Living in your car is as refreshing and liberating as you imagine. A life on the road, spending discovering and exploring new regions and capturing new breathtaking memories, means one thing: You need to take extremely good care of your means of transport. In many ways, if you grew up playing cowboys and Indians games, you’ll be reminded of the special relationship cowboys built with their horses. You can’t go far if you don’t know how to protect, manage, and improve your vehicle.
There’s another pendant to life as a road explorer. You’ll get to meet new people every so often. Some will be in the places where you stop, so you can ask for help if you’re stuck. But what if you need help on the road, in an area remote from all civilization? Here again, an equipped vehicle could be your life saviour. Equipping your car for all eventualities that could arise on the road is a no-brainer. The list of accessories, improvements, and additional gadgets grows every day. But, let’s start with an overview of the essential and non-negligible car improvements to make life in a vehicle smoother.
Think of your wheel and tire package
How often do you need to change your tires? You’d be surprised to know how frequently people ask the question. There’s no rule, but one thing is for sure, you will change tires more frequently than car owners living in the city. A variety of factors will contribute to wearing off your tires, including your driving habits, the road conditions, weather, and the distance driven. So, life on a permanent road trip means that you can reduce the typical 6 years between tire purchases to approximately 2 to 3 years. However, being constantly on the road also puts your wheels through a ton of pressure. Corrosion, bumps and scratches, and exposure to extreme weather and road conditions accelerate the normal wear and tear process. So, you want to make sure you’ve got a reliable address where you are, such as Ozzytyres in Australia, for your wheel and tire package. Think of it as a cowboy riding a horse with damaged horseshoes.
A reliable rear bumper
Here’s something you don’t know until you’ve been on the road for a long time. Your rear bumper becomes an essential part of your journey. Why? It acts as a protective barrier when you’re off-roading, preventing debris and small stones from scratching the car body. If you find yourself joining a group of cars on a trip, it can avoid many unpleasant bumps with lesser experienced drivers. Besides, the weather and off-roading conditions can accelerate the wear and tear phenomenon. And frankly, nobody needs a craked bumper that exposes the rear to moisture, debris, and UV rays. If you’ve been on the road for a long time, you might spot signs of damage on your rear bumper. That’s why changing your bumper makes it on the list of essentials. There are plenty of DIY bumper kits available, allowing you to style and protect your vehicle as you see fit.
Dashcam system
Most drivers think a dashcam is only useful when you live in a busy city. But even as a car adventurer, you could come across problems you need to report to your car insurer. Let’s put it that way: Off-roaders are more likely to bump into something unexpected around a small off-track path in the mountain than your typical John Smith living in the middle of Vancouver. That’s why installing a dashcam system with a recording function could make a huge difference. The recording will serve as your witness when you need to report damage to the vehicle or a collision with a wild animal. Besides, you never know who or what you might come across on the road. The dashcam can help you navigate any unexpected and unknown environment safely.
A fridge-like feature
Let’s say it once and for all. You can’t live in a car without having a feature that will protect your food. You can’t take a pantry with you. But you can pick between a car fridge and a thermocooler. Both have pros and cons, so the right choice will depend on your preferences. Fridges will maintain their content at the same temperature at all times. On the other hand, Coolers keep food and drink 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. In other words, in the middle of a hot day, your can of soda could still be lukewarm. However, thermocoolers can also reverse the temperature and act as heaters. So you can heat a meal, which you can’t do with a fridge. The bottom line: When you’re on the road every day, you never know when you’ll reach the next town and if food places will still be open.
Whether you are considering starting a new road adventure or simply trying life as a car nomad, you need to equip your vehicle for protection, comfort, safety, and everyday life needs.