3000+ Mile trip on friday....

[PhilipJCaputo]

I'm going to be leaving for a 3000+ mile trip this friday and was wondering if there were some SUPER obvious things I should do to prepare/bring along (minus what I've already thought of)

I just changed radiator and hoses (all seems to be well so far), but I'm going to bring along what I have left of BMW coolant, and distilled water.

I'm going to change the oil wednesday with some of that mobile 1 0w40 i keep hearing about. What kind of filter should I use???

Bringing a toolkit with sockets and stuff, and probably a jackstand.....

I'll be checking your basic tire pressure, got a AAA member along for the ride....

I just don't want to be in the middle of north dakota broke down wishing I had brought something else.

biggest question, what kind replacement oil filter should I use, and where to buy the oil??

[ryan roopnarine]

what i'd do if i were you (is it 3k round trip or one way).....i'd be more prepared if it is one way.

unbolt and bolt all 4 of your wheels (stud after stud is fine). why, you ask? its much easier to deal with a stubborn stud in your driveway than it is on the side of the road, on the flat tire you have to deal with. if one is sticky, you can put some pb blaster into the hole and turn the studs in by hand until they roll in and out smoothly.

as far as parts

if your belt is ok, i'd still buy one and keep it in the trunk. if you end up not needing it, you can always return it to the store.

i'd pack at LEAST the four basic fuses used in your car, the 7.5, 10, 15 and 30 amp fuse. these may not cause your car to break catastrophically, but i'm sure you will appreciate being able to restore your a/c operation when the ambient temp outside is 95 F.

i'd screw bringing along distilled water and antifreeze and bring at least 2 gallons of tap water. if you run out of water, it won't matter if its antifreeze or distilled or not.

1 quart of oil for top up, especially if its a 3k mile one way trip. it will likely be cheaper to buy it with oil change supplies than it will be to buy it from a gas station in the middle of nowhere.

a can of pb blaster (for breakin the lock on stuck crap)

a hose bandage if you want (its about 9 dollars from lowes)

a headlight bulb (up to you)

screwdrivers and wrenches and such

flashlight

I'm going to be leaving for a 3000+ mile trip this friday and was wondering if there were some SUPER obvious things I should do to prepare/bring along (minus what I've already thought of)

I just changed radiator and hoses (all seems to be well so far), but I'm going to bring along what I have left of BMW coolant, and distilled water.

I'm going to change the oil wednesday with some of that mobile 1 0w40 i keep hearing about. What kind of filter should I use???

Bringing a toolkit with sockets and stuff, and probably a jackstand.....

I'll be checking your basic tire pressure, got a AAA member along for the ride....

I just don't want to be in the middle of north dakota broke down wishing I had brought something else.

biggest question, what kind replacement oil filter should I use, and where to buy the oil??

[MicahO]

some latex gloves and/or hand cleaner, water, paper towels, various tools of your selection, jumper cables, and, of course,

toilet paper!

[1992 BMW 535i]

Washer fluid, lots of bugs on the freeway. And let us not forget basic nutritional needs - Beer and pork rinds.

[ryan roopnarine]

forgot to say.....check your battery water level before you go. THAT requires distilled water.

[Warren N.CA]

planning to do my fuel pump before the trip. I've got 177K, though. If your water pump and T-stat have more than 60K, you might want to replace or at least carry spares.



I'm going to be leaving for a 3000+ mile trip this friday and was wondering if there were some SUPER obvious things I should do to prepare/bring along (minus what I've already thought of)

I just changed radiator and hoses (all seems to be well so far), but I'm going to bring along what I have left of BMW coolant, and distilled water.

I'm going to change the oil wednesday with some of that mobile 1 0w40 i keep hearing about. What kind of filter should I use???

Bringing a toolkit with sockets and stuff, and probably a jackstand.....

I'll be checking your basic tire pressure, got a AAA member along for the ride....

I just don't want to be in the middle of north dakota broke down wishing I had brought something else.

biggest question, what kind replacement oil filter should I use, and where to buy the oil??

[Elekta]

some 2x4 blocks, maybe a small sheet of plywood on the bottom of your trunk for uneven or soft shoulder jacking. old bedspread or serape to crawl under your car on. Any part that you think will break, have in the trunk. gaskets, belts, t-stat, water pump, fan clutch, brake light switch, fuses, bulbs..rechargeable trouble light, 25' power cord, test light, sacrificial poncho.

blue paper towels, hand cleaner, maybe a jumpsuit, road flares, road triangles (with weights to keep from blowing over or away) check that your AAA card is up to date.

Maybe post your itinerary here, so some can give some repair shop locations.

Like in my trip to Marfa, it's helpful to know there's a shop in Van Horn or Ozona that understands e34's overheating issues (I-10 @ 110'F)...gives you some clue to turn around or drive ahead for repairs.

[Tiger]

Cell phone? Fix-a-flat for emergency inflation.

[ryan roopnarine]

fergot something important. if your alternator or voltage regulator hasn't been replaced recently, i (personal feelings) would either check it myself, or have somebody check the length of your alternator brushes. i think this is part of the inspection II (iirc), so if you've had one done at the dealership, you are likely ok. the 50 or 60 that bma will charge you to overnight a new bosch unit will likely be far less than any shop in BFE will charge you to get you back on the road again, and you won't have to endure the headache of dealing with a dead alternator on your trip.

[AllanS]

You can actually get most e34 filters at AutoParts Stores- just call ahead and make sure them have one in stock. It'll be Percolator, but the quality is actually the same as Bosch/Mahle filters that BMA would sell you. I bought one, and it's fine.

They sell oil there too. I would bring:

1 case (6 quarts) motor oil.
1 gallon water
1 towel
Duct tape
Tire pump (you can get 12v powered ones, very nice and very small)
More duct tape

[632 Regal]

Just did that on my car, I dont think even though I figured out how to do everything that I would want to attempt it anywhere but at home. That would have to go to a mechanic and be at their mercy.



planning to do my fuel pump before the trip. I've got 177K, though. If your water pump and T-stat have more than 60K, you might want to replace or at least carry spares.

[mholbrook]

You're gonna need a trailer to take all that stuff, or maybe forgoe the luggage. Do what I've decided to do.....take the train. Just read, nap and watch the world go by.

[Warren N.CA]

I'll take a water pump and T-stat and belts with me. Not that I woul do that work on the road, but so that a gas station mechanic could do it for me, without waiting for parts.



Just did that on my car, I dont think even though I figured out how to do everything that I would want to attempt it anywhere but at home. That would have to go to a mechanic and be at their mercy.

[ryan roopnarine]

not necessarily, my kit packs up quite neatly. convenient thing that i'm cleaning out my trunk today, and its easy to take some pics.
if i go more than 50 miles from home, i'm packing this


You're gonna need a trailer to take all that stuff, or maybe forgoe the luggage. Do what I've decided to do.....take the train. Just read, nap and watch the world go by.


http://plaza.ufl.edu/rroopnar/3.jpg

the red box contains every standard sized tool i own, which comes in handy when working on a metric bimmer :( i only use these when something's stuck, and i need a large drive socket and a std piece to torque the hell out of something.

the plastic toolbox cost 8.96 from walmart, black and decker branding

it contains:

flashlight
3 dollar multimeter
cheap torquewrench
towrope squeezed into the usps box you see open to the left (closed with rubberbands). it saved me 1 tow, so its worth the 4 dollars i paid for it :D
jump cables
d4 brake fluid
spare coilpack and icv
magnetic and grip pickup tool
sundry bungee cords
funnel
breaker bar that used to be for a jack :D
500 ml naya bottle filled with 10w40
500 ml naya bottle of atf


the box tray contains
canadian tire multi bit screwdriver (no set that i can find in the US seems to come close to how useful this thing is, worth the 11 cdn (and the trip up there to get another one) that i paid for it
50 feet of telephone wire (for tying crap)
allen socket set
torx socket set
BRAke fluid bleeder
masking tape
glass expdy
refurbished voltage regulator that i replaced fromt he car
sandpaper
flathead that fits the bleeder perfectly
12 foot lenth of aquarium tubing (for slow siphoning over filled tranny)
lock graphite
plug chaser
5-10 millmeter wrench set
clear silicone and orange rtv seals tubes

the side containers to the lid contain

30 assorted fuses
elec. tape
teflon tape
blower resistor i haven't installed yet
zip ties
vacuum line lengths
12 exhaust headewr bolts
little crap too hard to remember
serpentine belt

1 headlight bulb
unkle bentley :)
1 gallon of water in a hard plastic bottle (this is important as the normal distilled water bottles will burst, pop at the slightest provocation. then, all you are left with is an empty bottle and a curious leak coming fromt he drain hole in the trunk

not pictured--my chineese socket set (disposable, of course)

oyther crap i don't remember

oh, and its not too heavy either

http://plaza.ufl.edu/rroopnar/P1110016.JPG


about the weight of an malnourished 18 year old girl, lol

with this , i can put up an admirable fight before i have to call a towtruck, which doesn't usually happen if i have this! pack into the recesses of the spare, and this takes up a minimal amount of room while packing a hell of a lot of reassurance.
oh, and if i were you, and wanted to bring along a lot of spare oil like allan suggested, i'd buy a 5 qt thing of walmart house brand for $4.22, more convenient than taking six sep bottles. also, if you wanna carry more water, you can get some little evian sized b ottles and fill them up and carry them under the seats so they don't take up good usuable room elsewhere.

[mike wong]

same day shipping.....

[Evan]

I say just wing it

[rickm]

I keep a bunch of tools in the forward part of the trunk...if you lift the bottom up, in front of the spare tire there is a little well that's perfect for tools and what not. Another useful item is the BMWCCA guide that lists all of the members according to state/town and what they can offer you. A fairly handy item.

[PhilipJCaputo]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

Here is my tennative intinary starting Friday (23rd) around 6pm (after I get off work)

Friday: Dayton Ohio, to Braidwood Illinois (suburb of a suburb of chicago & stay with family)

Saturday Morning EARLY: Drive to Medora North Dakota (its like 1200 miles, and I'll mostly be going along 90 or 94 through the twin cities, and fargo then to the far west side of north dakota)

Sunday: Visit with more family, hang out in the area of medora (there is some big national park there)

Monday: Make a stop off at Mount Rushmore on the way to Douglas Wyoming (town where I grew up) Again More family visits

Tuesday: Do some wyoming stuff, maybe ride a horse or something

Wednesday: to Rawlings Wyoming (where the state penn is) Visit grandparents (no they are not in the penn)

Thursday: More grandparents

Friday: Rawlings to Denver Colorado for a wedding that weekend...

Sunday: Start the drive back to dayton ohio (after the wedding) Sleep at a rest area or something

Monday: Continue to dayton ohio

Tuesday: Go to work :(

I figure it'll be 3500 miles by the time its all said and done.