1992 740 Wagon - Road Trip Success Tips

[silver740]

Hello. I've received extremely valuable information on this site and thought I'd try and give what I learned on a recent roadtrip to anyone looking to travel (and potentially live) in their volvo. -(specifically wagon models).
*I knew little beyond how to change a tire/sparkplugs beforehand but had to learn a few things along way.

My Car:
-1992 Volvo 740 Wagon (Before trip had around 210,000 miles)*faulty odometer

My Trip:
-Over 6 months from Ky to New Mexico, out to San Diego and back to the bluegrass. (About 6,000 miles)
-Stopped in New Mexico- got job/ cheap apt. for 2 months, saved $, got four new tires, continued
-Other nights slept in car
-Me (6'1") and dog (medium)
-Left with $1500, returned with a few hundred
-We had a great time. If you want to do it, you should.

Pre Trip Stuff:
-Dark (preferably limo) tint in the back
-Valid insurance/registration
-Remove back seats to fold down cargo space (Leave them in somebodies garage for later retrieval)
-General Tools
-Fuses (A gauge variety-pack was useful for me)
-If you have the money, check your tires or at least get a decent spare and no how to change one
-Road atlas
-A smartphone can prove itself very useful

Car Issues Along the way: (Fortunately Very Few)
-Original Alternator went out about 200 miles in. Luckily we broke down across from an autozone in Springfield MO, they were surprised they had one for the model and then I got advice from this site on how to switch it out. (Thanks!)
-Shredded Alt. Belt because I didn't tighten it properly (Luckily wasn't in the middle of nowhere). Learned my lesson.
-Fuse issues
-Severe vibration at speeds over 60mph after about 1,000 mi. Discovered tires were in horrible shape.
-Got job, saved for a couple months, got four new tires, new battery and peace of mind at Independent Volvo Services (Highly recommended) in Albuquerque, NM
-Wacky speedometer/odometer/fuel gauge malfunctions (Resulting in running out of gas and a permanent gas can fixture in the back)

Sleeping Tips:
-Don't be too obvious
-Don't be too paranoid
-Be aware of tow away zones, street sweeping signs, parking pass restrictions, parking lot times, parts of town, incoming weather, border patrol
-Hotel parking lots were good for me
-When in doubt, find a walmart/target parking lot
-Prepare for cold - Get a good sleeping bag, comfortable blankets, pillows
-Stay organized, get rid of junk you don't need. Don't get cluttery
-Alternate sleep sites

Other tips:
-If you want to shower, get a cheap pool pass somewhere (good exercise too)
-Libraries are amazing resources
-Coffee shops have electrical outlets, internet, nice bathrooms
-Coin laundry, thrift stores, cheap healthy food like good peanut butter, honey, canned salmon
-Stock up on new music for the road
-Stay positive
-Get AAA for last resort

Let me know if you want to know anything else.
Thanks

[rgk]

How/where did you get a job in NM?

[WagonLagan]

That sounds really awesome.

I had entertained the idea of living in my Volvo back when the economy first crashed, in case I lost the place I was staying. Surely I didn't think of half the things that you did!

Brilliant insights, thanks a lot for sharing them with us, and I'm glad the Volvo treated you well!

[silver740]

RGK-
I became a basketball official which brought in about $200 a week, and found a part time/seasonal job on Craigslist painting Christmas ornaments which paid per part completed and ended up being fairly lucrative.

It was kind of tricky coordinating getting a job with no residency and a residency with no proof of income.

[silver740]

How/where did you get a job in NM?

RGK-
I became a basketball official which brought in about $200 a week, and found a part time/seasonal job on Craigslist painting Christmas ornaments which paid per part completed and ended up being fairly lucrative.

It was kind of tricky coordinating getting a job with no residency and a residency with no proof of income.