Going on a long day trip - what just in case stuff to bring?
Discussion
Hi all,
I have a 2003 k-series standard elise - which has seen little use due to the weather
, tomorrow however I need to undertake a long road trip 
so needless to say if anything were to go wrong I could end up stranded and pretty far from home. Now my car is trouble free so far (touches wood) but I'd like to put together a little just in case kit. Any suggestions about what this kit should include - what do you guys throw in the boot for going on long journeys??
ETA: Also what pre-long-journey checks would you guys suggest? I'm thinking tyre pressures, oil level, coolant level, anything else??
I have a 2003 k-series standard elise - which has seen little use due to the weather
, tomorrow however I need to undertake a long road trip so needless to say if anything were to go wrong I could end up stranded and pretty far from home. Now my car is trouble free so far (touches wood) but I'd like to put together a little just in case kit. Any suggestions about what this kit should include - what do you guys throw in the boot for going on long journeys??ETA: Also what pre-long-journey checks would you guys suggest? I'm thinking tyre pressures, oil level, coolant level, anything else??
Edited by patmahe on Thursday 24th July 11:12
Not much, really. Ensure you do lots of checks on the car; torque the wheel nuts, check fluids etc, all that sort of stuff. If anything breaks, which is unlikely, you probably won't be able to fix it at the side of the road anyway.
Just make sure you have a good can of tyre weld
edit; oh yes, AA membership a must. (5 star if going into Europe).
Just make sure you have a good can of tyre weld
edit; oh yes, AA membership a must. (5 star if going into Europe).
Edited by TonyHetherington on Thursday 24th July 11:13
fergus said:
Clutch cable & throttle cable? If these do go, the AA/RAC van is potentially unlikely to have one on board....
Isn't the clutch hydraulic?But nevertheless, a throttle cable? So, car up in air, undertray off, re-route the throttle cable from the confined space of the driver's footwell all the way through to the engine bay. At the side of the M1?
Urrr, I'd stick with AA 5 star and a can of tyre weld
Are they water soluble?
TonyHetherington said:
sharm said:
Spare alternator belt.
Or, just check your current one and if it's not looking healthy, replace it anyway - they're not much. (£30).That's interesting - I had one go too (in Italy 
) on one of the big trips (in my old S2 111S) - my fault, as when the belt was retrieved from the bottom of the undertray it looked very worse for ware.
Incidentally - I see you're in Rainham too! Surprised to have not seen you around? We're always out for drives so if you fancy joining us, give me a shout!?
) on one of the big trips (in my old S2 111S) - my fault, as when the belt was retrieved from the bottom of the undertray it looked very worse for ware.Incidentally - I see you're in Rainham too! Surprised to have not seen you around? We're always out for drives so if you fancy joining us, give me a shout!?
The stuff I've had go wrong in my cars has always been auxilary things - the heater unit, the air con for example, rather than drive train stuff.
They are cracking cars that cause very little trouble (the later ones) - so just enjoy the trip and know that if something does go wrong you have the (very good) AA service to get you home; of all the trips I've done we've always had at least one person that needed the AA home and they've been superb, be it from Italy or Kent.
edit; and I should say that 1 person has never been a Lotus (we have TVRs come on the trip you see)
They are cracking cars that cause very little trouble (the later ones) - so just enjoy the trip and know that if something does go wrong you have the (very good) AA service to get you home; of all the trips I've done we've always had at least one person that needed the AA home and they've been superb, be it from Italy or Kent.
edit; and I should say that 1 person has never been a Lotus (we have TVRs come on the trip you see)
Edited by TonyHetherington on Thursday 24th July 16:17
Don't know if anyone else has mentioned this but instead of a can tyre weald take a pack of those old style tyre repair kits and a little foot pump. That way if you get a puncture you don't have to get a brand new tyre which I believe you have to do when you use the can stuff!
I used one of these a few months back and cruised home happily at 70mph for a good hour! Repair kit
I didn't actually get round to repairing the tyre for a couple of weeks so checked the pressures and surprisingly it hadn't moved at all!
I used one of these a few months back and cruised home happily at 70mph for a good hour! Repair kit
I didn't actually get round to repairing the tyre for a couple of weeks so checked the pressures and surprisingly it hadn't moved at all!
fergus said:
Clutch cable & throttle cable? If these do go, the AA/RAC van is potentially unlikely to have one on board....
ive got a throttle cable off a rac man before, although i dont have a lotus so im not sure if its possible to actually change it by the side of the road, but you might be able to put a new inner cable through the outer cable as a temporary bodgedoug
beez said:
Don't know if anyone else has mentioned this but instead of a can tyre weald take a pack of those old style tyre repair kits and a little foot pump. That way if you get a puncture you don't have to get a brand new tyre which I believe you have to do when you use the can stuff! Repair kit
Hmmmm, thats an interesting kit. Anyone else used them ?Gooby said:
Marvindodgers said:
A bit of perspective?
If your 5 year old car is incapable of being used for a day trip I'd get rid of it!
Ding! If your 5 year old car is incapable of being used for a day trip I'd get rid of it!
It is a lightweight car powered by the engine from a shopping cart.
Take a credit card and your AA card. Relax and have a good drive.
I've done loads of 6/700 mile day trips and do nothing more than fill it up with fuel. Oil, water and tyres are part of weekly check anyway.
I expect my car to be capable of being thrashed around track all day and then carrying me 350 miles home - and it does. BTW its 9 now.
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