In which the faithful SS Illegible has a new propeller
The Dodge Ram truck that Jim and I have been driving for 14 years
now has more than 300,000 miles on it.
That number is just a little too high for comfort, especially given the remote places we drive it.
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| When the directions to camp read "go to the Middle of Nowhere, take a left and drive another hour,..." you know that automotive help is not going to be conveniently located. The SS Illegible often sails off the map. |
As far as I'm concerned, shopping of all kinds is a PITA. I don't even go to the grocery store if I can swerve out of it.
So when it was time to shop for a truck, I called for help.
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| Sandy likes trucks, and she doesn't mind shopping. |
After a Fortifying Breakfast, we headed out to look at trucks.
Ugh.
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| Sandy is taller than me. I can't reach the dipstick. Sigh. |
Given my (limited) budget and the parameters allowed by my credit union, we had a pretty narrow scope of trucks to consider.
That didn't stop salesguys (always guys! gahhhh!) from trying to sell us a $30,000 dually, or a half-ton truck, or a truck with 350,000 miles on it.
Fortunately, Sandy and I aren't stupid, and we aren't the kind of ladies who let guys tell us what we "really want."
(Do any horse women actually let guys tell us what we really want about anything? Is that a thing?)
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| bald tires, an overly-loud engine, and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke |
We saw a lot of trucks. I took a lot of notes.
Part-way through the day, in the middle of town, we spotted something unusual in front of a dealer's door.
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| Not the bird you're looking for |
Yeah, that was weird.
Finally, we found the truck we were seeking.
2004 Ford SuperDuty Lariat. 112,000 miles. The 6.0 liter engine and yes, it's been bulletproofed already. Jim installed the brake controller yesterday.
Leather interior, and Seat! Heaters! Hooray!
It still needs a canopy.
Let's see if we can drive this one for a long time. Wouldn't it be lovely not to shop for 14 more years?
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| When Santa joined the shopping expedition, the salesguys all talked to him. because obviously a "Y" chromosome makes a person truck-savvy. He promised them all underwear for Xmas forever if they tried to cheat me. |
2004 Ford SuperDuty Lariat. 112,000 miles. The 6.0 liter engine and yes, it's been bulletproofed already. Jim installed the brake controller yesterday.
Leather interior, and Seat! Heaters! Hooray!
It still needs a canopy.
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| I think it needs purple flames. To match the trailer, doncha know. |
Let's see if we can drive this one for a long time. Wouldn't it be lovely not to shop for 14 more years?
Your new truck is really pretty. But it's a short bed, can you guys sleep back there in a short bed?
ReplyDeleteI'm really curious how having 4 full size doors compares to your Dodge's smaller rear doors. I loved the crew cab but since I mostly traveled alone, those doors were overkill. But a longbed was a must have for sleeping.
I trust the passenger side door opens. I have this urge to wash it for you cuz I really like the color.