5 Smart Tips to Pack the Car for a Road Trip

August 14th, 2014  |  Travel Insurance

One of the most important, but often overlooked aspects of planning a road trip is packing up the car. Road trips are unique in the sense that your luggage will be in the car with you for the majority of your trip, making packing your vehicle efficiently extremely important. You need to find a good balance between packing what you need for the trip, and not over packing your vehicle.

See Things That You Can Leave At Home When Packing For Your Next Trip

Here are 5 smart tips to help you pack the car before heading out on your road trip:

1. Pack the items you need access last: We have all done it – We realize that we need an item after we have packed it and it’s buried in the trunk of the car. When packing up the car, make sure you don’t make this mistake and pack items that you know you will need last. This ensures they are accessible if you need them and you will not have to take everything out of the trunk to get to them.
2. Pack light: Try to pack as lightly as possible. Remember that the more weigh you have in your vehicle, the less fuel efficient it will be. Packing heavy will cost you more money in gas for your trip. Only pack the things you know you will need for your trip.
3. Know the load limit of your vehicle: Every vehicle has a specific load limit. Make sure you know it and stay within the limit. The last thing you want to do is put undue stress on your car when planning an extensive road trip. Too much weight could cause a breakdown. Also make sure that your tires have the proper level of tire pressure.
4. Don’t pack the essential in the trunk: Essential items that you know you will use when you are on the road should be packed inside your vehicle. Things like food, water, travel documents, phone chargers, activities for the kids, and anything else you know you will use on the trip need to be accessible. This will prevent you having to pull over or make an extra stop to retrieve these items.
5. Maintaining visibility is key: If you will be using the inside of your car to pack some items for your trip, make sure that nothing inhibits your visibility. Don’t block the rear window and make sure you can see out of all mirrors.

Do you like to road trip? What packing tips can you offer to others who will be road tripping this year?