Summer Road Trip Vehicle Maintenance Checklist

With the summer holidays quickly approaching, you may already be considering a holiday away with the family in your Motorhome, Caravan or 4×4. Bliss!

Before setting off, it is important to check that you have packed all of the necessary essentials and carried out a pre-trip vehicle inspection to rectify any potential issues with your vehicle and avoid an unexpected breakdown.

If you are unsure on the sort of things you should be looking out for, then you can find out everything you need to know in our motorhome, caravan or 4×4 maintenance checklist below.

Ensuring That Your Vehicle Has A Valid MOT

Have you checked to make sure that your vehicle’s MOT certificate is valid? If you have not done this already, then we strongly recommend that you do so as soon as possible.

This way you leave plenty of time to book in for an MOT before the trip and avoid paying fines of up to £1000 if you are caught without a valid certificate.

You can use the GOV.UK free MOT checker tool to find out the current status of your vehicle.

Preparing For A Road Trip

Have you got all of the essentials packed and ready for your road trip? You may want to make sure that you take the following essentials with you: These include;

• A spare tyre
• Spare working battery
• Tyre repair kit
• Warning triangle
• Hi-Vis jacket
• First aid kit packed with everything that is required in the event of an injury
• Spare fluids for your vehicle. It is always important to check that your vehicles supplies are in good condition and have no visible defects.

4×4/Motorhome Maintenance Checklist

By carrying out all of the necessary maintenance checks to your Motorhome, Caravan or 4×4 before a long journey, you can be sure to experience a holiday that’s fun and stress-free. We have highlighted the main things you should be looking out for below.

Check Your Tyres

If you have not yet done this already, you may want to have a quick look at your tyres to make sure that they are not damaged, poorly aligned, under inflated or below the maximum tread depth of 1.6mm.

The easiest way to check if your vehicle’s tyres are below the legal depth is by placing a 20p coin flat inside the grooves of the tread and checking to see if the outer edge of the coin is hidden.

If the outer edge remains visible, then this means that your tyres have exceeded the legal depth and should be replaced immediately. If you are still unsure after carrying out this step, then give us a call today on 01291 627 137 or check out our guide to caring for your tyres.

Top-up Your Fluids

Does your vehicle have sufficient amounts of fluid i.e. windscreen wiper fluid, refrigerant and oil to accommodate the long trip? This is something that you should always remember to check at least a day before your journey so that you leave enough time to refill them. Be sure to take spares with you!

Lights – Are They All Working?

Driving when your vehicle’s lights aren’t working not only poses danger to you but also to other road users. Being caught driving with broken or faulty lights can result in a £60 fine and 3 points on your license. If you have identified a problem with your vehicles’ lights, make sure that you take your vehicle to a garage to have them fixed or replaced.

Air Conditioning

Have you checked to make sure that your vehicle’s air conditioning is working properly and topped up with the right amounts of coolant?

It is recommended that you check your vehicle’s air conditioning before each trip or once a year to help identify any potential issues which may occur as a result of a poorly maintained air conditioning unit.

Taking Your Vehicle To Be Serviced

If you notice anything wrong with your vehicle from our 4×4 maintenance checklist above then we strongly recommend that you take your vehicle to our Autocare Centre in Chepstow for a service when possible, so you can have peace of mind that your road trip will be smooth throughout.

Motorhome, Caravan Or 4×4 Servicing and MOT Chepstow

Our highly experienced team at our Autocare Centre in Chepstow have spent over 40 years providing MOT’s and Servicing to a wide range of vehicles and are now able to do the same for all electric and hybrid vehicles. For more information call us on 01291 627137 to speak with a member of our team.