Road Trips in Texas Require Real Preparation
Texas is large. A day trip from Decatur can easily put 300 miles on your vehicle before you get back home. Stretches of highway in West Texas and the Panhandle sit far from any town, let alone a parts store. Getting stranded because you skipped basic preparation is an avoidable problem.
These five automotive supplies are not expensive, take up almost no space, and can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and an hours-long roadside wait.
1. A Properly Inflated Spare Tire
Most drivers have a spare tire somewhere in the vehicle. Many do not check whether it is still properly inflated. Compact spare tires ("donuts") slowly lose pressure over time — most need to be at 60 PSI, which is significantly higher than a regular passenger tire. A flat spare in the back of the truck does you no good.
Before any long drive, check your spare tire pressure. Bring along a tire pressure gauge and a small air inflator that connects to your 12V outlet. Holmes Auto Supply carries both in Decatur — compact, easy to store, worth having.
2. Jump Starter or Jumper Cables
A battery can fail without much warning, especially in extreme heat. Texas summers are hard on batteries — extended exposure to high temperatures accelerates internal degradation. A battery that shows no problems on a cool morning can fail when temperatures hit triple digits.
Jumper cables are useful if someone else is nearby to help. A portable jump starter pack is better — it works without a second vehicle and takes up about as much space as a lunchbox. We stock jump starter packs and jumper cables at our Decatur location.
3. Emergency Roadside Kit
A basic emergency roadside kit should include reflective triangles or road flares, a flashlight with fresh batteries, work gloves, and a basic first aid kit. In Texas, where long stretches of road have no shoulder lighting, being visible to oncoming traffic after dark is critical.
Tow straps and a come-along are worth adding if you drive off-road or on ranch roads where soft shoulders can strand a vehicle in a ditch.
4. Extra Motor Oil and Coolant
Older vehicles — and many heavily used work trucks — can burn or leak small amounts of oil between changes. On a long drive, a slow drop in oil level can escalate to an engine-damaging situation if you cannot find an auto parts store for a hundred miles.
Carrying a quart of the correct oil for your engine costs almost nothing and takes no space. The same applies to coolant — a small bottle of pre-mixed coolant is cheap insurance against overheating, especially in summer.
Before your trip, stop by Holmes Auto Supply and pick up the correct oil and coolant for your vehicle. We can help you identify the right products if you are not sure.
5. Duct Tape and Wire Ties
This is not glamorous advice. But duct tape and heavy-duty wire ties (zip ties) have fixed problems on the side of Texas highways that would have otherwise required a tow. Loose splash shields, disconnected air intake hoses, sagging exhaust heat shields — temporary roadside fixes that get you to the next town or back home.
They weigh almost nothing and cost almost nothing. Keep a roll and a handful of zip ties in the glove box or console.
Stock Up in Decatur Before You Head Out
Holmes Auto Supply at 803 W Main St in Decatur, TX carries all of the supplies listed here, along with anything else you need for vehicle maintenance or emergency preparedness. We are open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Call us at (940) 627-2350 to check availability or stop in before your next trip. You can also read our related articles on truck accessories and auto parts for more information on keeping your vehicle road-ready.