4,000 Mile Road Trip Prep @ 95k Miles: 2014 LX

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To answer your question more data is needed: Where in AK and BC will you be driving, i.e. how remote? Will you be taking side trips on trail or is it all highway? What is your tolerance for delays? What is your aptitude for performing repairs on the trail? What is your risk tolerance? Would you be more upset if you payed for an expensive tow and dealer repair or if you felt that you overspent on preventative maintenance?

Without that you'll get all kinds of opinions on what others would do that may or may not apply to your specific abilities, route of travel, or concerns.

That said, while I have very adequate mechanical ability I also have low tolerance for road problems and (typically) have little time to spare. So for me avoiding a breakdown is a big deal and I will always err on the side of doing a PM early than a repair later. In the case of your truck, however, I don't see much on your list that would concern me with only 75k on the vehicle. My primary concerns would be coolant (verify it's actually SLCC an not something the PO cheaped out on) and battery. It's likely that the batt is original if a 2014. If so I'd replace it. And do the oil change. It's a 4k trip and my OCI is 5k, so that's a no-brainer. I'd also bring a Noco jump pack. Brake pads can be inspected externally. If >5mm I wouldn't prioritize replacing before you roll.

My biggest concern for that trip would be to sustain life for several days should weather or an accident. Food, shelter, water, heat, protection. I'd approach if from the standpoint that the vehicle was a complete loss and burned and your bug out bag was all that you had. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I'm assuming you'll come down the Alcan. In that case you'd have help pass by at some regularity. But weather, crashes, landslides, floods, etc. create havoc and in the dead of winter can change an inconvenience into a harsh stay. Or worse. Spare fuel for delays, reroutes, back tracking, and idling would be premium.

Stay safe and post up pics of your trip!

Appreciate it brother.

I drove the Alcan in May of 2017 up to Alaska. I was surprised how commercialized, trafficked, and well kept the highway was.

I appreciate your comments but have the luxury to take my time and manage travel with weather forecasts. I do plan I’m carrying water, food, extra fuel etc in case something does happen. I will be sticking to the road system and not venturing off anywhere into the wilderness.

I will create a thread and document my travels as we get closer.
 
Water, Food, Blankets, 5 to 10 gallons of fuel. Do normal scheduled maintenance and enjoy the drive. Wish I had a reason and time to do it. Have fun.
 
Your list is more than adequate. Most people do 4000 miles in 3 months of normal driving and don't have issues. Big road trips are no different. I'd check tire pressure/condition, brake pad wear, fluid levels, change oil if it's going to be due during the trip, and give the truck a good once over. Then just pack food, water, tools, survival gear, and hit the road. Have fun, sounds like a fun trip! I'd love to do that one day!
 
I am starting to debate doing the starter and WP preemptively.

I will be sticking to the main road the whole way - but really dread being stuck in the middle of nowhere unable to source parts/get to a shop that I would trust.

That's not to say that I trust the only Lexus dealer in Alaska to do the work....either.....

What are your thoughts? 2014LX with 93k on it.
 
Well, I just did mine proactively for that very reason, but I’m at 134k. At 95k I’d bet that you’re good. But you never know. FWIW, it’s not that bad of a job if you have warm dry space and a well sorted tool box.

My worries would be radiator, starter, water pump in that order. Radiator does give a 1,000 mile warning. Water pump should show weepage prior to fail. It’s the starter solenoid that’s the silent killer.

In the next 50k they all will fail at some point so it’s not like you’d be out any money in the long game.

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Just saw this thread and suggest a different view: You're driving a proven vehicle now. Stick with the simple stuff like battery, wipers, brakes if needed, etc. and enjoy the trip! Having the dealer dive deep into a functioning system and replace a proven WP and starter puts you at risk of failure of a new unproven part and/or discovery that the mechanic didn't install or replace something correctly.

For some reason I am reminded of my CUCV back in 1989 that was due for maintenance and we decided to get it done before we went out for a pre-Reforger halfway across Germany. Believe it or not, we made it almost an hour up the autobahn before the rear diff locked up because someone forgot to replace the fill plug...
 
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Just saw this thread and suggest a different view: You're driving a proven vehicle now. Stick with the simple stuff like battery, wipers, brakes if needed, etc. and enjoy the trip! Having the dealer dive deep into a functioning system and replace a proven WP and starter puts you at risk of failure of a new unproven part and/or discovery that the mechanic didn't install or replace something correctly.

For some reason I am reminded of my CUCV back in 1989 that was due for maintenance and we decided to get it done before we went out for a pre-Reforger halfway across Germany. Believe it or not, we made it almost an hour up the autobahn before the rear diff locked up because someone forgot to replace the fill plug...

That's where I was initially leaning. I am going back and forth, though.

I think I'll stick with a full brake job (I can do it myself), oil change, washer fluid, spare wipers, PS flush, and go.

I can do the rest (starter, radiator, WP, plugs) at 120k.
 
If it's aint broken/wear out, don't fix/replace it. A new fresh oil change and tops of fluid is the minimal.

If you do a major repair prior to a long distance trip, make sure you do a pre-run trip. I've seen too many people get stranded because an installation gone bad.
 
Dealer quoted me $950 all in for the starter. Based on quote - they remove exhaust manifold.

Gonna do it and a battery before I go....cheap insurance. It’s -35F at work and I want no part of a truck that won’t start at -20 in the Yukon Territory.
 
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