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Hey All, I will soon be taking a drive from northern Michigan to western Montana. I will be in the car for a week.
First question. What do I need to take. I am planning on taking a tire plug kit, 12 volt air pump, and putting on locking lug nuts for security. What else do I need?
Second question. How do I wash the C7 while on the road? Don't wanna scratch it. What best to dry it with?
I recognize the pictures from your posting the day you brought the car home. I bet your glad the winter is about over.
I used to drive from Great Falls to Detroit quite often when I was a kid stationed there in the Air Force. It is a LONG drive around 17/1800 miles.
I haven't driven my C7 on any trips yet, but I did drive my C6 GS several times from DTW to ATL. I bought a slime kit with pump included on amazon for only 30 bucks or so and threw that in the back. With the RF tires I'm not too worried about flats (I did have a nail in the back tire of my C6 and other than the limp mode the car drove fine) but the slime and pump together will get you a bit farther without wrecking TPMS.
Wheel locks? I've got them on my car and figure it will only keep the kids from stealing them; the pros will hardly notice the slow down.
I wouldn't anticipate you will have any problems and it sounds like a great road trip. Have fun
Sorry I forgot about the wash question.
On my ATL trips, a lot of the truck stops and big service centers have brush-less car washes. Just take a quick peek before you pay to make sure it doesn't have the steel guide tracks -- CAN'T use them they will trash your wheels and undercarriage. The self drive through where you drive in and the machine sprays around and over the car actually work quite well. Just a note: If you use the brush-less washes don't worry about steam coming out of the hood vent when you're done. The high pressure water gets in there during the rinse cycle and drains down to the bottom of the radiator. It takes a few minutes of driving to dry out.
You can check out this thread for rinseless wash techniques. It's very fast and easy but does require a bucket. I'm not sure how well that would work on a trip. If you do use this and have a lot of debris on the car, I would suggest hitting it with a high pressure hose first at a self serve car wash.
Just get in you car and go. We do long trips in our Corvette. Last year one was 7,500 miles. Maintain you Corvette properly, check the fluids and get in the car and just go.
We take a little detail kit with window washer, tire dressing, and car detail spray. We also take a couple of wet wash cloth in a baggie for emergency cleans and bug removal. We research our stops and look for a self wash car wash with a wand at overnight stays.
For our Route 66 trip we took the VIAR 12volt pump with a 12 volt extension cord, Dynaplug Pro plug kit and a 20 oz. can of Slime. A toasted sensor is sacrificial in those situations. I took 2 new, artificial chamois, a bunch of good microfibre towels, California duster, and some shop towels. I bought a bunch of the cheap terry towels along the way at one of the discount auto stores and tossed them after use. The worst the car looked was in Oklahoma to New Mexico running into (literally) a plague of grasshoppers. We got a couple of rock dings, and a crowd whenever we stopped. One of the best road trips of my life.
I never take any tools or tire repair kits (that is one of the benefits of run flats), remember, you have a new car. Washing; small bucket and detail supplies should do and keep the car presentable. Have fun!!!!
I was told to wash my c7 with only distilled angel tears and dry it off with Hiedi Klum's panties (or in a pinch, Giselle Bundchen's if you can stand the New England Patriot germs, as her panties may be more readily available in Kentucky)
I never take any tools or tire repair kits (that is one of the benefits of run flats), remember, you have a new car. Washing; small bucket and detail supplies should do and keep the car presentable. Have fun!!!!
Agree. For our Route 66 trip I took some quick detailer, lots of cotton towels and an air pump. Used the self serve car washes frequently. Have fun!
For our Route 66 trip we took the VIAR 12volt pump with a 12 volt extension cord, Dynaplug Pro plug kit and a 20 oz. can of Slime. A toasted sensor is sacrificial in those situations. I took 2 new, artificial chamois, a bunch of good microfibre towels, California duster, and some shop towels. I bought a bunch of the cheap terry towels along the way at one of the discount auto stores and tossed them after use. The worst the car looked was in Oklahoma to New Mexico running into (literally) a plague of grasshoppers. We got a couple of rock dings, and a crowd whenever we stopped. One of the best road trips of my life.
Looks like the Novistretch bra would have been useful. I used one on mine for my recent trip from AZ to WA. Didn't hit any grasshopper infestations but it still stopped quite a few bugs. Probably saved some dings as well but no proof of that.
I also bought the Discount Tire road hazard insurance before leaving. Figured that and my AAA card would get me through most problems. Trip was problem free fortunately.
I never take any tools or tire repair kits (that is one of the benefits of run flats), remember, you have a new car. Washing; small bucket and detail supplies should do and keep the car presentable. Have fun!!!!
I take a couple regular 3,000 to 4,000 mile trips a year and do the same thing.
If you want to save yourself hours of cleaning off bugs and would like to avoid some stone chips in your grill I would purchase a C7 Corvette Stingray NoviStretch Front Bumper Mask, these take minutes to install and remove and are a great item for trips.
RPI is a forum dealer and great folks to work with and they have them.
I do about 8,000-10,000 miles each year on road trips in my Z06. I carry a 10"X12" plastic 6" tall step stool (my knees don't allow me to squat to clean wheels, etc) to sit on that I found at Walmart. I have a square plastic pail(that fits in the inverted stool) that I place my spray Windex, bottle of car wash, spray detailer, two wash mitts(one for the painted body and an old worn out one for the wheels and wheel wells) a couple of old small towels(to clean the windshield etc while stopping for gas). I also carry around 5-6 old 100% cotton towels(large) and a plastic bag to throw the wet towels in. Takes up very little room in the back of the car. If I need to, I rinse the mitts and I dry them and the towels at the motel, using their coin dryer.
If you're short on space, don't take the stool or the bucket(use the plastic wastepaper basket from your motel room). If you don't take your own bucket, be sure to put the bottles of liquids in a plastic bag so they won't leak(as you gain altitude going west, the liquid will seep out of the bottles.
Many motels will have a outside spigot and hose and if you ask them nice, will let you use it to wash your car but some can be horse's ***(lady at a Quality Inn said no way, until a twenty passed her palm, and we then washed a couple Corvettes, a 350Z and a Porsche in front of the motel entrance). I also do a google maps on car washes(not auto drive thru's) in the towns where I'll be staying overnight. If I use a car wash, I put some rinse water in my bucket with my car wash and then turn the wash to soak and spray the car good. Then I let it soak and using my mitt, wash the car. Then I plug in some more quarters and rinse the car. Then I wash it again with my bucket and my soap and then rinse. Then using my old towels, wipe it down. I try and do that early in the morning, when other people are still in bed, so I'm not rushed at the car wash. Then I go back to the motel, shower, eat breakfast, checkout, and drive another 500 miles.
If all I have is bugs on the front when I check into the motel, I'll try and park the car where the front is in the shade(or at least not facing the sun). Later, after dinner, I'll get my plastic stool out, with my Windex, and clean the bugs off the front using one of the small old towels, then I do a quick detail spray on the front of the car. I use the Windex and the old towel to clean the brake dust off my chromes also. The bugs get cleaned off EVERY evening, even if I wash the car the next morning.
I do get some strange looks. I was staying at one of the cabins in Yellowstone Park, next to Old Faithful, cleaning my bugs off after dinner, and people walking by going to see Old Faithful, sure gave me some funny looks, but a lot of them will comment on my car, and are seriously interested in car. One lady in her 40's(Japanese, I think) stopped and talked with me while her husband and son(around 10 or 11 YO) went on. She knew enough English that we could communicate and she was highly knowledgeable about the Corvette. She said they had stopped at Bowling Green and did the factory tour and visited the NCM(and Mammoth Cave N.P.) while they were out hitting all the National Parks across the US. I bet that she has seen more of America then most American citizens, who have lived here all their life.
I do about 8,000-10,000 miles each year on road trips in my Z06. I carry a 10"X12" plastic 6" tall step stool (my knees don't allow me to squat to clean wheels, etc) to sit on that I found at Walmart. I have a square plastic pail(that fits in the inverted stool) that I place my spray Windex, bottle of car wash, spray detailer, two wash mitts(one for the painted body and an old worn out one for the wheels and wheel wells) a couple of old small towels(to clean the windshield etc while stopping for gas). I also carry around 5-6 old 100% cotton towels(large) and a plastic bag to throw the wet towels in. Takes up very little room in the back of the car. If I need to, I rinse the mitts and I dry them and the towels at the motel, using their coin dryer.
If you're short on space, don't take the stool or the bucket(use the plastic wastepaper basket from your motel room). If you don't take your own bucket, be sure to put the bottles of liquids in a plastic bag so they won't leak(as you gain altitude going west, the liquid will seep out of the bottles.
Many motels will have a outside spigot and hose and if you ask them nice, will let you use it to wash your car but some can be horse's ***(lady at a Quality Inn said no way, until a twenty passed her palm, and we then washed a couple Corvettes, a 350Z and a Porsche in front of the motel entrance). I also do a google maps on car washes(not auto drive thru's) in the towns where I'll be staying overnight. If I use a car wash, I put some rinse water in my bucket with my car wash and then turn the wash to soak and spray the car good. Then I let it soak and using my mitt, wash the car. Then I plug in some more quarters and rinse the car. Then I wash it again with my bucket and my soap and then rinse. Then using my old towels, wipe it down. I try and do that early in the morning, when other people are still in bed, so I'm not rushed at the car wash. Then I go back to the motel, shower, eat breakfast, checkout, and drive another 500 miles.
If all I have is bugs on the front when I check into the motel, I'll try and park the car where the front is in the shade(or at least not facing the sun). Later, after dinner, I'll get my plastic stool out, with my Windex, and clean the bugs off the front using one of the small old towels, then I do a quick detail spray on the front of the car. I use the Windex and the old towel to clean the brake dust off my chromes also. The bugs get cleaned off EVERY evening, even if I wash the car the next morning.
I do get some strange looks. I was staying at one of the cabins in Yellowstone Park, next to Old Faithful, cleaning my bugs off after dinner, and people walking by going to see Old Faithful, sure gave me some funny looks, but a lot of them will comment on my car, and are seriously interested in car. One lady in her 40's(Japanese, I think) stopped and talked with me while her husband and son(around 10 or 11 YO) went on. She knew enough English that we could communicate and she was highly knowledgeable about the Corvette. She said they had stopped at Bowling Green and did the factory tour and visited the NCM(and Mammoth Cave N.P.) while they were out hitting all the National Parks across the US. I bet that she has seen more of America then most American citizens, who have lived here all their life.
Thanks all, for the good advice.
Last edited by Boucherman; 04-17-2015 at 09:41 PM.
Well-written, JoeC5! I'm gonna copy and save it for my next trip. Don't know if I'll have a seat and bucket, but maybe some of the other stuff, and the planning ahead for a carwash!
Just did Seattle to Philly and return. Took along my std detailing kit and hit a high pressure pull in wash in KC. But that still was not as thorough as I could or should have been.
The way the weather has been of late, I think it is a loosing proposition until you get back home.
As far as tire "stuff", nothing. I had roadside assist if required and had no problems in any case.
Have a safe trip and enjoy the moment.
Last edited by vettman96; 04-17-2015 at 09:22 PM.
Reason: spelling
Novistrech bra, 2 waffle weave microfiber towels and a pocket full of quarters is all I ever pack. Plenty of self serve car washes and everything else can be remedied with a cell phone call.
04-17-2015, 07:51 AM
Long Trip...Two Questions
