With the house pretty much sold.. i'm thinking of driving the 8 (along w/ our SUV and other car on a trailer) .. w/ over 1700 + miles between Chicago and Vegas, what should i prep both cars for besides oil change, check tires, belts, brakes and coolant? Your suggestions would be highly appreciated. :D

 

1) XXL sized cooler full of Red Bull

2) LOTS of tunes (unless you have satellite radio)

Seriously, a fresh wax job will help the road grime from such a long drive come off easier. Also, I presume "check tires" means tire pressure.

If your car is under 25,000 miles, only think I'd do is take it for an oil change and while doing that make sure the tire pressure is OK and that there's no hidden nails waiting to start leaking the moment you're on the road, and that all the fluids are topped up.

We take a summer road trip every year in our minivan. The entire pre-trip routine is:

1) "time" the service intervals for the car to be ready for an oil change just prior to vacation
2) Take the car to the dealer for the service
3) Tell them you're going on a trip and ask them to give it a thorough look over for all the usual crap that they look at on an oil change
4) Wash and wax it the weekend before.
5) Wash it again the day before you leave.
6) Load it, gas it, go!

 

In addition to the above reccomendations... Scratch the Red Bull off your list, and add in fruit juice. I drank 3 cans of R.B. on my 18-hour drive from Indiana to Florida, and they helped little. What really kept me wide awake was a single bottle of Grape juice. Kicks in faster and lasts longer than Red Bull, tastes better, and keeps you hydrated.

Definitely bring along a little extra oil/coolant/washer fluid, etc. Just in case you need it to limp to another mechanic. Other than that, highway drives tend to be pretty uneventful. Just check the weather so you don't drive through a snow or ice storm, and have fun!

 

Viagra also helps keep you up

 

All the above, and don't forget road snacks! All the hard work of having fun is tiring!!

 

Don't forget to put sunblocker on your left arm and hand. I got pretty bad sunburns on two of my longer drives.