Who doesn’t enjoy a good ski trip? You get away from the rat race for a few days while you enjoy the gorgeous white mountains and spend some quality time in nature. You can meet new people or reconnect with friends or family. Ski trips always make for fantastic holidays, and if you do things right, the road trip along the way is just as fun as the destination.
5 Steps to Prepare Your Truck for a Weekend Ski Trip
But, you’re planning to drive straight into snowy mountain roads, and considering the weather and conditions, a little bit of planning can go a long way. With a short checklist, you can avoid forgetting something important, and you can be sure that you and your truck are ready for the journey. Before heading off of course you will definitely need to pack correctly and check the weather conditions. It may be essential to check the routes you are using in cold weather and to be sure that gritting salt suppliers have already done their job so that your drive will be smooth.
These five items are enough to solidify your plans to ensure a great trip. And yes, snowboarders are welcome too!
Start With Maintenance
Ski trips often include driving through snow. You want to make sure your vehicle is up to the task. First and foremost, check your tires. You need healthy tires with sufficient tread to get a good grip on snowy or icy roads. You can get a free tire checkup at many tire shops, or you can check the treads yourself.
While you are at it, check the oil and all of the other fluids. Don’t forget the windshield fluid. Snow conditions are often muddy, so you want to make sure you have good visibility at all times.
Run Through Your Equipment
Before it’s time to leave, go through a checklist of all of your equipment. This applies to your truck’s equipment along with your personal snow gear.
For the truck, make sure you have good chains for the tires. A good bed cover, like a tonneau, is great for keeping things dry and safe in the bed. Also, stock the truck with extra snacks and water in case you hit weather delays.
For yourself, pack extra snow gear like jackets and blankets so that you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in cold weather.
Plan for Comfort
Unless you live downhill from the slopes, you probably have a drive on your hands. You want the road trip to be comfortable, so pack accordingly.
Prepare your driving entertainment, like a custom road trip playlist. Download some movies to keep the kids occupied. This isn’t your first road trip. You know what you like.
You also want to plan some entertainment for your destination. Ski villages are awesome, but sometimes they come with poor phone reception and spotty Wi-Fi. Offline entertainment fun is a great backup, plus it somehow helps to reinforce that feeling of connecting with nature. Even a single deck of playing cards can go a long way.
Plan the Route
This is a road trip, so plan your route. Especially if you haven’t done this particular trip before, look at some maps and make sure you really do know how to get to your destination. The last thing you want to do is miss a left turn in the middle of a windy mountain road.
More than that, you want to check the weather and road conditions. You’re heading into the snow on purpose. If a storm might interrupt your driving, leave early if you can. Take the long way around to skip road closures. Taking 10 minutes to double-check the route can save you hours of frustration during your trip.
Expect a Mess
Snow looks so pristine and white and pretty, but in reality, it’s a giant mess. Even when you head into the mountains to enjoy fresh powder, you’re going to pick up a lot of mud along the way. Make sure you have good mats in the truck to catch the mud from your boots.
Your truck is also going to pick up ice and mud on this trip. You may also have to drive on salted roads. While your truck is plenty tough, leaving mud and salt on it for a prolonged time can lead to extra wear and tear.
So, at the end of your ski trip, plan to wash the poor vehicle, and don’t skimp on the wash either. You need to spray up under the vehicle and get deep into the wheel wells. Power wash (or replace) the F150 grill if needed. Give it a fresh protective coat when you’re done.
It might sound a little silly, but washing your truck at the end of the ski trip is as important as anything else on this list.
A ski trip is all about fun and adventure, and the road trip into the mountains is part of that adventure. When you plan ahead and go through the checklist, you circumvent problems before they happen. It’s easier to relax and make the most of your trip, so you’ll spend more time enjoying the slopes and less time in a panicked search trying to find your forgotten ski socks.