The difference between happiness and sorrow on holiday road trips can sometimes be decided by routine vehicle maintenance.
Buddy Stevens, store manager for Oakwood Tire on Atlanta Highway, said it's a little late to think about getting your car ready for a trip on the day you leave.
"It's something that needs to be planned out. You've already got so much on you with packing, making sure you're not forgetting something, especially the day of the trip. It's something that needs to be done beforehand," Stevens said.
Stephens said items like tires, brakes, belts, hoses and fluid levels should be visually inspected. If people aren't mechanically inclined, Stevens said a professional can inspect your vehicle in short order.
"A 20 to 30 minute visual check of things, as long as there are no issues that you run into, I would figure 30 minutes would be plenty of time to check one out."
Of course, Stephens says the visual inspection isn't fool proof, but can tell a mechanic a lot about a vehicle's condition.
While the southeast isn't known for blistering cold temperatures, a fall or winter trip is a good excuse to have antifreeze and the battery in a car or SUV tested.
"Myself, I'm going north (Thanksgiving). It has already been colder there, so you need to make sure it's (vehicle) good for the climate that you're going to," Stevens said.
As far as engine oil, it's on the list of fluids to check levels on. While motorists may have more oil life left before a change, Stevens said the length of the trip can affect that decision.
"If you're going on a thousand mile round trip and you've got 500 miles to go on your oil change, then yeah, go ahead and get it changed."
Stevens also said for his own family trips, he keeps a few tools in the vehicle in case problems arise on the road.
