Once you have bought a car, you can either choose to leave it alone or you can modify it, which means that it would no longer match the manufacturer’s specs. This could mean adding elements which are designed to improve performance, or it could simply be about the aesthetics of the car. With road trips becoming increasingly popular, there are a few modifications that you might want to consider to better kit your car out for long journeys.
The Lights
If you are going to be driving at night during your travels, then it would be worth considering whether or not you want to modify your lights. Improving visibility is obviously important. However, you do need to think about where you will be travelling. In Britain, you are only allowed to have yellow or white front lights and red on the back. Tinting the lights to any other colour is illegal. Lights that are too dim are also illegal. In terms of increasing brightness or adding additional lights to your vehicle, there are rules. While there is no law, the bulbs should have an E mark to indicate that they meet the British standard.
The Engine
There are a few engine modifications that you might want to think about. Firstly, you could choose to replace your current fuel tank with a long-range fuel tank or simply add a secondary tank. This allows you to go further and limit the number of stops to refuel. Some travellers also like to add more ways to generate power to their vehicles by the way of spare batteries, solar panels or generators. Doing so would allow you to run other electronics in your vehicle without worrying about draining the vehicles battery.
However, you cannot add nitrous oxide to your engine; it is illegal to do so. It can increase pressure, compromising your engine and potentially leading to explosions. You also aren’t allowed to do anything to alter the exhaust of your vehicle. A loud exhaust is often exciting for the driver but incredibly irritating to everyone else. Your exhaust cannot be louder than 74 decibels. Other modifications to your exhaust can make them worse for the environment too.
Suspension & Tyres
Depending on where you plan to go on your travels and the road conditions you will likely encounter, upgrading your vehicle’s suspension might make sense. At the very least, you might want to think about replacing your shock absorbers. Your tyres and suspension or often closely linked, and investing in some high-quality tyres does also make sense. If you plan to travel to colder places where snow and ice are rife, you should consider swapping out your tyres for some winter ones to make the journey a little safer.
The Aesthetics
While making your car more aesthetically pleasing isn’t likely to affect its performance on your travels, there are a few practical elements to consider when it comes to the aesthetics of your car. Car camping for travellers is really popular, but it doesn’t afford much privacy. You might want to tint your windows to ensure that you have more privacy and keep it cooler inside the car. In Britain, the front windscreen needs to be at least 75% tint-free, and the side windows have to be 70% tint free to be considered legal and roadworthy.
There are a few different ways you can personalise your car to make it more aesthetically pleasing. One thing that you can do is to get a personalised registration plate. Regtransfers has a huge number of plates for you to choose from, as well as faqs and a really informative blog.
Storage & Security
If you plan to travel for long periods of time in your car, then you are going to need a good amount of storage. A lot of travellers opt for a roof rack which does definitely give you more space, although they aren’t necessarily secure, so you might also want to think about where you keep your valuables. Depending on the size of your car, you are likely to be limited in terms of internal storage, although you can look online for ideas tailored to your car’s make and model.
Finally, you aren’t going to be in your car 24/7 when travelling. You are going to want to get out and see things and have other experiences. Unfortunately, you cannot really rely on the goodness of others, which is why you might want to consider beefing up your car’s security system. There are a number of things that you can do, like installing a kill switch.
Final Thoughts
Road trips and car camping have seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. It is a great way to travel, after all. As a travel enthusiast, there are a number of modifications that you might want to make to your vehicle to ensure that it can provide you with optimum comfort and safety while travelling. Think about the make and model of your vehicle, as well as your budget, before you make any decisions.
