I should say, that the "trip" the wife and I take religiously, and annually, will happen regardless, but..........

Since I bought the 2009 F-150 "used," with 40,000 miles on it, .........I'm wondering whether to put it thru that trip. I don't really have another option, so the question is kinda "mute."

That said, I have owned it for a few weeks now, and it seems to be operating very well. No sign of overheat, shimmy, shake, etc.. No weird undefined noises........I have every reason to believe it will be "fine" for the trip (1500 miles one way).

What criteria do YOU put, in a situation like mine, to decide whether a vehicle is right for such a trip (CT to FLA)?

I took it on a trip to Rhode Island recently, (which is not an uncommon trip for us, btw), for the very purpose of gauging its behavior on a longer jaunt, and it did fine.

-Soupy1957

 

It truck is running as designed, fuel ecomony is in line and all maintance is up to date then away you go.

40K miles in todays motors is nothing. You have at least 200K more with proper maintance.

 

In my case, I prefer our SuperCrew as opposed to the wife's sedan for long trips. Reasons: more room, more presence on the road, better vantage point, etc. Only downside is the fuel economy, but I didn't buy it to be efficient.
I like to check my service intervals before long-ish trips. Just so that I don't come upon needed service while I'm on my trip. I'd rather my local shop perform maintenance a bit early, rather than some stranger in the middle of my trip. Check your levels, tire pressures included (don't forget the spare), keep a roadside kit in the truck (mat or towel to kneel or lay on, air compressor, tire plug kit, spare Qt. of oil, etc.).

As Senix eluded...that mileage should be just fine for any vehicle that is kept in proper running order.
Enjoy.

 

Well, I'm "due" (apparently) at 40,000 miles for a Tranny "Flush".........don't know if I would let THAT stop me.

"MPG" on the trip to Rhode Island was 20.5.

-Soupy1957

 

tranny flush at 40k for a 2009. I dont think i had mine done until i was atleast 75k.the way i choose a vehicle for a long trip is trust. i trust my truck for a trip over my wifes yukon. not that hers wouldnt make it. she drives it everday just fine, but i have more trust in my own truck. I know how it acts in different situtions and know when somethings not right.

the last long trip we took was about 2 years ago from houston to branson, missourie (650 miles). drove straight through 11 hours. we took my 2009 that had about 70k miles on it at the time. the truck never had any major work prior. just regular oil changes, brakes and tires. no trans flush, coolant flush, diff flushes. never had an issue with the trip. but a 650 trip for that truck was nothing. I put between 700-800 miles on it every week.
I think you will do just fine with your truck and hope you have a good time.

 

I a little confused on why there is any concern about taking a truck with 40,000 miles on a trip unless there is a known issue. I wouldn't think twice about it.

 

i agree ... you go a new truck as far as i'm concerned.

if you are going to need an oil change before you get back, change it now.

then turn the key and then enjoy the trip.

would i make that trip in the wife's 97 cavilier? (220k) no
would i do it in my 94 escort? (155k) no
in the wife's 2002 outback (95k) .. you bet
in my 2000 exploder (156k) ... sure, i'd even pull the pop-up.

pack up and go! worry not and enjoy the trip

 

40K is nothing unless you know something needs repair. I've been doing 800-1000 miles trips with trucks that have over 200,000 miles on them (5.4 engine) with no problems, just do your PMs. If it's going to break along the way, it will break doing local runs. Drive and enjoy.

 

The 2009 F-150 with 5.4L and 4.6L 3V V-8's use a 6R80 automatic transmission. This transmission holds 13.9 quarts of MERCON LV ATF.

Mercon LV is good for a 150,000 mile service interval. You sir are a loooooong way from needing a transmission flush.

In fact, your first major maintenance will be a coolant flush at 100K miles.

Drive the damned thing like you stole it and enjoy your trip my friend.

 

EXACTLY!! My sequoia has abut 145,000 and I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere!! 40,000 miles is just barely broke in. If the truck has had no serious issues you shouldn't even worry..besides that's what tow trucks are for if it should come to that.

 

My '02 E150 with 108k miles would go from Detroit to California tomorrow if I had the means and time to take such a trip. Trip miles are super easy on a vehicle; the engine hums along, trans does very little, brakes are not used. There is the million mile van guy who got a 1997 Ford van with a 5.4 up to 1,299,000 miles before the engine finally puked and died. You can bet he was taking trips for every day of the time he owned it.

Good luck,
George

 

My '09 is pushing 120K, and I would take it on a cross-country trip in a heartbeat. Fill it up, check the fluids, check the tires, good to go. And it's used for emergency response as well as lots of highway miles. When it reaches an age or mileage where I'm no longer comfortable going cross-country in it, you'll find it on a dealer's lot somewhere... and I'll be driving a new Ford truck.

 

lol, is this a joke? 40k really?

 

No known issues with the truck. I honestly am not joking though. It was brought to my attention that the "Tranny Flush" and some sort of "rear differential flush" (or something like that; I just don't recall at the moment) was "due @ 40,000 according to manufacturers Service intervals," I figured it was valid.

I DIDN'T open my Owners Service Manual to see if that was correct. Perhaps I should do that, eh?! (lol).

But ya'll are right. With no known "issues" and only 40,000 K on the Odometer, my tendency is to trust the vehicle.

Here's the thing.........(example)........my dad is a VERY overly cautious person. He bought a Chevy Malibu one time (1973?), "new" (I believe. Unusual for him to buy "new" but I believe it was, in this case), when we were in Maine.

He moved us (I was still in High School) to CT and drove that car for another 2 years before selling it to a mutual friend of the family.

Fast forward about 4 years, and I was looking for a good "used" car, and went to that "mutual friend" to talk to him about the Malibu (which I had heard he was interested in selling).

I knew that my "overly cautious" father (absolutely neurotic about cars, in the sense that he NEVER pushed a vehicle; always drove it overly conservatively; the "granny" scenario), and I knew that this "mutual friend" was rather HARD on vehicles, so I wondered what kind of shape the Malibu would be in.

All indicators were that the car was in great working order..........yet in less than a years time, the tranny blew apart.

Looking back, I developed this theory that, when a car is pampered (babied) like my dad does, and then it's called upon to perform at a more demanding level, it can potentially shock the vehicle's engine, tranny, etc..

This "Certified" 2009 F-150 I bought was obviously used to tow a trailer (size, weight, distance, number of times, unknown). I am not towing squat! Ever, as far as "I'm" concerned. Who knows what strains this vehicle has been under. I'm not babying the vehicle, but I realize I've not put it under the same level of strain as the previous owner.

Lord knows, however, that with a 1500 mile (one way) trip to achieve, if anything is GOING to shake loose, or develop an issue, it's on a trip like THAT!!

It may be true that my little trip to Rhode Island of 175 miles "one way" is not a very good replication of a "long trip" like the 1500 miles coming up in February (one way), but I got a reasonable (and pleasing) feel for how the truck responds after a GOOD warm up of highway miles.

I'm thinking (believing), based on what I know about the truck so far, that it will make the trip just fine. I just have had some experiences with a "used" vehicle, (albeit only 3 years and 40,000 miles) like the one described, and others I could share, that remind me of the potential of trouble.

I know, I know........you could get in a "used" USAir Jet, and have trouble that nobody anticipated, too!! Does that mean I stop flying?! (I hear you ask). But it's not about the trip itself; I've made it a couple dozen times. It's knowing the demands that puts on a vehicle over that amount of time and distance that keeps me very aware of what I'm seeing and hearing from the vehicle, as we travel.

Someone mentioned something about, "if the oil change is due, change it before you go." My next interval is at 43,000 (I change it every 3,000, regardless of synthetic blend or manufacturers recommendations), which will occur on the trip no doubt, since I'm at 41,000 now.
I'm sure I'll be changing it in Florida, based on the numbers.

Call me cautious, and perhaps a bit of a worry-wort, (both true), but I just figured I'd ask the question. My gutt tells me to go and not worry.''

If this was a "new" vehicle, I could worry too! I've had NEW vehicles that completely died on my first "Rhode Island" trip before (full blown computer failure on a "new" Chevy Cavalier, circa 1985).

Experience has taught me that more you reduce your percentage of potential issues, the better off you are, irrespective of the unexpected.

-Soupy1957

P.S.: By the way..........turns out my Owners Manual recommends a Tranny flush after 60,000 miles, not 40,000 (meaning that the guy at Valvoline was either lying to me, or he was reading the wrong info for the wrong vehicle).

 

i think your run in's with 70s and 80s era cars have scared you a bit...they would me too! not a bright era for american cars. not even close.


i would not bat an eye, put the keys in and go! check your fluids change as you need but hell its still a new truck.


my '02 excursion and '98 expedition both made multiple 1,000 mile trips this summer, i never had a worry. checked the fluids before i left and when i stopped for gas but they have never given me any reason to worry so i don't. in the middle of no where alaska hundreds of miles from any form of "city" this could make a person worry.


enjoy the trip, i'm sure the truck will handle and perform perfectly.