Recreational Desert Driving

You, and your car are getting ready for a long distance trip across the desert during the hot summer. What should you take? You should take equipment in case of an auto breakdown. Personal survival supplies and pretrip inspections are covered in this article.

You and your car are getting ready for a drive across the desert Southwest. You will find that driving in the desert Southwest is different, than driving in the mountains or in the plains. To keep your personal automobile working well, she should be summerized, and maintained. Summerized means that your radiator should be flushed out, refilled, pressure checked, and water should be replaced with new water, and Freon. If you use your vehicle for long, recreational, leisure summer trips, you should keep your vehicle in good working order. You should also keep yourself in good working order, and bring along personal supplies you might need on the road.

General Motors maintains that your car should be serviced by a mechanic every 3,000 miles, or every 3 months, tires rotated every 6,000 miles, and the car tuned-up with new spark plugs every 100, 000 miles in order to make sure it is in good working order. This requires more than just an oil change. A General Motors or other major car manufacturer certified technician can perform a full service and a full tune-up for you.

Before you leave on your trip across the desert, you should perform a pretrip inspection on your vehicle. This includes the following:

1. Check tire pressure. All tires should have at least 30 lbs. of pressure.

2. Fill the engine with the correct amount of oil. Start and operate the engine for 5 minutes. Check under the vehicle for evidence of oil, and transmission leaks. Replace air cleaner filter if necessary. In a dusty desert, this filter gets dirty quickly.

3. Summerize the radiator. In desert climates, like Arizona where I reside, the radiator should be summerized in April of each year. The radiator should be flushed, and the air conditioner serviced. The cooling system should also be checked for evidence of leaks. Have a mechanic do this for you or you will become burned, and end up looking like a fried desert toad.

4. Check water level of battery. Add water when necessary. Even so called maintenance free batteries need to be checked. Clean battery cable and posts with a cold engine of course, with baking soda water solution, and an old toothbrush. One that is too old for teeth, of course.

5. Test all dash instruments for proper functioning; horns, all lights, windshield wipers, wiper fluid and etc. Do not test your horns at 5:00 a.m., or your neighbors will come over to make sure that your horns will never work again.

6. Have a mechanic check engine mounts, all hoses, and belts. Also check the gas tank for evidence of leaks. Make sure your gas cap, and radiator cap is tight, and in working order.

7. Clean the windows for visibility.

8. Clean the inside of your vehicle. In an accident, your child's basketball could be dangerous, if left to fly around the vehicle. It could hit your head, or your windshield. A fire extinguisher can be mounted inside the car for emergencies. Check your local auto store such as Auto Zone, Pep Boys, for mounting kits.

9. Check seat belts for signs of wear, and check air bag functioning. If the air bag is ready and engaged when you first start your car the air bag ready light will come on briefly, and then go off. You should also hear a slight clicking sound as the air bag slides into place.

For your desert journey, bring along basic equipment to fix your car in case of breakdowns. The equipment you need include the following:

1. Tire equipment. This includes a spare tire inflated to 60 psi, a tire air pressure gauge, a jack, a tire repair kit complete with patches, and a tire pump. Bring a manual tire pump along in case your electric compressor can't operate, because of lack of electricity. Of course, make sure your tires do not show signs of damage, and tighten all lug nuts. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, you know.

2. Battery equipment. This includes jumper cables, and battery post cleaning equipment, such as Baking Soda, water, soda pop, and your old trusty toothbrush. I bet you didn't know a toothbrush had so many uses. If you can afford it get a generator to help jump-start your car, also sold at Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc.

3. Distilled water. This is for the radiator, and the battery.

4. A mounted fire extinguisher.

5. Extra fuses. You can find extra fuses at your Auto Zone, Pep Boy's store. Ask the clerk to help you choose the right size fuses in the variety pack. Of course, if you don't have an owner's manual, there is no way to figure out how to replace a fuse. You can order an owner's manual for your car through your local dealership's part department. I highly recommend everyone should have an owner's manual, and have read it before taking out the car on a long, desert summer trip.

6. Extra car keys. Bring along an extra copies of your key in case you lock your key in the car. One in your billfold. Or give a duplicate to your spouse to carry. You should give a duplicate to a trusted relative at home just in case you need him to Federal Express it to you. Also, in case of an emergency a dealership can make you a duplicate key because they have the key code in their giant national computer system, but be prepared to prove you own the car. They are very reluctant to do this given the security issues.

For yourself bring along survival supplies in case your car breaks down. These include:

1. Food. Dry crackers are good, you can replace some of the salt electrolytes that you lose with dehydration. Crackers don't spoil without refrigeration, and unlike candy won't melt all over your seat. You could put a cooler in the trunk complete with some food, and bottles of Gatorade full of needed salt, sugar, and mineral electrolytes. Forget the messy gummy bears that will melt in the hot sun. And don't put the cooler in the back seat because it can act as a missile and go flying in a car accident.

2. Drinking water. You need to bring along distilled drinking water for you, as well as for the radiator. Set aside at least 1 gallon container for yourself, the other for the car.

3. Bring a mirror, and a cardboard sign in case you have to signal a police officer. Don't wander away from your car. Let the police find you.

4. Bring a sweater, and keep a warm blanket in the trunk. The desert can get cold at night, even in the summer.

5. Bring shoes and socks. You don't want to step on a scorpion, or a rattlesnake at a National Park rest stop. Don't wander around barefoot in the desert, or you will burn your toes right off your feet. Personally, I am so paranoid, that I check under those toilet seats at those wonderful U.S. National Park Service rest stops for scorpions.

6. Bring sunblock, sunglasses, and a hat.

7. Bring your cell phone if you have one in order to call 911 or a tow truck. If you don't have a cell phone, bring change for a pay phone, if you can find one these days. And pay attention to the highway markers so you can give directions.

8. Extra prescription, and over the counter medication, along with a first aid kit.

9. A map, or a road atlas in case you get lost. And even if you have a GPS system, and or a laptop with a map, you still might need a paper back-up.

Good news! You probably won't need mosquito spray, as there is no stagnant water for them to spawn in. Keep your bird watching binoculars at home. Desert animals have more common sense than humans, and stay out of the sun. They will only come out at night. This lack of visible life in the desert, contributes to its mystery.

Speaking of the desert's lack of water and dreamlike nature, you might run into a mirage. And no, this is not Lawrence of Arabia in a lawn chair, under a desert palm, sipping soda pop, through a straw. I am speaking of an image of a puddle of water on the road ahead, but when you reach it, the puddle disappears. Contrary to popular belief, mirages are not caused by your thirst. The cause is an optical illusion, brought about by the slant of the suns rays against the horizon, and the reflective nature of the desert floor.

You can tell a real puddle, from an image, because your car remains clean and dry, and you don't make a splash!

For those of you, used to desert driving, I was just kidding about the splash. But seriously, you should take real water very earnestly. Obey all flash flood road signs, and radio and TV warnings. Keep your radio station tuned into the weather reports. Flash flooding can come out of nowhere. During a flash flood watch, a wall of water can come out of a previously dry desert wash or river, and you will be swept away. Obey all law enforcement personnel. If a Flood Control Police Officer, tells you not to enter the roadway, and there are no raindrops in the sky, take his/her word for it. There are floods ahead. The headline would read, if you ignore him/her, "Police Officers Rescue Woman Traveler." Do you really want to be featured on one of those TV rescue shows? Also, if caught being rescued in Arizona, you ignored signs or rescue personnel, Arizona will make you pay for the rescue under the Stupid Motorist Law.

Travel safely. Bring along some personal identification, such as a driver's license for the driver, naturally. Also, bring proof of auto insurance, and registration. And if you have health insurance, bring along proof of that also, plus names and phone numbers of relatives to contact in a medical emergency. Let someone at home know your travel route. Check in with that someone at designated preselected check in times. You will be drinking plenty of water so not to get dehydrated, so you will have lots of time to do this at the rest stops, where you will be getting rid of this water. Seriously, drink more water than you thirst for; this will keep your kidneys functioning well. Thirst in the desert is a misleading indicator of how much water you really need. Try 4 glasses of water a day. Travel with someone you know, rather than alone. Never pick up strangers. If you see someone in trouble, call for a uniformed police officer. Sleep in hotels or designated campgrounds, not in the desert, under the stars.

It is just common sense to keep your body, and your vehicle in good working order.

Take good care of her, and she'll take good care of you.