Pre-travel Maintenance

[Kent_the_Nomad]

I have a 2012 Ford E150 with 150k miles. I plan to start the van life within two years. What maintenance, repairs and upgrades are recommended?

I am changing out plugs and coils, cylinder 4 started misfiring. Figure oil, transmission and rear gear oil replacement. All of the minor normal things.

 What did you do, or wish you had done before you hit the road?

 

[WanderingRose]

I would pull out my owners manual, look at recommended maintenance at the intervals up to your current mileage, and make sure you have hit all those marks.

 

[highdesertranger]

whoa hold off on the coils. You might end up changing out good quality parts for lower quality parts. Very common now a days. make sure the coil is the problem first.

Rotate the #4 coil with another cylinder to see if the misfire moves. If it does replace only that one coil with a Ford coil not an aftermarket unless you are positive the aftermarket is high quality. Never replace parts that are not bad unless it is part of scheduled maintenance.

Highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

For sure the suspension components, BLM and Forest Service roads are often wash boarded and sometimes pot holed. Bushings, springs, shocks and joints need to be in good shape to take that kind of a beating. Steering components too as strong side winds are likely to be encountered. Perhaps an alignment checkup which could include inspecting the structural frame if you are in a rust zone.

 

[bullfrog]

Cheap coils are just that. I bought our car used and some of the coils had been replaced with aftermarket coils already as it had almost 200,000 miles. I bought 8 cheap aftermarket coils for the price of one factory coil as a test as mine are easy and accessible to replace. In 60,000 miles I have used all but one replacing only one original factory coil and 6 aftermarket coils. Factory original parts are well worth it if you can insure that is in fact what you are buying. Even some dealers are selling counterfeit parts sadly.