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Mojave Desert Travel Tips For Tours From Las Vegas

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Mojave Desert Has Plenty of Long, Lonely Highways

Prepare Your Car For Desert Travel

Ensure that your car is in good working order – service stations are few and far between in the mojave desert. You really don’t want to break down on your trip through Death Valley.

It would be a good idea to have towing insurance that covers distances of 100 miles or greater. Many insurance policies provide towing up to 15 or 25 miles, but the distance between towns in Nevada can be long.

For example, there is a stretch between Wells, Nevada and McGill, Nevada of 126 miles – a very beautiful, long, empty, lonely highway. There are many long, empty highways through the Mojave desert and Death Valley.

One particular stretch of Nevada Highway 318 has collected a couple of world records for speed. Highway 318 is closed every year for a famous auto race – The Silver State Classic – 90 miles of nothing – great for really fast cars.

Death Valley Tours From Las Vegas:
Mojave Desert Travel Tips

  • Check air conditioner, alternator, water pump drive belts for cracks and damage and replace them if needed BEFORE you go.
  • Same goes for radiator hoses and heater hoses. High summer temperatures can increase the pressure of your engine’s cooling system, and these pressures can be enough to cause that little ‘weakness’ in the hose to suddenly fail.
  • Check that the coolant level is correct, with a proper mix of anti-freeze. Remember, ‘anti-freeze’ is also ‘anti-boil’; it allows your engine to operate with a coolant temperature higher than the boiling point of water.
  • Check the charging system; a weak battery can fail under the stress of high summer heat. Most auto parts stores will check this for you at no charge, and it just takes a few minutes.
  • Check the air pressure in your SPARE tire before you go!
    Make sure your jack works BEFORE you leave.
  • You should have flares and jumper cables, and a can of “Fix-a-Flat” can be a wonderful thing.
  • If you should have a break-down in the middle of nowhere, STAY WITH YOUR CAR! It will provide shade for you when there is nothing else around.

About Gasoline:

When the highway sign says “Next Gas 50 Miles” – you better KNOW FOR SURE that you have enough to make it before you head out for that open road!

And remember the unpredictable and the extremes:

  • For example, an unexpected flat tire could put you outside in the heat (or cold) for quite a while, and you may need to leave the engine running to keep your family cool (or warm) while you change the tire.
  • You’ll want to be cool (or warm) when YOU get back into the car, and you’ll want to have plenty of fuel to keep it running.

Other Topics In This Series:

Desert Travel Tips: Death Valley Tours From Las Vegas

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