Sweet....my parents live just up 93 from ya in the big city....
Manual would be a good idea pulling heavy.....and it sounds to me like you would be better off with a SRW then....
There arent a ton of things to look for...check the tires for abnormal wear that might indicate loose ball joints.....check for oil leaks......the normal stuff like that.....and buy a spare CPS sensor to put in the glove box...there is plenty of info on that on here...thats the most common problem with those motors and its an easy fix if you have the part with you.....