Thanks for the replys. Just venting really, its all stuff that needs to be fixed any way, I just would put it off longer if i was staying close to home. I also have two months to get it done. The truck has never broke down, runs 195deg on the interstate and I really need to stop being so OC about everything. If I cant drive on a trip with out worrying about it then I just need to sell it and get an LR3. 1500 miles is the round trip, going to the outer banks, looking forward to some sand driving so I hear minivans kind of suck at that.

 

Minivans suck at everything that does not include hauling children.

Now you are starting to get the right attitude, just drive the damn thing, be pro-active on repairs and dont worry about it.
Oh, and move closer to a beach.

 

Yes they do, but also salt water in electrical conectors is not good, so avoid big puddles. On the OBX you can also have puddles of salt water blown up on the roadway. Be sure to stop at the Wright Brothers Memorial, neat tour. The original plane is in the Smithsonian, there is a replica from original plans on display on the OBX. Plus one little postage stamp size fragment of the original plane, in a plaque on the wall, signed by some guys that took it with them. To the moon.

 

This is what full service car washes are for, to wash everything off of the underside of your car with fresh water and soap.
So go have your fun, remember, its just a hunk of metal, once your fun is over spend the $20 and get a full service car wash with the undercarriage wash and dont worry about it.

 

Thanks for the replys! I have proactively replaced about every part that I can find that is a common failure point other then the engine. Threw a new oil pump on it for good measure.
spike, it would be nice to live closer then 12hrs to the beach but, the rolling hills of ky are awful nice...Once I feel like I got everything fixed to par, I really dont think about too much. My wife is about to ban me from the forums since I keep coming up with new ideas of stuff that can fail. We both dont consider a minivan as an option even though we have 4 kids and one on the way, a minivan wouldnt even get up or drive way with out scraping off expensive parts. Thanks buzz for the tips about obx, never been there before and looking forward to exploring the area.
Thanks

 

As a follow up, the autozone CPS is in fact a bosch part and is identical in stamping, part number and color to the original factory part And is a major pain in the rear to change, seriously snug up in there at the connector.

 

If planning to hit the lighthouse on Cape Hatteras, call ahead, they limit visitors and only sell so many tickets a day.

 

Good to know, we are planning on going. Also, would like to check out the buxton woods coastal reserve thats right next to it. I hear there might be some sand/dirt roads running through it? Anyone know anything about this?