I am driving to Texas this week to visit two of my daughters. Since my first road-trip (when I picked up my Mini) resulted in a U-Haul truck and trailer, I would appreciate your input regarding the essential tools/parts/etc. you pack for you Mini when traveling. Regarding maintenance, in the last few weeks I have done a rear brake job, new motor & transmission mounts, belt, belt tensioner, idle pulley, and crank pulley. Oil was changed about 1200 miles ago, and air filter appears to be relatively new. (I will be ordering an Amsoil filter after the holidays.) This will be a pretty busy trip; I will be traveling from Colorado to Temple and Austin Texas. If anyone is nearby, maybe I can stop for a little bit. I have only talked to two people in person that drive Minis, but neither had their car with them. Thanks!
I always carry a small first aid kit, jumper cables, a spare quart of oil, breaker bar + socket for the wheels (and my Cooper has a space tire). On longer trips I bring a small portable tool kit (general sockets, screw drivers, wrenches wire cutters, pliers), plus duct tape, spare wire, zip ties, a multi-tool, and a bicycle tire pump.
No spare but the full Griot's Garage tire plug kit including pump and bag. Extra space in the bag for some cleaning supplies and extra oil and a few shop rags, heavy gloves and whatever else. Also include the 'fool jug' for shaking off the road after a hard day behind the wheel. I highly recommend Bulleit rye. No food or drink in my cabin but that's optional for others who don't mind sticky floor mats or seats. Our '15 road trip was 6472 miles, enjoy the heck out of yours and happy motoring.
I'm not sure what your route is to Temple/Austin. If you pass near me (Dallas area), I'll PM my phone number. If you have a problem, and I am in town, I'll help you out as much as I can. If I'm not in town, I'll try to steer you to someone who can help you out. As for the car, IIRC your last long trip was when you bought it. If you have done some work on it since then, you should be good. While in the Austin area, try to get out into the Texas Hill Country for some nice driving roads and some awesome BBQ. Within 50 miles of Austin there is some life-changing good BBQ. CD
I always take some hand tools duct tape and speed tape and a slime kit with an air pump. And a CB radio......always a CB radio! Its a long story but we got stuck on the way home from the Dragon the CB kept us from being stuck another night.
Don't know if anyone made the connection, but the lad's gear box crapped out in the Denver area yesterday. Haven't seen any followup to that yet though.
The car is in a shop about 100 miles from me waiting to be repaired. It will not be making the trip to Texas with me. I will probably still drive, but I will check airfares tonight. My Mini does not appear to like road trips! At least this time she backed out before I was hundreds of miles from home. Look for a future post titled, "How do I convince my Mini to go on a road trip?"
See I was right all you need is a Cellphone, Credit card that's it. :lol::lol::lol: "How do I convince my Mini to go on a road trip?" Answer: Become very OCD about ALL maintenance on your MINI. 1. All MINI's need love in the form of regular maintenance. 2. Oil change every 3-5k (Oil may last longer but the paper filters do not :idea: :ihih a. Even fresh cheap clean oil is better than running oil too long. 3. The more you stay on top of "everything" the less problems you will have as time goes on.
I have done a lot of preventative maintenance in the short time I have owned the car. Hopefully I can overcome the PO's shortcomings.
He may not be the best person for that job. :frown2: I was pretty lucky on my used MINI purchase. The car went through a pretty thorough pre-purchase inspection, and my local MINI dealer had a pretty complete maintenance record to draw on. I also bought an aftermarket warranty, which covered the all the unforeseeable problems. I've resigned myself to the idea that any car I would want to own and drive is not going to be low-maintenance. A Honda Civic may be a great used car value, but it is not a car I want to see when I open the garage door, let alone get into and drive. Well, there is an exception... I've owned two Miatas. They never broke. They were totally impractical as an only car, which is why they were second cars for me. But, I took them to track days and flogged them without inhibitions, and they just took it. Your MINI is going to need more "attention." But, it will still be a fun car. CD