If it were not for that " monday night" deal I would invite you to Austin for Sunday morning... TCane will be here and I am sure he has the diesel compression gages...and knows all the other symptoms one might want to look for...

But absent the required time to do that I would vote with the rest who have posted.. change the oil, drive around the block to check for leaks... then carry plenty of oil,water etc with you...

And leave early enough so that you do not have to drive like a bat out of Texas to get there. Check your tires with them stone cold the morning before you leave.. and let us know your route... maybe forum members along the way could post and offer assistance if something happened... Good luck,,, Greg