Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-05-12
Things to Do to Prepare
Your Car for Long Trips

be should by all means have the ser
vicc man explain TO him how 10 make
the ordinary adjustments
Ignition System Must be Looked After
The ignition system should be gone
over carefully. The wiring system
must be examined for breaks or weak
spots aud the wires that carry the
Ieurrent to the lights should also be in
ispected The battery should be re.
charged ii it needs it and should be
filled up to the proper level with dis
4 titled water
/ We may assume now that the ear
! has been tuned up TO its best fighting
trim. The next subicct To consider is
the equipment to he carried. ia the
way OF tools. spares and more general
supplies This will depend somewhat
on the country through which the
tour is to hc made. The party pre-
pairing for tranScOntiuental trip
must be somewhat self supporting and
to that end will have to carry con
siderable quantity of supplies for
emergency uScc. The equipment TO be
carried will therefore be very much q
question for individual decision, hut
we can suggest some things that should
always be carried and other things that
are necessary in certain contingencies.
To begin with, if the trip is to be
made through thinlv settled portions
of the country where jumps of 30
miles or more must be made between
garages, il will be necessary to carry
on the ear q reserve stock of water for
the radiator, of oil and of gasoline.
One or two One-gallou cans of oil will
take care OF that phase of the matter, |
and five gallon tin of gasoline |
strapped to the running board may be |
the best investment any driver ever |
made. The wafer, when it is necessary /
to carry it, is best carried in canvas /
bags, which may conveniently be swung /
from the top brackets or from the wind /
shield supports. The advantage of these /
water bags is that a little of the water ,
seepS through, and the wind of the ears |
progress coos this and reduces the |
temperature Of the liquid within until !
it is good to drink as we'll as for use
in the radiator. This is Il most useful |
piece of knowledge for travel through /
the desert or in warm sections general |
Iy,
Don't Forget These.
No motorist starting on a long tour
will forget a block and tackle, with a .
hub drum or similar device by
means of which the car may he eXtri-
sated from the deepest mud or sand
by its own power. Some cars are so
that the hub drums can
not be installed but in these cases
here are various forms of 'pull 'em
outs" now on the market which give
excellent results and may be used fOr
)ther purposes. The prospective tour
st should make sure that he under
stands exactly how to use the extrica-
lion equipment that he is carrying. For
instance, in using the block and tackle
with the hub drum, stake is driven
into the ground either TO the side and
forward or to the rear of the car and
some distance from it. The rope is
attached to the drum at one end and
to the stake at the other. The engine
is started, and the spinning of the
wheels winds the rope on the drum and
pulls the ear out of difficulties.
OF course the one subject that causes
more IVORY on a long trip than any 9TH
pr is that OF tires. To be comfortable
the tourists must be sure that they have
with them ample tires and tubes to meet !
any emergency. On the other hand it
is not necessary to load the car down t
with castings that may never be used
even on a transcontinental tour. Two
new castings should always be carried,
and they should have brand new tubes,
1t is an admirable plan to carry a small
portable vulcanizer and a generous sup
ply of mcnding stock and patches. In Z
this way it is possible to keep the tire