Well, since 99% of us are probably driving maybe we should have thread dedicated to tips for a problem free ride!


I've driven down every year and so I think i've got a few to mention, please feel free to add in your own experiences/tips. Some of this stuff is common sense...but everyone needs a reminder now and again!

Here we go:

1. If you're taking YOUR car down there I always made the other people pay for the gas...since it is YOUR CAR, YOUR MILES etc...plus if you're driving far you're going to need an oil change either right before or after you get back (for me its 2k miles roundtrip so...yeah).

2. Obviously make sure the car is in good working order before you go. Check your tires/pressure/oil/coolant et.al (A good idea might be to bring some spare fluids just in case-oil,coolant, washer fluid).

3. Make sure you have your plates renewed if you need to, I made that mistake before and had to get it done RIGHT before we planned to leave...stood in line for HOURS because it was the end of the month. (silly I know)

4. Remember your registration/Insurance

5. A clean car is a happy car (especially if it snows where you live) nothing like rolling up on front beach road with a salty car lmao.

6. Bring TONS of snacks/drinks. Trust me you'll need it. I like jerky, water, gatorade, peanuts etc..

7. Make sure you can fit everyone's luggage! There's always that one person in our groups that packs as if he/she is moving out there!

8. Definitely bring tons of cd's/or your ipod. Load it up with just about every song imagineable (or your fav. spring break tunes to get you pumped). Someone also brought a portable DVD player last year, that helped make time fly by.

9. If you drove down last year, you'll remember the monsoon of a snow storm we got...so keep that in mind as you venture off. Check the weather for ALL states you will be driving through. Make sure you have extra washer fluid just in case.

10. Bring a map (duh)

11. Try not to be a "tough" guy/girl and try to drive the whole way yourself...the farthest I've ever made was detroit to just inside Georgia (when I went to Daytona before)...I was tired the whole first day of the trip.

12. Definitely take naps if you're one of the main drivers. I have a stick shift and only one other person out of 6 knows how to drive one...so i'll be screwed. We are going to do 4 hour shifts so...keep that in mind if anyone in your group doesn't want to drive (theres always one that pusses out).

13. Try to plan out a backup route in case something happens (ex: storm, construction, or some other misfortune). If you have a G.P.S you're fine. some will even tell you where gas stations are.

14. If you drive through Alabama in the middle of the night...i've noticed it's hard to find a gas station so make sure you fill up in a major city before going through. We almost got stuck in the middle of nowhere my first year going down to PCB. I have a 13 gallon tank...when I filled up when we finally found a station...the meter said I filled 12.89 gallons...PHEW!

15. Certain states are pretty tough on speeders. Especially OHIO...I see a cop almost every few miles I swear. Also, when you get to the hills...be weary of cops sitting at the bottom if a hill and catching you go a little fast downhill...they prey on those spots. When you stop to fill-up or get snacks...ask the locals where the speed traps are...thats what we did last year down south and they were 100% accurate on each one.

Feel free to add on your tips!

As mentioned before don't be a dumb *** driving.. Don't try and make a 7 hour drive in 4 hours... Slow the **** down......

1 = buy lots of red bull and 5 hour rush....trust me, im the only driver (17 hours, stick shift) and it works

2 = if ur gonna speed, stay behind a truck....they speed them selfs (about 80-100) and they know where all the traps and where the cops are cuz of there C.B....also, the radar will hit them b4 it hits u so if u see those brake lights come on, slow downnnn

3 = make sure u get ur car checkd out.....my brakes failed last year down in like georgia somewhere, had to go to a shop to get new pads, lost 5 hours witch suckd

4 = if u see a pack of speeding cars, get in the middle.....do not speed if ur the only car on the high way.....u will get pulled over, by the time u see the cop he alrdy has u clockd on his radar.....let the guy in front of u get the ticket, stay about 5-10 mph slower then him

make sure you bring a case of beer if your arriving in pcb early like 9am and not checking in till 3pm and the 25c margaritas dont start till 11am lol.

I still would advise against going that fast everyone...but hey to each their own lol.




I just hope it doesn't snow on the way down again

ha ha ha...probably one of the best tips ever. Nothing like getting a $150 ticket in Kentucky and then another one in Tennesee.

i remember last year we got hit with the huge *** snowstorm on the way back from pcb in the 2nd week of march or something. it hit right when we were in tennessee or somethin. but i say dont be a retard and try to drive through that **** especially when its 3am. get a spot for the night and try it after they plow the roads.

stop by 7-11 and get the super big gulp cup full of ice if you're the passenger (which i will be) and make some jungle juice for the other passengers....great stuff!!!

portable dvd players are a great choice! not everyone likes the same kind of music so this is a great alternative.

don't drive with much or ANY alcohol in the car. saw an accident last year, totaled suv, cans of beer all over the road...ESPECIALLY if you're under 21.

if you've got a GPS, bring it. if you've got a radar detector, bring it.

time your stops accordingly so that you get gas, eat, and use the bathroom all in one stop. our deal was, we only stopped to pee if more than half of us had to. if you were unlucky, too bad..hold it or p*ss in a bottle. haha

also some states have laws about bringing alcohol across state lines and you can actually get arrested if they can prove you bought it out of state

That drive back last year was by far the worst conditions I have ever driven in!! If you see snow in Alabama thats just wrong!! Then you hit Tenesee it was pure ice(prolly could of played hockey on the main highway) then Kentucky all SNOW!!Did not see one plow the whole time except when you hit the boarder of Indiana...

yeah, we drove down through that storm last year.

we were gonna live indianapolis at 12am. the snow started accumulating, so we packed up real quick and hit the road just after 10pm. we were about 20 miles into kentucky when our friends called us and said all major highways in indianapolis and surrounding areas had been closed.

we saw snow all the way into alabama. tennessee was the worst. no salt, no plows, nothing. and more cars slidden of the side of the highway than i've ever seen before. we actually saw a truck jackknife driving the opposite way of us in TN, that was some scary sh*t.

let's pray for good weather this year.

[quote=ckozlgod;50919]
14. If you drive through Alabama in the middle of the night...i've noticed it's hard to find a gas station so make sure you fill up in a major city before going through. We almost got stuck in the middle of nowhere my first year going down to PCB. I have a 13 gallon tank...when I filled up when we finally found a station...the meter said I filled 12.89 gallons...PHEW!

quote]

I second that. Same exact thing happened to me and a friend of mine around midnight on our way in to PCB. She had to pee and I didn't think the gas would last through a stop and in the end...she didn't make it. Haha.

We were already callin people to see who could come and bring us gas from PCB, but we finally found a miracle gas station.

maybe depends are a good item for these longs trips. Then stops are purely just for gas and food, maybe change a diaper. Ha ha

Just kidding about that.... but tonytm, girls generally can't do that pee in a bottle trick, so it sucks for us!

DVD players and good music a must. Snack in the car are good. If your are driving all through the night like us, make sure you get rest and at least one other person so you aren't talking to yourself

Another good thing if there is more than one car of people is walkie talkies. Way more fun and easier to use than cell phones. Good way to keep the other driver awake and the whole car can hear what is going on!