OT New Truck

[Markem]

[Markem]

But of couse anything you want sir.

[Scott Lurndal]

My 1998 I30 is still running strong (no warrenty service, only tires brakes and fluids) in my nieces hands.

Our neighborhood is running about 25-30% solar at this point.

Something seems odd there - my annual electricity usage ran about $120/mo and I'll break even in 6.5 years with my 4kw system. Leaving aside the instant 30% return on investment, I'm making about 12% annually for the next 25+ years.

Granted utility rates are significantly higher here, which likely makes the difference.

There really aren't that many penetrations, and the panels are very lightweight.

Generally one pays a contractor to do that. You do own them, after all.

Presumably the contractor you've engaged for the job.

This is not uncommon around here; every school property has several hundred kw of panels on dedicated stands, usually over the parking lots.

[Leon]

Yeah rates will make the difference, IIRC he quoted about $20K, there were going to be 40 panels. My electric rates are averaging $.095 per Kwh.

Yes but only if the contractor that installs them is still around. If not It will be me footing the bill and finding a contractor to do that.

Same as above, if the contractor is still in business. They seem to be a dime a dozen right now and it is unlikely that "all" of these guys will be around in 5~10 years.

That would be a GREAT spot, on top of covered parking. I was thinking some day maybe covering our currently nonexistent patio/deck cover.

[Scott Lurndal]

"a contractor" not "the contractor". It's not difficult either to remove the panels or to install them, really; nor should it be the responsibility of the installer any more than you'd expect the original garage door installer to remove and reinstall your door when you remodel your garage.

Why should the original solar installer bear any responsibility for the cost of roof repairs (insofar as they were not caused by the solar installer)?

I meant, as per above, any contractor. In other words, it's your cost. I reroofed with a 40 year roof before getting the panels installed last year, but I'm fully prepared to pay (or remove and reinstall the panels myself) if I decide to re-roof for some reason before the 40 years is up.

[Leon]

Understood BUT for the warranty to remain intact the contractor would probably have to be an approved one. Apparently the warranty, or maybe the expected life of the panels, was about 25 years.

Simply to sell the improvement. I asked and that is what he said. If not and the roof has to be replaced in 10~15 years the cost to R&R the panels will be added expense that would have to be factored into the long term payout. The sales guys come up with all kinds of ways to make the expense of buying and maintaining the roof and panels to appear low.

I agree, this really should not be the installers responsibility but this is what they are having to offer to get the sale with a lot of folks.

Understood. My big deal against going this route is that most any yearly expense I have now is more expensive than my electric bill. My electricity bill is the least of my concerns right now.

[Leon]

Something you may not have a concern about where you live vs. In Houston TX. is that roofs don't last in the heat. Any thing over 20 years is on borrowed time. So that is a big cost factor for us down here to keep in mind.

[hubops]

Even at night ? .. tell me about your solar energy storage system. John T.

[Scott Lurndal]

It was intended to be read as "25-30% of homes have solar panels in my neighborhood". Although a small fraction thereof do have powerwalls or the LG/Samsung versions thereof.

[Clare Snyder]

Except in a GM where they continue to build with the known problems for years because they figure it's cheaper to repair the percentage that fail within warranty than to fix the problem - and hey, they get to make money on the repair parts too!!

[Clare Snyder]

1996 Ford Ranger 4.0 5 speed - original owner had NO warranty work The only repairs he had to do was replace the FRONT brakes ONCE in the time he owned it. I bought it 17 years old with 307000km with a bad clutch slave. I fixed that and replaced U Joints - I've finally replaced the rear brakes, as well as the cam syncronizer and serpentine belt tensioner, as well as the radiator over the last 60,000 or so km.

That's even better than either pf my Toyotas - which were both very good (and 1980-81 vintage)

[Leon]

Precisely, They used the same parts from year to year and they all failed prematurely. My last job in the automotive industry was the GM of an AC/Delco whole sale distributor. We only sold to GM dealers and basically only in Houston and Austin TX. We stocked hundreds of single part numbers for starters, alternators, and AC compressors.

[Bob D]

They gave taken a proven, useful design used on Honda pickups and enhanced it. I especially like the kick activated step. It looks like its low enough to be really useful and its out of the way of trailering.

[krw]

I had a Dodge Voyager. The grille said "Dodge" instead of "Plymouth".

[DerbyDad03]

:

For a few years we had a Voyager and a Grand Voyager at the same time.

They sucked so bad I count those 2 vans as 3 of the worst vehicles we ever owned.

[-MIKE-]

I may have some exact details wrong, but it's a funny story nonetheless. Back in the late 80s in college, I had a friend who's parents were well off and she was a bit spoiled. Thankfully, she didn't act spoiled and was actually a modest and humble person and very frugal in spending.

Her Dad told her if she graduated near the head of her class, he'd buy her any new car she wanted as long as it was an American car. Any of us would have chosen a Corvette or Mustang, right? What did she choose? The reissued Chevy Nova, because it was "cute."

Apparently, the Chevy Nova was one of a few cars produced under a joint venture between GM and Toyota. The Nova and Toyota Corolla were in all details but branding, the same, exact car, made in the same plants.

She actually picked up the car from the dealer in our college town and her dad came to visit her and see the car. From the outside, everything looked Chevy. I'll never forget the look on her Dad's face when she opened the door and right there on the steering wheel, in big, bold, embossed letters was the word "TOYOTA."

Oops. Looks like that car was made on a Friday afternoon and someone grabbed a steering wheel from the wrong pile. :-D

[hubops]

I had to look this up - the Chev - Toyota partnership must have escaped me back in the day ..

I was aware of the GM - Suzuki venture - called CAMI - just down the road in Ingersoll Ontario.

During construction, the Japanese business procedures caused the plant name acronym CAMI to be interpreted as Call Another Meeting Immediately :-)

John T.

[Scott Lurndal]

The current Tesla plant used to be NUMMI.

[Leon]

Yes! With Honda and Ram you can actually get really close to the bed. With the GMC you are only about 8" closer to the bed, in the configuration for that purpose.

[Leon]

I remember the Toyota built Nova. It was a big deal back in the early 80's.

FWIW Isuzu built the Chevy LUV pickup and later on Isuzu built the American looking Smaller Chevy Blazer when the Blazer shrunk to the S10 size. Oddly Chevrolet got credit for building the Honda Passport, which looked like the Blazer, however both the Passport and the Blazer were built by Isuzu, who did also build the Isuzu Rodeo.

To day American built applies to many Japanese vehicles. The 07 and later Toyota Tundras have always been built in San Antonio TX. Oddly the Tundra and the Tacoma are built in the same plant at the same time on the same assembly line. I visited the plant last summer and was very surprised that Tundras and Tacomas were in line together being assembled. Talk about stopping the line if the wrong part is knitted in.... Actually the line did get shut down during the visit and the tour was promptly canceled. :~)

Mazda built the Ford Courier pick up.

And now some Buicks are built in China. I think it is their "house shoe sized SUV".