"BlythBros." (blythbros)
09/11/2014 at 17:30 • Filed to: None
6
36|
"BlythBros." (blythbros)
09/11/2014 at 17:30 • Filed to: None | 6
| 36 |
For many DIYers, the pickup truck provides essential utility. Find an RX-7 with a blown wankel on Craigslist? You can either tow it home behind a truck, or if you're in a salt state, simply punch your shoes through the floorboards and Flintstone it home. Building a workbench for indiscriminate hammering of car parts in your garage? Throw the lumber into the truck bed and haul it home.
But, for those who don't frequently depend on that level of utility for their livelihood or hobby, is buying a dedicated work truck the best solution? I'll explain my hobby situation, and why I think I managed better without buying, say, a $5,000 work truck.
In the past year, I've been able to complete the following without buying a truck or borrowing one from a friend:
Drive 300 miles to buy a 12V Alfa V6 for my Milano
Tow my Alfa Milano 300 miles when I moved
Drive 75 miles to pick up a 12V Alfa V6 to rebuild for a friend
Tow a 68 El Camino SS 250 miles home after it died in Chicago
Drive 500 miles to bring home the entire drivetrain and subframe from an Alfa 164Q
Purchase lumber for two sets of 8'x8' shelves, and a 16 wheel tire rack
Drive a refrigerator home
Pull my thrashed Alfa Milano off of the Tail of the Dragon
My method? A combination of daily truck rentals, hourly truck rentals, AAA roadside assistance, and hyperloading my car.
The cheapest option for me is hyperloading either my 84 VW GTI or my 14 Fiesta ST. Both have fold-flat rear seats, which make the rear luggage compartment vastly more useful. I was able to load the 350lb 12V Alfa V6 into my 84 GTI with the help of my Diesel F-250 owning friend to transport the engine 150 miles back to my garage. Yes, we left the F-250 home, because 1) the GTI rocks, and 2) a 300 mile trip makes more financial sense in a 30mpg, regular fuel-sipping hatch than it does in a monster truck.
For the 8' lumber to build the various shelves, I made use of the cargo hold on the FiST. Clever tie-downs and proper safety precautions make a small hatch a rather convenient tool for transporting lumber across town.
For certain larger, heavier, or messier items, an hourly truck rental from Home Depot makes more sense. My buddy couldn't drain the fluids from his Alfa V6 before I picked it up, so to avoid trashing my Fiesta, I just grabbed a Ford F-350 from Home depot for 75 minutes for $20. We loaded the engine onto the slick, folding aluminum bed and got the engine home to my garage without any damage to my personal vehicle. In another instance, a refrigerator simply wouldn't fit into the rear aperture of my Fiesta, so I had to rent from the Home Depot again for $20.
For towing, and large items far from home, I rent a Ram 1500 from a car rental outfit at $60 for 24 hours. Coupled with a $40 tow-dolly rental from U-haul, I'm able to run cars from state to state for $100 a car. Using this method, I moved my immobile Alfa 300 miles from Indiana to Detroit in comfort.
When my dad's El Camino broke down in Chicago on the way to Detroit, I got it towed to my friend's house using AAA, then rented a Ram 1500 and U-haul car-dolly to tow it home for repair the next weekend. Now, here I am sort of denouncing trucks, and all of a sudden I've brought an El Camino into the picture. Think of the El Camino as a cheap way to own a Chevelle SS, rather than as a dedicated utility vehicle. Also, ask a truck guy what he thinks of an Elky, and you might agree that my point still stands.
My brother even drove an Alfa 164 front subrame, and everything attached to it – engine, transmission, axles, suspension, brakes – from Knoxville to Detroit on a $60 Ram rental. Just look at the bastard (the truck, the Camino, the engine, or the brother? You decide):
Finally, when my dad thrashed the axle and brake rotor off of my Milano on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , we called AAA to get the Milano back to Knoxville for a patch-up.
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So, looking back on my year so far, I've spent a total of $340 on truck-related expenses. Sure, owning a truck would require less planning, and allow for more leisurely trips, but I am spared from the negative aspects of truck ownership – parking/storage, insurance, maintenance, and in many cases, depreciation. Fuel costs should be about the same in both cases, though that depends on the size of truck. As far as towing and hauling goes, I've had a pretty eventful year, and really don't anticipate spending more than $250 on towing/hauling next year, given that I can keep the Alfa count manageable...
Follow the BlythBros. on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !
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For Sweden
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 17:35 |
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Did you consider buying one of the many, many sub $2000 pickups that dot the USA like used insulin needles?
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BlythBros.
> For Sweden
09/11/2014 at 17:41 |
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Nice trucks, but dub $2,000 hurts the cost per year when it comes to maintenance, I'd wager. Do you think I could do better than $3oo a year in one of those ($300 being my yearly cost - the tow dolly)
Definitely a balance of convenience - would you rather spend time and money on your work truck, or pay for a reliable 2014 ___. I work on my own cars, but the extra money and time for a truck don't make sense in my case.
My mom actually became diabetic during her pregnancy (otherwise not overweight or a poor eater). Nice US joke though!
Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 17:47 |
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I don't care what people think the mini coupe is still my favorite mini.
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For Sweden
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 17:47 |
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You would be doing better than what you consider to be "proper safety precautions"
Tohru
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 17:48 |
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$1500. 86k miles. G63B engine. 5speed. Runs and drives. Needed a little tune work on the carb.
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Tohru
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 17:51 |
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While you can get by without a truck...
... having one around makes things a lot easier.
Nibbles
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 17:54 |
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They may be few and far between, but they are STEALS when you find one. My $900 Dakota is stupendously reliable and, while it hasn't hauled car parts just yet, it's hauled 4,000 sq ft worth of house crap twice, 800 sq ft of hardwood flooring, a ton and a half of railroad ties, rocks, gravel, dirt, sod, and countless other things I'd rather not have in my hatch
BTW yeah I got a hatch too, it fits a full-size fridge. Love it, but trucks are just nice .
ReallyColorful
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 18:06 |
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Great article! Thanks for sharing. Fine collection of automobiles by the way. #Jelly
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BlythBros.
> For Sweden
09/11/2014 at 18:13 |
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Fiesta photo is during unloading.
New trucks do drive pretty nicely, no?
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 18:13 |
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I am impressed. I hauled a V8 in a back of a Caravan once but seeing that thing in the back of a Golf is cool.
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BlythBros.
> Nibbles
09/11/2014 at 18:14 |
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Damn! I'm jealous of your fridge-swallowing hatch. How much is basic insurance on the truck?
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Nibbles
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 18:19 |
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We both have dents on our records so its not the best rate, but I think it boils down to about 40 per month for the truck
Doug DeMuro
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 18:44 |
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No — you would not do better than $300 per year with a $2k truck. You're absolutely doing it right in your current circumstances. Nice Milano by the way. Not surprised you need to find tow vehicles when you have one of those :)
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BlythBros.
> Doug DeMuro
09/11/2014 at 19:09 |
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Thanks on the Milano. I actually bought it from a guy in Atlanta. Check out the red Milano Silver on Philly CL. I know, I know, platinum edition seats on a silver? That's an auto credit limit bump.
BigBlock440
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 19:12 |
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I spent like $3 in maintenance on my $1000 truck this past year to fix an exhaust leak. The previous year I bought tires, so a little more. Insurance is $100/year because I have minimal coverage and only put 2K/year on it. Inspection is $23. So for this year, I spent $126 on a truck with 180K that I've had for 5 years.
DanPadge
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 19:32 |
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I don't have the same good fortune as you apparently. Auto rental places near me limit the mileage way too much to be going across state lines and they often charge extra for you to drop it off at a different location, as does u-haul. They also don't have tow hitches and make it very clear they frown on you towing anything. And with the Home Depot rentals, I can never manage to get from HD to where I need to go, then to my house then to the gas station then back to HD in under 75min even if I'm staying within town borders. Agree on the awesomeness of hatches though! My '88 scirocco with the rear seats out was the go-to keg transporter in college.
The Compromiser
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 19:57 |
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Protégé 5. Had a fun car to whip around. 6 feet from the hatch window to the back of the seats. Lumber, bikes, furnishings, easy. 42" flat screen and the stereo system for it? Puhlease. An entire twin bed and mattress from an Ikea 2 hours away? Nope. JK, the Mrs proved me wrong on that one. Twice.
1200 lbs of car parts? Almost. Chickened out before I started the 2 hour drive. Used dad's pick up. B4400 Mazda 4x2.
The Little Hatchbacks That Could.
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BlythBros.
> DanPadge
09/11/2014 at 19:58 |
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Hell yes to the Rocco. I don't do one way trips - I usually drive there and back in 24 hours. Mileage on the rentals has never mattered where I rent unless it's a Uhaul. Towing is definitely against the rules.
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DanPadge
> BlythBros.
09/11/2014 at 20:10 |
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So do you have a hitch that you've bought and just transfer it between rental vehicles?
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BlythBros.
> DanPadge
09/11/2014 at 20:58 |
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Haha, yes I do.
1995droptopz
> BlythBros.
09/12/2014 at 09:48 |
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Where in the Detroit area are you located? Speaking of Alfas, have you seen this place
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.35024…
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BlythBros.
> 1995droptopz
09/12/2014 at 10:10 |
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I'm in Dearborn. Haha, yes, that's Trail Alfa, and I get a lot of my parts from Dean there. Sometimes I can get certain parts cheaper online, but it's nice to be 10 minutes away from most Alfa parts.
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James
> BlythBros.
09/12/2014 at 10:38 |
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Can you make do without a truck? Absolutely! Does it make financial sense to buy a truck? Not necessarily!
Like anything else, it's preference. I really like not having to deal with rentals and stuffing dirty things (engines, car parts, camping gear, dirt, mulch, bags of concrete) in the back of a car.
I'll also point out, if you want all 4 wheels off the ground, Uhaul charges $60/day for the auto transport trailer, and that shit adds up in a hurry. Granted, a truck wouldn't replace a trailer...
frylawk
> Doug DeMuro
09/12/2014 at 11:55 |
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He cam easily squeeze under 300 a month if he treats it like a Baja bug.
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BlythBros.
> James
09/12/2014 at 12:35 |
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Definitely preference, and I realize that this is just what works for me. If I obviously am ok with rentals, and do think that a truck is necessary in many cases.
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James
> BlythBros.
09/12/2014 at 12:45 |
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And you didn't even make some comment about how ridiculous owning a truck is, so cheers!
Turk
> BlythBros.
09/14/2014 at 13:07 |
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I have also hauled a replacement VW motor (for my other VW) in the back of a $125 (yes, bought running for that price) Mk2 Golf. Possibly ill-advised, but it worked.
I actually miss that car quite a bit though I made many questionable automotive decisions around that time.
RotaryLove
> For Sweden
09/14/2014 at 17:25 |
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I wonder if I'm the only person to realize every word is a link, and then proceed to click on all of them. That jeep is awesome btw.
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RotaryLove
> BlythBros.
09/14/2014 at 17:32 |
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If you're an avid DIYer, Car Guy, or Homeowner I'd say it would definitely be worthwhile to own vs rent. Towing cars often? V8 Fullsize. Hauling lumber, engines, etc, occasional small trailer? Probably V6 midsize, although I'd be willing to bet a V6 full size would drink about the same amount of gas for more capability.
MiniVanNation
> BlythBros.
09/15/2014 at 01:03 |
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A $250 trailer from harbor freight plus one Subaru outback with a #3500 towing capacity equals one small truck
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BlythBros.
> MiniVanNation
09/15/2014 at 13:58 |
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The trailer is an excellent solution.
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957GTS
> BlythBros.
09/16/2014 at 17:32 |
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Uh, the car rental companies I've spoken to (e.g. Enterprise), don't actually allow towing with their trucks. Be careful.
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BlythBros.
> 957GTS
09/16/2014 at 19:27 |
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Just don't hesitate!
kalabaddon
> BlythBros.
09/17/2014 at 16:07 |
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http://www.enterprisetrucks.com/ they rent 1/2 ton and up trucks and "expect" you to tow with them, I know a guy that does the same thing you do but on a bigger scale. he owns a 3 car trailer and just rents a truck as needed. Only draw back is that you need a business license to rent the trucks and have no questions asked when towing, iirc.
The Stig's Rustbelt Cousin
> BlythBros.
09/24/2014 at 11:00 |
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Generally, I'm of the opinion that the majority of people who use full-sized trucks as their daily driver would be better off buying a small commuter vehicle, and using the money they save to rent a truck when they need one. So, I think you're spot-on with this article...
Aside from the times when you really need a truck, but there isn't one available at your local car rental office. Or they charge considerably more for a truck rental, and your truck-owning friends are busy and can't help you, etc.
Sometimes, owning a beater truck as a spare vehicle just makes sense.
Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
> BlythBros.
04/10/2015 at 23:21 |
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I dunno, I got my Ranger for 3k, she had 104k on her when I got her and shes cost me all of 300 dollars in maintenance costs in the 6mos Ive owned her. And all those maintenance costs were due to the truck being 21 years old. Stuff like worn out rubber parts, loose fittings, etc... You know, stuff that should last another 21 years after you replace it? There are good cheap trucks out there.