Houston to San Francisco

[aero_sam]

Hi,

I am relocating from Houston to San Francisco, and intend to drive my car. I intend to carry two suitcases (each weighing ~60 Lb) with me as my other stuff will be taken care by some other means.

I have a few things going around in my mind on which I would to have some feedback viz:

1) I have an old car - 2003 Hyundai Accent (1.6L engine) with 90K miles on it. Is it advisable to take this car on this long one way journey (~2000 miles)?

2) Which freeway should I prefer: I10W or US 287 & then I-40W. According to Google maps, one covers same number of miles in both options and in same time. So the question is
- 2a. Which freeway has less tendency for jams (usually)?
- 2b. Which freeway may be comfortable/safe for driving this small car? Some freeways have higher speed limit/more lanes while some have hilly terrain.

3) How should I prepare my car for this trip besides getting oil change, and checking fluid levels before starting for the journey?

4) Any pointer on how much weight should I carry considering that the car has 4 cylinder 1.6L engine?

I look forward to your feedback, and I very much appreciate it.