Hot hot hot! Who turned up the heat?! Oh, it was Mother nature, so it looks like we can’t really do anything about it but try and keep cool. While summer usually brings about fun in the pool or at the beach, it’s important to remember that not all time spent in the sun is fun. Summer can wreak havoc on our skin and trucks! Be sure to prepare yourself and your rig for rising summer temperatures.
Summer Tips For Your Rig
Did you know that the trucker’s tan is a real thing? Usually, the arm on your driver’s side door can end up looking darker than the other and you could end up with a farmer’s tan! Also, protecting yourself from skin cancer caused by the sun’s damaging UV rays is pretty important.
To protect yourself from the sun wear a hat, long sleeves, and sunglasses. If you don’t want to wear long sleeves you can put sunscreens up on your windows or apply sunscreen lotion to your skin every few hours.
Summer is hot, don’t you know it! As temperatures rise you’ll find yourself becoming more dehydrated, so be sure to drink pretty of water during your trips. Soda won’t hydrate you like water and you don’t want to end up with a massive headache going down the interstate because you aren’t hydrated. Also, keep a few gallons of your water around in your rig in case of an emergency.
Heat during the summer adds an extra amount of stress on your engine so check your levels of oil, coolant, and the critical fluids that keep your engine cool and running. Remember, it’s always great to carry those fluids in your rig in case you need to top them off to prevent your rig from overheating and to avoid more expensive issues.
It’s a great time to check your AC for leaks because you don’t want it to go out during a trip. A few days without AC can be unbearably hot. Also, your belts are affected by heat too. Check them often to make sure that they’re still in place and feel them to make sure they’re still strong. If they’re spongy feelings, crackling, or look shiny on the underside then they need to be replaced.
Guess what can’t take the heat? Tires. Summer temperatures make them wear faster, so check their tread, and look for cracks. If one tire is under inflated then extra pressure will be put on the others, causing them to wear faster! Also, with your tires wearing faster then you may need to align them, so keep an eye out for that.
Summer is notorious for some crazy weather. Storms pop up out of nowhere, and that’s not good because when the rain suddenly hits the hot road during the summer then oils rise, making the pavement extra slippery until water washes the oils away. Be aware of the weather, and slow down when it rains.
Also, be on the lookout for severe summer storms. Rain that comes out of nowhere is one thing, but what about when you’re driving through the South and a major storm with hail, strong winds, and even tornados are possible? Know when to stop and wait out a storm or take a different route to avoid them.
Happy Summer
Summer is arguably the most fun season of all, so take a break to have some fun down by the water. However, the heat creates a whole new set of issues, so make sure that you and your rig are prepared to face them.
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