In the imaginary world of the perfect vacation, there are no lay overs, phone chargers never get lost, and neither does our luggage, for that matter. Taxis are free, there’s no car trouble ever, and our travel toys never need maintenance or repair.
Alas, we did say imaginary. One of the best ways to keep any trip from having too many hiccups is to make sure the vehicles you use to get you from one place to another are well taken care of. Below are a few questions to ask that will help you to do just that.
Is She Seaworthy?
Have you ever had the experience of being in a sinking ship or driving a car with the windshield knocked out? How about flying in a plane with a hole in the wing or ice cicles on the rudder?
These “adventures” are ones we’d probably rather not ever take. . . ever. Issues with the skin of your travel toy could cost you much more than you are willing to pay. A surprise blow out on your car could cause a dangerous wreck.
A sinking ship could take your dreams of a playful vacation down with it and a faulty wing could have you paying for your time away with your life. Make sure to perform regular check ups on the outer shell of whatever your transport might be.
What’s That Sound?
One of the biggest delays of a vacation is car trouble. Because of lack of time, experience, or know how, we rationalize our decision to pursue travel fun without paying attention to the mechanical wonders that get us there.
The same is true of our yachts and planes. The engines in our travel toys need attention at least once a month. Regular maintenance and repair can completely eliminate most vacation woes concerning the actual path of navigation. Make sure to check oil and gas levels.
Keep your engine prepared for the weather at hand and replace broken and poorly working parts in a timely manner so as not to cause unnecessary damage.
How Does It Look?
Whether we choose to knock around in a car, yacht, or an airplane, the majority of us would enjoy looking good doing it. It’s widely accepted that if you have endeavoured to make enough to own any of these three or all of them, then it’s safe to say you probably invest the time to keep them looking pristine.
However, in case the opposite is true, here are a few suggestions. Do you take most of your journeys in a car? Make sure to wash your vehicle once a week, vacuum the inside, and for that added shine, take the time to polish it about once every three months.
Would you rather fly the friendly skies? Cover the static ports, pitot tube, angle of attack sensor, etc. first. This keeps water from going where it shouldn’t. Then, wipe off the dust with a dry rag. Use an aluminum-safe degreaser and soap to clean it with.
How about the yacht yuppies? You will want to wash your boat, sand it, and buff out any scratches. For an added touch of beauty, add yacht ceramic coating. This helps protect your paint job longer.
The privilege to travel is an awesome opportunity to explore the world and our true selves. Taking care of our travel toys will make sure we have that privilege for years to come.
