Departure Date is getting close. I'll be hauling a <3,000 lb. trailer with my SOHC 3.2L 5-speed '95 Trooper S from PA to NC to the Grand Canyon and then north to coastal Oregon. The entire trip is over 5,000 miles.

In preparation, I have:
new brakes (all four wheels)
repack front wheel bearings (Valvoline SynPower grease)
new shocks (all four corners, Monroe SensaTrack)
replaced engine oil (Mobil1 0w40, couldn't find 0W30--motor does tick)
replaced trans/t-case oil (Mobil1 5W30)
replaced frotn & rear diff oil (Mobil1 75W90)
new plugs & wires (Champion double platinum & NAPA premium wires)
flushed & refilled coolant
new PCV valve

Did I miss anything?

I've got a leaky valve cover gasket, but it's just a tiny leak and it's on the passenger side, under the intake manifold. Looks like an easy job made difficult by the placement/design of the intake manifold.

I'll post a trip report after it's all over and tell you all how well (or horribly, knock on wood) my Isuzu does.

Raise the limit on your credit card to pay for gas... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

I assume your tires are in decent shape, with proper inflation? You should pack several quarts of Mobil One, over 5000 miles you will need it. And keep an eye on that valve cover gasket leak, it might increase with the synthetic.

Sounds like fun, good luck! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

That 5K miles is a typo - should have been 4,000. I figure that if I get 10mpg over 4K miles, that's 400 gallons. At $2/gallon, that's $800. Ouch. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />



I think that the oil leak just started with the switch to 0W40. I was using NAPA 5W30 synthetic and never noticed the leak until a few hundred miles after the Mobil1 0W40 was in there. I've got an extra 6-pack of Mobil1 0W40.

My tires are OK, not great. I am fanatical about checking tire pressure, especially n long trips, and I really didn't want to buy new tires before the trip. I'll definitely need new tires when I get to Oregon.

Side note: I added a Class III receiver hitch to the Trooper to haul the trailer for this trip. Part of the install required the removal of the rear tow hook. I bought a foot of 2" square steel tubing, drilled a couple of holes for the hook (and one for the receiver pin) and bolted the tow hook to the steel tube. Now my recovery hook fits into my receiver hitch--and pulls on both frame rails insted of just one.

That's cool...you can buy those ready made but I bet yours is cheaper. Keep in mind that a tow hook in the hitch is basically limited to the capacity of the hitch, whereas one bolted to the frame is just limited by the strength of the bolts mostly.

I put a Hidden Hitch on my 99, and went to the hardware store and bought longer bolts so I could remount the tow hook back in the same place over the top of the hitch mounting plate. Don't know if your hitch is configured so you could do that or not...

Regarding your trip, you might want to consider joining AAA as backup, although they might have a waiting period for the service to kick in.

Pack of flares.
Cell phone/CB/Ham Radio (pick one)
Reflector belt (if you're on the side of the highway at night....)
Flashlight that plugs into car battery
I know, not what you meant, but good info.

On the topic of tires, be sure to check your spare before and during the trip. Have a spare available for the trailer, too (learned that one the hard way one time, fortunately was passing through small town, TX and didn't have to wait to get a new one mounted). Lift/Jack, lug wrench and accessories, key to spare lock (if locked) and key to lug nut lock (if equipped).

On long trips, I carry a couple gallons of water, too, can be used for coolant, washing hands after changing tire, or drinking.

Have a great trip!

I wish gas here was 2.00 a gallon.Unfortunately , we pay 70% gas tax on our fuel.I think a US gallon is 4.5 litres , and right now we are paying 91 a litre <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> The stupid thing is we are selling gas to the US and they pay less than we do.ARG!.On your truck , do you have a tranny cooler or electric brakes for your trailer? Pulling that much weight for that far , you might need them so your not working your tranny or brakes too hard.

Makin your way to my neck of the woods!

Be sure to have your trailers bearings checked. Same with the brakes (If equiped). THe past two large trips with friends, refused to check bearings, and ended up causing big problems and about 4-6 hours of set back time of our trips. Each time on the side of the road, in the middle of no where.

I'd buy a spare set accessory belts and take some brake fluid for clutch system. Both are precautionary measures.

Yes - stopping by to see us in Moab, starting May 18th.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Have a good trip!