How to Take Care of Your Car When You’re Away Traveling?
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Ever wonder how you could take care of your car when you’re away?
If you are lucky enough to be on your travels and have a long vacation booked, you will go through the usual list: who will feed the cats, water the plants, and what should I do with my car? Making sure you can fully relax on holiday is a must.
Whether you’re going on a long-term vacation or just taking a weekend trip, many things could happen to your car when you’re away. If you follow these simple steps before leaving your home for any amount of time, you can keep your vehicle safe and sound while you’re away.
We have some top tips to ensure your car is safe. So whether it’s a new car you’ve specially selected, or your tried and true truck, these tips will help it drive well and stay maintained, even when you’re gone!
Park Your Car Somewhere Safe
If you have a garage, make use of it and leave your car securely inside. This is a simple way to deter thieves from breaking into your vehicle. If that isn’t an option for you, park your car in a secure location, there are many parking services available all across the USA that offer secure parking and the ability to search for spaces in private driveways, parking lots and even garages.
Parking in the bigger cities across America can range from $200 – $700 per month, cities like New York are usually closer to $700, whereas Boston will be anywhere from $240 – $400, that being said, a friend recently found cheap monthly parking in boston for under $200 a few months back.
Park in a Secluded Location
If you are going to park at the airport, you should park in a less obvious location. Make sure it’s well-lit and monitored by security cameras. It is best not to leave any valuables visible inside the car.
If possible, hide valuables under the seats, in glove boxes or in a locked trunk, so thieves don’t see them when they walk by but still allow you to access them quickly when needed. Also, please don’t leave anything that could be used to break in, start the car, or steal it.
Get Someone to Keep an Eye on Your Car
A cheap and easy way to ensure the safety of your car is to ask a friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your vehicle while you’re away. If you don’t know anyone who lives near you, consider hiring someone from a local security company to watch over your car for a few days.
This way, if anything happens during the trip and you need someone to check on it immediately, they’ll be able to do so without having any trouble reaching out.
Use a Steering Wheel Lock
A brilliant and cheaper way to give you peace of mind is to buy a steering wheel lock. It is an easy and effective way to deter a thief. Most people don’t realize how much time an average thief spends picking their way through a locked door—a steering wheel lock will make your car look like hard work, and they’ll move on to easier targets.
A steering wheel lock is simple enough for even non-handy people to install themselves and won’t require any significant renovations or modifications in order for it to work correctly. All you need is some basic tools and maybe an extra set of hands.
Install a Good Car Alarm System
Install a good car alarm system. A quality car alarm is an excellent way to keep your vehicle safe while you are on vacation. You can find plenty of inexpensive alarms that are easy to install yourself or have installed by a professional. They can be linked with your smartphone, so you can arm it remotely and check in on its status as well.
In addition, these systems can work in conjunction with other security measures like cameras, motion sensors and more, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your car will be safe while parked alone.
Check Your Tire Pressure
Checking your tire pressure before parking your car is a simple way to ensure you won’t be setting yourself up for an unexpected flat while you’re away on vacation. You should check the pressure regularly even if you aren’t leaving town, especially when parking your vehicle for any time (especially through winter).
Changing weather conditions can cause tires to lose air because tires expand and contract with temperature changes. Even with all-season tires.
If there are any signs of wear or damage on your tires, it’s essential that they’re replaced as soon as possible—primarily if they’ve been driven more than 50% beyond their recommended tread depth. For example, suppose a tire has less than 3/32″ of tread remaining.
In that case, it’s probably best to replace them all at once, so they’re not worn unevenly due to unavoidable variances between different tires made by other manufacturers.
To check your tire pressure:
- Find the recommended PSI level for each tire
- Take off the valve cap
- Insert pressure gauge
- Refill to recommended PSI
Put the Emergency Brake On and Turn the Wheels Toward the Curb
It is crucial you put the emergency brake on. The parking brake can help prevent rollovers by keeping the vehicle from rolling away after being left without any pressure applied to the gas pedal. However, it makes it harder for anyone to move the car.
Now You Know How to Care for Your Car When You’re Away!
You can do many little things to keep your car safe while you’re away. You want to relax and enjoy your vacation, and by following these simple steps, you can.
