So I would recommend a baby pillow to stick behind your lower back while driving, you'll understand why I recommend this once you've driven a couple of hundred miles.
Oooh, Yeah, I'm driving 3 hours a day in mine, but I've got a big advantage.
SoftSeat® Portable Seat Cushion Base/Lumbar Combo
I've got a 1.5" Oregon Aero seat cushion. It was $150 when I got it, and worth _every penny_. (I also endorse and use their "Shock Blocker" inserts - and would pretty much trust them with any products they've got now.)
It literally saved my *** when I first got my Xterra - the seats are just uncomfortable in it. Drive over an hour, and your butt would be hurting and asleep. I bought the cushion for flying, and was on a long drive and starting to hurt, back, butt, legs, and remembered I had the OA cushion.
Didn't even pull over, just sat on it and it was night and day difference. I know it's expensive, but I'd say it's really worth it for a long, long trip
I've used mine near-daily for over 7 years now. It's amortized out to be "cheap at many times the price."
-Make sure rear skirts are secure and hopefully not just zip-tied.
Take a bit of duct tape just in case.
Take a lot of duct tape, just because, wait, who doesn't have duct tape with them???
-Consider taking along a reflective and high visibility emergency
vest for any roadside work. Too many distracted drivers these days.
-A headlamp is easier than a flashlight for roadside work.
Yes. LED headlamps are great. I was going to re-comment and suggest one. I also have a old "army" angle-head D-cell stuck in the mesh bag. Sometimes you need to be able to set one down.
-Insight seats are not very comfortable for long trips, at least for me. Even with frequent stops for exercise and stretching,
my rear was a bit sore and numb for over a week after the trip. A seat cushion would have been a huge help.
See if you've got any pilot friends who might have a OA cushion you can borrow. The thicker the better (I bought the 1.5 because of head clearance in the airplane I was flying, a 2" is MUCH more comfortable on the road.)
Did I mention, Oregon Aero? *ahem*
Jumper cables won't be bad - might want to just go ahead and plan on replacing the 12V battery if it's either of unknown age or older than a few years. I'd also suggest thinking about grabbing a battery jump box. Cheap, easy, and don't need to wait on someone else.
That should include all fluids, filters, and some diagnostics. I’m not sure if it will include reading the codes. I’ve heard this costs $100+ at the dealer? I don't think the 90k service includes spark plugs. Do you think I should do those just in case?
Won't hurt, won't cost a lot more, might help fuel economy a smidge, up to you. I don't think they'll replace them at 90k, IIRC, the replacement is slated above 100k.
The car is actually missing a rim/tire so I’ve ordered a replacement. I’ve also already ordered a new Bridgestone RE92 but I’m thinking it might be better to get two and carry the extra used tire with me during the trip. It seems like these tires might be hard to track down if I have a blowout somewhere.
Might not be a bad idea - but last I checked, Walmart around me had a tire that would *work*. Just not optimally, but it was usable. (if you replaced both). Since you're flying, presumably you won't have a ton, so you should have room for it. Or you might want to ask Honda what they look like and get matching new ones.
I didn’t realize the Insight was that loud on the highway, that’s going to be a big adjustment. I’m thinking about buying an upgraded stereo in PA due to the duration of the drive (40+ hrs).
Not a bad idea. The previous owner of mine did after a couple days of "stock" stereo.
As to the noise, it's not horrible, but on a long long long drive, it'll wear on you. Just expect to be more tired than you'd think you might be.
Be sure you've got some cell-enabled Internet access and can get back here to look at threads.
Let's see......
If the headlights are "Honda aimed" they're going to be WAY too low for rural highways at night. You'll need the right sized phillips to aim them up and out some. (turn counterclockwise on the adjustment to raise them). The original bulbs are a little dim, I got the Sylvania replacements and they're much brighter.