1000 mile road trip
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 493
Likes: 10
From: MIA
13' E550, 14' Ram, 99' E39 wagon
1000 mile road trip
I'm taking a road trip with the family down to GA for a wedding and I'm wondering if I'm forgetting something to prepare the car since we are driving at night. This is what I have done or will do before I leave tonight.
-Oil change
- up tire preassure to 40 psi (19" wheels) all highway?
- ECU reset
- can of sea foam in tank
- top off all fluids
- Flashlight
-basic tools
-car wash
anything else you guys can think of?
-Oil change
- up tire preassure to 40 psi (19" wheels) all highway?
- ECU reset
- can of sea foam in tank
- top off all fluids
- Flashlight
-basic tools
-car wash
anything else you guys can think of?
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 420
Likes: 2
From: Nor Cal
A Car
I just came back from a 4000 mile roadtrip last evening.
Your doing everything you need, depending on where you will be traveling, maybe bring a 2 gallon gas tank just incase.
(i was on I-40 going across Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California and there was almost NO gas stations that were 300 miles apart, 99% dessert)
Your doing everything you need, depending on where you will be traveling, maybe bring a 2 gallon gas tank just incase.
(i was on I-40 going across Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California and there was almost NO gas stations that were 300 miles apart, 99% dessert)
Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
2000 E55
Spare Key
Don't forget your spare key. You can get a locksmith to open your car but if you lose your key on the raod trip you will have the find the nearest dealership and wait at least 24 hours for them to order a new key.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,021
Likes: 3
From: Fort Worth, TX
2011 GL550, 2004 Audi S4 v8
A spare key???
That sounds like being paranoid.
You will be fine with the things already done. I drove mine several times from Maine to Nashville with absolutely no problems...and you probably did more then I did.
Have a nice trip
That sounds like being paranoid.
You will be fine with the things already done. I drove mine several times from Maine to Nashville with absolutely no problems...and you probably did more then I did.
Have a nice trip
Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
2000 E55
Not paranoid at all my friend, just speaking from experience.
We drove from NJ to CA, traveling down the east coast to Florida and then across Interstate 10, (I even stayed a night in Mobile, AL and went to Wintzell's Oyster House). The trip was roughly 6,000 miles one way. Everything with the car (2000 E55) was perfect until we were in Sedona, AZ hiking along one of the beautiful rivers in the mountains. I was jumping from rock to rock clearing the river and on one jump somehow my key left my pocket into the fast moving stream. Key was GONE forever. My g/f and I searched for over an hour but it was hopeless.
Now the fun part. Closest dealership was in Scottsdale which is a 2 hour drive from Sedona. We had to rent a car, drive to the dealership to request the key in person, stay the night in Scottsdale so we could pick up the key the next morning. All MB keys are forged in Ft. Worth, TX and then fed-ex'd to the requesting dealership. If it's a weekend then you will have to wait until Monday to place the order and Tuesday to pick up the key. Had I brought my spare key (which like most people was safely doing me absolutely no good in my NJ apartment) it would have saved me time, money and a lot of headaches. Next road trip the spare key comes with me.
I'll admit that losing the key was my fault and maybe I should have been more careful on my cross-country adventure. But when I called my Mercedes contact in NJ immediately after it happened his first repsonse was, didn't I tell you to bring the spare key........ (which he forgot to tell me)
We drove from NJ to CA, traveling down the east coast to Florida and then across Interstate 10, (I even stayed a night in Mobile, AL and went to Wintzell's Oyster House). The trip was roughly 6,000 miles one way. Everything with the car (2000 E55) was perfect until we were in Sedona, AZ hiking along one of the beautiful rivers in the mountains. I was jumping from rock to rock clearing the river and on one jump somehow my key left my pocket into the fast moving stream. Key was GONE forever. My g/f and I searched for over an hour but it was hopeless.
Now the fun part. Closest dealership was in Scottsdale which is a 2 hour drive from Sedona. We had to rent a car, drive to the dealership to request the key in person, stay the night in Scottsdale so we could pick up the key the next morning. All MB keys are forged in Ft. Worth, TX and then fed-ex'd to the requesting dealership. If it's a weekend then you will have to wait until Monday to place the order and Tuesday to pick up the key. Had I brought my spare key (which like most people was safely doing me absolutely no good in my NJ apartment) it would have saved me time, money and a lot of headaches. Next road trip the spare key comes with me.
I'll admit that losing the key was my fault and maybe I should have been more careful on my cross-country adventure. But when I called my Mercedes contact in NJ immediately after it happened his first repsonse was, didn't I tell you to bring the spare key........ (which he forgot to tell me)
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Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 493
Likes: 10
From: MIA
13' E550, 14' Ram, 99' E39 wagon
Just got back today. Car performed flawlessly!
Did about 960 miles in 12 hours flat!! Funny, my wifes sisters left 2 hours before and we still beat them down.
Anyway, car was great, almost 100,000 miles and not one issue.
Did about 960 miles in 12 hours flat!! Funny, my wifes sisters left 2 hours before and we still beat them down.
Anyway, car was great, almost 100,000 miles and not one issue.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 10
210 55
bud
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 917
Likes: 1
From: Glendale, AZ
E55
Not bad, 80mph including stops for food/gas/bathroom. I took mine on a 1500 mile roundtrip last October, car was the perfect cruiser through Idaho and Utah.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,280
Likes: 4
From: Bostonian Ma
2012 CLS63 AMG
Any pics w/the Beast on your road trip?
-Armani
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 463
Likes: 8
From: Long Island, NY
01 E320
Spare key tucked away somewhere sounds like a great idea. It's no trouble to do and it can prevent a huge headache Nobody will hotwire the car for you. I had my keys stolen at the gym, luckily my wife just drove over the other key.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 678
Likes: 4
From: Merryland.
E55 C43 993C2S
Just completed 2500 road trip...
MD to MIA and back with some...
To prepare - serviced tranny, changed oil, new tires and alignment.....and bought a big *ss bag for the roof.
Car performed well..
To prepare - serviced tranny, changed oil, new tires and alignment.....and bought a big *ss bag for the roof.
Car performed well..
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,280
Likes: 4
From: Bostonian Ma
2012 CLS63 AMG
Armani
Out Of Control!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 21,014
Likes: 2
From: CA, NV, CO
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 678
Likes: 4
From: Merryland.
E55 C43 993C2S
Extra storage - there were a couple suitcases and other stuff on there, quite a bit actually but probably less than a 100 lbs. Below the bag is a roof mat to stop the bag from sliding and protect from scratching the paint. The bag is water tight and after driving for many miles through heavy rain, the inside content was dry.
In this photo you can see the mat..
In this photo you can see the mat..
Last edited by trinitony; Oct 15, 2010 at 10:32 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,073
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From: MICHIGAN
2001 E55 - 2008 CLS63 -2016 F-150
Extra storage - there were a couple suitcases and other stuff on there, quite a bit actually but probably less than a 100 lbs. Below the bag is a roof mat to stop the bag from sliding and protect from scratching the paint. The bag is water tight and after driving for many miles through heavy rain, the inside content was dry.
In this photo you can see the mat..
In this photo you can see the mat..
