No matter how much you prepare for a road trip, things can go wrong. I took a trip to the Keys for lobster mini season and did the usual mechanical checks. The van just turned over 200,000 miles. I hadn't left Orlando when the back brakes started grinding. Oh well, carry on. Then I got a burned out headlight in Ft. Lauderdale, go figure. The van made it home okay but it got me thinking about what we should all have with us on a trip.
1) Portable jump box. Good for starting a friend's dead battery (that happened on the trip too) or to charge a dead phone.
2) Portable tire inflator. One tire was low and cost me $2 for air. What happen to free air?
3) Water. Warm water is better than no water. Plus snacks. Never know how long AAA will take, could be hours.
4) Road flare. One time the alternator in the Cuda started failing at night, of course. It died on a spaghetti highway ramp in the middle of downtown Orlando. No one could see us coming around the corner, plus no berm. Flare would have been good to have.
5) Small umbrella for both rain and sun. Might be stuck on the roadside without trees. Usually cooler out of the car than in.
6) AAA membership. Some classic car insurances includes towing. Some also will include the daily driver. Call your carrier and find out.
7) Small amount of cash. Cash in still king, especially in an emergency situation.
I'm sure there are many more but those items are important to me.
