Is your affinity for a pick up truck derailing your retirement plans?

[whatsup13579er]

Unless you're a contractor, farmer, etc. Don't see why u would finance one.

Farmers aren't financing pickup trucks...

 

[dirtypool]

The thing that stuck out at me in the linked article is what stood out to me back in 2008.
“The Denton, Texas, couple pay $4,400 a month on their mortgage, four car loans and leases, and student debt, Ms. Scott-White said. Minimum required monthly credit-card payments total about $700. The debt was manageable pre-pandemic, she said.

$4400 a month for mortgage, FOUR auto loans and leases (on top of credit card debt) is insane, and while it may have been manageable pre-pandemic, it certainly doesn't make me have any sympathy for them.

Just like when people sitting in $250,000 houses in 2008 saying they were living within their means prior to job losses.

Just because you may be able to afford it at the time doesn't make it manageable or that you are living within your means.

 

[Gimmered]

Last year or the year before, we bought a small truck to use as a utility vehicle. Really enjoyed having it and started looking at trucks to replace my car. The pre-covid price for full-sized new trucks was higher than I expected and there wasn't a lot of willingness to move down on price.

Sticker price for my 2020 Ram was $55,000, I paid $43,600 for it in June. My plan was to wait a year and buy a new 2020 next June, but the covid discounts were too much to pass on.

 

[Gimmered]

Mrs. Lucas and I still have the dream of buying a 17-21 foot camper, and a lightly used pick up to see the US in. No way we'd buy brand new. We'll piss away money on the camper she wants, but not on the truck.

Might think about renting a camper instead. There are rental services where people that buy campers that the really never use will rent them by the day or week. There is an insurance that comes with the service.

 

[bagdropper]

I really want a truck, but the prices they now cost are ridiculous. I don't need to haul a house, I just want to throw some stuff in the back every now and then. Someone really needs to come out with a smaller, lower cost truck.

S10's, Silverados and Rangers - 2wd V6 regular cab equipped "grandpa trucks" I call them - from the early 00's. I saw them all over the NE Iowa area this spring and summer, so I zeroed into them for my search.

I bought a 2000 S10 regular cab 2wd recently. Owned it a full month now, no issues. As posted prior, only $5k.

Whomever owned it prior (2 owner truck from the Rockford IL area) took very good care of it. Old fashioned rust proofed with undercoating, perfect interior, the engine bay looks spotless. It has a few paint chips (filled in, color matched) but is perfectly straight. They also put a hard cap on it, color matched (the struts even work perfect!). 4.3L V6 auto and air (no CC or tilt unfortunately). I've put a bed mat in it, new in-dash stereo and speakers for hands free BT, then Ventshade rain shades and bug deflector.

I cannot believe how fortunate I was to find it (on CL). The Auto Trader and Carfax were literally perfect. Looks like it spent its entire life garaged.

Just gotta be patient and keep searching around every day on the internet. I live in CR but cast out a wide net - from LaCrosse to Madison to the QC to IC to DM to W'loo.

These nice older "simple" trucks, you gotta be ready to go look at them (and buy) when they show up cause if fairly priced, they go fast. I searched 8 months for the right example. Prior, if I hesitated to go look at ones that looked like they'd meet my needs, they sold before I jumped. They are in high demand because of newer pickup prices.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

And if you don’t care about the looks or need to tow a house, get a Ridgeline. The ride quality, back seat space, and trunk(yes that is correct) are amazing compared any other mid-size truck. They aren’t cheap though, starting around $30k new with trim levels pushing up into the low to mid 40s.

I’ve been eyeing the Ridgeline for a couple of years. Highly rated but you pay for it. Also, it’s definitely a favorite of the 50 plus crowd.

 

[kc78]

Currently I'm waiting for a few of the new Rangers to hit the used market at hopefully better prices, or to see what exactly this pickup Hyundai keeps talking about winds up being.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

I would be careful with a 2WD truck in the winter. It’s shocking how bad mine is if I don’t put it in 4WD when there is snow on the ground (it’s great then). It’s not even all that hilly in my neighborhood and I struggle to get up the hill sometimes in 2WD.

 

[whatsup13579er]

I would be careful with a 2WD truck in the winter. It’s shocking how bad mine is if I don’t put it in 4WD when there is snow on the ground (it’s great then). It’s not even all that hilly in my neighborhood and I struggle to get up the hill sometimes in 2WD.

2WD is useless in any ice/snow conditions.

 

[torbee]

I’m getting one of these next spring/summer. Going from a 3-car family to two:

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

Don't have a truck, don't particularly want one. I think a lot of the people who drive them around all the time are compensating for something.