Road Trip. Any advice appreciated

[Suds]

AAA card, radar detector, don’t over think it.
Just enjoy the drive.

[icegrill]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

How exactly is this going to help him "enjoy the drive" when 95+% of the trip will be on interstates? Do you really need these settings when driving your car straight at 70-80 MPH? A harsh ride for three days over 2,000 miles is not my idea of "enjoying the ride". YMMV...

I thought I was synical

[SMGCFP]

My wife made this drive a few weeks ago. I think parts of it will be enjoyable. I'll get to think a little, listen to some podcasts I've been storing up. I'll probably call my dad and talk to him for while as I don't call him enough.

In a world where I am normally very busy, it will be a nice respite. Maybe I should do a poll on the over/under on speeding tickets?

[thorHAM]

Definitely don't overthink, I completed a similar trip last month. Around 8000 miles.

NYC to LA and then back again. In Arizona/Utah, had to take more breaks than usual because my AC needed a break, that's the only issue I faced in this entire trip. When it was 90 or 100, could not run the AC for more than 3 hours.

Oh and I also had an Akita in the back seat of an M4. Waze and a radar detector was a huge help, helped me save a lot of cash. I got one ticket, and that was in Virginia at midnight, where I took down my detector. Dumb state.

[SMGCFP]

UPDATE: I made the cross country trip last weekend. I did 800 miles per day and went from Albany NY to Helena MT in 2 1/2 days. The car was a champ. Had some nice pulls in ND and MT and made it with no damage, no tickets, but did lose a center cap in the left rear wheel (which I already ordered the part for and replaced). The front end caught many bugs. I do have a grasshopper mass grave in the grill and the air intakes. I spent some time with the hose to try and get them out but lost patience.

If the plastic grills in the front come out easily, someone kindly let me know otherwise I guess I'll wait until they become dust.

Thanks to all for the advice...thankfully no flats, no tickets, and no broken windshields.

[khoa@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by SMGCFP

UPDATE: I made the cross country trip last weekend. I did 800 miles per day and went from Albany NY to Helena MT in 2 1/2 days. The car was a champ. Had some nice pulls in ND and MT and made it with no damage, no tickets, but did lose a center cap in the left rear wheel (which I already ordered the part for and replaced). The front end caught many bugs. I do have a grasshopper mass grave in the grill and the air intakes. I spent some time with the hose to try and get them out but lost patience.

If the plastic grills in the front come out easily, someone kindly let me know otherwise I guess I'll wait until they become dust.

Thanks to all for the advice...thankfully no flats, no tickets, and no broken windshields.

Sounds like you had a great trip!!

[mdrobc13]

Just did the same from IL to TX then TX to CA. Podcasts, hydration, snacks and radar detector were the most important things along with a good route planned ahead (spent about 10-15 mins to look at range and possible stops). Tire plug and compressor kit also options. Bugs and road debris to the front were to be noted so PPF if you want to do it ahead of such a trip helps but isn't fully a non starter. Otherwise enjoy the ride.

Oh yeah...Also watch out for other motorists...sometimes our M's draw unwanted attention and almost accidents! Long story but on above road trip from Tx to CA while on I-10 a guy in a mustang who almost lost control of his car while trying to pace me and start a rolling start race at 80 mph. I wasn't really paying attention to the guy (and wasn't gonna race him on a pubic road or otherwise) till he pulled beside me and then I noticed his car and him staring at me [I guess to try to bait me] when he subsequent lost control of his car like 20 seconds later and almost killed himself and me as he veered off into the left into the gravel shoulder. Left RWD lost traction and he almost swapped ends and tops/bottoms as his rear end let go and also tons of gravel and dust from the shoulder. Luckily he caught it at the VERY last second. Me?? i had already braked and began avoidance maneuvers ready to go into ABS territory if needed. Thank god for 2 BMW M schools who taught me how to brake and steer and also made my driving skills a bit more better! So yeah that is the OTHER road trip hazard! Other drivers!

[luthers4]

Running my daughter around the south and midwest to junior tennis tournaments for the last couple years. Decided to take my F80 comp from Ky to Atlanta last year and found the ride comfortable with a few fun moments mixed in, e.g. ripping through Monteagle Mountain. I used to worry about accumulating miles, now I'm all in. We take the M3 on 90% of road trips. I realize rocks, chips etc are a product of interstate driving. Worth it in my opinion.

I bring a plug kit, compressor, radar detector, phone for waze and podcasts.

I agree the roads are dangerous these days. Most drivers are distracted while driving 90 mph. Slow, left lane drivers should be the target of police, not speeders. When staking up behind left lane drivers, motorists become impatient, start jockeying for position, cut each other off and make poor decisions. I find the worst offenders are large pickup drivers that think due to size of vehicle they own the road... they sit in left lane at 70 mph all day.

[SMGCFP]

Glad you guys had fun trekking in the M. I did have one car full of teenagers on I 94 in Eastern Montana encouraging me to do some pulls. I did one or two. In fact, the dash informed me with an "unsafe speed" alert or something like that.

[tiitomotivs]

Definitely take a spare tire. Ensure your wipers are working and top off ALL your fluids