How to prepare a car before moving long distance

Relocations are usually pretty complex and you can’t always know what to expect. So, preparing well is basically the first step of the move. There are a few main factors in every move. You need to know how much stuff you will be moving. There is also the question of whether it’s a move across town or interstate. However, the biggest factor is the distance. If your move is a long-distance one, you need to make sure everything will go well. At least as much as you can. When moves are long and take a lot of time and money, every hour counts. Let us help you prepare a car before moving long distance so you don’t face any problems on the way. The move will be a pleasure both to you and those who are moving with you.

Car isn’t a machine like any other

Its quality depends on how well it was kept, its brand, and a few other components. Let’s see what can you do to make your car as good as possible for a relocation. You need to follow these steps and you will have a vehicle capable of a move you are preparing to depart on.

A man is inspecting car fluids.
It is very important to check everything and prepare a car before moving long distance.

Make sure to check the condition of your car before the move

Before you call Summit County movers and organize a move, you should check the technical condition of your vehicle. Beginning a trip with an unchecked car can be extremely dangerous and you don’t want that happening.

When checking the car, you can do it yourself, or even better, get it to a professional mechanic. Here are the crucial areas of a car you must inspect:

  • The tires
  • Car fluids
  • Car battery
  • All car lights
  • Brakes
  • Insurance and registration

As you can see, there are many parts of a car that need special handling and a lot of care. So, once you decide to inspect all the parts, make sure to pay a lot of attention to each one of them. Make sure you understand all the risks of moving on your own.

Start with tires if you want to prepare a car before moving long distance

Before you even open the door of the car, the first thing to check is the tires. After all, good tires are crucial to a nice and safe long-distance trip. Sometimes, the air pressure isn’t equal in all tires and you need to make sure that isn’t the case with your car.

If you aren’t sure about how much the tires should be inflated, look into the car manual or call your car dealer, or even better a mechanic to find out. Inspect the tread of each tire and scan for signs such as the balding of a tire. Tire treads exist to ensure traction on the road is strong enough for the car to move and stop normally. Check your spare tire too – it must be adequately inflated by law. You can also check if the car jack and the lug wrench are in the trunk since they should be in there.

A picture of a black tire up close.
Pay special attention to tires, since they are really sensitive and need to be in good shape.

All car fluids need to be in order

Imagine a worst-case scenario. You call your Colorado movers, they show up, pack the stuff perfectly and start the move. Once that’s done, you jump into your car and begin the journey in the same direction. However, somewhere on half of the journey, the car stops. In a big number of cases, that’s because the driver doesn’t check the car fluids before they start driving.

First of all, take a closer look at the engine, the underneath of the chassis, and the fuel tank. Inspect them for any fluid leaks since that can be a big problem. Secondly, check the level of the fluids – the windshield washer fluid, engine oil, coolant, and brake fluid. If any of the fluids are too low, fill it up and make sure there’s enough of it for the road. If you’re afraid you’ll break something while checking the levels of car fluids, have a professional mechanic do it for you. And finally, try to keep some spare fluids in the car if any of those gets too low while moving across the country. There’s no better way to prepare a car before moving long distance.

Check the car battery to prepare a car before relocating long distance

Look at the car battery and see its condition– a good battery is supposed to be fully charged and secured by brackets. If you notice any suspicious stuff like leaking or corrosion, you need to replace the car battery immediately because it can pose a danger to everyone inside the car.

Check all car lights, both interior, and exterior

Begin by checking the exterior lights – check the headlights, the fog lights, and the taillights. The turn signals are also very important. However, you can’t check the brake lights alone, so find a helper – just tap on the brakes and ask someone to tell you whether both lights are coming on or not.

A mechanic is repairing a car.
Leaving your car in the hands of a professional for a few days is sometimes the best option.

Interior lights are equally important so make sure they work well. Checking all the lights inside the car is really important to prepare a car before relocating long distance.

Check your car insurance and registration at least twice

Checking your car insurance card is really important if you are trying to prepare a car before relocating long distance. For legal reasons, it has to be valid until you reach the place you are moving to. Do the same with the car registration because it also must be valid. People often forget this step just because they think about these documents once a year at most. Also, keep the insurance in the glove compartment throughout the trip. Of course, always keep your driver’s license with you.

You are doing this for your own safety

Maybe you aren’t sure how to complete the above checks or you are being nervous about doing that. Perhaps you just don’t have enough time to check the technical condition of your vehicle before beginning your trip towards the new home. If that’s the case, you should leave the car at an authorized car service center. They will have it checked by professionals. If you cannot manage to prepare a car before moving long distance, you can always call some of the best long distance moving companies Denver has to offer and get help from them.

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