Don’t Forget These Items for Your Next Road Trip!

With summer right around the corner, that means road trips! Depending on what type of person you are, your road trip could be a couple hours or an entire weekend! 

Either way, you’re going to be spending a long time in your vehicle. You should be prepared for what you may encounter along the way! 

Here are some items that you should always keep in your vehicle all year long or just pack them up for your next trip:

1. Baby wipes! No one wants sticky fingers! When you reach for your customary pop and our personal favorite, Funyuns! This way you won’t have to sit with sticky fingers. If you keep baby wipes in your car, even if you don’t have a baby or child with you, it can save you from spreading sticky fingers to your phone, radio dial and the steering wheel! 

2. Umbrellas! Hopefully on your summer trip you don’t run into rain! What could be worse than getting covered in sunscreen, running to the pool with your favorite floaty only to realize it’s overcast! Keep an umbrella (or maybe two) in your vehicle for when an unexpected shower comes your way. You’ll be thankful to have an umbrella when you have to run from your vehicle to the rest stop bathroom, because who wants to sit in a car all soaking wet! 

3. Spare change should definitely be in your vehicle not just on road trips, but year-round. Unexpected expenses may come your way! Some of those expenses may not take credit or debit. Keep some bills and change in your center console, this can also help if someone in your party happens to lose their wallet!

4. Flashlights should be kept in your vehicle year-round. Hopefully you plan to take your vehicle in for a checkup before any road trips, because finding out you have a flat tire in the middle of the night on a road with no street lights, is not fun! ArborMotion is happy to take a look at your vehicle before any major trips – our first priority is our customers and their safety!

5. Maps should be in your vehicle all year, too! Even though cell phones have come a long way, you never know where or when service will drop! If you’re driving to a new place and cell service is spotty, make sure you have a physical map on hand! If you find yourself in a not so familiar area, you can find your way back to the main roads and freeways with a map to guide you.

6.Water and food should also be on your list! Granola bars are a cheap and healthy snack that work great for road trips. And bring along your reusable water bottle and fill up at rest stops! 

Road Trip Ready? Schedule Routine Maintenance on Your Car Today!

ArborMotion is here to make sure that your vehicle is road trip ready, because our customers are first and foremost the most important thing to us! We’ll make sure that your vehicle is not only ready for the summer but for the year! 

We specialize in European auto repair, but we also provide expert service on all major brands including domestic service and repairs on Ford and Chevy. Give us a call or even shoot us an email, we’re more than happy to make you an appointment today! 

I love it when a plan comes together!

I have watched a lot of races in person. With the company of my father, I have been spectator at 18 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at three separate tracks, each Runoff averaging 25 individual races, countless regional race weekends with an average of 15 races per weekend, a handful of dirt track races and 4 NASCAR races. I have also driven in many races. To many of you, that is a ton of races. To me, it is just the tip of the iceberg. I would rather be at the race track than just about anywhere else. Is it because of the sounds and smells? Sure it is. Is it the competition? Of course. The part I love most is the joy I get in watching driver's game plans unfold and people adjusting to the ever-changing circumstances. All race car drivers start a race, whether it is a small regional "sprint" style or a longer championship style race with a plan. Most people think that the plan of any race is to go as fast as you can to win! What is not known by most is what effort is put in to plan a race. Whether it has been a couple qualifying sessions over the weekend, testing for weeks, or even a full season, each drive knows what to expect from his car and competitors. He may know that that Honda positioned ahead of him on the grid is brutal on his tires, so he may jump out to a strong lead, then fall back as he loses the steady traction. Speaking of tires, he may know that he is on the softer compound tire, so they may wear away quicker than other drivers out there. Weather plays a huge role in the driver's mind. If it is cooler, his car may run better than he is use to, or worse, depending on his tuning. If it is a hotter day, the track may be very greasy and not the track he was use to in testing. And let's not forget rain, if it rains, we race! Cars will often act much different in the rain, and tracks will too. You will hear people talk about the "rain line", which is the fastest way around the track when it is wet. To make a long, boring technical lecture short, when cars go around the track, small pieces of rubber fly off the tires and collect "off line". When it is wet, the normal race line is very slick, so the fast line is actually where all that rubber has gone to, making it the "rain line". Sorry, that was longer than I though it would be, but no less important! Now, where was I? Oh yes! There a lot of things that a driver has to plan for, but my favorite is the driving style and planning of the driver I call "The Cerebral Assassin". this is the driver that has lap after lap planned out. You can often find him in 2nd or 3rd place during the race, not making many moves to pass and get further ahead. Like a predator, he is steady stalking his prey, waiting for the perfect time to strike. He will follow right behind the driver he is stalking, noting where he puts his car at each turn, where his braking points are, and where he knows hew will be able to overtake them. He wont attempt a pass for laps, knowing that he could. He drives steady, knowing that his prey is constantly checking his mirrors with wide eyes, knowing that it is coming but can't do anything about it. The longer the race goes, the prey will start making mistakes, anticipation when the Assassin will strike. He will brake too early, take a turn off line or even put a wheel or two into the grass, but the assassin does not flinch or make his move. He waits until the perfect time, a point in the race he decided he would make his move way back on lap 3. The last couple turns on the last lap. Only then he will break stride and attempt a pass the prey had no idea was coming, and its too late to counter or protect. The race that the prey had led almost the entire way, is now fully in the control of the Assassin. These races are why I keep watching, and why I am yearning to go back the second I leave a track. Its almost race season here in the Midwest folks, can you feel it? I sure can!

 Until next time,  Keep the shiny side up!

 Read more of Nick's blog posts here!