Prepping Your Vehicle for Your Summer Adventures

Summer is nearly here, the kids are almost out of school and now is the time to start planning your summer activities. But before you start making those reservations here’s a few things you’ll want to check on your vehicle to make sure it’s ready for all that summer fun.

Routine Maintenance

Keeping up on your routine maintenance will save you money in the long run. While most of us are pretty good at getting oil changes every three thousand miles or 3 months there are some other things you should be doing on a regular basis to help keep your vehicle in tip-top shape.

When was the last time you rotated your tires? Most vehicles recommend every 6,000 miles but you’ll want to check your vehicle’s recommendations to make sure you are doing it correctly. I try to have it done with every other oil change so I stay on track. While you’re rotating those tires also check the tread, you do not want to be on the hot summer roads with worn out tires. Bald tires are more likely to blow out, especially when the pavement is scalding hot.

Windows

If you cannot see out your windows you really shouldn’t be going anywhere. Now is the time to go over the car and make sure there are no windows that need to be replaced. I know this spring a rock flew up and chipped my windshield, I need to get that replaced before we take our first summer adventure.  Also, this is a good time to replace those windshield wipers.  Winter can be tough on them and they are not meant to last forever. I try to replace mine in the fall and spring every year to ensure I have the best visibility during wet driving conditions.

Insurance Cards

Do you keep a copy of your insurance card in your glove box? I do! Now is the time to pull that card out and see if it’s the most up to date card. Life is busy and it’s easy to forget to put that insurance card in your glove box and remove the old one. But before you head out on your summer adventures you are going to want to make sure you have a recent insurance card with you.

These are just a few things I like to do every spring before we head out on our first big road trip of the year.