I seriously could use your input! i'm about to drive from the east coast to th west coast... repair on my car?

I would sell one car and drive the other,

the cost of the ball, hitch, wiring, and trailer rental to tow would be about what you would spend for a vehicle with 200K miles on it.

(besides, if you are moving to the west coast, your vehicles may not pass the emissions requirements, anyway)

Make sure you take your car to a reputable mechanic... tell them you are getting ready to make a cross-country drive in your vehicle and that you need it checked out. They can check your fluids, belts and hoses and make sure there is no sign of wear and dryrot, if you are due for fluid and filter changes, radiator flush, etc or need tires, you ought to have those put on, as well.

You could likely use the money from the sale of the one vehicle to make sure the other is in tip-top shape for the trip.

The best thing about the East to West direction of your drive is that most of the climb to the Rockies is gradual. By the time you reach, say Denver, you will have gotten to 5,000 feet with mostly low, rolling hills and lots and lots of flat plains.

There is another 5,000 feet, but both, Interstate 70 and 80 are very good roads, with multiple lanes in most sections and plenty of passing lanes and pull outs in others.

Similar situation when you reach the Sierra Nevadas.

Whatever you decide to do about your vehicles, be sure to take your time and don't push them.

I have strong misgivings about using a 200,000 mile old Minivan to tow another car over that distance and over two major mountain ranges.

Preparation? EVERYTHING. Absolutely very piece you or your mechanic can reach should be inspected. And, REPLACE, not replenish all the fluids you can think of.

I don't know about the Toyota, but the Caravan is front wheel drive. The CV joints and shafts are critical.

IF you tow, then minimize the weight of everything else you must carry. Send as much material ahead by freight or something. The towing capacity of the Caravan (which should NEVER be exceeded) is rated for a relatively new vehicle. 200,000 miles later, the car is simply not as strong as it once was. You shouldn't attempt to pack any more than a few changes of clothing and snacks & water. Expect to do laundry along the way. Many hotels and motels have laundry facilities.

Good luck, have fun.

I wouldn't feel comfortable driving the dodge caravan, let alone tow another vehicle behind it.

Better to sell the Dodge and drive the Toyota.

If this is just for a trip and not moving, the Toyota will give you better gas mileage but sacrificing storage space.

Make sure all the belts, hoses, oil and coolant are changed and/or replaced. Change out the air and oil filters and make sure your battery is fully charged and doesn't need replacement.

I hope your tires are in good shape.

It's better to spend the money on maintenance than to pay for it on the road where the expenses and your time will be much more costly.

You would first need to do a through tune up and oil change. With engines over 200,000 miles use the high mileage oil or a good 10-40 wt oil. Make sure your tires are good. Tred wise and not over 5 years old. Have your fuel filter changed as well the transmission serviced. Radiator and heater hoses should be in top notch condition or other wise replace as well as fan belts or serpentine belt and timing belt.

You could tow the Pesao or rent a U-haul trailer to put it on. Realize that towing will put extra Stress on your tow vehicle, so the cooling system need to be in good shape.

On vehicles with the high a mileage I would pick my best one to use and sell the other if I do not plan to come back. This would help lower your trip expenses

I wouldn't try towing. Not with that many miles on the van and definitely not over the Rocky Mountains.

You will probably want to change the oil and check to make sure there are no belts or hoses showing signs of wear, and that the tires are good. Also make sure that there is no problem with overheating. I've taken cars with over 200,000 miles on long trips, and cars with serious mechanical issues on long trips, and I can say that as long as the cars are in good working order you have a good chance of making it. Whereas if the cars have any pre-existing mechanical issues - fix them or you are just asking for trouble.

Don't use either. Seriously. I owned one of those vans and it only had 100,000 miles and it overheated on the hills. No cooling problems either. Both of them are just too old and have too many miles on them. If you plan on making it a two-way trip, rent a car. it would be much better and cheaper and you won't run the risk of losing one in the hills or mountains or just 'cause of the distance. If you plan on taking them and you NEED to tow one, have the van tow the paseo. It's able to do that. Well, unless you have the I-4 engine. Best bet though is rent a car.

Hey Kitten2,

The Caravan may be able to tow the pesao. Check with the owners manual for towing capacity. You will need a proper towing hitch! If it will not do it based on capacities (dealers can tell you), then don't tow.

Maintenance, regular, should be done anyway.

If the minivan is in tip-top condition, you could try towing the Paseo. Good luck when you hit the Rocky Mountains especially if the Minivan starts overheating.

Which one of your cars is in the best shape? Drive that one and sell the other.

EASTC0AST :D i'm a sparkling Yorker ! Its the most acceptable position. you could continuously discover in spite of you want and there is continuously some kind of leisure. although i'd ought to assert, i'd stay to inform the tale west coast, reason i respect the nice and cozy temperature climate all 365 days round.

get good emerency road service coverage , id try your insurance comp , but if all else fails theres aaa, as far as towing for that distance if the caravan isnt the all wheel drive model you will be fine towing the front tires on a tow dolly on either one