When is enough really enough?

[Joey83]

When maintaining/repairing/upgrading our rigs, when/how do we know it's time to stop spending money on them and move on?

That is a question I've been asking myself over the last couple of days after I was told how much money my Tucson crossover would need in expenses to get it to pass the next inspection.

The deadline I have if I want to keep using it as a daily driver is October 31st this year, and I've had to spend over $5000 maintaining and repairing it from November 2018 to May this year.

So my question is this, when is enough really enough?

I could put it in storage for as long as I need if I decide to keep and fix/modify it, but at the same time I'm not 100% that is the right choice for me, the other option is to scrap it and I don't really want to do that either.

Help please!

Joey

 

[MazeVX]

Most of the time it's enough when you start asking and getting into trouble to justify the money you spend.

 

[CR-Venturer]

When maintaining/repairing/upgrading our rigs, when/how do we know it's time to stop spending money on them and move on?

That is a question I've been asking myself over the last couple of days after I was told how much money my Tucson crossover would need in expenses to get it to pass the next inspection.

The deadline I have if I want to keep using it as a daily driver is October 31st this year, and I've had to spend over $5000 maintaining and repairing it from November 2018 to May this year.

So my question is this, when is enough really enough?

I could put it in storage for as long as I need if I decide to keep and fix/modify it, but at the same time I'm not 100% that is the right choice for me, the other option is to scrap it and I don't really want to do that either.

Help please!

Joey

How good of a vehicle could you get for that $5000? Is there an option to sell it or trade it in to get something better? 5000 seems awfully high for 1 year's worth of maintenance. I don't think I've even spent $1200 on mine, and that's including a new radiator installed, building a roof rack and installing a skid plate and jerry can mount on the back. How much are RD1 CR-V's where you live, my friend? ;)

 

[Autism Family Travels]

5000 is a damn good down payment on a new rig bud. I think I would move on. There are lots of reliable vehicles out there.

 

[Anak]

I would say "enough" for a Tucson crossover.

It would be another matter entirely if you were forking out $5K to keep your Range Rover/Sportsmobile/Earthroamer going.

Unless you have done some pretty extreme work to the Tucson I rather doubt the money spent on it will go nearly as far as if you put the money into a more substantial foundation.

 

[Billiebob]

How long will that $5K last? Now that you've made the investment I'd keep it for a few years, crazy to give all that work away. Me, I hate all the newer vehicles. I know guys who either spend thousands keeping newer diesels running or leave their trucks at the shop for 5 weeks waiting for warranty parts on a 1 year old diesel.

One guy, no shortage of cash bought a Ford 6.0 diesel.... 2 years later the engine needed $10K to keep it running. Next up, a Cummins and chipped it. Less than a year old it died, no warranty because of the chip. Lets try a Duramax, 3 months old it dies full warranty but it was at the shop for 5 months so he bought a Chevy gas 3/4 ton. Not sure what happened to it but while it was in for warranty work he bought a brand new Tundra. He says the Tundra is the best truck he has ever had but he need more capacity, he runs a trucking company, so the GAS CHEV is his work truck and the Tundra mostly sits in the shop.

And these stories are not limited to North American trucks. ALL the new vehicles have so many complicated systems even the mechanics and service writers are guessing. But a 5 week wait for parts???? I'll never buy a new vehicle. Apparently Toyota is facing a class action suit over parts delivery.

Stick with what you know. Buy old low mileage one owner vehicles with impeccable service records. And be happy.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

And yet, my wife's 2015 4wd High Altitude Jeep Patriot will bust 100,000 miles any minute. It's had zero issues, oil changes, tires and a set of spark plugs. That's it.

I need to look at the brakes I guess.....

 

[TerryD]

I'm not overly familiar with a Tuscon, but if it's paid for, $5k is a about one year's worth of payments on something new in the 30-40k price ranges where our SUVs tend to fall and if you dump that into it this year, will it get your 2-3 more years without much more maintenance.

I'm assuming you're paying someone to do the work with that kinda money, at least I hope so.

I've put roughly $10k into my 07 Xterra in the last 3 years in upgrades and maintenance/repairs and fully intend to keep it. On average it's cheaper to own than buying something new that's as capable as it is (looking at you 4Runner). Is it more likely to break down, possibly. I do abuse it. I'm pretty sure I caught air coming out of the back yard yesterday after unloading our gear from the weekend's camping adventure around Linville, NC. and it turned over 190k miles on the way home from that trip.

I've found that I enjoy a "beater" much more than a nice vehicle I'm constantly worried about bumping or scratching. Not that I'm out there trying to hit trees on purpose, but as long as no glass breaks, I'm not going to heart broken. It's just another dent.

 

[Anak]

I've found that I enjoy a "beater" much more than a nice vehicle I'm constantly worried about bumping or scratching. Not that I'm out there trying to hit trees on purpose, but as long as no glass breaks, I'm not going to heart broken. It's just another dent.

I agree.

Many of the things I do with my current vehicles I would not be comfortable doing in a shiny new rig. At this point pinstriping and scrapes are just "character". On a new rig they would be damage.

 

[CR-Venturer]

I agree.

Many of the things I do with my current vehicles I would not be comfortable doing in a shiny new rig. At this point pinstriping and scrapes are just "character". On a new rig they would be damage.

This is why I'm fairly certain that if I ever did buy a new or almost new rig, I would spring for top level ceramic coating. If you're already spending 30-50k on a vehicle, what's another 2k to make the paintwork essentially bulletproof and totally hydrophobic?

 

[The other Sean]

Miles and what year Tucson is also helpful. Is the vehicle even worth 5k once it's fixed?

 

[Joey83]

Miles and what year Tucson is also helpful. Is the vehicle even worth 5k once it's fixed?

Tucson is a 2005 and it's done almost 112.500 miles, but it is paid for and I've just been really unlucky (I drive 10-12000 miles a year on avarage)

 

[Joey83]

At this point pinstriping and scrapes are just "character".

Exactly! :)

 

[Joey83]

I'm assuming you're paying someone to do the work with that kinda money, at least I hope so.

Yes I am, I don't have the skills or the space/knowledge to work on it myself.

 

[The other Sean]

Tucson is a 2005 and it's done almost 112.500 miles, but it is paid for and I've just been really unlucky (I drive 10-12000 miles a year on avarage)

Even paid off, I'd have a hard time swallowing 5k on a 14 year old vehicle just to make it pass inspection. What happens next year? Is there any way to get a second opinion on the inspection? I'm not familiar with the rules where you are.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

When maintaining/repairing/upgrading our rigs, when/how do we know it's time to stop spending money on them and move on?

That is a question I've been asking myself over the last couple of days after I was told how much money my Tucson crossover would need in expenses to get it to pass the next inspection.

The deadline I have if I want to keep using it as a daily driver is October 31st this year, and I've had to spend over $5000 maintaining and repairing it from November 2018 to May this year.

So my question is this, when is enough really enough?

I could put it in storage for as long as I need if I decide to keep and fix/modify it, but at the same time I'm not 100% that is the right choice for me, the other option is to scrap it and I don't really want to do that either.

Help please!

Joey

In terms of "How do you know when it's time to stop spending money and move on", it will ALWAYS be cheaper in the long run to repair a vehicle than it is to buy new. Even a totally junk vehicle with zero maintenance can be overhauled by the shade-tree mechanic for less than a new replacement. So, when this conversation comes up in our world, we start with a different question: What are our needs? If your Tucson can meet 100% of your needs now and in the future, you are probably better off financially continuing to invest in overhauling it and keeping it, but as an adventure platform there are better options out there.

So, these are the questions I suggest you ask yourself:

1) Does your Tuscon meet your needs if everything is in good shape? As in, if your Tuscon was at 100% would it meet your needs to an adventure vehicle? If the answer to this is "No", then you have your overall answer -- get rid of it/plan to find a vehicle that DOES meet your needs in addition to the Tuscon. If the answer to this question is "Yes, the Tuscon meets all my needs as an adventure platoform", move on to question 2.

2) Are there comparable rigs that also meet 100% of my needs, but that do not have the downfalls of my Tuscon or have advantages that make them better than my Tuscon? For instance, for $5k you can probably get WELL on your way to another used vehicle that is similarly capable to your Tuscon but is a bit newer, better aftermarket support, more robust for backcountry travel, etc. If the answer to this question is "no", then you know you can probably spend a bit of money on the Tuscon guilt-free. If the answer is yes, move onto question 3)

3) What can I afford? If the Tuscon doesn't meet your needs, or there are better vehicles that DO meet your needs, can you afford them? If you can, go for it. If you cannot, maybe you do need to keep the Tuscon OR buy a different used vehicle for now and aim for an adventure vehicle in the future.


In short, let your needs (daily driver, adventure vehicle, type of adventure, etc.) determine your vehicle; you likely will be unhappy if you keep/buy a vehicle and are limited in what you can do with it. It's the second most expensive thing you'll ever buy, so make sure you get one that meets your needs first and foremost.

 

[grover]

Yes I am, I don't have the skills or the space/knowledge to work on it myself.

If you're not doing any of the work to repair/maintain your vehicle, then spending 5k now and then to get the work done on an older overland vehicle should not come as a big surprise. Seems par for the course to me.

If you're at the mercy of shop-rates to perform repairs/maintenance (not to mention modifications), then you have a whole other host of considerations compared to the crowd that wrenches/builds their own stuff. You are more likely to consider things like resale value, a bigger rainy-day fund for surprise repairs, the peace-of-mind that comes with a warranty etc etc.

To answer your question though, you're still probably going to be ahead by driving your Tucson vs buying something new. But perhaps not by much. So really it's hard to give a definitively right or wrong answer. Those new interiors are awfully comfy ;)

I'll share my personal experience if that's ok? Bare with me as I'm not trying to preach the virtues of working on your vehicle. Instead, I'm trying to make you feel better about spending 5k now and then.

I drive a 1997 Jeep Cherokee. I've had it for 8 years now. In that time the clutch has been replaced, the engine has been swapped ( worn bearings / low oil pressure ), and pretty much everything replaceable has been replaced lol (wheel bearings, tie rods, ball joints, u-joints the list is endless). If I paid someone to do this work, I'd have spent 5k at least once. BUT I've done everything myself ( keep reading ;) ). When the clutch went, I bought a transmission jack and a pile of tools and did the work on a gravel parking pad. I didn't like working on a gravel parking pad so I built a garage (heated, insulated). Then when the engine tanked, I bought a good used one... and an engine crane to do the work myself. After that was done I wanted to fix the rusty floor.... so I bought a welder..... the list goes on ( 60 gal compressor, parts washer, automotive tools, OBD scanner the list is endless ). I like working on my stuff and teaching my kids how to work on stuff so I justify the cost. Either way, I'd have spent money.

The point of my story is that this "sport" can easily cost a lot of money no matter your approach. If it doens't, you're probably just getting lucky. In my case, I've got more money in my "workshop" then do in my vehicle(s). In your case, you're not one of the lucky ones and you pay the cost. I wouldn't sweat it to hard. Now that you've spent the money, I'd continue to roll the dice and see if you can get more miles out of it.... you'll "probably" be ahead in a few years vs buying something new or buying another ticking time-bomb.

 

[Joey83]

1) Does your Tuscon meet your needs if everything is in good shape? As in, if your Tuscon was at 100% would it meet your needs to an adventure vehicle? If the answer to this is "No", then you have your overall answer -- get rid of it/plan to find a vehicle that DOES meet your needs in addition to the Tuscon. If the answer to this question is "Yes, the Tuscon meets all my needs as an adventure platoform", move on to question 2.

2) Are there comparable rigs that also meet 100% of my needs, but that do not have the downfalls of my Tuscon or have advantages that make them better than my Tuscon? For instance, for $5k you can probably get WELL on your way to another used vehicle that is similarly capable to your Tuscon but is a bit newer, better aftermarket support, more robust for backcountry travel, etc. If the answer to this question is "no", then you know you can probably spend a bit of money on the Tuscon guilt-free. If the answer is yes, move onto question 3)

3) What can I afford? If the Tuscon doesn't meet your needs, or there are better vehicles that DO meet your needs, can you afford them? If you can, go for it. If you cannot, maybe you do need to keep the Tuscon OR buy a different used vehicle for now and aim for an adventure vehicle in the future.

Question 1: The Tucson meets all my current needs.

Question 2: I'm sure there are other comparable rigs out there that would meet or even exceed my needs for a daily driver/adventuremobile even in stock form.

Question 3: I can afford to fix what needs fixing, I guess I've just been an unlucky owner (I did buy it without any service history, but at a fair price at the time)

 

[Joey83]

Is there any way to get a second opinion on the inspection?

Not that I'm aware of, I do have friends that can help me with it though.

 

[grubworm]

My thoughts are: Scrap that mess! A vehicle is a tool. This has recently been discussed in other threads, but a vehicle is a tool that is built by a company for them to make money and for you to buy to perform a task. If that tool gets to be too expensive to keep in service or takes more time than you can get value out of, time for it to be replaced. Vehicles are not investments nor are they family members no matter how much you like them. They are made to be used and replaced. I was 21 last time I bought a used vehicle...I buy new and drive the hell out of it for about 10 yrs and when it gets to be problematic, I get another new one and move on. Life is too short and there is too much to see and do to be bogged down worrying about a vehicle. I might have several problems on my plate to deal with, but a vehicle sure isn't going to be one of them! :)
That's my justification for getting rid of a vehicle...if it resonates with you, great, if not, then you will have to do whatever it is that gives you peace with your decision. You will get many different opinions, each with its own validity. In the end, it boils down to what lets you sleep good at night.