Well as some of yall know if you've been paying attention, here in about a month I'll be moving from Louisiana to south Carolina. it will be pretty much the first time I've ever driven that far on my own, let alone while moving. Any tips, personal experiences, tools/spare parts I should bring would be greatly appreciated

 

Take some oil, coolant and some basic hand tools. Duct tape is a must also. It's always better to have a passenger with ya to help pass the time and keep you alert. Also a spare tire if ya got the room for it.

 

I always take a spare of everything. Plug wires, belt, tstat, plugs, coil, u joint, I mean if it can break theres one in my tool box. Bulbs, the whole nine yards. Along with all the tools needed to do such tasks, I have a bag of tools that i set aside based off my experience on what works best and they stay in the truck.

 

 

^ Spoken Like a true Jeanyes. No but make sure you got all your fluids topped off, mechanicals checked. I have a bed tool box so I always have the tools but make sure you have all the essential ones. Oh snacks and music also make sure you know where your going . . . ?right?

 

are you driving your pickup or a moving truck of some kind?
are you towing a trailer or loaded to the max?

use common sense and keep it simple.
set tire air pressure near max psi, or appropriate value of 40-50 if max is higher.
check all oil and fluid levels before and during trip.
correct major problems or manage leaks with top-off's
don't do any major repairs just before leaving. that's risky.
don't tow heavy loads in OD.
drive at a reasonable speed for conditions.
avoid Atlanta during rush hours 7-9 am and 4-7 pm.
have a 12v cell phone charger that works in your vehicle.
don't pick up hitchhikers.
check your spare before leaving.
spin off each lug nut before leaving and retorque with a wrench. it sucks not being able to remove a lug that's been torqued to 200 pounds by a tire shop.

 

In addition to what's been said: If ya ain't got these things, get 'em:

• Fire extinguisher
• Reflective triangles and flares
• A good flashlight and a spare set of batteries
• A warm blanket (it's winter)
• Water for yourself and passengers
• Calorie-dense food, enough for 24 to 48 hours
• A windshield scraper/brush
• Window cleaner and paper towels
• Waterproof tarp

With those things you're prepared for most emergencies that leave your truck disabled. Just make sure they're easily and quickly accessible, with all but the first two items in the cab with you.

Highway miles are easier on the truck than city miles so if its in good shape already it'll just stretch its legs and run. If you're not so sure, pick a destination that's an hour out and drive there with about as much weight safely secured in the bed as you anticipate carrying on your longer trip, with the radio off and your senses in tune with what the truck's up to. When you get there, shut 'er down and spend an hour or so having lunch so the drivetrain cools, then make your return trip. If something goes wrong on your shakedown you're close to your current resources and not committed to the long haul, so you have a chance to fix it up right instead of band-aiding things as you might if the same problem happens during the big move.

Make sure your tire pressures are correct, all of your lights and wipers and so on are working, and get new wiper blades if the ones you've got are a year or more old. If you've got some old wiper blades on there that streak or skip a bit it might not seem like a big deal now, but when you're looking out through that crap for hours on end it'll strain your eyes terribly.

Motor safe!

 

Pack tools and spare parts LAST. They need to be where you can get to them WITHOUT having to unload the whole truck......

 

Hookers and BLOW!!!!

 

Burt is awesome. I started this thread because I couldn't find the one that came up last year about what everyone kept in their tool boxes.and nobody will be traveling with me, just me and my dog