Truck Rental

[krw]

That's the real problem. The state doesn't actively police insurance policies. All that's needed is a policy when the vehicle is registered. It can be cancelled a minute after.

Insurance was (the only) one place that Vermont did things right. When a policy was cancelled the insurance company forwards the notification to the state. If the plates weren't surrendered within a small number of days, the state police come looking for them with a big fine or, if that doesn't work, a warrant. Deadbeats need not drive.

Because we have some net worth, I have to protect myself on both ends. My wife was hit a few years ago. My wife had police reports putting the other driver at fault. The other driver tried to sue _us_ because we did have insurance and assets (she didn't). Our insurance company had to pay our damages plus fight her off her claims. No problem, the police said that she was a serial litigant but without a "real" under/no insurance policy it would have been even more of a mess. Insurance companies have lotsa lawyers.

I had 100/300/100 until about 20 years ago, then went to 300/300/300 and a $M umbrella. I figure it's good to make sure that the insurance company has a good deal of skin in the game. Umbrella policies are pretty cheap, comparatively.

Yes, full coverage. My truck is a '13 and my wife's car is a '19. I'd normally drop a nine-year old vehicle but everything, with wheels that turn, is worth real money these days.

[Michael Trew]

Yes, I meant 100/300/100 I believe. I know the center number is 300. I'd be more concerned about my vehicle coverage if I didn't have a small collection in my back yard. If my daily driver '93 Geo Metro gets smooshed (and I walk away...), I've got another '93 Metro, this one a convertible, as well as a running truck and Olds station wagon, so I'm not SOL by means of getting myself to work.

Net worth is not a concern of mine at this point in my life... lol. Well, my house, which I own outright (foreclosure) is valued at $40k for tax purposes. In current condition, not so much, but then again, I could probably get close to that with how crazy the housing market is now. Most laws typically protect your primary residence from being seized as an asset, as well as one vehicle (mine are all worth less than they would bother with).

Was New Hampshire the state that doesn't mandate car insurance? One thing that I like about Vermont is no titles for vehicles over 15 years old... meaning it's an easy route to "find" titles for junk vehicles or barn find classic cars. Vermont doesn't care, if you pay them $90-some and a notarized bill of sale, they will mail you a valid Vermont plate with valid registration, to whatever state that you live in. Drive it with a Vermont plate, or take that plate to your local DMV, and they have to give you a stated issued title when a 15+ year old vehicle is coming from Vermont. Of course, they still run the VIN, so it can't be a stolen vehicle or anything shady.

[krw]

A smooshing wouldn't stop me from getting to work. I work from home (Covid) and will retire in September (that's the plan, anyway) and Collision pays for a rental. SWMBO clocked a Bambi a month or so ago. They paid for a rental while it was being fixed, even though we really didn't need it.

Mine was a foreclosure too. Paid $210K in 2012, now worth ($465). Houses in the neighborhood are going nuts. Agents are going door-to-door asking people if they want to sell. They already have buyers lined up. I heard a couple of weeks ago that 60% of the houses are being bought sight unseen, with only the listing information. They figure that if they don't like it, they'll just turn around and sell. That worked so well in 2008-9.

Yes, I remember that. A friend rebuilt totaled cars for a living. He said that he could make a living just by washing titles.

Insurance is mandated but not enforced in any reasonable way. Georgia and Alabama. SWMBO was hit in AL.

OTOH, I wad T-boned, in NY. The moron blew through a stop sign at a

50MPH intersection. Not only was he DWAI, but had no license, no insurance, and was on parole. I can really pick-em. New car, less than a year old and well less than 10K miles. The insurance company didn't total it. Pissed me off. It was never the same.

[Clare Snyder]

Don't laugh - it's a '96 Ford Ranger longbed 4 liter 5 speed in Caymen Green pearl with a matching mid-rise cap

[Markem618]

How is it still there? Way up north where salt is a season on the roads. Having lived in Chicago it is a serious question.

Best guess it maintence?

[Michael Trew]

I don't like the idea of driving nice cars because of people like that. I'm surprised that he didn't run after that accident with that list of infractions. I was T-boned by a guy in a not great neighborhood, he gave me his insurance info, and was cool through the whole ordeal, as was I. Turns out his insurance (the general) had lapsed. I was driving a crappy old '97 Lumina, but my uninsured motorist coverage paid more than I bought the car for, so that worked out in the end.

I've owned one new car, a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage, 9 miles on it when I drove it off of the lot. With my income, and the debt I had to roll from my prior car into it, I quickly learned that I did NOT like to pay full coverage insurance and a car payment. I lost my job and parked the car in my mom's garage a couple of months later. Dropped liability and collision coverage, only maintained comprehensive. I don't know, say the garage burned down. I wanted some insurance on paper. Shockingly, the lender never came after me. I was honestly afraid to drive the thing, for fear that someone would damage it.

A few years later, I sold it to an out of state friend with only a few thousand miles on it, new plastic still on the floor. He really wanted a base model 2015 Mirage... the newer ones were pricier and had touch screens like all the new cars. Anyway, he paid off the $9k or whatever else I owed on it and drove it home. That was an expensive lesson for me. Buy cars with cash. I'm sure I'll be in good enough financial standing with a better job in time to be able to buy a new car outright, but until then, I won't be dealing with lenders or dealers.

[Michael Trew]

I surely wouldn't laugh! I owned a '96 Ranger once, that was one of my favorite trucks. It had a short bed with extended cab. It had the little 4 cylinder and a 5 speed.

I also owned a '95 Ranger with the 4 liter... personally, I preferred the little 4 cylinder. Easy on gas.

I hate automatics. I would take a long bed standard shift Ranger in a heart beat. Not a nice one though, because I put trucks to work hauling stuff.

For the record, I've owned 30 cars. I tend to buy cheap and sell them when I get bored of them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Ranger though.

[Bob La Londe]

Well mileage has a real affect on the vale of the vehicle. Given that there is a shortage of rental cars be thankful u-haul and others have a truck available for you to rent right now. Particularly if the rates are still reasonable.

I have to say I may have a different perspective on "up front." If they tell you there is a milage charge and how much it is that sure sounds up front to me.

I do a lot of custom machine work. Typically I have from 2 to 4 months backlog of prepaid custom work. Before somebody pays for a job I tell them what the estimated start time is for their job AND I put it directly on the invoice. I routinely get people who start getting antsy and demanding in half that time. They treat me like a liar and a fraud. One guy even called the sheriff on me. What did I do wrong? Not a damned thing according to the sheriff's deputy who came by my shop. I showed him all the documentation and emailed him copies. I was

100% upfront, but that guy sure didn't think so.

So I have to say it seems like you do not appear to be upset that they are not upfront about cost. They are upfront. You seem to be annoyed that they don't offer flat rate unlimited mileage. Its not being dishonest if they tell you what they offer. You can always go buy a truck. That won't give you unlimited mileage either, but you will be in control.

[Clare Snyder]

Maintenance and rustproofing - 374000Km - cab is still original paint with a few touchups - I replaced the box last summer -it still looked REALLY good from 10 or 15 feet, but up close it had issues. The paint uder the floormats and under the seat is like new as I found out when I dissassembled it to install "bun warmers" while working on it last summer.

[Clare Snyder]

Over a period of 53 years I'v owned ONE new vehicle - lost count of how many I've owned from 1928 to 2014 model years - something like 33 plus 6 or 7 motorcycles

[hubops]

: '62 Comet : '71 Vega : '73 Plymouth : '77 Capri < ~ last of the German made ones>

: '80 F100 < new - lasted ~ 13 years >

: '75 Comet : '77 Malibu : '88 Aerostar < family times > <new>

: '86 Cutlass : '90 B2200 : '96 Taurus wagon : '01 Taurus : '01 Taurus : '02 Saturn L : '06 Taurus : '13 Jetta : '15 Rondo <new>

: '15 Rondo

.. 1975 - 2021 .. it took me a while but I think it's complete. John T.

[J. Clarke]

My parents never bought used cars (really not very bright of them considering that they were living on a sailor's pay) and traded them every 3 years whether they needed it or not. I followed that model for a while because I didn't know any better but finally moved away from it.

[krw]

Oh, he tried to run but after T-boning me, his car did go very far.

Many will tell you that your plan is the best going but I'd like to live a little better. My '13 F150 and wife's '14 Mustang (bought a week apart but that's another story), were paid off in six months. Her '19 (traded in the '14*) took two years. I really had the cash but like a large buffer.

• I had an accident in the '14 and she never thought it was the same. I told her that she could trade it but "it's now or never", so she bought the '19. I planned to retire in two years (it'll have been three) and wanted no debt.

[Michael Trew]

Well, to each their own. I'm sure I'll eventually acquire a nicer, newer vehicle, but I highly doubt I'll get rid of all of my beaters. I don't mind the Metros for commuting. The reason I keep a truck on hand is hauling a car, pulling a stump, or hauling junk. I've been making a lot of trips with cleaned up yard debris and junk from the basement. I used to do a lot of scrapping. I wouldn't want a new truck, because I beat the life out of them.

On never being the same, if I had a new, or at least "near perfect" vehicle, I'm sure I'd feel the same way after an accident repair. If I smoosh a fender on a 25 year old $500 car, oh well, adds patina... haha.

[Clare Snyder]

I just threw away 2 perfect first generation Metro fenders. If you bump an old Metro it will never be the same (but that doesn't preclude the possibilty it will actually get BETTER!!!!

[pyotr filipivich]

[e-mail] on Sat, 19 Jun 2021 23:35:06 -0400 typed in rec.woodworking the following:

The Plan I've been told is optimal is to buy a 4 year old car, preferably in cash. Then make a "car payment" every month for four years. Trade now 8 year old car for 4 year old car. Lather rinse repeat. There's a line item in my budget "maintenance and repairs". Any money left over at the end of the month gets applied to the car loan. When the car is paid off, the Car Loan Payment goes to "Down payment on next one." Yeah, I'd like to drive 'em into the ground. But due to the electronics, "in to the ground" is a lot sooner, and a lot more expensive.

[Michael Trew]

If you were local to me, I'd have picked them up in a heartbeat! I hope they weren't red, because I've been looking for a couple red ones.

[Michael Trew]

That's the problem with so many newer vehicles... I've been saying this, with all of the electronics, they die more quickly, and you really can't repair most of that yourself. My cars aren't like that, but I know I can't drive 90's and older cars forever... but while I can, I will enjoy my vehicles never depreciating. I have owned 30 now, in my short 26 years. I typically sell them for the same that I pay for them, sometimes more, minimal repairs as necessary.

I understand my method won't work for most people, as many people don't have the time, knowledge, and/or physical ability to complete the mechanical repairs to make cheap vehicles worth it. Many simply will pay or buy new so they don't have to bother with repairs themselves. A shop will charge you through the nose. That being said, when you can repair vehicles, and you aren't embarrassed to drive around in a junky old beater, you will very much enjoy being totally free of car payments and losing money to depreciation... unless a garage kept classic, a car is never an investment.

Your method is a lot more solid than my mother's method... she buys a rather expensive SUV with all of the bells/whistles, typically only one model year old, drives it through 2-3 years of depreciation, and then repeats on a trade in, forever losing money. She says her '19 Nissan Murano makes her happy, and good for her... she then told me that she would cry herself to sleep driving my cars daily... Lol. I said I'd cry myself to sleep with her $500-600 (sometimes +) monthly car payment for the next 6 years, and rolling the debt/loss into the next one.

[Clare Snyder]

[Clare Snyder]

Haven't had a car loan since 1991 when I bought the first Aerostar. For years I bought 10 year old cars with 10000km on them for $5000 to $6000 and drove them for 8 to 12 years. Usually managed to get over $1000 for them when I was finished. One exception was 16 year old with

307000km for $1500 - that was 9 years ago for the Ranger - the last was a 6 year old with 135000km fir $14000 that my wife is now driving

- that we bought 2 years ago. Also had a few that Ipaid a lot less for that I really should never have bought but other than aggravation worked out OK as far as cost ber mile when all was said and done. Pontiac Trans Sport for $350 plus an engine, and 1985 LeBaron for $1000 that also required an engine. Got over 100,000km out of both of them but they were the two biggest piles of junk I've ever owned. The Pncho midn't look bad being "plastic Vantastic" but I had to weld up the subframe - the Lebaron went to the happly hunting ground when I couldn't find a hard spot to put it up on the hoist with to fix a brake line.