What do I need to know.....

[RLDSL]

Of course for winter driving in the north, you NEVER go out on the interstate without survival gear...EVER! Always keep the vehicle stocked with enough blankets, sub zero sleeping bags food, water, heating elements etc to keep all occupants warm for a few DAYS. When storms hit the interstates can get jammed up bad , sometimes for a few days and you can very easily find yourself stranded with aq few hundred other motorists out there with snow over your roof for a few days waiting for the plows to come through and even then you might not be able to find a place to get off the road, by then all the motels and restaurants may be all parked in and you may have to keep going. Never let your tanks get below half in northern winter driving. You never know what is going to happen next. A little preperation makes the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major story on the national news

 

[Simp5782]

yeah, I am usually out in my Ih 200 when the snow hits plowing most of it. If the storm gets toooo bad I get the 78 Duece out. The heater sucks, but by god we can go anywhere

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Eagan, Mn. Is a part of Minneapolis. I HIGHLY doubt You'll ever be stranded in a snow storm for more than 10 mins. Besides, the Weather ****'s on the local News Stations will give You plenty of lead time on ANY foul weather. They blow a 2" snow storm into a Major News Story.

10 years of diesel ownership, and NEVER a fuel gelling problem. It's a well known fact that it gets cold up here. The refineries have plenty of lead time to get the fuel mixed correctly. 4 Oz's per tank of Your favorite fuel additive and You'll be fne.

If Your concerned about rust. The only true way to prevent it is to park the vehicle around the end of November, and leave it until around the end of March.

 

[Ottoparts]

I all ready have a cracked windshield. Sounds like I'm good there.
I all ready did a injector return kit a few months back for preparation when I put my turbo on. It was just recently that I figured out I have an injector problem.

 

[johnboggs21]

I all ready have a cracked windshield. Sounds like I'm good there.
I all ready did a injector return kit a few months back for preparation when I put my turbo on. It was just recently that I figured out I have an injector problem.

if you chance the injectors, your still going to need a new return line kit. The o rings get hard, and at the slightest disturbance start to leak.......

 

[adrianspeeder]

Rust free + snow = not rust free. Do like I do and buy a second truck, or 20...

Adrianspeeder

 

[dakotajeep]

Eagan, Mn. Is a part of Minneapolis. I HIGHLY doubt You'll ever be stranded in a snow storm for more than 10 mins. Besides, the Weather ****'s on the local News Stations will give You plenty of lead time on ANY foul weather. They blow a 2" snow storm into a Major News Story.

10 years of diesel ownership, and NEVER a fuel gelling problem. It's a well known fact that it gets cold up here. The refineries have plenty of lead time to get the fuel mixed correctly. 4 Oz's per tank of Your favorite fuel additive and You'll be fne.

If Your concerned about rust. The only true way to prevent it is to park the vehicle around the end of November, and leave it until around the end of March.

That really made my day.....

Having been in ND/MN for quite awhile I tend to agree.

Honestly, your best bet is to buy a beater for the winter if you are concerned about rust. END of STORY.

To the gravel on the roads comments....it only sucks if you get behind a semi and he is making it rain rocks.....otherwise its not bad. ND doesnt use salt either but we use the crap out of sand/gravel.

Thad

 

[Simp5782]

There is a 88 F250 up here with the 7.3 i believe. they want 600$ for it and it runs decent, just a rough body and might need some tires. Check the montana craigslist

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Might wanna wait till You get here, to buy. One less thing to tow/ship. There's always plenty of winter beaters for sale up here. I'd recommend a Subaru. Can be had for a reasonable price, go like a snow mobile, and get great gas mileage. Perfect car for the Metro Area.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Do you really like your truck?

OttoMan, if you really like your truck, you should really think about not taking it to Eagan for a winter. When I am back in Cleveland I cry when I look at all the salt rotted vehicles. Your truck will honestly never be the same. Do you really need your rig while you are there?

Just my .02 worth, good luck to you no matter what you end up doing.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

90% of the winter You will be driving on clear roads. The other 10% are Naaasty.

 

[Ottoparts]

lotzagoodstuff, my truck is my daily driver. I have not choice but to take it.
I have decided on buying a beater rig when I get there.

Justin, thanks for the offer to "take care" of my truck for me. It was a nice gesture.

Maybe I'll get lucky back there and find find a little ranger with a perkins in it.

 

[gatorman21218]

Hey Jared they work fricken awesome. One of my EO's that was in my unit had an 87 super cab 4X4 with the anode bar setup and the truck didn't have one spec of rust on it and it spent the entire life in Michigan till some old lady pulled out in front of him and tboned her totaling out the truck.

So how does one do this to a truck? Just grind an area and bolt on an anode from a marine store? It cant be that simple.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Good idea Otto, I vote for the 2.3 liter Ranger, you'll find a pile of them when you get there, every one more rusty than anything you've ever seen here in the Northwest.

Good luck to you over there in Minnesota. It's a great drive getting there, I just did Seattle to Cleveland last Thanksgiving and I forgot how much I love a good road trip.

 

[Ottoparts]

lotzagoodstuff, thanks for ideas.
I've driven the mazda trucks with the perkins in them. Not the baddest diesel around but definitely chugged around with no issues.
But I need to stay with my Ford bloodline, hence the ranger idea.