Start driving it more now and come winter time you'll be comfortable with 500 miles. It's a truck, it was meant to be driven, it was even new once.. so what's the issue?
I'm a big fan of driving what you have, if it runs and stops may as well go for it. One way of thinking is how many months and years and therefore miles do you drive locally without any issue? May as well string them all together and take a trip, it'll be fun.
I drove my 52 1 ton around every day for a couple years but never had it out of the county, no more than 30 miles from home at any time. Then one day a friend and I packed it for a trip to California and back, a week later we were there and in a couple more we were home. Only needed a fan, belt, and a generator bearing... a really great and fun trip we'll never forget.
Otherwise for 500 miles ask some local towing companies (at each end) if they ever have reason to go that way, that you're quite flexible on time and wonder if they can make you a deal towing your truck when they'd otherwise be empty.
Try an ad in the hauling section of the swap meet here.
Just drive it,
Grigg
