Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
When is enough really enough?
- Thread starter Joey83
- Start date
Member III
Less than 3 hours off the lot our shiney new Wrangler had a more than respectable amount of pinstripes, new or a beater you know it's going to happen.
Member III
That had been my plan when I was looking to buy a new Rubicon a few years ago. But totaling a $40k vehicle and totaling a $5k vehicle are different things.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
For the kind of money you pay for a new jeep why didn't you buy yourself a body wrap. Pin striping a new jeep is a $10,000 automatic depreciation in value.
Influencer II
Minor things really..
The handbrake/e-brake needs adjusting.
The windshield has a small crack in it so that needs replacing.
The engine has an oilleak somewhere that several mechanics have not been unable to identify.
The hoodlatch needs adjusting.
The front right strut tower mount/bushing needs replacing.
The headlights need adjusting.
The wiring for the lightbar needs securing or removing.
A bushing on the lower front left of the suspension needs replacing (I don't know what some of those parts are called in english).
And the tint on the top of the windshield needs removing (it's to dark with 4% tint).
I know I can get most of these thins fixed with some help as soon as I get the parts.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
That's hard to agree with unless it is a single purpose vehicle. I may do the modern thing, paint the sides with bed liner paint.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Have it fixed or fix yourself and learn. Nothing here that would make me sell and buy a newer rig. It's just now getting broke in.
Member III
Do you not have glass covered by insurance? I keep glass breakage on all my junk.
Securing that wiring is as easy as adding a few adhesive backed pads and zip ties.
If the oil leak isn't killing it, let it leak a little and check it when you buy gas.
You can adjust the headlights and hood latch by yourself at home. Neither of those are jobs that should require a professional. There's probably write-ups online.
The suspension parts are a harder thing to fix but they are doable with some reading and patience.
I think if I was you, I'd find another mechanic though. Some of that's kinda silly...
Fair, and good answers! It sounds to me that you’ve done the practicality math, which is good. What I read is that you know your needs and your personal situation well, which is awesome because it means whatever you decide to do will be a sound choice. The last question — and by far the most important in my books — is does it bring you joy to drive, own, and go adventuring in? If the answer isn’t a strong yes, I know what I’d do!
Life is too short to drive something that doesn’t bring you joy. No dress rehearsals, after all!
Influencer II
@ChasingOurTrunks yes, it does bring me joy to own/drive/go adventuring in.
It is also my first 4wd, my first crossover, my first diesel car and the first car/crossover I can sleep in the back of (I'm only 5'5" and I barely fit, my next vehicle will have to be bigger when that time comes.)
It is also my first 4wd, my first crossover, my first diesel car and the first car/crossover I can sleep in the back of (I'm only 5'5" and I barely fit, my next vehicle will have to be bigger when that time comes.)
Influencer II
I have glass coverage in my insurance, but only if the windows get smashed by someone breaking into my car.
The wiring will be fixed next week.
The headlights need adjusting because I've put taller tires on it, the stock size is a 27x8.5r16 (215/65-16) and the current tires are a 28.1x9.3r17 (235/60r17 <- those are 4.11% bigger than stock and I'm only allowed a 5% increase in tiresize over what the stock size is) which are the biggest tires I could fit legally and physically, they will be replaced next year anyway as I'm planning on getting a set of 245/40-20's (<- those are 2.63% bigger than the stock size) for my car, just to be different.
With that context, I say “Keep it” for now. It’s pretty low mileage and with a bit of TLC you should easily get another 100k miles out of it, for far less money than a new rig would cost. There aren’t many adventures that your Tucson can’t take you on, and for those that it isn’t suitable for, there are alternative adventures that it’ll work just fine for that are just as fun and engaging. Plus, the Overland market today is the best it’s been in my lifetime, which means in a few years time the Used Overlander market will be equally booming (it’s already starting) so when the time comes where you actually DO need to replace your Tucson, you’ll have a ton of new and used options available.
FWIW, I have found that the ‘creature comforts’ and the things I use every day are what I really appreciate the most about my newer rigs. Having things like remote start, apple car play, etc. In a vehicle that is both an adventure rig and a Daily Driver is nice; these creature comforts are the things that I use most often and think “Gee, I love this truck”. Don’t get me wrong — I love a LOT about my truck — but those types of things are the most common pieces I notice on a day to day basis. Conversely, those would be the things I would miss the most if I hadn’t gotten my newer vehicle, but you can add 99.9% of those creature comforts after the fact to almost any vehicle for fairly cheap. Apple Car Play compatibility is a few hundred bucks away via an aftermarket head unit, there are heated seat covers, command start units are under $200, etc. So you can add this stuff pretty easily.
Once you get that engine oil leak diagnosed, I think you are in good shape as I have not seen you post anything that says you need a new vehicle. The other hiccups you posted with the vehicle are all fixable with a basic tool kit and a few YouTube videos. Retrofitting “modern” amenities to it (if that’s what you choose to do) that will make your day-to-day work and your adventures more comfortable may assuage that bonus joy that comes from “new stuff”, while keeping your bank account full of gas money. Even spending a few hundred bucks on a very thorough car detailing can make “old and blah” feel “new and exciting”, right down to the new car smell. So, there’s a lot of little things that can delay scrapping of this rig in favour of another, and I would try to tackle a few of those before making the second-biggest purchasing decision of your life (assuming you ever buy a house, which is not the golden financial choice it used to be for some people).
The only other factor I would consider if I were you is the relative trade in values of your car. Let’s say a car costs $50k brand new, after an average year is only worth $40k, after two average years it’s only worth $30k, but after 3 average years it’s only worth $10k. The drop between year 2 and year 3 is $20k, whereas it’s only $10k on the other years, so if you are on that “bubble”, it may spur you to make a decision to trade it for something else now rather than waiting. However, if I had a vehicle that met my needs the way yours does, that i liked, and that I could keep on the road without spending too much money (average $$ per year on maintenance, inflated by a few $$ for pain and suffering = less than a year’s payments on something else), I wouldn’t worry about trade values and I would drive it until it no longer met my needs.
Anyway I hope my ramblings are a little bit useful, I didn’t take the time to edit them as I’ve done them during my breaks at work. It sounds to me that you are making a really informed decision, and have a lot of the stuff that usually messes with this decision sorted out. It’s exciting to look at new vehicles and go shopping for them, and it’s easy to get swept up in that excitement, but you’ve managed to really focus on your needs and the answers to the various questions on here have been well thought out.
I have every intention of running this rig into my grave, didn't by it to stare at in the driveway hoping the depreciation doesn't ruin my retirement plans. It's a Jeep.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
You never mentioned it was diesel. Most diesels will easily go 300,000 miles, you have no spark plugs or wiring harness to spend money on etc.
Your fix problems are just poor maintenance it sounds like to me. Fix that dude and drive it. Your ahead of the game when you know your vehicle.
Last edited:
Enthusiast III
My new daily driver IS my new overland project...of course I'm going to keep throwing money at it 
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Yes, monthly for 7 years ha ha ha ! Why don't you show us your jewel before you pin stripe it and get it muddy. LOLMy new daily driver IS my new overland project...of course I'm going to keep throwing money at it
Diesel!
Now you tell us.
As Lanlubber noted, diesels actually hold up. If you ever notice a VW rabbit pickup truck still running you can pretty safely bet it is a diesel.
Diesel is a game changer. I didn't even know they made a diesel Tucson.
None of the issues you have mentioned are things that will kill a vehicle. Suspension bushings are probably the biggest issue, and in case you haven't figured this out by now, any vehicle that spends time off road is going to need suspension bushings taken care of. That is just the nature of the game. As long as the vehicle isn't rusting out and the transmission isn't dead I would say keep on taking care of it. Stay on top of oil changes for the sake of your turbo (I assume it has one). The extra heat in there isn't good for the oil, and the turbo generally has little bitty bearings with which to deal with that heat. Oil condition matters even more.
Member III
Joey83,
Just my 2cents, but don’t go the 20” wheels for off-road! 16s will put more side wall and give you a better ride off-road. A rule of thumb: wheels should be about half the height of the tire.Vance
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
-
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
