Travel can either make or break a relationship. Road trips are no exception. This article has great tips to keep your vehicle in good spirits during a road trip and help you arrive safe and sound.

Four Easy to Follow Tips to Make Sure Your Road Trip Is a Pleasant One

Whether you are embarking on a month-long adventure around the country, you and your friends are hitting the beach for a long weekend, or you and your partner simply just want a night away together, a road trip provides the perfect platform. It's easy to access and relatively cheap. However, this isn't to say that everything will go as smoothly as it does in the movies with a three-minute montage to a classic 80's track. To help you keep the vibes of your next road trip positive and keep your car running at its best, Bill Rigdon AMSOIL Dealer has a post with tips to help.

Is Your Car Ready for the Task Ahead?

There's a difference between a car that can safely and reliably get you from A to B and one that can safely and reliably take you on the freeway to faraway destinations. The following is a great basic list to get you started:

Fluid Levels

We know, we know, you already know how to replace the oil in your car. We aren't saying that you don't, just saying that you should! This is a basic task which is commonly forgotten by motorists who only pay attention to the light on the dash. Instead, lift up the hood of your car and check your engine oil levels. If you can see that it is lower than it should, then top it up (even if your light hasn't come on, yet). Of course, there are plenty more fluids that your car needs to operate, so be sure to check them all. Your owner's manual will be the biggest help with identifying them, however, the most common fluids are:

• Water/Coolant
• Brake Fluid
• Transmission Fluid
• Power Steering Oil

If any of these levels are low, top them up or replace them before you head off on your long haul adventure. If you aren't sure which is the right product to use for your vehicle, it isn't a good idea to take a guess. Check out the online store for additional information about all of the products AMSOIL offer for your vehicle. If you're still stuck, don't hesitate to give Bill Rigdon AMSOIL Dealer a call at (503) 329-9004 and have a quick chat about the make and model of your car to get the right advice.

Safety Features

It doesn't matter if your vehicle only comes with seat belts or it comes with a robot in the trunk that actively gets out of the vehicle and flies you over any oncoming incidents, make sure that it works! Take a tour of your car's safety features and make sure that each and every one of them is working as intended. Something as small as a cut or fray in your seat belt can cause it to fail at the time it is needed the most. Bottom line - if it's a safety feature and it isn't working 100%, then your vehicle isn't ready for a road trip.

Tire Condition

All it takes is a small chunk of your tires to have been cut away by a small rock as you drive to cause a serious tire blowout. If you have never experienced a tire blowout before, believe that you don't want your first experience to be when you are driving down the freeway singing away to WHAM! Take some time a few days before your road trip to thoroughly inspect the condition of your tires. If you see any damage, it doesn't mean that you need to replace the tire, but it does mean that you should take it to a professional before driving long distances.

Tire Pressure

As you drive, friction builds up between your tires and the road. This friction actively works against your car, requiring it to use more energy than necessary just to keep moving. The easiest way for you to combat this is by adjusting your tire pressure to the levels advised by your manufacturer. By simply ensuring all tires are at the same and correct level you will not only notice a difference in the way that your vehicle handles, but also the amount of gas that it uses. These are both positives when it comes time for a road trip.

A Good Synthetic Oil Change in Clackamas Can Make a Difference

When it comes to a road trip or even just general car maintenance, the best thing you can do at home is to give your car a full synthetic oil change. Click here to buy AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil, a product that has been purpose designed to get the most out of a car's engine. If you aren't sure which is the best AMSOIL product for your needs, don't hesitate to pick up the phone and call Bill Rigdon AMSOIL Dealer. Available at (503) 329-9004, speak with an expert in the field to get the right advice and the right AMSOIL product for your vehicle. ; ;