I have traveled 150,000 miles in my 2003 Eurovan Weekender and want to make another trip from Maine to Alaska. Routine maintenance, including synthetic oil, has been performed. What do I need to do to assure reasonable reliability on this trip?
Cross your fingers?
Seriously, if you’ve got 150K miles on a Eurovan you must have one of the good ones. Check the fluid levels, make sure the routine maintenance is up to date, and go.
Pleast post along the way and let us know how the trip is going.
“What do I need to do to assure reasonable reliability on this trip?”
With 150k already on this vehicle. Make sure all the stars and planets are aligned correctly on the departure and projected arrival dates (requires a lot of planning, and as previously mentioned cross your fingers, pray constantly and above all plan the route to be within walking distance of a VW dealer. Sorry this is just my opinion from seeing how other VW vans of friends and relative have acted.
Maine to Alaska? “Another trip”? Wow! I’d make sure every maintenance item in the manual is up to date, that the tires (and spare) are in great shape, that all hoses and belts are near-new, that all fluids are fresh, and that you take plenty of equipment for emergency situations in the middle of nowhere.
My snarky answer was going to be “trade it in for a Ford or Chevy van”. You can debate the reliability factor, but at least when one of those breaks down in the middle of NWT, it’s not a 600 mile tow to the nearest dealer.