Planning a Long Drive - What should I take with me?

[nottmbantam]

So, finally got my Expedition. 2012 XLT EL 4x4. Has around 100k miles on the clock, so far running well apart from the pesky TPMS light - literally came on about an hour after I collected it.

Anyway, cutting to the chase - next year (Around March ) I will be finally leaving Saudi Arabia where we've lived and worked for 9 years and will be driving the truck back to the UK. This will entail a sort of European Tour. I anticipate being on the road for around three - four months, taking our time travelling and seeing whatever sights take our fancy.

Clearly, I would fully service the truck before setting off, all the usual - full oil change, new tyres ( no idea how old the current ones are ), brakes, battery, all fluids, probably new spark plugs and cables, possibly all shocks, parking brake and anything else that might need minor attention.

Question is - would I need to carry a small supply of spare parts with me, and what do you suggest thee might be for a truck that age / mileage? We will have some camping gear with us, and the intention is also to use the truck to sleep in where and when required. Being in Europe, the Expy isn't really that common, so may find it difficult to source parts, hence thinking ahead and possibly carrying a box of most commonly used bits.

Any advice gratefully received. Cheers.

 

[1oldtimer]

If it were me, I would carry an extra belt and at least one if not two COP's. I would also get a least a cheap code reader in the event something does go wrong. A small selection of tools (sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers). An assortment of fuses. MUSIC for sure And not sure how far apart gas stations can be on some legs of the trip but maybe a jerry can for gas. Buy a Bison 63" roof rack from Amazon for $135. I PURCHASED ONE AND LOVE IT. Well worth the $135. Easy to put together and good quality. Doing everything you listed is a great start to an enjoyable road trip.
Just a few things I can think of right off.

 

[nottmbantam]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do actually already have a code reader and basic tool kit of my own, as well at the one supplied, so got that bit covered.

Will take a belt and fuses. Pardon my ignorance, but what is a COP?

Hadn't considered a roof rack, but might be an idea to store the camping gear on top rather than inside. I think I'd need ladder

Cheers.

 

[1oldtimer]

The COP is the coil over plug.
As far as needing a ladder goes, I just use a milk crate or standing on the running boards.
I wish I was making that trip. It looks like a lot of fun and great scenery as well as fun times.

 

[docraymund]

Coil on plug. Bring extra fuel pump assembly and fuel filter. Also a repair manual. And a MAF sensor cleaner. Brake fluid, trans oil, trouble light, 12v tire inflator, extra radiator hose, wd 40, extra brake pads, air filter, spare bulbs and maybe duct tape. Also a multimeter and a test light. Good luck! Have a safe trip!

 

[nottmbantam]

Thanks guys for the advice. Again, I have a good quality air compressor (ARB) for when I used to take the Wrangler and Xterra out into the desert. Will add the list of items to take with me.

Another question: the truck is currently on 20" wheels, but I noticed the spare is on an 18. Will the spare wheel holder accommodate a 20" ? Not checked that bit so far. Thanks.

 

[Flexpedition]

Pack light. You are traveling some 4,000 miles, which the Expedition has already done 25 times. I'd fix whatever is causing the TPMS trouble, but for roadside emergencies I'd pack not much more than a credit card. There are very few places on the planet where UPS, DHL and FedEx can't deliver a package in 24 hours and most, if not all of the more than 10,000 Ford dealerships worldwide ship.

Fairly common for 20" wheels to have a smaller spare that uses a less expensive steel wheel. The sidewall aspect ratio on the spare tire makes up difference. Check and you should find the overall diameter to be the same. But yes, a 20" spare will fit in the well. I just wouldn't subject a set-matching alloy to it.

 

[nottmbantam]

Thanks for the advice Flex, makes sense to me, I'm all for travelling light!

I did think of trying to get hold of a 20" steel wheel ( is there such a thing these days) and keeping that as the spare, with same size aspect tyres. I'd look at fitting new tyres all round anyway before the journey.

 

[Habbibie]

If I was told I needed to go on a 4000 mile trip right now I wouldn't do much, just a oil change and fill up the gas and maybe a spare headlight bulb and go. My car is up to all its maintenance and if yours is too then there's your answer.

 

[1955moose]

As far as the vehicle, how much can you do on the road. If it was me and I had a 4-5 year old vehicle, I would probably replace all hoses and belts before trip. Same with any other services that were due, or close, bring a full set of wrenches and sockets. Extra oil, coolant, trans fluid. A heavy duty floor jack, wouldn't want to depend on Fords bottle jack. And make sure you've got the longest tow plan aaa offers, just in case. Oh yeah, food, water, blankets, you never know.


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[ExplorerTom]

It's got 100,000 miles. It should be good to go if it's been taken care of. Put gas in it and hit the road.

Are you planning on sleeping in the truck or hotels?

Take pics of the journey and share them with us less fortunate people.

 

[1955moose]

Saudi Arabia in March, is like April in Paris! Take plenty of pics for Tom and me, I live vicariously through my forum members


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[nottmbantam]

It's got 100,000 miles. It should be good to go if it's been taken care of. Put gas in it and hit the road.

Are you planning on sleeping in the truck or hotels?

Take pics of the journey and share them with us less fortunate people.

I'm not a technical or mechanical expert, but it 'feels' like it has been taken care of. I've driven plenty of used SUVs here in Saudi and this is by far the best driver. I did take the car for a pre-purchase inspection, there were a couple of minor items that need attention, will get around to that this weekend. Parking brake, rear right shock, wheel re-alignment.

In terms of sleeping , it'll be a case of a bit of both. I had owned a 1996 GMC Suburban and would have loved to drive that back, but the major drawback is that the third row seats don't fold flat into the cab floor. A - I didn't want to remove them and I'd still have to carry them around eg on the roof, and then B - didn't feel that confident about driving a 20 yr truck across that distance.

Once of the main reasons for an Expy EL was the total flat floor space which will be used for beds. I have a couple of camping foam mattresses that fold up quite neatly for storage, so it will be mix of sleeping in the truck, camping and hotels.

Saudi Arabia in March, is like April in Paris! Take plenty of pics for Tom and me, I live vicariously through my forum members

We're just hitting winter here now in Saudi and the temperatures are ideal. Around 25c in the daytime and lows at night around 14c. Perfect.Such a relief from the painfully hot summers.

By the time we arrive in Europe next April, it should just start getting warmer.

I'm taking handwritten notes at the moment of all the planning, but will intend on maybe writing a blog or at least setting up a Twitter / FB account to post progress.

 

[wadesdad]

I have a Lincoln Navigator with similar mileage and wouldn't hesitate to drive long distance at all. Remember, they are essentially an F-150 with extra seats. By that, I mean they are identical in many ways to the rugged work trucks that are used day after day in the worst environments with few issues. At no point on your trip will you be particularly remote. I agree all you need is 2 coil on plugs, a code reader and a quart or two of oil along with anything that would make YOU more comfortable in the unlikely event of a breakdown. Leave the spare as-is, but make sure you try to remove it once prior to your trip. It could be quite stressful on the side of a highway to try to figure out how do drop the spare if you've never done it before.

 

[1955moose]

Make sure the spare is inflated fully. You wouldn't want to find out it's flat, out in the boonies.


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[nottmbantam]

Thanks for all the replies. Have sorted the TPMS issue - it was literally a case of needing more air.

On that point- I inflated to around 40 psi - the light went out and remained off so it seems the sensors are all in tact. But, I did notice that the ride was much harsher, so have deflated now to around 36 psi on the front, and about 38 on the rear. As mentioned earlier, it's running on 20" wheels, with a lowish profile tyre, so I think that gives it a bit of a hard ride quality. Feels a little better with softer tyres.

As for the road trip, its still on the cards, but am looking at alternative routes, trying to look at what's safest and takes in as many interesting places as possible.

 

[1955moose]

Yeah 20 inch tires do ride rough. My SUV is ok when you first start off, but the ride gets choppy as the tires warm up. I installed new oem Ford shocks, and new Ford springs. Low profile tires, mine are 50 profile, just don't have enough rubber to give a cushy ride. On the plus side, their much better around corners.


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[nottmbantam]

Yeah 20 inch tires do ride rough. My SUV is ok when you first start off, but the ride gets choppy as the tires warm up. I installed new oem Ford shocks, and new Ford springs. Low profile tires, mine are 50 profile, just don't have enough rubber to give a cushy ride. On the plus side, their much better around corners.


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Yup, that's exactly the same as mine- starts off nice and smooth and then gets harsher. Will check the profile of the tyres tonorrow. Before the road trip, I'll be putting on a new set, just wonder what the biggest profile i could get on a 20" onto the Expy - any ideas?

 

[1955moose]

Their are conversion charts online. Keep in mind for each profile you go up, say 50 to 55 or 60, you also will have to go smaller on section width. If you go too thin, you'll be exposing your rim. Usually the top tires like Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, have the quietest ride. Unfortunately they also have the highest price tag. My SUV is sporting street tires 285/50 r20 tires. These vehicles are heavy 5800 to 6000 lbs. their hard on tires, and suspension parts. Good luck.


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[nottmbantam]

Checked the tyres, they are 275/55/20. Will see if I can the conversion charts. Probably want to have a check of the suspension parts too. Thanks for tips.