I currently drive an 01 silverado extended cab that has about 137,000 miles on it. It's needing some repairs such as wheel bearings, exhaust needs fixed, and some other small things. The rocker panels and cab corners are rusting horribly as well. Some may know that my wife and I are having baby #2 in June and it's gonna be a pain to get 2 kids in and out of the truck all the time. Been throwing around the idea of purchasing a 4×4 suv that i would use for hunting and to lug the kids around. love not having any payments on it so that is why my decision is kind of tough. My question is would you keep it and fix it and live with the annoyance because it's paid off or sell it and get into a used suv or crew cab truck? Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
A lot of factors involved still. Depends on your financial situation and can you afford to have a payment? How much of a monthly payment? What type of vehicle according to your budget will you be getting into? And compare that against your yearly maintenance cost on current vehicle. Take the money you put into your truck in a years time (including work to be done now) .. divide by 12 and that is actually what you are paying a month on your current truck (even though you have no "payment"). Then decide if you can afford that and some more to upgrade enough to eliminate it nickle and diming you to death.
Great advice and I've thought of all that. If I buy another vehicle it would probably be under 10 which scares me because I could very well run into having payments and repair costs rather than just repair costs. But then I think of the convenience factor of having more seating space. Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
Would it be an option to have 2 vehicles? Could spend the money to fix the Silverado and use it as a hunting truck, and buy used SUV, or even a car, at a decent price in 2x4 to keep down price as an everyday vehicle. Again depends on financial situation, but i know there have been a handful of times where it has been nice to have an extra vehicle at the house. It is difficult to go from no payment to payment though...
I thought of this as well. I know I couldn't get more than 4000 out of my truck as a trade in so that thought crossed my mind for sure. Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
Yeah trade in values suck... Especially with 137k on your truck, its not new, but it shud have plenty of life left in it. Especially with a spouse, you never know when an extra vehicle would help out. I certainly would per sue all options as much as possible. Congrats on kid #2 by the way.
Thanks! I'm going to talk to my old neighbor who sells cars at the chevy dealership about an 03 tahoe they have. It's got a little higher miles but looks very clean. I'll see what kind of deal he throws at me! Lol Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
It sounds like you and your wife don't both have a vehicle. If that's the case, my opinion is for sure get a second vehicle and keep your truck. No way could I leave my wife at home with two little ones with no vehicle.
No I have my rusty truck and she drives a 2011 dodge avenger. Funny how that works out lol. No way could we function with 1 vehicle. Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
My DIL pushed my son to get rid of his truck and get a sedan like her. He then started calling me all the time to use mine. I finally sat down with them and did some explaining about if you don't have a truck you can only burden others so long before it becomes annoying. My son does a lot of floor jobs on the side so he needs something that can haul. He now has a 4x4 Jeep Wrangler 4 door with a trailer. For hunting and hunting & if you do home improvements, you need something that can haul. a good compromise is what my son did, but ONLY if you can afford it taking into consideration baby #2 just around the corner.
Keep the truck, I have an 02 silverado 1500 with 192k miles on it and it still runs great. Yeah it needs some minor fixes like yours but if those things are taken care of then this truck will run a long time.
Ya my wife is the one pushing me to get rid of my truck. She wants me to buy a newer pickup with a crew cab but I don't want to buy someone else's problem. With my budget that's what will end up happening. I probably don't help it when I get frustrated with my truck and she sees me working my butt off and have a vehicle I'm not happy with. I think she feels bad because I sold her old car and got her something that I trusted to make sure she had a reliable car to drive. She told me to trade her car in and get a solid lo mile truck and she would find a cheap car. I won't allow that because they are more important to me than what I drive. Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
That's what I keep telling my wife but she doesn't want me to have to hassle with 2 kids and the reverse opening small doors. She's got a big heart but I know what I would be comfortable paying for a vehicle and the selection isn't much better than what I have. Just need to get her on the same page. If she had it her way I'd be driving a 2014 gmc Sierra 2500 crew cab with a slight lift kit. Lol Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
Just a question, but why would it be a pain to get kids in and out of the truck all the time? I find it easier in a truck because the carseat is right at chest level. I don't have to bend down to put my daughter in the carseat like I did my wife's car (we have since replaced her car with an SUV). My truck is at 122k miles, and although I don't have the repairs you have, it's paid off and its my truck. Is having another child the true rationale for getting a new vehicle or do you want one moreso because of the repairs needed? EDIT: Nevermind, I see your post above. Is your truck not a quad cab? If not, look for one that's not out of your price range and decide what to do with your current truck.
Good questions. I put my daughter's car seat on the passenger side because if she is behind me I have to slide my seat further forward then I like. Having a 2nd child on the way it is going to be a daily way of driving. I'm fine doing repairs but I have a feeling I'm going to dump close to 1000 in it to get everything fixed. This includes the bearings, ac switch and resistor, getting it aligned, and my wiper fluid reservoir replaced. Could care less to get into a different vehicle just trying to weigh the pros and cons. My price range would be no more than 10k and I'd like to sell my truck for 4k with under 6k financed. Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
I'm basically in the same situation. I have an '03 Sierra extended cab with 162k and have two carseats in the back. It is a pain in the rear getting both kids in and out. I'm starting to get a little rust at the bottom of the doors. My wife would be all for me getting a new truck, but I won't do it. I've decided to keep the truck until the wheels fall off. This may not be in your best interest due to the money you may need to spend to maintain it in the short run. I have done some of my own maintenance work (brakes, shocks, wheel bearings) which saved me a ton of money. I guess maybe wait for baby #2 and see how it goes? The reverse opening doors suck, but not as much as a truck payment.
How much did it cost to replace wheel bearings? I try to do all my work myself but have never done bearings. Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
Hmmm, I see the dilemma. Well, I would look at fixing some of the easier/cheaper repairs to make the truck more appealing and sell it and get a true quad cab with a bigger back seat within your price range, but that's just me. I'm sure you'll figure it out, and congrats on #2!
