Advice for road trip
 

Hi,

I will be heading out for road trip for holidays in a couple of weeks and would like some advice from those who have driven some significant trips.

I will be driving about 5000 miles in 12 days.

Any advice for storage, things to bring?

Anything special I should do to prep the car? Or watch for throughout the trip?

Tips for comfort?

I have an 06 987 with 2000mi.

Pls let me know your long distance experience.

thx

When I've done super long road trips, I found that those seat pads that are what the cabbies use (not the beaded ones, but the mesh ones) really help keep the comfort level going on your back and rear end because you get air flow where there certainly isn't any when sitting on leather. The Boxster is really comfortable as a cruiser, so I think you'll do just fine, and it sounds like fun to me. Just remember not to drink caffeine because you don't absorb the water in the drink and have to stop to pee 30 minutes later. Look for the back roads, of course, and stay off the BORING freeway. You'll probably go through some towns where they've never seen a Boxster - might be fun.

omg, i just wrote another page of stuff and it got deleted again. just put heavy stuff up front, do as much night/early morning driving as possible, radar detector, speed in the BFEs and highways, not in towns, take a little cooler in the passenger seat, whoop some hondas for us on the highway, stop at good gas stations on the same side of the road your on, cops hate us (porsche owners) by nature and can detect us out of 1000 speeding chevys, so be nice and say you were following the flow of traffic and you werent doing anything dangerous. And this is just my opinion, but I think I might need my camber checked, because after my 1000 mile trip the insides on my tires were worn down a lot. If your trip is mainly highway, and a camber adjustment isnt too expensive(i have no idea how much they cost), get them to set it to zero, then get it set back when your done. Could make up the expense of camber adjustments in the long run. BTW im starting to copy my posts before i click submit so if it does get lost, i dont have to re type the whole thing, is anyone else getting this problem?

Yup -

I'd get a cushion for my tush and something for my back (tends to sweat on those seats).

I'd pick up around 3 quarts of proper motor oil. Not every place carries the necessary Mobil-1. I'm not saying you're going to need it - but better safe than sorry.

I'd consider possibly putting a bra on the front and side-views for that long of a drive.

If you are taking a bunch of lugguge, you might want to consider installing cargo skins (I don't remember what they are called - they go inside the front and rear trunk) to protect the trunks from lugguge damage.

Valentine radar detector.

Red clip.

Have FUN!

Stop the newspaper and mail.

Apply suntan lotion.

Check wallet for credit card and cash.

Put toothbrush, toothpaste and change of clothes in small duffel in front boot.

Lock house.

Start car.

Back out of garage.

Close garage door.

Lower top.

Don ball cap.

Start road tunes.

Shift into first.

:D

Ever wonder how people who travel around the world for months manage to do so with only a couple of reasonable suitcases? Well some don't, but true travellers do. The secret is to pack clothes that can be used for more than one thing. For example, pants that are comfortable to be worn around town, but by throwing on a blazer can be come instantly more formal. Stick with solid colors as these mix and match better than patterned shirts or pants. This should help you minimize your packing requirements and give you more space for other essentials like an emergency road kit, water, extra oil, washer fluid (if desired), etc.

Your emergency road kit should have:
1. Road flares
2. Jumper cables
3. Fix-a-flat
4. Compressor
5. First-aid kit
6. Flat and phillps screwdrivers
7. Pliers

Actually, one trick I learned on several long motorcyle trips is to mail yourself some of your clothes.....

12@400+ mile days is one heck of a drive. Hope you have a great time!

If you average about 75 MPH overall you're going to need nearly 70 hours of music to do that distance and not repeat...

Anything you think may melt should be in the passenger compartment with you - deodorant, emergency candles, chocolate bars, etc. Storage areas get too hot.

Coppertone makes a dry spray suntan lotion that works well to keep from getting the goop on the steering wheel, etc.

Obviously, cell phone is a must and your Porsche roadside assistance card (if they still bundle that with the new car) or AAA. One thing that may not be obvious is that you may want to have more than one cell phone - network technologies vary in many off the main drag/out of cities locations and with a single-band phone you're going to see a lot of "no bars". You can get cheap (~$20) disposable phones with GSM or CDMA or TDMA network coverage from www.tracfone.com or similar if you want to be sure to have at least some signal coverage nearly everywhere (if you go for tracfone, PM me and I can get you some free additional service time).

Duct tape and a metal coat hanger (or heavy gauge electrical ground wire). Universal fix-it supplies! (Hopefully not needed for the car, but you never know what else could need fixin'!)

more stuff to bring
 

GPS. TomTom or the like.

Have AAA do a route plan for you. They'll actually map out your route with stops, mileage, time, et c. and all the maps and tour books for each state. in case your GPS breaks down.

hand soap. the kind that doesn't need water, or baby wipes.

a good camera.

if you're going to booneys, consider getting another cellphone (like someone already suggested) or a CB radio.

books on tape/cd.

Get numbers for long distance car haulers, lol. Just kiddin. Have a nice trip

I dont want to bring you down but be prepared for some major stone chips in the front of your car and mirrors. The first time I took a long trip in one of my other cars, I was horrified by how badly damaged my bumper, hood and mirrors were. Try to get a 3m clear bra installed before you go... It will be well worth it.
Just my 2 cents...

I always carry a bottle of distilled water in my car and a light-blanket (like the kind they give you on airplanes).

Driving a 987 a long distance you may want to familiarize yourself with the tire repair tips and purchase the plug-kit mentioned in this post.

http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6260

One word, man....BEEF JERKY!

thats 2 words

What about cleaning supplies? Your car is going to get pretty dirty! At lest bring your favorite washing cloth, soap and drying towel. Hopefully you can get access to water somewhere. Maybe some wheel cleaner too.

Also pack an extra gallon of windshield washer fluid.

There are 3 kinds of people in this world. Those who can count and those who can't.

traveling tips
 

Here's a few I've learned/used on many trips in small streetrod coupes and on motorcycles:

1.The bra is a must - contrary to popular belief, a good (Porsche) bra over a properly cleaned and waxed frontend will keep your car in good shape. One key here is to take it off after/if you get in rain and let it dry. Clean its insides and rewax the car before putting it back on - you get the idea...
2. If you must take clean-up supplies (and you must), transfer your regular suppllies to small bottles and store them in a 1 gallon plastic pale.
3. RainX
4. Roll your clothes - you can get many times the amount of clothing in a case or bag by rolling them tightly. Stuff socks into shoes, etc.
5. Put a little deodorant on your upper/inner thighs - it'll keep the sweat to a minimum and prevent gaulding
6. A list of Porsche dealers along the way, include ph#s and addresses
7. A good road atlas
8. A pair of coveralls and work gloves
9. Parts/pieces/etc - 1 each roll of electric and duct tape; a couple of spare bulbs; 2-3 feet of 16 ga strand wire; flashlight; pen/pencil and paper; a disposable camera (accident documentation); 1 each qt of oil, trans fluid, anti-freeze; garbage bag
10. an iron if you aren't staying in places that supply one (remember all the rolled up clothes)
11. your own pillow and blanket (motel stuff is really nasty) Buy those bags that allow all the excess air to be pushed out of - you can shrink these things to incredibly small packages.
12. all the stuff already mentioned

Top down, sunscreen on, tunes cranked.... hit it...fun meter pegged!!

If it were me, I'd do an oil change before you depart. You are finished with your break-in (I hope you did this!) period. I did my first oil change at about 1,200 miles. I have always done this in all my new cars, right after the first 1,000 miles.

There are a lot of "pros" & "cons" regarding this subject on the Forum. I just think it is the prudent thing to do...especially if you are planning to be a long-term owner.

Have a great trip. :)

Three words...Prove it.