so i have the old 98 dodge pickup, regular cab 4x4. she's been pretty good to us in the short time we've had her, but we're heading out of NY and moving back to kansas in september and i'm in a bit of a pickle... i don't believe that i'll be able to get rid of it in the given time that we have, and it runs ok and is PAID FOR, but i just don't quite trust it to drive all the way out there. driving around anywhere we have to go in NY, i'm comfortable. i have faith in it anywhere in the state of ks. but i'm just not sure if i want to chance the 160k rig to drive cross country.

i'm driving an 04 f250 that's got more than enough juice to pull the dodge, and we're going out the first week of june for a second reception at my parents' place. i WOULD see if i could rent a flat bed up here and bring it back up, but the problem there is i have to bring my stock trailer back up with me so that option is out. UHaul says that they don't have anything big enough to fit my dodge on. is there any other companies i don't know of out there that have trailers big enough that i don't have to return to where i rented it from??? or do i just chance it and we drive it out as well??? it really needs to go out next month if it's going with us as we both need to be in the same vehicle this fall (since we're hauling livestock out, hence why i need the stock trailer up here).

any ideas or suggestions??? thanks.

 

I'd say have an experienced, trusted mechanic give it a good once-over. He/she should be able to figure out if anything is in need of replacement. A pick-up with 160k on it still has lots of life left in it. If it checks out fine, go for it. If anything is found wrong, decide if it's worth it to you to fix, then fix it and roll.

If it's running good, handling right, has good tires and brakes, no weird engine noises, and no excessive oil consumption, then it's probably good to go.

 

Oh, and since it has a manual xmission, you don't have to worry about that. Our automatics are, as most of the people on this forum can attest to from personal experience, horrid.

 

I would say the dodge should make it. Or you can get a car dolly from U-haul tell them its a one way deal and you drop the dolly off in the state your heading to, just disconnect the rear driveshaft if you chose the car dolly thought

 

I second what he said. Have a good mechanic give it a once over and drive it out there.

 

oh trust me, no offense (i'm a ford guy at heart, don't flame me, it's just life), i wouldn't go for a dodge w/ automatic. the point of this one was so she HAD to learn to drive the manual. i don't care for autos in the first place... i guess that's an idea. my mother in law loves her mechanic to death, might see if we can turn something from him in the next couple of weeks.

it's run alright, for the most part. did some funky start bucking going down the interstate right after i bought it (had just replaced the O2 sensor, she ran real rough before that). it's burning a qt of oil every 800 miles or so, which is not unacceptable to me. that i know of, everything else seems to be ok. it just plain drives different than my ford, and it's been a long while since i've owned a gas pickup, so i forget how they can be sometimes, too...

ETA: the only NICE thing about pulling it would be that we can shift drive mine and everybody will be that much LESS tired when we get there.

 

Sounds like the plenum gasket is blown and the cat is not far behind. But, those are issues you can address after you get to NY. I agree, just have a good once over and drive it.

 

i think u-haul lied to you, your truck should be shorter than a 2001 gmc sierra 4 door and i got it on a car trailer from u haul. i had to let almost all the air out of the front tires and had the back tires right on the edge of the trailer. and i had to use ratchet straps and chains to hold it down since the tire straps wouldn't fit, but i made it fit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2965453...07781/sizes/l/

 

nope, went in and they said that it'll fit, but it's too heavy. according to them it weighs in at 4700 lbs and their trailer max is 4000...

 

That is a funny pic.
Dodge pulling a Gay Man's Chevy (dont gay guys drive Chevys, too?).