Whether you’re a seasoned festival goer or a first-timer, if you’re heading off to one of this year’s events we bet you are pretty excited! We thought we would offer a helping hand to get you ready and avoid forgetting anything important – like making sure your car is festival-ready too – in all the pre-festival excitement!
Car checks
It’s good practice to run a car check before any long journey, but if you’re heading off to a festival there is even more reason to do so. And here’s why:
- Fuel. Make sure your tank is full before you set off. If the festival is a long drive away then we would suggest topping up when you get to half a tank as well. The last thing you want is to get stuck in a slow queue getting into the venue, of moving at a snail’s pace on the roads leading towards it and running out of petrol.
- Oil, coolant, brake fluid, and screen wash. Check all your levels and top them up if you have to. That pesky queue could strike again and potentially lead to an overheated engine if you don’t have enough oil or coolant. And it’s just common sense to make sure your brake fluid level is where it should be too.
- You want to check that your tread is good and you are legally roadworthy as well as make sure that the pressure is right. As well as staying safe it will help with fuel consumption too. Remember to also check the spare.
- Tyres again. Given the heatwave and hot weather we’ve had for a large part of the summer and the storms that followed it, you may encounter muddy conditions. Throw some old towels in the back to help get traction if you do get stuck. Alternatively, rubber mats and even tree branches can help, but why ruin your mats, and will there be trees around?
- Another one on tyres. If you have a lot to take with you – camping gear, food and drink – then why not put the spare tyre somewhere that’s easily accessible? The rear footwell is one option. It means you don’t have to unload your boot to get to it if you need it.
Our other top tips are to do with making sure the fun lasts and you don’t find yourself in a sticky situation at the end. Here they are:
- Valuables. Don’t leave them in the car. In fact, best not to take them at all if you can’t keep them with you.
- Lock the car. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget!
- Keys. Keep them safe. A zip-lock bag that fits in your backpack or pocket is ideal and doubles up as a waterproof bag should the heavens open.
- Parking. We’ve all done it at some point. Forgotten where we’ve parked! Don’t let that be you. Make a note of it and take photos of the surroundings and any distinguishing features or landmarks to help you remember.
For a vehicle check before your festival road trip or repairs in advance of setting off, our Double Dee Autos team is here to help. Either bring it in, or call us on 020 8460 3040 if you want to make an appointment.