5K miles trips in summer | What to prepare and bring?
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BCT (03-12-19)
03-12-19, 12:21 PM
#18
Was timing belt and water pump already done on the car? Also, I always have a tire iron in all my cars I keep them under the mat above spare tire. They are much easier to use than the factory tool if you happen to get a flat. Honestly thought these are such great cars. I have taken both my LS430's from FL to CA and back with no issues. Great cruiser and good on gas.
03-12-19, 12:33 PM
#19
Lexus Fanatic
Would one proactively swap out headlights? I've never had good luck with halogen replacements and would be concerned too with HID. My Maximas burned out in maybe 11 years. Then, once I replaced the originals, they would burn out again every 12-18 mos. non stop. I actually got money (around $24) from some class action. What I'm saying is say my car is 13 y.o. and the lights are good--should I leave them alone or get new bulbs...amazon has some Phillips D2S for $35 and that's all I would spend...
03-12-19, 12:43 PM
#20
What is the condition of your spare tire? If it is the original, you might consider getting a new tire. We took our Excursion on a 4000 mile trip and I replaced the spare with a new tire. Cheap insurance since it's just the cheapest tire you can get. We went through some really desolate stretches of Montana and Wyoming... would have to get a flat and then have the spare fail shortly thereafter.
03-12-19, 01:25 PM
#21
Lead Lap
Even if you are just preparing food for a park picnic, having a hatch door to shield you from the rain is pretty wonderful. By the way, it often (always?) rains in early afternoon in the Rocky Mountains. And if you do a side trip to Rocky Mountain National Park north of Denver, you will NOT want to take your LS430 up Old Fall River Road - a drive I recommend.
Besides, the 2004-2006 Custom Luxury is my absolute favorite LS430 and I would want to preserve it for normal use instead of using up a chunk of its life on an especially long road trip. Heck, if your Land Cruiser isn't up to snuff for a trip and especially if it is older, an unlimited mileage rental SUV might fill the bill at a reasonable cost and give you technology that your Land Cruiser doesn't have, e.g. adaptive cruise control.
To address your original question and as I always tell my wife, the only really important thing to take on a long trip is a credit card with a high limit. (My wife got back yesterday from a girls trip to Vegas.) Oh, and a laptop computer, backup cell phone batteries like Anker Powercores, and cell phones with huge data plans that can function as hot spots.
That's my three cents worth.
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BCT (03-12-19)
03-12-19, 01:49 PM
#22
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Thread Starter
Even if you are just preparing food for a park picnic, having a hatch door to shield you from the rain is pretty wonderful. By the way, it often (always?) rains in early afternoon in the Rocky Mountains. And if you do a side trip to Rocky Mountain National Park north of Denver, you will NOT want to take your LS430 up Old Fall River Road - a drive I recommend.
What is also nice is that after long drives, I can take 30 min stop, with the tail gate open I can lay down flat in the back and get some shut eyes. I have rubber mats covering the entire back of the Cruiser, and we always have blankets so it is totally comfy.Thanks for the tip for Old Fall River Road - I will look this up.
Definitely there are pluses and minuses between taking the LC or Cruiser.
03-12-19, 07:09 PM
#23
Agree with the tires, but the current Michelin MXV4 are worn out. Too bad these are not made anymore. I really like them. Air and cabin filter will be close to due, but I am just going to replace them. We are planning to pass thru AZ, NM, and other southern states on the way back, and guessing some of those will be dusty. I have asthma, so inside air quality is a priority.
Oh great point on AAA. I used to have AAA many cars and years ago, but discontinued the membership since I become wiser, smarter and switch all my cars to Toyota and Lexus, and not worried about being stranded on the side of the road.
We been driving the LS 3-400 miles on short weekend trips with no problem. The LS really shine when cruising on highway. Yes we have a GPS that will have the latest map updates. I will need to see about the toll situation.
Oh great point on AAA. I used to have AAA many cars and years ago, but discontinued the membership since I become wiser, smarter and switch all my cars to Toyota and Lexus, and not worried about being stranded on the side of the road.
We been driving the LS 3-400 miles on short weekend trips with no problem. The LS really shine when cruising on highway. Yes we have a GPS that will have the latest map updates. I will need to see about the toll situation.
- Good point with lug nuts being over tighten. This usually wont be a problem since I rotate the tires myself, but I will be getting new tires, and the installer usually over tighten them.
- Will make sure to have jack and tools (sockets/wrenches/pliers etc) including breaker bar, torque wrench and tire pressure gauge.
- Roll of quarters and small bills to pay toll - added into my list. I usually do not carry cash lol
- Pre-moistened glass cleaning cloths - added into my list. I am sure we will hit lots of bugs in the summer. Although I notice the LS is not as bad as my Land Cruiser where bugs just got splattered everywhere. I am guessing because the LS is a lot more aerodynamic (I am guessing?)
- Rear diff fluid was replaced last year, about 10K miles ago.
- Radiator/overflow tank is topped - I monitor them pretty close because something was leaking when I bought it last year, but figure out that radiator cap is the problem (cap was replaced). I will take a closer look at radiator and hoses.
- Good point about brake pad lining - should be ok, checked a few months ago when I rotated the tires, but will recheck. Cheap and easy, will replace if it looks thin.
- I just checked all of the lights this past weekend as the weather is a bit warmer. I see that one of the little bulb for the license plate is dead.
- I may replace both wipers. Works fine, but unknown age.
- Wife has a meeting in Las Vegas, so assuming we are not flying there, the general route is KY to Las Vegas (~2K miles one way). I am hoping to make like a giant oval/circle so we can hit as many places as possible in between. We will spend a few days in Colorado for sure because we never been there, but everything else is up in the air. We most likely will just drive, and stop if we see anything interesting with no real schedule in mind. We have pretty flexible timeline.
Thanks guys! Keep them coming...
- Will make sure to have jack and tools (sockets/wrenches/pliers etc) including breaker bar, torque wrench and tire pressure gauge.
- Roll of quarters and small bills to pay toll - added into my list. I usually do not carry cash lol
- Pre-moistened glass cleaning cloths - added into my list. I am sure we will hit lots of bugs in the summer. Although I notice the LS is not as bad as my Land Cruiser where bugs just got splattered everywhere. I am guessing because the LS is a lot more aerodynamic (I am guessing?)
- Rear diff fluid was replaced last year, about 10K miles ago.
- Radiator/overflow tank is topped - I monitor them pretty close because something was leaking when I bought it last year, but figure out that radiator cap is the problem (cap was replaced). I will take a closer look at radiator and hoses.
- Good point about brake pad lining - should be ok, checked a few months ago when I rotated the tires, but will recheck. Cheap and easy, will replace if it looks thin.
- I just checked all of the lights this past weekend as the weather is a bit warmer. I see that one of the little bulb for the license plate is dead.
- I may replace both wipers. Works fine, but unknown age.
- Wife has a meeting in Las Vegas, so assuming we are not flying there, the general route is KY to Las Vegas (~2K miles one way). I am hoping to make like a giant oval/circle so we can hit as many places as possible in between. We will spend a few days in Colorado for sure because we never been there, but everything else is up in the air. We most likely will just drive, and stop if we see anything interesting with no real schedule in mind. We have pretty flexible timeline.
Thanks guys! Keep them coming...
Some additional items that I pack for long treks:
- A couple of small, medium, large worm clamps - light weight and come in handy!
- A gallon of distilled water - can be used for both cooling system and drinking (although some say it taste different)
- Ratchet extensions and swivels - these come in handy and don't take up much space
- I also recommend AAA - relatively speaking, it's a small price to pay and/or you can use it to help other motorist
- Gloves - it's tough to thoroughly clean your hands if you have to change a tire or fix something
- Emergency car kit with flares, road triangles, etc.
Last edited by OG Member; 03-12-19 at 07:12 PM.
03-12-19, 07:29 PM
#24
Lexus Champion
I can't imagine having to bring so much "support equipment" that I actually don't have room for the passengers and luggage for a 'trip"! LIkewise having to spend so much time and money in making sure the car is capable of making a trip! Really?
03-12-19, 08:29 PM
#25
The best money i ever spent was buying a transponder and signing up for E-Z pass. I was aleady on the toll road, and was gonna pay cash when I exited. So when i stopped for gas, i saw the E-Z pass sign in the service station. I thought, it wouldn't hurt to enquire. They had a promotional price, where i paid 20 bucks, and i got $35 towards my exit on that toll road. So i basically got the transponder for free. I set up my account in the parking lot, and have never had to keep change, or cash on long trips.
I only drive 600 miles to New York city once a month, and occasionally to Chicago. But i tell you, E-Z pass is the bomb! I have the transponder taped to the back of the rear view mirror.
I only drive 600 miles to New York city once a month, and occasionally to Chicago. But i tell you, E-Z pass is the bomb! I have the transponder taped to the back of the rear view mirror.
Last edited by imdking; 03-12-19 at 08:33 PM.
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BCT (03-13-19)
03-13-19, 03:56 AM
#26
Advanced
Thread Starter
RE: spending time and money. I am not really spending extra than regular maintenance tbh but I will if needed. I do probably replace a few things sooner like cabin and air filters because of this trip, but so far the largest cost is the tires. They probably will work fine if we just driving around town, but they are worn, so replacing them a few months early is really nbd. I was going to replace them around end of year, but did not see any sale that really caught my eyes.
03-13-19, 05:39 AM
#27
Lexus Fanatic
The best money i ever spent was buying a transponder and signing up for E-Z pass. I was aleady on the toll road, and was gonna pay cash when I exited. So when i stopped for gas, i saw the E-Z pass sign in the service station. I thought, it wouldn't hurt to enquire. They had a promotional price, where i paid 20 bucks, and i got $35 towards my exit on that toll road. So i basically got the transponder for free. I set up my account in the parking lot, and have never had to keep change, or cash on long trips.
I only drive 600 miles to New York city once a month, and occasionally to Chicago. But i tell you, E-Z pass is the bomb! I have the transponder taped to the back of the rear view mirror.
I only drive 600 miles to New York city once a month, and occasionally to Chicago. But i tell you, E-Z pass is the bomb! I have the transponder taped to the back of the rear view mirror.
PA doesn't do the out-of-state pays more, but it charges significantly more for cash. Most states have followed suit with out-of-state E-ZPass pays more, MA, MD, NJ off peak, etc.
Simply put the other tags that are not in use in a transponder bag or any anti static bag for that matter. One time I didn't and two tags got read, and the system actually charged me only for 1, the other was on the acct with $0. But better safe than sorry...I hate tolls and got it from my dad.
edit p.s. if you do get a new E-ZPass account, unless you need it for work (I need a NJ for work as I cross daily and the NJ acct gives me a commuter discount), just be careful about monthly fees. As mentioned, NY is completely free. NJ is $1/mo. I think other states have conditions, such as if you use it x times/mo. it costs $x/mo., if you don't, more.....and as mentioned above, you can grab a tag at a rest area etc. and activate it on the go.
Last edited by Johnhav430; 03-13-19 at 05:44 AM.
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BCT (03-13-19)
03-13-19, 07:58 AM
#28
Lead Lap
The OP is driving from Kentucky to Vegas - not from Kentucky to New York! He's going to have to do some serious hunting to find toll roads on his trip. For example, if he takes I-70 from St. Louis, through Kansas City and Denver and then south on I-15 to Vegas, there's only 60 miles of inexpensive toll road between Kansas City and Topeka, KS. If he goes that way, I'd recommend paying the modest toll although there are some good parallel U.S. highways that can be taken to miss it. I live in Kansas and know why it is the 50th most popular state for tourism - dead last. Our state motto should be: "Kansas - Nothing to See".
List of toll roads in the U.S.: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._United_States
There are no toll roads on the northern I-80 route which goes by the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore - I've driven it all the way to/from Seattle twice.
And there are no toll roads on the southern I-40 route unless he takes the Kansas Turnpike from Topeka to Oklahoma City which would an odd route to take if travelling the southern route from Kentucky. I last drove the southern route from Kansas City to Phoenix in 2007 and have driven it all the way to Los Angeles.
Having driven these three routes, and if wanted to do a big touristy loop I'd essentially skip the southern route and focus on I-70 or an alternate U.S. highway through Colorado with a side trip up to Rocky Mountain Park, then down to the Grand Canyon and then on to Vegas. I'd make the return trip from Vegas up to Salt Lake City to I-80 and then through South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park) and of course stopping at the wonderfully cheesy Wall Drug tourist trap for lunch.
Dang, I hadn't given much thought to how many long road trips we've done.
List of toll roads in the U.S.: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._United_States
There are no toll roads on the northern I-80 route which goes by the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore - I've driven it all the way to/from Seattle twice.
And there are no toll roads on the southern I-40 route unless he takes the Kansas Turnpike from Topeka to Oklahoma City which would an odd route to take if travelling the southern route from Kentucky. I last drove the southern route from Kansas City to Phoenix in 2007 and have driven it all the way to Los Angeles.
Having driven these three routes, and if wanted to do a big touristy loop I'd essentially skip the southern route and focus on I-70 or an alternate U.S. highway through Colorado with a side trip up to Rocky Mountain Park, then down to the Grand Canyon and then on to Vegas. I'd make the return trip from Vegas up to Salt Lake City to I-80 and then through South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park) and of course stopping at the wonderfully cheesy Wall Drug tourist trap for lunch.
Dang, I hadn't given much thought to how many long road trips we've done.
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BCT (03-13-19)
