Trucks & SUVs

[roosterk0031]

Originally Posted by sarguy01

If I had been hunting Iowa deer, I would need to reevaluate my hunting transportation.

I had 3 does in the trunk of the cobalt in December, first 2 I got them in & out before they got stiff, the 3rd one was stiff before I put it in, took a little more work.

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

I had 3 does in the trunk of the cobalt in December, first 2 I got them in & out before they got stiff, the 3rd one was stiff before I put it in, took a little more work.

I could probably squeeze two big does in my trunk, with the tree stand in the back seat. I don't know about a buck with a decent rack, that'd be tough.

I did better in Iowa winters in my SRT-4 with snow tires than I did with my 05 4x4 Ram with Nitto Terra Grapplers. Half the vehicles in the ditch were trucks during the bad storms. I always thought that was funny since people assume 4x4 is so much better. It's not better if you can't follow the basics of driving in snow...

[Joggernot]

Well, I guess I misworded that one!!

[Frank Lee]

Went for my daily constitutional (the walking one, not the other one ) and it occurred to me part of the way to my destination to take a traffic survey of the vehicles passing me. I made two classifications, cars and others which was all pickups, minivans, and SUVs.

First leg saw 90 trucks and 57 cars = 39% cars. Second leg saw 110 trucks/55 cars for exactly 2:1 when I stopped counting, because that leg had been running pretty much 2:1 the entire time.

Perhaps if I do another survey before nightfall I can count how many zombie drivers have phones stuck to their heads.

[Goldenstate]

Frank has a very good observation on the ratio of trucks to cars on the roads. I just completed a 5000 mile road trip from Ca to Indiana and return in 8 days. During that time I had plenty of chance to see what America is driving. Almost never saw a Prius outside of a major city. Did see one on an auto hauler in the middle of Wyoming. Many times all that was in view outside of major cities was big OTR trucks and standard size pickups. More interesting was the increasing number of big OTR trucks with aerodynamic tractors. The amount of trailers with aero skirts underneath was about 50 percent.

In all cases, no matter where we were, the use of cell phones while driving was alive and well. Signs in all states claimed it was against the law to drive and use a cell phone, but we live in a society where risk taking seems to be acceptable at 75 or 80 MPH.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by poomanchu

Good for you. I think you want a pat on the back or something? Who cares that you cannot fathom that different people may have different tastes or requirements than you.

Different strokes for different folks. Don't be so hasty to judge.

Whyever not? You are - hasty to judge, that is.

Now about those requirements... One of those shiny new trucks might cost say $30K (more, with the interest on the loans most of their buyers have to take out). So my $2800 Toyota can do anything the new truck can, I don't worry about scratching it or getting the bed dirty, and - remember we were discussing house payments? - I can make my house payments for over two years on what they spent on the fancy truck. So assuming similar income &c, which one of us is going to be the first to lose his house and go looking for a taxpayer-funded bailout?

[user removed]

No house payments, haven't paid interest in decades unless it was to finance the construction of a new home, which I built myself, even drew up the plans myself, and made $100 per hour.

Just replaced the original timing belt on the Ranger as well as the serpentine belt and idler pulleys, at 130k miles. I paid $1650 for it a year and a half ago. 300 miles since 1/8/14. A third of that today.

Bike insurance bill came in today. less than $100 a year. I like my ugly, faded, dented up and beat out truck. My fashion statement is "This is all I want to risk driving around with all of you idiots". Go ahead make me a new dent, I'll collect the money, bang it out myself, and if the estimate is high enough, might even get it painted, ON YOUR DIME.

The following comment was NOT directed at forum members, but at the stupid drivers around here.

That reminds me, it's time to try another one of those Oreilly blower motor resistors, this will be the third, lifetime guaranteed, I guess I just live too dang long.

regards
Mech

[user removed]

I saw a Subdivision (Frank's term for Suburban) on the auction list with 432,000 miles.
That's about $100,000 in fuel costs (todays prices) alone. I'm sure the neighbors were impressed.

regards
Mech

[Frank Lee]

That's about $100,000 in fuel costs (todays prices) alone.

That's an interesting metric that almost never gets any consideration.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Go ahead make me a new dent, I'll collect the money, bang it out myself, and if the estimate is high enough, might even get it painted, ON YOUR DIME.

Yep. Paid $8500 for the Insight, collected a bit over $7K insurance from the idiot that rear-ended me (stopped in a line of vehicles in a left-turn lane), spent at most $500 on DIY repair. I figure one more idiot, and I'll be ahead :-)