To beater truck, or not to beater truck

"Cash Rewards" (cashrewards)
09/25/2017 at 10:33 • Filed to: None

That’s the question OPPO. So, my wife thinks we should get a beater truck. I’m not convinced. We would’ve used it about half a dozen times this year and last. I think we’re mostly done with house projects that a truck would facilitate, but I would’ve said that last year too, and been wrong. If nothing else, we get the truck and I run out of major house projects, for a win? I’ve always been of the school of thought that you don’t want a truck, you want a friend with a truck. But I got no friends with trucks.

I don’t think we’ll come out ahead financially compared to just grabbing that crappy home Depot truck for twenty bucks, but we needed it last week and they didn’t have it. So, she’s right that it would more convenient. So OPPO, is the convenance of a beater truck worth the cost? Looking at something like these

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DISCUSSION (37)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:43

Trucks have good resale value and people always want them, so should it become a financial burden you can at least easily get rid of it. I cant see any downside to having the usability of it, especially if it will end up being a decent backup daily driver too. Saves rental car costs when the primary is down!

Nothing > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:45

Yes. Because if you decide you don’t have a need, you can most likely flip it for at least what you paid. The two you posted look pretty clean.

I’ve said all along I wish I had done my car situation differently a couple of years ago. I should’ve kept the FoST and flipped the Miata for an older truck.

Cash Rewards > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
09/25/2017 at 10:47

And that’s exactly where we’re at now. Took a couple extra days in the shop, so scrambling with a rental

adamftw > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:48

That 6.0 is CHEAP. It must have like 300,000 miles on it. But it sure is good looking.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:49

Yup, thats why I picked up my Neon. I definitely understand the value of having an old beater laying around. And if I had a house, a truck in that role would make even more sense.

Cash Rewards > adamftw
09/25/2017 at 10:53

Found a Tacoma for CHEAP with 700000 miles. Wife said “that’s gotta be a typo, right?”. Not for that price, sweetie.

RutRut > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:55

As much as the land of Oppo tends to dislike truck people and start the “just buy a utility trailer” argument, having a truck is super nice. It just has a tendency to be highly convenient for a lot of different things.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:56

I could use a beater truck. We’re now getting into some heavy house projects and a truck could be useful. On top of that I don’t have a good place to dump leaves/clipping but the town has a special place for it. we also have to take our trash to the dump. Both places requires a sticker so i can’t just rent a truck.

Friends with trucks dont want to be your moving service every weeke.d

Also consider insurance costs.

adamftw > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 10:59

LOL

rillweid - Now with more TRD and less TDI > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 11:08

If you have time/willingness, you could also rent your beater truck out on Turo to lower the cost outlay.

deekster_caddy > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 11:23

I think you are better off having a small trailer sit around - much less maintenance than a whole other vehicle. I have a large flatbed trailer that can also be used to haul cars, it’s great for lumber runs or compost runs or whatever...

Pickup_man > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 11:26

I’m always looking for a reason to buy another truck, but then I’m not known for being particularly practical, and I love trucks so.... maybe don’t listen to me.

Realistically though, if you’ve been getting by with renting/borrowing trucks, and you don’t have a lot of projects requiring a truck, it might not be worth it unless you have the money for a spare/beater vehicle to sit unused a lot of the time. Then again, having a truck is super convenient. Even if you could do something with a car, it’s sometimes just much easier and nicer to take the truck. You might find yourself using it more than you think, and doing more truck activities. It’s up to you to decide if that’s a good thing or not.

That probably wasn’t very helpful. In my heart I always say buy the truck, but the realistic part of me says go with what you feel.

Cash Rewards > Pickup_man
09/25/2017 at 11:29

User name checks out.

We got the space to street park, do it sitting isn’t an issue. The thing is, I’ll say we don’t have a need, and another year comes and goes and it would’ve been nice. But next year, we definitely won’t need it, right? And so it continues.

nerd_racing > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 11:36

Just get a small trailer. Much cheaper than a beater truck and takes up less space.

E92M3 > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 11:40

Those are too new. Here is my beater truck. It’s easy to maintain, doesn’t depreciate, it costs $90 a year to insure, and $20 for the tag. Less than $10 a month to drive! It doesn’t make sense to NOT have one. Everyone of you should get one!

Kinja'd!!!

Quadradeuce > deekster_caddy
09/25/2017 at 11:46

This is the correct answer if you have the space and the ability to haul it.

For my business we need to deliver 5,000lbs of goods to jobsites. So we bought a flatbed truck. After a couple of years, we calculated our costs, which include insurance, registration, fuel, maintenance, etc. It was grim. So we sold the truck and had a custom flatbed trailer made that could be hauled by my pickup truck. Registration & insurance are super cheap, maintenance is minimal, and it costs about 5mpg to haul it around.

So I would highly recommend the trailer route. If you don’t have a massive weight requirement, trailers can be pretty cheap. Our custom 16' trailer, which we spec’d in all aluminum, was about $5500. In my area, a 5'x10' trailer that hauls 1,800lbs sells for $1400 brand new.

Cash Rewards > E92M3
09/25/2017 at 11:47

That’s gorgeous. But probably also not cheap to get in running condition.

Pickup_man > E92M3
09/25/2017 at 11:57

I hope you’re joking because that’s one of my dream trucks and in no way would I consider that a beater. I’m glad you’re using it as a truck, and not pampering it, but that in no way is a beater.

shop-teacher > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 12:02

If you’re really only going to use it half a dozen times a year, then just get a utility trailer. If there are other uses that could make it worthwhile, like a backup daily driver, camping trips, etc, then it’s worth considering.

deekster_caddy > RutRut
09/25/2017 at 12:14

I recommended a utility trailer. It’s not that I dislike trucks (okay, I dislike bro-trucks but that’s different). I have always had extra cars/trucks around. If it’s not your DD, and you just pull it out on occasion, there is always something to fix on it. I’ve also always had a trailer, and have found more occasions to need the trailer than the truck. As long as you have something that can pull it, the utility of having a trailer is hard to beat. There is much, much less maintenance to do to a trailer that sits around a lot than a truck that sits around a lot.

Needmoargarage > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 13:06

My experience with a beater truck is that you spend just as much time working on it as you do using it (assuming you buy it with the intent for use during the occasional project).

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 13:19

I’d take the Silverado in a heartbeat for $3900.

Lokiparts > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 13:21

But those aren’t “beater trucks...” Those are fairly clean former work trucks....

This is a beater truck...

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/d/1-owner-1997-gmc-1500-pickup/6295690658.html

Cheap, quasi-disposable, a bit crappy on the outside but reliable on the inside. The joy of a beater is that it’s crappy. It’s the kind of vehicle where when someone door dings the shit out of it you just shrug and carry on with your day. It’s cathartic to drive a vehicle that you don’t care the least bit about its appearance.

E92M3 > Pickup_man
09/25/2017 at 13:23

It’s rather photogenic. It doesn’t have any rust, but the paint isn’t the greatest (cracked, flaking, scratched). It’s has good bones, but definitely won’t win any awards. I don’t exactlly beat on it, but I did use it to move, get loads of mulch/pine straw, haul junk tenants leave behind to the dump, carry lawn equipment, etc.

E92M3 > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 13:27

I bought it running for $5000. Sort of.. I had to put a new carb on it, new fuel lines (just the rubber parts), tires, etc before I could drive it very far. I have probably $6k into it after putting a headliner in it. 3 years later it’s still worth that if not a little more.

Better than buying a $12k truck that will be worth $7-8k in 3 years.

Lokiparts > deekster_caddy
09/25/2017 at 13:55

I beg to differ. I have a old s-10 as a beater truck and I haven’t spent a dime on maintenance on that truck in the last 3 years. It only gets driven like once a month or so and I probably only put gas in it something like once a year... and it has yet to ever need a full tank. It probably needs an oil change sometime in the near future but other than that it’s the very definition of low maintenance. But every time I need it its ready to go and has never failed me. Plus adding it to my insurance actually lowered our rate because we got some kind of multi-vehicle discount which was greater than the actual cost of the insurance on the truck.

I used to have a cargo trailer but I find having a small truck around is just so much more convenient. Having a trailer was fine when you are planning to pick something up or haul something, but a truck is so much easier for spur of the moment hauling. Plus if, heaven forbid, something ever happened to my daily driver now I’ve already got another vehicle to get around in without leaving my wife stranded.

For what it’s worth my experience may not be the norm, but I have been far happier and more productive with the truck than I ever was with just a trailer.

Tripper > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 14:05

I opted to buy a truck after renting the Home Depot truck a half dozen times.

A “beater truck” was probably the toughest search out of the 14 vehicles I have owned. The problem with a beater truck is that most used pickups that are “cheap” are really beat. Also trucks, and particularly small trucks are in high demand (the truck tax) so you’ll likely pay over book value.

I spent 4 months looking (mostly at Tacoma’s/Rangers) and considered trucks as low as $2500 and as high as $13000. The biggest problem I had was finding a truck that I was pretty sure that I wanted to buy, only to find out that it was already sold. One was sold on my way to go and look at it!

I finally found and bought a 2001 Ranger Edge, 3.0 V6, RWD, manual trans, with 61k on the clock. I spent more than I wanted to on it, but it is also more than just a beater truck. It’s in great condition and I’ve weirdly fallen in love with it. It’s more or less my dd now.

Pickup_man > E92M3
09/25/2017 at 14:17

It is very photogenic. I’ve always loved those years of Ford trucks, but being from South Dakota the only ones in that good of shape are usually restored trucks, and very expensive.

It’s awesome that you still use it though! Not many people around here would use a truck that nice for actual work.

ethan drives dumb cars > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 14:38

It’s nice having a beater truck if you’ve got the space. Do it! I’ve had two sub-$2k Toyota pickups over the years. Both high miles but pretty reliable. And here in SoCal they tend to hold their value—was able to sell them a couple years later for near what I paid.

Cash Rewards > Needmoargarage
09/25/2017 at 14:40

Yeah, that’s another thing I’m concerned about.

Cash Rewards > Lokiparts
09/25/2017 at 14:42

“needs engine work” no thanks. I’m trying to find the cheapest truck that’s reliable and will require nothing but gas and oil, and the occasional belt.

Lokiparts > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 15:07

Yeah I missed that when I first ran through the ad. But that’s a fair goal. Honestly that Toyota looks like a very decent little truck but personally I would probably feel bad the first time I scratched or dented it because it looks really clean.

Lokiparts > Lokiparts
09/25/2017 at 15:27

How about something like this...

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/d/ford-f/6299881698.html

Or...

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/d/1999-dodge-dakota-slt-ext-cab/6319292977.html

I’m not going to lie I just like having an excuse to search for vehicles on Craigslist. Although the DC Craigslist has surprisingly few trucks for sale.

deekster_caddy > Lokiparts
09/25/2017 at 16:31

I hear you. I used to have something similar. I also have 3 cars around, my DD plus two toys I can drive when needed (one is summer only), so I’m not concerned about having a spare vehicle. (4 if you include my wife’s car). You are lucky on maintenance. Once a month is about the minimum you need to use it to make sure it’s going to work... I used to have to keep my old van plugged into a battery tender to know it would start when I needed it. But when I got one of my cars running well enough to be my tow vehicle, I ditched my truck completely.

E92M3 > Pickup_man
09/25/2017 at 18:16

I bet, even here they are hard to find without rusted out beds. A couple of years parked with rain collecting in the back is all it takes.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Cash Rewards
09/25/2017 at 22:34

I’m going the beater utility trailer path. Just bought the hitch. Makes more sense at the moment than getting a cheap truck and worrying about keeping it running. Just bought the hitch. Gotta get it on the wagon then start trailer shopping on CL.

hedbutter > Lokiparts
09/26/2017 at 09:51

I’m with you, haha. I’m getting rid of my Sierra for a Crosstrek (10/23 delivery) and have been keeping an eye on craigslist for a beater truck for small home projects/general beater truck activities (and also something that i can tinker with so i dont put a ton of unneeded mods on the cross trek). I stumbled on this earlier today, and if the body is in ok other than the besides, i may be finding it sooner than i thought.