Alright, here's the deal. I'm going to be moving cross-country, from Raleigh, North Carolina to Seattle, Washington. The cheapest way for me to get myself, my car, and my belongings out there would be to drive, maybe even do a little towing.

Now, I know our cars are mal equipped for towing something, but I have VERY little that I would need to take with me. So little, in fact, that I'm almost certain that I could fit all my belongings inside my car, with the exception of my bike. And even then, some bungee cords could fix that So basically, the trailer hitch, as pathetic as they are, would barely have to support more than the trailer itself.

Now, with that having been said, what do I need to do to my car to prep it for such a long journey? 3000-something miles is quite a commute, after all. It's been about 1500 miles since my last oil change, so I'll probably change it before I leave and after I get there. My car's already pretty fuel efficient, getting about 300-400 miles per tank, so I don't need to do any tuning there. I realize however that if I'm towing anything my mileage is going down the drain, basically.

Now, I have a Stewarts water pump, so that should help (at least some) with any cooling problems I run across from the extra weight. The engine has no problem staying cool at all while it's on the highway. However, the fan doesn't quite work right so I have to turn the AC on in order to turn the fan on, but in this weather I don't think that'll be too big of a concern of mine.

All my tires (except one) have more than enough tread on them already, so I'm not worried about that. Except for that one, of course. hehe

The rear differential fluid was changed more recently than the oil was, but I suppose I could change it again, seeing as this is a rather long drive. The transmission fluid was changed a few days a go. My car has a very small oil leak, usually not even leaking half a quart of Mobil 1 5-30 in 3000 miles. Engine coolant is good, nothing leaking there. Chassis stays lubed, so that's fine too.

So, with all that having been said, what am I leaving out? What do I need to look into, etc.? I don't really know anybody on the route from here to Seattle, so if I brake down I'm pretty much screwed. Well, pretty much doesn't begin to describe it. I will be screwed. ALL advice will be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah, just one thing, the cruise control doesn't work... so I'll have to get that fixed... but other than that my car runs great.

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89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

[This message has been edited by Enkil (edited July 19, 2001).]

 

Sounds like you have all of your ducks in a row. The only thing I can think of is bring fluids along with you. I've driven from Indy to Washington, and there's a whole lot of nothing out there. Premixed coolant, engine oil, ATF, etc. In small quantities. The only place you might have trouble is with the tranny getting hot in the mountains. Oh, you should make sure your tires have good balance before you go too. Good luck on your trip.

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'89 Red Formula 350- 350 .060 over forged pistons 232* @ .020 cam Performer RPM Holley 750 DP Vortec 1.94 1.50 Accel Coil and dist. Hedman shorty headers Dual Exhaust w/ cutouts 1LE WS6 suspension, wheels, and brakes, 9 Bolt 3.27 Posi Edelbrock LCA's & Track bar subframe connectors 700R4 Harwood snorkel scoop Eclipse Head Unit Delco Bose Speakers 2 12" Pioneer subs w/ 400 watt/chanel amp