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Prepared for the Worst, Providing the Best |
A truck is pretty much a necessity for a homeowner. I wouldn't be without one. Mine is a third vehicle, and I only drive it for truck stuff, but I still use it all the time. You definitely don't need 4x4 for rain, and probably not for occasional snow either. As long as you're keeping it on the pavement and not mud-bogging it 4x4 is just added expense and complexity, and inferior fuel economy. If you're hauling stuff out of soggy fields or have to drive on deep snow-covered roads (I'm not talking about plowed suburban streets) on a regular basis then 4x4 has merit. I use my truck for pulling my boat, hauling bikes and kayaks, house projects, and hauling a bunch of firewood out of fields and woods (we heat with wood). It sees a fair amount of off-road use, and we also get snow and ice from October through April around here. All my trucks have been RWD, and it's been perfectly adequate. If conditions are so bad that I think I'll get stuck, I just stay home and wait for a better day to do those things, or park somewhere that I know I can get out. By all means it's ok to get 4x4 if you want it, but don't let it limit your options just because you think you might need it once in a while. Used RWD trucks tend to be a lot cheaper and have fewer issues. ----------------------------------------------------------- Any comments made by this poster are my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. | |||
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His Royal Hiney |
IIRC, you’re recently retired, right? Will buying the truck keep you from eating or having a roof over your head? I’m going to assume you’re level-headed when it comes to finance. You’re retired, you saved your money for your old age and you’re at an old age (relatively speaking). If you can’t enjoy now what your money can buy you, when do you plan on enjoying it? Paying for a truck now can a lot more enjoyable than paying for a bed in a hospice when you’re bedridden. "It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946. | |||
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| Member |
Buy a truck and you will magically start getting friends  | |||
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| My other Sig is a Steyr.  |
If you are looking for a fun truck that you can occasionally haul stuff with, I'd recommend one of these: It would be a lot more fun and nobody'd dare ask to drive it. | |||
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| Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated  |
Subaru? "Someday I hope to be half the man my bird-dog thinks I am." looking forward to 4 years of TRUMP! | |||
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| Ice age heat wave, cant complain.  |
I just picked up a 1st Gen Tundra after searching for approximately 2 years. I had a few opportunities and refused to spend what some people wanted, or didnt want some of the rustbuckets that are out there, but ultimately got what I have been looking for. I dont regret it. I've missed having a pick up. Plus it's a fun truck to wrench on. Just swapped out the rear shocks today. I think if you find one in your price range and it's in the condition you want, you should get it. NRA Life Member Steak: Rare. Coffee: Black. Bourbon: Neat. | |||
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| Green grass and high tides  |
Congrats Mike, those are great trucks if you can find one. And I completely agree with your final point. I have owned trucks my entire adult life. One was my first vehicle at sixteen. I don't recall anyone asking to borrow one. "Practice like you want to play in the game" | |||
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| If you see me running try to keep up  |
Almost everything we have consists of things we do not need. There is very little we have that we cannot live without. If you have the money for it, buy it and enjoy it. | |||
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Member |
Yup, recently retired. I'm still not completely comfortable w/ my finances yet. I think it's sufficient, especially if we don't see any sharp crashes in the next 4-5 years (a small correction up to about 20% is okay; a crash of 50% will be extremely uncomfortable). So, trying to avoid major expenditures for the next 3-5 years. Hence trying hard to keep my 20+ year old car running. Trying to simplify our household - getting rid of stuff while replacing w/ something simpler / necessary as needed. Trying to do some of this while we still can (ie - can move stuff ourselves w/o hiring someone). Another 5 or so years and it may be more difficult w/o hiring someone. "Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book | |||
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| Savor the limelight |
If I recall correctly, you have trouble loading your kayaks. I’m going to suggest a trailer because they are lower than a pickup bed and thus easier to load and unload. We had a handy ditch, a 3/4” sheet of plywood, and managed to get the fridge in the truck. With the ditch on the other end and the plywood, we unloaded the fridge as well. We did use 4x4 to get out of the ditch. Unfortunately, we broke the fridge at some point between taking it working out of our old house, putting in storage, retrieving it from storage, and putting in the new house. A trailer would have been so much easier.  | |||
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| Member |
Thanks. Yes, kayaks are starting to become unwieldy with age (I'm losing muscle quickly). I actually do have have trailer for the kayaks (it's dedicated and purpose built from Malone; an unfortunate and costly decision. I should have gone w/ a more general purpose kayak but in my inexperience, I didn't know how to configure a utility trailer for kayaks at the time). If I could sell the kayak trailer for a decent amount, I could replace it w/ a utility trailer. But I'm not hopeful in selling it, let alone getting a decent price for it. At some point, I'll just sell it all as a bundle. The trailer w/ a ramp door would be nice for loading / unloading. The problem is that I'm not very good at backing up w/ small trailers. It's one thing on a wide boat ramp. It's another thing backing up into a spot at the dump site where trucks are separated by not much more than in a parking lot. I could practice I guess.... But my wife would still have problems. "Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book | |||
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| Member |
Or buy a fancy ($$$) Ford truck that has that fully automated trailer connection stuff... “So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” | |||
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| If you see me running try to keep up |
Understood. I am preparing for retirement in a couple of years and I am sure I would be the same way. | |||
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Member |
I retired 1 Feb 25 (at 62.75). The first thing I did was to buy a 2023 MINI Cooper Clubman. This was so out of character and practice. Everything I purchased had always been at the intersection of need, condition, function and value. That four-way stop sign had for years robbed me of joy. Not happiness. Joy. In years past, my vehicles were always special. For example, I once had a 2006 Buick LaCrosse. Yes, I bragged about the incredible condition, the DOHC engine, the comfort and the MPG. Yes it was a super value at $5K. Yet when I visited my parents retirement community in Fort Myers and saw “my” car parked there, I realized my compromise. I chose to drive to that same stop sign and let those four street names hand me the keys to a car that wasn’t me. The MINI has released me from these chains. In choosing to do something so out of character, to spend more than I ever have, and smiling with joy every time I see it in my driveway, I became aware of how important it is to make decisions about nearly everything in life to bring deep satisfaction. I have seen how little I spend in retirement, and how my fears of running out of money were unfounded. The purchase I made at the beginning of retirement in celebration and in faith continues to show me God’s provision is sufficient for my every need. In your retirement please consider making decisions with more confidence, in less time, and to bring joy to your life.This message has been edited. Last edited by: 4MUL8R, ------- Trying to simplify my life... | |||
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| If you see me running try to keep up |
I am considering that mindset more and more as I plan to retire early. I’d rather be in retirement longer and have to live off less than to retire later, have a bunch of money and never live long enough to spend it. I have seen too many people who work too long then are physically in poor shape and cannot enjoy it or who die before being retired very long. One of my friends retired at 60 and died at 62 in a car wreck. | |||
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| Member |
I'm of the "every household needs a truck" camp. Why not just buy an old(er) truck cash? It sounds like the truck will not be used in a daily capacity so really no need for creature comforts. You can get some pretty good deals on older long beds even with 4X4. Cheaper registration and insurance, easy to work on older carbureted engines and will get the job done just like a newer Tundra/Tacoma. | |||
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| If you see me running try to keep up |
I see a lot of great condition old trucks for sale in Cali. I’m in Texas and used truck prices are relatively high. When I was visiting family in Missouri I looked through the ads for used trucks and I did not see anything worth buying due to rust/corrosion. Not sure where the OP is. I am waiting for gas prices to shoot up again in the next few years so I can pick up a large engine, gas guzzling truck when nobody wants them. I have a few years before retirement to wait. | |||
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| As Extraordinary as Everyone Else |
I’m in the same camp. I actually have 2 pick ups currently but that’s another story… Have you considered a used older Ford Ranger pick up. You can probably pick one up for $10K or less and they seem to run forever. I had one for several years and it was the cheapest vehicle to run that I ever had (except for my current Tesla). Plus they can carry a surprisingly large payload… Something like this.. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/...0082711/NONE/DEFAULT ------------------ Eddie Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina | |||
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| Thank you Very little  |
For the first time in 24 years I and without a Pickup and miss having it, should have just stuck mine in the garage for those times we need one, so I'll be in your shoes when the lease on the new car is up in two years. Absolutely will go back to one, so if you can get one at a great price for a Truck that you like, then why not go for it. JMO, YMMV.... | |||
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Member |
Oh my you're almost talking an antique if carbureted and they take even more maintenance with belts, water pumps, brakes, carburetor with todays fuel, rust, etc. When was the last carbureted truck made? Probably have to be 35 years old or older. You're right though those old ones are easier to work on but they generally NEED worked on frequently. It seems like most truck owners utilize their trucks for a main vehicle so a nice truck instead of car or SUV. Others pick up an old one in addition to their regular car(s) just for the occasional trip to HD etc. The problems with adding a vehicle that won't get used much (besides what it costs) is the garage or driveway space it takes up, another vehicle requiring regular maintenance, insurance even just liability is getting expensive, yearly license cost, and inspection in some states. I used to drive 10+ year old trucks using them as my daily driver. My wife drove a nicer car or SUV that we also utilized for trips. Now, living alone, I have a nicer, newer truck for my daily driver and trip vehicle, plus since I have an extra garage a smaller, sporty, car just for fun. Financially the car doesn't make sense to own. No car is as much fun to drive, as any motorcycle is to ride. | |||
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