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-   -   A Guide on Essentials of a Long Drive (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/3469-guide-essentials-long-drive-18.html)

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply! I am back to Mumbai and had a very good drive. I made a note of some emergency numbers -Mumbai Pune Expressway helpline and Maruti Road Assistance and checked fuel/tyre pressure etc. Mumbai-Pune took me about 3-3.5 hours which included one break (at the food courts on the expressway).

Just wanted to know why should one not go for a service just before a trip? I thought before going long distance, one should get the car checked for essentials.

Good to know about the nice drive you had. Whenever I visit Mumbai or Pune and travel through the Expressway in a bus or taxi, I miss my car:D

About the service aspect, well, technically one should get the car checked before long drives; but then in my experience and also reading of other's on this forum, many times new problems in cars have cropped out just after a service. Also, in case if the service guy has messed something or some setting in your car which you may not have noticed then and there, can pose a problem on the highway. So, if the car is in good shape, I avoid a service just before a journey. However it is obvious that in case the car needs a service or has a problem to be looked into, then trip to service center is must before embarking on the trip.

Regards,
Saket

You're right in saying it's essential to get a check-up done before a long trip, but most experienced road-trippers would advise you against getting a 'full service' done immediately before a trip.

It's not just about possible goof-ups by mechanics, sometimes there are parts changed during services that need time to bed in before performing optimally (e.g. brake pads/rotors) or parts that need adjustment after some running post-fitment (e.g. drive belts need inspection/adjustment for proper tension a few hundred km post-install). There may also be leaks and loose bits post service (balancing/alignment issues) that may only become apparent after some driving.

All considered, it's always a best practice to leave at least a couple of weeks between a service and a road trip, just so any possible surprises happen when help is close by and readily available. I usually try to leave a month, and get a general check up done for fluids and mechanical bits a couple of days before the trip. Has worked well for me thus far.


P.S. Don't let the fear of breakdown deter you from enjoying your driving. Every experienced driver can testify that the fear never really goes away, no matter how many kms you've driven. It's all about taking care of your car and trusting it to take care of you. A well-maintained car will almost never let you down.

Depends on what is changed during the service. I usually give a minimum of 2-3 days, and drive at least 150-200km, after a service, and before embarking on a long roadtrip.

The things which I absolutely don't forget to carry:

• Umbrella/Cap/Hat (Be it sun or rain, I find it useful esp after long exhausting drives)
• 5 ltr water-can (Keep yourself well hydrated while traveling)
• Ear plugs & Eye Pad/Eye Mask (Not iPad, well why not?)
• Medicines (Headache/Upset stomach, thanks to that tasty Dhaba food/Body ache)
• Powerful torch light
• Good music CD (NO slow songs please! EDM is my type of music)
• Keep Re.1, Rs.2, Rs.5 coins and Rs.10 notes plenty for those tolls (for faster exits)
• Amruthanjan (for those damn leeches)
• Check the air pressure for all the tyres (don't forget your Stepney)
• Extra headlight bulbs
• Windshield cleaner (get those small sachets)
• Something to munch on (Don't over eat, it'll make you sleepy and don't ignore your hunger, it'll make you lose concentration)
• Carry all your vehicle-related documents and don't forget your Driver's License

After travelling extensively in the mountains (Mainly in Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh) and that too in a humble Maruti 800, have learned that there is one very ordinary looking item which is indispensable to carry, while travelling on the Himalayan roads. And that item is a pair of Gum Boots!!!. Whenever one travels in high altitude snow bound mountainous areas , it's quite common to come across streams passing over the roads.

Most of the times these streams and rivulets are quite shallow and can be waded through without any problem, even with vehicles having low ground clearance. But at times these rivulets are deep enough with large stones strewn inside and it’s not possible to judge that whether the vehicle would pass clear over the hurdles.

Now this is when someone is required to enter the waters to guide the driver for a safe passage (especially for vehicles with low ground clearance). Wading through ice cold waters is always a last thing on traveller's mind so herein gum boots come into picture. With gum boots on one can easily survey the waterlogged area for a clear passage through water.

Hi Everyone

Good Day. I'm am planning a road trip from Dubai to Oman on 24th September. Will be going with family in 2 cars. We will be taking a Ford Explorer and Pajero. I just did an oil and filter change for the Pajero. I checked the tiers in a local petrol station and was told my tires need to be changed. So will be doing that before going. Need to know what else should I get checked before going for the 1300kms road trip?

1 What spares should I carry?
2 Basic tools I need to carry?
3 What else do I need to get checked in the cars?

Would appreciate your held and advice people:)Thanks.

I am looking for the following items to keep in my car - tow cable, jump start cable, fire extinguisher. Being in a smaller city its difficult to get good quality or original car accessories.
Can any of you point me to something online that is strong and will be reliable.

In spite being in a big city, I just bought a towing rope from flipkart :) You can also try the HVK store.

There are excellent inputs all over and I would like to add something that's not yet completely addressed here.

What specific things can be done for the comfort of co-passengers on a long drive? A few items that strike my mind:

i) First and foremost comes the eye mask which I believe is a must-have item in your car. Your co-passengers can sleep whether its day or night without worrying about the oncoming glares of light or the sun. I am about to buy one and can see a few good ones on Amazon and ShopClues.

ii) A few magazine copies: Especially Lonely Planet country guide or any similar popular publication. Maybe a fiction or non-fiction novel that's permanently lying in the zip pockets behind front seats. One of the most engaging things would be a folded country map along with a compass. I have a compass in place always inside car, those of you in Kolkata can get good ones from Dharamtala market.

iii) Food items: A few fruits or farsaan items in the car that one can eat readily. This is pretty much covered already.

iv) Music: The era of CDs is over, so an auxiliary cable/blue-tooth does the job.

Needless to mention, the there is more than enough talking that happens along with the music. But, I would prefer to keep something to keep your audience engaged as an alternative in case of the long-ish drives that often bore up co-passengers. At last, there is no way we change someone's mind who is already pissed off!

Dear tsk, kindly do share the rationale behind overinflating. I thought that long drives would heat the tyre air/nitrogen and hence lead to expansion. Thus, overinflating should be avoided.

Yes, driving at speed heats up tires, but no so much. The real heat buildup comes from the phenomena of standing wave formation which happens when the tire cannot come back to its original shape within the time taken to complete one rotation.
The higher the tire pressure, the quicker the tire will come back to its shape.

Now coming to mfr specs, you will see that most tires are rated to 40PSI cold, while mfrs give rating as 30-35PSI depending upon suspension setup etc., etc.,

Until you breach the tire max rating(eg 40PSI) you are safe. The extra 2-3 PSI gives you a safety buffer for high speed driving.

Hi Guys!!!

I will taking a Goa Trip starting this Sunday/Monday and I will be taking my XUV. I have a question on GPS Navigation Apps on Android which is the most suitable for the purpose. My XUV has MapmyIndia GPS Navigation but that aint flexible etc. I am looking to have following functions available in my navigation app:
customized route saving before the start of the trip,
offline maps if mobile GPRS doesn't work for sometime,
Music play from Mobile on the background,
Saved location alert on the map if I am going to cross a saved Restaurant/COCO Bunks enroute

Also how do I mount my mobile for best view?

I have MMI version 9 installed in my XUV500 W8. After upgrade to version 9 I see that the estimate time to destination is much higher than what google maps shows on my iPhone. And the iPhone is correct all the time. I have had this issue with MMI version 9 on several long distance drives.

Anyone else has had a similar experience, and knows a fix?

Thanks!

Mod note: Please avoid Quoting entire large post for short replies. Affects readability. Thanks

What a great check list. I would just like to add that many printed maps get outdated very quickly due to constant works on the highways. Use maps as a reference but download your areas of travel from Google Maps on your iPad or smart phone.
Also get a collapsible metal baton instead of an iron rod. Easy to carry and conceal.
I would add one more item, a good set of knives. One folding for cutting fruit and making snacks for a picnic and one fixed blade for more serious work including defense.