Do trucks make sense economically anymore?

Or my tractor will croak and I'll need to transport it to the repair shop.

Or I can go buy one, bring it home, and have my buddy help me with it.

Or to be fair some didn't have the opportunity. I taught myself bicycles as a kid by tinkering and reading, but never learned how to do things on the house. We lived in newer homes, and my dad was one who did it himself..all by himself. He might let you help carry the stuff in the house but that's it.

That said obviously nowadays there's other options to learn of course.

 

I think you should know how to fix things yourself because people are either so stupid or so lazy these days that having a so-called professional do it will just cost you money and they may do a half assed job.

I do like 90% of my bike maintenance myself unless I need a specialized tool that I don’t feel investing in because I almost never use it.

My wife bought new disc brakes for her bike and insisted the bike shop install them and sure enough, they did not properly tighten or lock tite the bolts in the front suspension and the caliper came loose on a trail ride.

edit: at least now my wife understands why I fidget with my bike every few rides.

 

I think part of the problem is the technology has increased so much which has driven up the cost. Most people probably don't need a lot of the features/tech that their vehicles possess but they buy them anyways. Blind spot monitors, backup sensors, cameras, all the electronics...when it comes to performing a job on a job site most of that probably isn't even needed. To keep up with the competition manufactures put theses features in vehicles anyways.

Is it nice to have? Sure it can come in handy but it certainly isn't necessarily responsible to get someone from point A to point B. It's kind of like paying for cable, you pay for 100+ channels and only watch maybe 5 with a price that is a lot more than essentially just those 5 channels.

 

I think the only technology that has come up as of late that is a true benefit is the back up camera.

 

I always suggest to people they should at least have a general understanding of how cars work or have a knowledgeable person to tag in, if nothing else so they don't get screwed by such "pros". I learned that the hard way when a "contractor" built the deck for my pool and a few years later it sagged. Turns out the guy didn't do basic stuff that saved $75 or so.

Your thoughts are solid re DIY unless you need a tool now that you won't need again probably, I'm fortunate to have a good bike shop nearby if needed. Most of my stuff is 80s and 90s so no real tools needed there that I don't already have.

Said this all along, look to my comment earlier here about the rental I had. Sometimes they want them, sometimes the companies add it on everything but your point is solid.

Re cable..I remember when you could just get local channels for $10 a month if you wanted the good reception. Wish I could pick and choose more re channels, I barely watch 10 in a year.

Which even that I myself can live without, though you're definitely right it's a boon to many. I do use the one in my wife's truck at times depending on the situation, not enough that I'd care to add one to my Tacoma but I could.

 

It made sense to buy my new 2011 Frontier 2wd KC for $17.5k.

That’s around $24k today after inflation. Where are the $24k trucks now?

I’m not interested in a unibody sedan with a bed.

 

I paid $19,000 for a 2000 TRD OR xtracab in 2001 with 19K on the odometer. I paid $27,000 for a Brand New 2009 DCLB TRD Sport in Jan 2009. I paid $24,500 for a 2017 DCLB Sport with @ 50k, 4 years ago this week

 

the sedan has 400-500lbs more payload than your frontier

 

Sorry I’m late but $55k for an SR5? Everyone involved in that exchange should be shot on general principle!

 

Would love to see where this $55k SR5 is at considering the SR5 tops out at around $46k with all the packages.

 

But it is essentially a car. It articulates like a car. It’s meant to be a city truck. I’m not looking for a crawler, but I do want something body on frame that it’s not going to lift its tires like a peeing dog.

 

I just had a long think about this. And my decision was to only use the truck for weekend and camping duty.

It was cheaper to buy, insure, and run a third car than it would be to continue racking up commuter miles on the truck - and it's eventual replacement.

 

Guys, nothing makes sense economically anymore. Just go to the grocery store and look at the price tags…

 

and a couple hundred more than 4th gen Tacos.

 

Not quite…Plus 6K more lol

 

A 46k SR5 from a scumbag dealer.

 

I like how the repo man tracker is considered to be a valuable dealer add-on.

 

Best case scenario you don’t even know that the vehicle tracker is there, second worst case scenario they fucked something up when they installed it and it serves as a source of parasitic grain that will flatline your battery if you leave the truck sitting at an airport parking lot for a week and a half, absolute worst case scenario it fucks with the factory alarm or door locks, and your truck either refuses to lock itself or the car alarm goes off when a ghost brushes up against it.

 

You do a lot of articulating off roading in a 2wd frontier?

 

Absolutely. People overestimate the need for four-wheel-drive.