Will move 15 miles closer to work.... parking the truck. Buying a beater!

[DWeiler]

I don’t mean to get on some of you, but some of you are being knuckleheads. Who buys a $40K truck and then can’t afford the fuel for it? You got to be kidding me, why even keep the thing around if you can’t enjoy it? My 2005 CTD has 38K miles on it, fuel was high last summer $3. 50 + gallon out here in California, but geez I love my truck, and don’t really think twice about the cost of the fuel for it. If it ever strikes me it’s time to park it because it’s going to get dirty in a lot, or I can’t afford the fuel for it. It’s gone, simple as that! $3. 50 for fuel is just an entertainment expense, you would spend it anyway one way or the other.



-Ryan

I guess i'm a knuclehead,the reason we kept our beater (wifes old car) was that it had very little miles on it before i purchased the truck,but she needed a 4x4 for the acerage,she now has a Trailblazer. I can afford to drive my truck to work,cost of fuel has really little to do with it now that i think more about it, sorry but i feel this works for me. I didn't mention this earlier but where i work our company vehicles get hit all the time from such a small parking lot, my beater has many door dings,2 other dents not caused by me and there is plenty of vandals doing there work(twice now) when i'm not around to watch my ride at a 3:00am start time 6 days a week. When it is -35 below up here,i can actually drive for 20 minutes to work and my Cummins has not even come close to warming up to full temp,even with a winter front. With all the running around i do doing little stops here and there it is nice to have a small/economical car for the runabouts----my 2 Canadian cents,worth a little less but does it matter ----No flame intended :-laf :-laf :-laf---- David

 

[KD7GYJ]

Yea, I've been thinking of getting an economical car also as a daily driver. I drive about 3K miles a month. Getting 18 miles per gallon that's 167 gallons per month and at $3. 50 per gallon, that is a tidy sum of $583. 00 in fuel plus oil changes at $54. 00 every other month.



With a car at 36 miles per gallon, driving the same 3000 miles would cost $250. 00 in fuel ($3. 00 per gallon), and the oil changes would be $25. 00 every other month. So I would be saving $335. 00 per month.



Insurance for the second car would be $500. 00 per year, so about $50. 00 per month, so the difference would pay for the car payment and still have some money in the bank and the car would be a whole lot easier to park than a SRW LB truck. Some parking places are just inches too short to drive through.



The truck is a business tool, so I don't have an alternate, except steal the wifes car and she won't drive the truck. She say's it's got too much power, it make her nervous to drive.



Blair

 

[RankRam]

I know one thing when it comes to driving my truck... ... ..... I feel very safe.



Saving gas in an economy car would be nice, but I know I wouldn't feel safe driving it!



These little cars feel like a death trap to me, no thanks!

 

[Cummins Thunder]

I want a beater (Samurai) mainly as another project, but a very close second, is that I need a vehicle to drive when I break my truck. As my truck makes its way to the low 13s high 12s, I know it will only break more and more .



I think there are only a few of us that want a beater for the mileage.

 

[barleysoda]

I can see how a beater might save money in fuel expenses. My wife just sold a 2000 mitzubishi Mirage that got unbelievable mileage. It only cost 30 bucks to fill it up too!

I bought my CTD because I wanted it not because I needed it. I dont tow anything but my *** to work or to the woods to camp, fish and hunt.
I tried to drive the little car to work to save money but everytime I got in it and looked out the windows I would say to myself... "who the heck am I kiddin!?" Then I would get out of the little car, laugh and go fire my truck up.

I spend alot of money a month to drive my dream truck and most of it is in the form of the loan payment and insurance. The fuel price is just peanuts compared to that so I drive my CTD everywhere and I do it with a big stinkin grin on my face!!

Nothing ends a hard days work better then firing up a CTD and rolling down the road... all the days stress blows right out the 4 inch exhaust pipe.

 

[Alphacowboy]

Jason, witht he hail storm that just ravaged the southern twin cities, you should beable to find a hail damaged beater for fairly cheap! :-laf

 

[rjohnson916]

I can see how a beater might save money in fuel expenses. My wife just sold a 2000 mitzubishi Mirage that got unbelievable mileage. It only cost 30 bucks to fill it up too!



I bought my CTD because I wanted it not because I needed it. I dont tow anything but my *** to work or to the woods to camp, fish and hunt.

I tried to drive the little car to work to save money but everytime I got in it and looked out the windows I would say to myself... "who the heck am I kiddin!?" Then I would get out of the little car, laugh and go fire my truck up.



I spend alot of money a month to drive my dream truck and most of it is in the form of the loan payment and insurance. The fuel price is just peanuts compared to that so I drive my CTD everywhere and I do it with a big stinkin grin on my face!!



Nothing ends a hard days work better then firing up a CTD and rolling down the road... all the days stress blows right out the 4 inch exhaust pipe.

I'm with you my friend. I work hard day in day out, earn a living I can be proud of. Even got a pretty decent commute 33 miles round trip +/- I too purchased my CTD not because I necessarily needed it, but because I wanted it and it was my dream vehicle. I know what you mean about having to drive a beater car and at the end of a hard stressful day starting that mighty Cummins and putting a little right foot in it can instantly chase all negatives away. I might be sick, but I like even going to the gas station, at least twice a month I get in a conversation with a curious by-stander regarding my CTD. I didn't work this hard in life, to have the things I love and enjoy only to go backwards and drive someone else’s hand-me-down beater. Last time I checked I live in America and not a third world country. Snow, sleet, rain, mud whatever, I know my $37K CTD will get me through what ever, when ever and I like that piece of mind 365 days a year. Could you imagine having to call a buddy in the winter to pull your Datsun 210 out of a ditch because you don't want to drive your $40K 4x4 Diesel that would have just... ... . I'm done this is B. S. People will do what people are going to do... ... ...





-Ryan

 

[JasonCzerak]

Jason, witht he hail storm that just ravaged the southern twin cities, you should beable to find a hail damaged beater for fairly cheap! :-laf

Yep! Field trip down to st. peter area with check book in hand

 

[TCDiesel]

Yep! Field trip down to st. peter area with check book in hand

Jason Install a PRXB,and with Ramp Idle YOU will have Heat in Minutes. I have the Auto start with remote Ramp. at 0 I have heat in 4 minutes with Brake on at 11RPM"s. all engage remotely,Downside after setup about $1500. 00 Accessories only. Their was some nice size hail in Anoka, I have picutures, it was the size of dennis balls.

 

[DieselFiend]

I almost heard God Bless the USA playing while I was reading that. ONLY KIDDNG. Really though, I guess you can be as stubborn as you want about it but I'm spending way too much on fuel. I was fine when Diesel was under $2. 00 but those days are long gone. Until my pay goes up with the cost of living including the rise in fuel cost then I'm going to have to get a beater. Of course, if it's ice sheets or snowing over an inch an hour then I'll take the truck. Thats just common sense. So, if you roll up on me in my mazda protege, don't run me over and change lanes so your headlights don't hurt my eyes in the rear view.

I'm with you my friend. I work hard day in day out, earn a living I can be proud of. Even got a pretty decent commute 33 miles round trip +/- I too purchased my CTD not because I necessarily needed it, but because I wanted it and it was my dream vehicle. I know what you mean about having to drive a beater car and at the end of a hard stressful day starting that mighty Cummins and putting a little right foot in it can instantly chase all negatives away. I might be sick, but I like even going to the gas station, at least twice a month I get in a conversation with a curious by-stander regarding my CTD. I didn't work this hard in life, to have the things I love and enjoy only to go backwards and drive someone else’s hand-me-down beater. Last time I checked I live in America and not a third world country. Snow, sleet, rain, mud whatever, I know my $37K CTD will get me through what ever, when ever and I like that piece of mind 365 days a year. Could you imagine having to call a buddy in the winter to pull your Datsun 210 out of a ditch because you don't want to drive your $40K 4x4 Diesel that would have just... ... . I'm done this is B. S. People will do what people are going to do... ... ...





-Ryan

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

This spring I picked up my beater - a 96 Subaru Outback. This way I can save the miles on my truck (155K) and use my truck for hauling firewood, the camper, hunting, and the serious snow which happens here regularly. I can use the beater for the weekend trips into town at double the fuel mileage, have AWD for most snow conditions, have a back up vehicle whilst wrenching on the CTD, baby my CTD, and not give a rip about the beater.



Am I thrilled about what has happened to diesel since the "good ol' days" and driving a car, i. e. the vehicle that was invented for women and small children - nope, but a mans got to do what a mans got to do.

 

[JasonCzerak]

yeah, it be nice to beable to fire up a beater at 20degrees and just drive. not care about letting things idle up for a few minutes. or idle down.



Rental cars are the best... Cold. Turn the key, foot to floor in park, you can hear the barrings screeching begging for oil