8 Hour Road Trip... tips?

[omedrud]

i have drove menny a mile and some of witch were on the front end of a truck in 4 hi and let me tell you that sucked 1,119 miles to be exact and what i carry with me mind you im a mechanic and i can just go to my tool box and take what i need but a good thing to have is a full socket set eather 1/2" or 3/8s and a mix of extisions set some time ill take a 3/8s set to save on wate a full set of open end wrenches and a few different sizes of cresent wrench a spair fuel fliter 3 gallons of antifreeze and some oil engine and trans and 10 or so gallons of water good to drink if you break down but also you can use it to mix antifreeze with it a good belt for a spair a tarp is a nice thing to have you use for shade while you work and also a spar air filter any truck stop with a truck lounge you could go in a take a nap if you wanted to any way sorry for being so long winded and sorry about my spelling best of luck

 

[The Warden]

FWIW I do a similar length drive in my truck on a fairly regular basis (going between the S.F. Bay Area and the Los Angeles area, which is about 400 miles along some pretty desolate stretches of Interstate 5). As long as your fuel system is up to *****, I wouldn't be too worried about it. You'll want to check the basics...fluids (engine, trans, axle), brakes, tires, etc, and you'll want to have spare fluids and belts and a tool kit. Beyond that, if there are any known issues, you'll want to address them....and, since the truck is new to you and you're not certain what shape the cooling system's in, finding an excuse to go for a 1 to 2 hour freeway drive might be a good idea to see how she handles it.

Beyond that, use common sense, drive safely, mind your gauges, and stop and take a look if anything seems out of the ordinary...use your senses; you might feel or even smell a problem before you see it.

Hope that helps a bit...best of luck on the drive!

 

[86ford69]

I drove my 86 from Tampa to Michigan in three days, A week after I bought it. So your just on a lil day trip. The truck should be fine as long as your not trying to race anybody and keep a eye and a ear focused on the truck at all times. I tend to ride with the radio just loud enough that I can still hear the rattle of that sweet IDI.

 

[oldmisterbill]

I used to do 10,000 mile + trips.Yes I had problems -in retrospect to the miles traveled they were minimal.When I was home between trips,I went over any thing that I had noticed on the previous trip.Also I thoroughly serviced the truck before leaving.The most common problem on the long run was alternator belts.ALWAYS carry spare belts and tools especially to change the belts.As said B4 check ALL fluid levels rear end play -U-joints & carrier bearings (by the way I had no carrier bearing failure at all & never changed it). Check your return lines,its bad when you are delivering a unit with the engine idling and smell hot diesel in the air only to find it running on the ground.(also embarrassing)

 

[TWeatherford]

You'll be fine. Once these trucks start and get warmed up, in my experience, they don't just let you down without some warning. Twice mine had to be towed: first for a seized AC pump, second for the tired worn out engine that was in there.

I bought my truck from a guy who didn't even know how to tell if it had a turbo on it or not, or whether or not it was a powerstroke. He wasn't even confident when I described the differences over the phone (being a 94 it could have had a PSD or an idi, maybe even factory turbo). 250k on the clock. 6 months later I hooked up the horse trailer and tried to go to Colorado (1450 miles, 30 hours or so). 25 miles short of my destination the engine gave up. In the end it was probably not a bad engine, but a combination of problems, and since it had pretty marginal compression in went a 6.9. I didn't get that engine running until the day before time to be back in KY, once I did though and got it to quit overheating due to a seized thermostat, it drove all the way back without a problem. Then the IP pretty much died in my parents front yard. But it got me there and did the job.

Main thing I'd carry are tools. I have most of my tools in my truck whenever it goes anywhere. Obviously I don't have enough tools, but I do have a decent socket set, box end wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, tire plug kit, multimeter, some wire, various rubber hoses, good spare tire and jack. It would stink to have something go wrong, be able to buy it at the auto parts place, and have to drop $100 in the chinese junk autozone has just to put it on.

 

[mariner45]

I would make sure you had a spare vacuum pump belt and also a spare alternator belt - when one fails it often takes out the other belt. In fact a complete set of four belts would be worth having. Spare fuel filter s (2), a couple of quarts of oil, a gallon or two of coolant.

If the truck hasn't been used much lately I would also get some fuel treatment (Power Service, Stanadyne, Kleen Flow or other) and give it a good dose prior to leaving and further treatment on refueling.

Re trip - just take it easy - spend an extra hour if necessary driving, Just try to be observant and watch the gauges and you will soon pick up on things that aren't right.

HTH

 

[JwS]

I would look it over really careful, take it for a highway drive long enough to get everything warmed up completely, maybe a 1/2 hour + to an hour each way at speed, and if all goes well you should be fine.
At this point you should have an idea how well it starts, how the batteries are, and if anything leaks.
Take the basic tool kit as others suggested, maybe belts, some duck tape, various fluids, some cash, a volt meter, and a cell phone.
JwS

 

[whenry912]

X3 On the radiator... been there done that. No fun at all.

Another great thing to carry in your truck at all times is a spare fuel filter.

Also something i always carry is a 4x4 block of wood and a bottle jack(makes for quick flat tire changes). I've thanked myself a couple of times for ditching the stock jack.

x4 on the radiator! My maiden 100 mile trip when I bought the truck turned into a 8 hour ordeal due to a plugged radiator and bad batteries...

 

[towtruckdave]

Don't go without tools. Spare belts are a very smart idea.

I carry about 200lbs of spares, but I drive to pretty remote areas with no mobile phone signal.

 

[rovrkil]

Change the belts and put the old ones in the box of spares, may not help you this trip but you could help someone else. Service before you go, change/check all the fluids. Tires? At least check the air if you don't need to replace them. You definately won't win a race but it should get you there with no problems.

 

[crashnzuk]

Just be sure to drive the truck and get used to what it does, the sounds it makes, and the smells that come from it. When you know what it does normally, you will be quick to notice what isn't normal. And Xs whatever on taking a long drive at interstate speeds to see how it likes it. You have a bit of time to get it sorted out before you go, don't wait until the last couple of days to put miles on it only to find it isn't up to the trip.
Travis..

 

[gatorman21218]

Having made the 12 hour trip from VA to FL a few times, I can tell you the above advice is pretty acurate. I would carry a 5 gallon can of diesel because i dont trust my fuel gauges at all and some exits dont have any diesel. Once I ran out in S. Carolina pulling into a gas station. ugh talk about lucky. Ive found a CB radio is great because all the truck drivers will tell you where the cops are hiding (not that it matters to someone with 5.13 gears) and accidents. Get some good gauges if you dont already have some.

As for driving itself, I would drive at night because its cooler and not as much traffic. However I would get REAL tired and take frequent naps. A bench seat is a good bed if you shove the seat belt clips down the crack. A blanket and a pillow are a good thing to bring along. The 32oz gatorade bottles are the best for "extending driving time" if you know what I mean. And also if you chew, stock up in GA because Florida has this new tax and its about 6 bucks a can.

 

[towcat]

+1 on the above mentioned items.
I do want to add in addition to the above....snack foods.
trail mix, soft granola bars, bottled water.

 

[GOOSE]

By the time he's done packing everything we suggest, his F-superduty may ride like a Lincoln Towncar and he can stop and fix everyone else's ride along the way.

 

[austin]

Having made the 12 hour trip from VA to FL a few times, I can tell you the above advice is pretty acurate. I would carry a 5 gallon can of diesel because i dont trust my fuel gauges at all and some exits dont have any diesel. Once I ran out in S. Carolina pulling into a gas station. ugh talk about lucky. Ive found a CB radio is great because all the truck drivers will tell you where the cops are hiding (not that it matters to someone with 5.13 gears) and accidents. Get some good gauges if you dont already have some.

Just installed my CB, so check! As for fuel, I run by using my odometer instead of gas gauge, so no worries.

As for driving itself, I would drive at night because its cooler and not as much traffic. However I would get REAL tired and take frequent naps. A bench seat is a good bed if you shove the seat belt clips down the crack. A blanket and a pillow are a good thing to bring along. The 32oz gatorade bottles are the best for "extending driving time" if you know what I mean. And also if you chew, stock up in GA because Florida has this new tax and its about 6 bucks a can.

I'll probably run at night to help with not being in traffic... $6 a can?! I'm paying $2-something! That's gonna kill me.

+1 on the above mentioned items.
I do want to add in addition to the above....snack foods.
trail mix, soft granola bars, bottled water.

Snack foods; genius!

By the time he's done packing everything we suggest, his F-superduty may ride like a Lincoln Towncar and he can stop and fix everyone else's ride along the way.

I'd love for it to ride like my Towncar! I'll throw my 'mobile mechanic' stickers on.