I'm thinking of giving the Max some needed space to roam and was considering going on a x-country drive (or half of that at least).

Since this is going to be my first long drive as well (e.g. beyond 6 hours) does anyone have any advice on how to prep the Max for such a long trip? Also, any idea's on what to watch out for and/or avoid while driving on unknown terrain (to me anything outside of Texas is unknown terrain) as far as safety goes?

So far this is what i could come up with:
- Check tire pressure
- Check all fluids
- Double-wax front end of car to minimize bug sticking and make taking it off a bit easier
- Oil change

Any info/tips/advices is highly appreciated.

Thanks

- Mike

 

Check your spare tire pressure, bring a cell phone, maybe some maps, and maybe a small tool kit\air compressor\fix-a-flat.

Best bet is to rent a car so you don't put wear and miles on your Maxima .

 

Soundmike,

I have made several cross country trips--from CA to FL, from NoCal to SoCal. Other than what you have already done to your car, these are my recommendations:

1) Full nose mask as there may be gravel on the roads in Texas. I think 40 goes through Amarillo and the 10 goes through El Paso if my memory serves me correctly.

2) Have a cell phone of course and emergency numbers.

3) Stay away/well behind or quickly get around semis.

4) Make sure you are with a Travel Club such as AAA. If your car breaks down along the way you can call them on your cell and your club should assist you. Actually call your travel club now and see if there are any restrictions. Also, see if they have any tips to driving cross-country.

5) AAA will give travel maps for the exact routes you want to take. So know your routes and places you want to stop at. Being in the military, I knew which military bases I was going to stay in for overnighters.

6) Call your auto insurance company to see if there are any restrictions. See if they have any tips to driving cross-country.

7) Carry an emergency kit in the trunk.

8) Go over worst-case scenarios such as "What if I broke down along the road?"

Some of the above are extreme recommendations I know but it is better to be prepared than not prepared.

 

another thing you could look into is getting some AAA coverage. if something does happen this will help protect you. but what you guys covered will be good enough for making the long trip. just make sure you carry enough money for things.

 

Tan, what fun would it be to drive a non-Maxima across the country then? Btw, what's the pressure on the spare?

Papamonty, i currently don't have a full-mask and fear that i'll have to take the chances w/o it. As far as i can tell i won't be going to N.Texas so hopefully there won't be as much gravel roads where i'm going (maybe east coast).

As far as AAA goes, i was able to get maps and such through a friend who has a membership with them but i don't have one myself. Maybe i'll check into it.

I think i have an emergency kit in the trunk but will double check.

Thanks for the tips guys

 

Maybe rent a Maxima? Hehe, not a bad idea eh.

On the spare it says "inflate to 60psi", but I'm not sure. My spare is a Yokohama! I don't use it though, I put one of my stock 16s in the trunk as a spare.

 

if you come through Little Rock on your way east, give me a shout.


Thats the beauty of the max, no worries. I drove to Keywest from Little Rock, thru Nashville... basically Le Mans style. then came back in a week. 3000 miles. It was great, no worries.. totally comfortable. I had to stop several places along the way, so flying was out. Making Miami in 17 hours is pretty cool.. Dont do the math on that one its not pretty

I never leave home without my GPS.. I have several actually depending on the kind of trip I'm taking. Bah, paper maps!

 

so you don't fall asleep

 

GPS! I have one for my lappy but i might have to get a new set of maps for it. I almost forgot about that.

I'm not sure what my route will be yet but i'll holler if i do

Dave, redbull - yummmm. I remember taking that and coffee at the same time during my Medical Technology days

 

Really check the weather where you're going. Some places can get snow deep enough to hold people for 12-24 hours. Same with rain. I like the idea of a GPS so you can see where you are. Bringing a sleeping bag for those places where you can't find a place to stay. AAA is a really good idea, they give you very detailed maps up front. Something that is easy to forget while driving, enjoy your trip (the goal is the trip, not the destination).

 

In addition to what everyone else has said...cash. You don't want to be stuck in some butthole hicktown where the credit card hasn't even been invented yet without cash..remember it is accepted everywhere.

Other than that, I would say preplan your trip as much as possible. Know where you are going to stop for the day, and make a reservation ahead of time. One other thing, try to minimize your stops to save time. By this I mean getting using the bathroom, eating, and filling the tank on the same exit. This all goes out the window however if you are traveling with a female( as most can't go more than 2 hours w/o bathroom stop ). Using this method I made it from CT to Tampa, Fl. in about 19 hours (it is like 1250 miles)