By Elvin Yavuz on July 19, 2010

Feature photo by Doug Wertman

Imagine this: no long airport lines, no delayed flights, and no wailing babies sitting next to you. Instead it’s just you, your friends, an iPod full of upbeat tempos, and adventures across state lines on the open road. Summer road trips are a great way to explore the United States while on a tight budget.

Before you embark on your road adventure, here are some essentials to think about while planning your trip.

Car Safety

Nothing is going to kill a great road trip more than a broken car that leaves you stranded on the highway between Chicago and who knows where. The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) recommends that you get your car checked out by a certified automotive technician in order to ensure it’s ready for summer driving. The checks that ASE recommends before a road trip include:

Cooling system and air conditioning: According to the ASE, the most common cause of summer breakdowns is overheating.

Tires: The last thing you need is one of your tires to blowout while cruising on the highway. Hot air can expand your tires and cause them to pop if the tire is in poor condition. Get your tires checked and rotated every 5,000 miles.

Oil: Change it every 3,000 miles or what your owner’s manual recommends.

Wiper blades: Replace worn out wiper blades and keep plenty of wiper fluid handy to wash off the insect graveyard your windshield is bound to become.

Emergency Kit: It will only take a few minutes to put together and will save you anxiety if your car happens to break down. Here are the essentials: jumper cables, roadside flares, oil, first aid kit (filled with bandages, gauze, scissors, antiseptic cream, adhesive tape), blanket, flat head screw driver, flashlight and batteries.

For the road

Directions: Save everyone in the car a headache and make sure to have good directions for the destinations on your road trip. If you don’t already have a Global Positioning System (GPS), think about investing in one. Consumer Report has named Garmin nuvi 265T GPS the best car GPS. And it’s under $200.00!

You can also check out routes on Road Trip America, a website dedicated to road trip resources. You can find routes, planning tools, and discussion boards filled with advice from the large online community of road travelers.

Road side assistance: Are you or anyone else who is included in your road trip a member of the AAA club? If so, you can have access to their road side assistance (battery replacement, fuel delivery, lock-out service, tire service, towing). Members also get access to Trip Tik Maps & Directions, the AAA online tool that helps drivers map out their trip. The tool gives you point-to-point directions, helps you avoid construction delays, and will inform you about detours and finding the best fuel prices on your route. Annual AAA membership is $57.00

Fuel mileage cost: With gas prices that trend upward during the summer months, the cost of your summer road trip can easily add up. To help monitor your fuel cost, you can download Road Trip Lite, a free iPhone app that lets you map out your mileage, plot gas prices and track trip expenses.

Cooler: For longer road trips, make sure to bring two coolers; one for drinks and one for food. This way you can avoid stopping at the gas station every time someone gets thirsty or gets the munchies.

Confirmations: Take printouts of all your trip confirmations from hotel reservations to concert tickets and rentals. Put them all in an envelope and store it in the glove compartment so you don’t have to worry about anyone losing their ticket and turning the car upside down looking for it.

Travelling Etiquette

No matter how great of friends you may be, sitting in a car for hours or days can cause friction. Below are some conversations and basic rules that you should set with your travelling companions before your trip.

Fuel cost: This is not rocket science. You split fuel cost evenly amongst the group.

Music: You may like singing to Madonna on the top of your lungs but it doesn’t mean everyone else does. Everyone should bring their iPod or CDs and take turns being in charge of the music.

Drivers: If it’s okay with the owner of the car, share the driving.

Keep it clean: Bring a couple of garbage bags to store trash. Also decide what can be eaten in the car and what shouldn’t.

Silence is golden: Being in a car with your best buddies can lend to very interesting and funny topics of conversations but it’s okay to take a break and enjoy the silence once in a while.

Rest stops and attractions: One of the best parts about road trips is to check out the local shops and attractions through the towns you are passing. Make sure that your companions are in agreement on how often you will make stops and for how long.