long haul driving help

gators1

New member
Dec 6, 2012
4
0
0
fairbanks AK
hey guys im leaving alaska in about 5 months and driving home to florida, is there any rec. maint. yall sugget that i do on the lb7 and trans before i make the long trip, im doing a front suspension overhaul real soon cause it is shot out,i got about 186,000 on the truck, ive had the truck over a year now and no major issues besides replacing the water pump and all the ball joints,.........i do get a p0236 boost sensor code but only comes on when i drive long distances, im just nervous driving 4800 miles home i dont wanna break down in canada in the middle of no mans land out there, things i was thinking of doing was maybe a trans flush and replacing all the diff fluids,main reason im asking this is because i putt around town thats about it the truck never hits 60 mph ever the only time was when driving from fairbanks to anchorage about a 900 miles round trip but it seemed to drive fine besides the engine code p0236 which seems to not effect the drive that i have noticed, so any input would help...thanx
 

Ron Nielson

Active member
Oct 11, 2009
765
144
43
Berryton, KS
I think you've got the understanding you need. Oil change, fuel filter change, transmission fluid and spin on, differential(s) fluids changes, all depending on when they were last done. Also check the air filter. Use some fuel supplement, Howes, Diesel Service - whatever you like and is appropriate for the weather you will see. Check the tire pressures and lights daily even though you don't think you need to.
 

WanaDmaxsub

Junior Member W/gray hair
Feb 17, 2007
644
1
18
What ever you do...do it atleast week before you leave. There's nothing worse than starting the truck to leave on a trip, and it dies because the fuel filter didn't seal...:mad:
 

adeso

wait, what?
May 30, 2011
1,569
0
36
Minot, ND
Carry a good tool kit, 90% of what goes wrong can be fixed by you at least well enough to get to a good stop. And don't race anyone on the way....
 

AubleAK

New member
Aug 5, 2011
781
0
0
30
Glennallen, AK
Carry an extra belt and fuel filter. i got some pretty bad fuel and Canada on my trip back to Alaska. Adeso is right to, bring basic tools, a lot of things that break while driving are fixable. carry extra fluids and fuel, gas stops are spread out pretty well on the first few hundred miles.
 

adeso

wait, what?
May 30, 2011
1,569
0
36
Minot, ND
1/2 tank= empty!
even if you over pay by $0.20 a gal it is worth it! It does not hurt to spend some time on google and look at where some shops/ fuel stops are before you leave so you can have a plan B
 

AubleAK

New member
Aug 5, 2011
781
0
0
30
Glennallen, AK
1/2 tank= empty!
even if you over pay by $0.20 a gal it is worth it! It does not hurt to spend some time on google and look at where some shops/ fuel stops are before you leave so you can have a plan B

X2. I was getting the best mpg ive ever gotten from my truck on my trip back and i started to get worried a couple times. Id carry a minimum of 15 extra gallons with you IMO
 

Burn Down

Hotrodder
Sep 14, 2008
7,092
28
48
Boise Idaho
110 gallon bulk tank in the bed= no stopping in Canada for fuel.... I have made the trip a few times... Pretty well covered above. I would make sure you have good tires and a good spare that is properly inflated. You don't want to buy tires in Canada, spendy. The Yukon can be pretty tough on them at times.
 

LWATSON

future trans limpers
Jul 30, 2008
2,587
1
36
55
Scotland Neck NC
If you dont have a bulk tank I would at least carry a couple 5 gal cans of fuel in the bed in just in case you run low between stations.