@jt
You’ll have to forgive me. I had my adventures with older cars when young and was never the worse for wear because of it. When I worked as a cop for nine years though, I just did too many accidents with old cars and young drivers to feel comfortable and my perspective changed. I never let my kids drive clunkers, especially 4500 miles. If they took trips, they took the better car. I wouldn’t know how to properly prepare a clunker (20 year old ) for a trip like that . I have seen accidents with old cars where the car broke in places you would never suspect with just a mild collision; even just hitting potholes.
The most difficult thing as a teacher and cop I ever had to deal with, has been loosing kids in auto accidents. I never got use to it, never will and why I come across this way on stuff like this…sorry again.
This sounds like a great adventure! Make sure all the belts and hoses are good, the fluids are fresh, and go for it! The one thing I would be wary of is that a lot of these vans from that era tend to burn a lot of oil and leave a nasty smoke cloud behind them. If the engine is burning enough oil to fog mosquitoes, forget it! If it just burns a little oil, carry PLENTY of extra (like a case) and go for it.
I don’t know how these things are for rust but you might check and see if there is much underneath. I would assume they spray corrosive deicing chemicals in Alaska during the winter but don’t know. You could have like 3 years worth of salt applied in one winter… The last thing you would want is to hit a bump and have some part of the suspension come off the body due to rust.
I would hope you are somewhat mechanically inclined and can figure things out on the fly. I have this trait and this has saved me a few times from the old clunkers I drive as well as my own stupidity in doing things I shouldn’t have done.
If you go through with this, it will be something you remember and can recount to others for the rest of your life. Sometimes the best part of the journey is the journey and not the final destination. You may not be to happy when you blow a tire or bust a tie rod in a pothole but you might meet the most interesting people while the van is being repaired.
Check belts, hoses, tires. Carry some small spare parts that might leave you stranded, and enjoy the trip.
I drove an '07 T&C V-6 that was pushing 400K miles about 100 miles every day for over a year. Like your van, it had a transmission overhaul, but it was nearly 200K back. All I had to replace was the oil, and a window regulator.
If old unreliable cars really enhance memories of the complete driving experience and lend a plethora of memories of the wonderful times you can have while waiting for repairs, all while making life time friendships you can later share these experiences with in your golden years…if all that is true. Just go find an old beat up Yugo with bald tires, . hit every pothole, drive during the darkest night in the slipperiest weather and revel in your thoughts of immortality. “.S”. Or, just smoke some wacky tabacky. ;={}