Summer Road Trip Checklist 2023

A summer road trip is a heat test with luggage. The interstate at 105 degrees finds every cooling weakness you have. Check the cooling system before you leave, not at a rest stop in Amarillo.

The Mechanical Checks

Working through a 2018-2023 GMC Terrain as the example, in the order that matters.

Cooling System

Watch for a heater that blows cool at idle and warm at speed. GM’s long-life coolant is generally rated for 5 years or 150,000 miles on the first fill and 5 years or 100,000 miles after that. Hoses and the surge tank should be inspected annually once past 80,000 miles.

Heating and Air Conditioning

Watch for vents that will not switch from defrost to floor. Cabin air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, or annually. In North Texas with construction dust and cedar season, annually is the honest number.

Electrical and Charging

Watch for the auto stop-start feature quietly deactivating itself. Batteries in Texas heat routinely give up between three and five years. Test annually after year three, before the first cold snap.

Brakes

Watch for a squeal that shows up cold and disappears after two or three stops. Inspect at every tire rotation. Most GM trucks and SUVs go 30,000 to 60,000 miles on front pads depending on how they are used, and towing cuts that hard.

Suspension

Watch for a clunk over expansion joints that you feel in the floor more than you hear. Shocks and struts are wear items. Plan on inspection at 50,000 miles and replacement somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 depending on road quality and load.

The Cargo Problem

The mechanical side gets all the attention and the cargo side causes most of the actual misery. A loaded vehicle with nothing restraining the load is loud, and in a hard stop it is dangerous.

Roof Cargo Carriers

Hard shell and basket carriers rated to the factory rail load. The big gift for a family that road trips.

Browse genuine GM roof cargo carriers.

Roof Cross Rails

Factory-engineered rails and the carriers that attach to them. The gateway accessory. Rails first, then carriers as future gifts.

Browse genuine GM roof cross rails.

Cargo Organizers and Collapsible Bins

Folding bins and dividers that keep the cargo area from becoming a sliding mess. The gift for someone whose trunk is a disaster and who knows it.

Browse genuine GM cargo organizers and collapsible bins.

Windshield Sunshades

Folding shades cut to the specific windshield. In Texas this is not a novelty item. It is the difference between a 140 degree dash and a 110 degree one.

Browse genuine GM windshield sunshades.