 11k miles on it so the tires should be ok for this trip. I am wondering what tire pressure I should have in my tires. I currently run 40psi all around but for such a long drive should I do something different.

[Cris10]

Are you travelling I-40? If so, Tennessee is lo-ong. Eat bbq in Memphis. Indeed, it'll be monsoon season in New Mexico and E. AZ. That means rain (or worse) can boil up in the afternoons. OK and TX panhandle ripe for storms, including tornadoes. Find your weather radio stations which broadcast weather on the hour, usually an AM frequency If the sky is green get yourself and the girls to shelter, parking your Prius under shelter, too, as hail may follow.

If a bit of touring is possible, go south from Amarillo, Texas to Palo Duro Canyon (unless it's raining, when floods are probable) and then North in AZ to the Grand Canyon for a lovely bit of compare and contrast. Sedona, AZ is also worth a side trip S from Flagstaff.

We use sun shades for the back side windows in summer.

Have fun!

[galaxee]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ May 9 2007, 12:59 AM) [snapback]438083[/snapback]</div>

Yeah they will be with me. I was going to fly but I don’t want to do it with those two. They would get upset and not shut up and outing them in the cargo would cause them so much stress they would probably die.

They like car rides so I figure this will be enjoyable for them. My only concern is them eating but I figure they will do fine.
[/b]

i don't think casper would handle a plane ride very well either. a car ride will be fine for them if they like riding in the car. i got casper a keet sized cage and we strapped it in the back seat. she sat in the front with us during the day and slept at night. i brought lots of little treats and she ate just fine. she seemed to enjoy the overall experience.

Does rain-x work. I am down for anything that will help out in the rain.
[/b]

i swear by it. a new coat will make the water bead up and roll off easily. i found out that it only lasts about 15 hours with continuous windshield wiper use though but hopefully you won't hit weather that nasty for that long.

My car has only 11k miles on it so the tires should be ok for this trip. I am wondering what tire pressure I should have in my tires. I currently run 40psi all around but for such a long drive should I do something different.
[/b]

the 40 psi sounds just fine, we ran 42/40 on our integrities and made many trips with them that way. had no problems with the tires on the trips, they wore out pretty early in the end but that doesn't seem to be very uncommon.

on storm safety and tornadoes: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html

[iaowings]

Thanks for the tornado info.

[hill]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MJGreen @ May 9 2007, 12:00 AM) [snapback]438061[/snapback]</div>

I've done the trip from FL to Ca 5 times. if only I had my prius back then. Anyway. Take lots of water in the car with you because as you cross the desert you get really dried out and water at the rest stops is expensive, Plus you don't always want to stop just for water.

make sure your passenger has a pillow and lots of CD's or ipod.

I'm in Cali, Hollah!!!
[/b]

Take water yes, but GO EASY on it. Your gas tank bladder will outlast YOUR bladder, in most cases. Figure 500 miles before gasing up will work out to an easy 7 hours of driving.

[Tom_06]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 9 2007, 11:40 AM) [snapback]438263[/snapback]</div>

i swear by it. a new coat will make the water bead up and roll off easily. i found out that it only lasts about 15 hours with continuous windshield wiper use though but hopefully you won't hit weather that nasty for that long.
[/b]

I used to use Rain-X all the time and had the same experience of it disappearing after a long day's driving in the rain. It seemed to rot the wipers more quickly than normal aging, so I left the parking area of the wiper blades free of Rain-X per an online tip.

The past 5 years I have been using Aqua-Pel. It lasts about 6 months - heavy wiper use or not. It seems to leave less of a water film when the wipers go across it and bugs and ice don't stick to the windshield. It does not seem to harm the wipers. Only drawback is that one application costs more than a whole bottle of Rain-X. Still, I tossed a nearly full bottle of Rain-X after I started using Aqua-Pel and will never go back. Some auto stores carry it (Pep Boys) and you can find it on-line.

If you have Rain-X on the windshield, you'll probably need to use a glass polish to get it off (best with a power buffer) before switching to Aqua-Pel.

- Tom