Hi guys,

I am heading out to DV in a couple of days. Unfortunately, it looks like it is going to be pretty hot... Since I am not used to hot weather, I have some questions:

- Do Xterras overheat easily?
- What can be done to prevent heat damage?
- If you know the park, could you suggest some cooler spots where I can stay and hike?

Thank you,

I can't speak for DV, but in Phoenix it routinely gets into the 110-115F range during the summers. I have never had an overheating problem with my '06 or the '01 (that I had in Phoenix for 5 years). Topping off the radiator fluid with the appropriate mixture and keeping your radiator fins clean will help guard against overheating.

whiterussian, a must trip is Titus Canyon, easy offroading, but real real cool. Skip the Scotty's Castle tour it's bad waste of an hour of offroading

I'm a Zonie too, & concur with Ted. Last summer I had no trouble off-roading with the A/C on full blast. The truck got hot a few times, but I just shut off the A/C & rolled the windows down for a bit.

I do however carry a gallon of Prestone & a gallon of water all the time just in case.

Most attractions in the higher elevations will be cooler, so to beat the heat, visit the stuff along Wildrose Road, which is around 4000 feet and higher. There are some good hiking opportunities at the attractions there, primarily at Aguerrebery Point and a 4-mile hike starting at the Charcoal Kilns up to Wildrose Peak.

THIS SITE is very useful in obtaining very good and CURRENT info about Death Valley.

If you're a AAA member, go pick up a Death Valley map. It's one of the better Death Valley map guides.

Thanks guys, I have been to some of the places mentioned here already (but in winter). Now I need to figure out how to get the last minute oil change and I am ready to go