2. PREPARE YOUR CAR

If you were going to run a marathon, you wouldn't just show up on the day of the race. You would to prepare. Well, the same goes for your car. Trust us, the Arizona desert is beautiful, but the last thing you want is to get stuck walking across it when your car overheats. There are certain things that every car needs before it takes you on a long haul, so before you pack your car full of sleeping bags and travel food, make sure you take it in for a checkup. Usually, you can get the full rundown for about $75 at your local Jiffy Lube or Midas stations. Here's what you should especially look for:

  • Check the fluids: motor oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid and engine coolant. You can do these on your own by reading your owner's manual. As a general rule, you should change your oil every 3,000 miles.

  • Get your brakes tested. (Otherwise, you and that Texan armadillo that darts out into the middle of the road may be sorry - armadillos are messy creatures.)

  • If necessary, get new tires. Your tires are your feet on the road - make sure they're in good shape for the trip. All of your tires should have at least 1/8th of an inch of tread; if not, it's time to ditch them for new ones. Make sure your spare tire is in good shape too.

  • Check the oil filter.

  • Check the air filtration system.

  • Make sure your wiper blades are working properly.

Gas

As for gas, it's one of the most expensive things you'll find on the road. Make sure you have enough money so that you don't get stuck in the middle of Idaho washing dishes at the local truck stop in order to pay your way. The best way to guesstimate how much gas you'll need (and how much it will cost) is to get a map and do the following

  1. Figure out how far you're going to drive.

  2. Divide that number by the gas mileage (miles per gallon) of the car you're driving.

  3. Take that number to any local gas station, find the price-per-gallon and multiply the two numbers.

  4. Add $30 of cushion.

That's about how much it will cost you (unless you're spending a lot of time in California or New York, where gas prices are soaring like crazy). Here's an example: let's pretend that you're going to drive 1500 miles, that you get 25 miles per gallon, and that gas costs $1.50 per gallon. So divide the miles by the mileage (60), and multiply it by the price, which results in $90. Add your $30 of cushion, and now you know that you should set aside $120 for gas. We also recommend that you get one of those gas credit cards so that you don't accidentally spend your gas cash on souvenirs and knick-knacks.