Well we've been busy.
We've got down payments on some stuff and I've done some napkin math. We've settled on everything but the personal property. We document out the wazoo. We did a big doc dump on the insurance company with the receipts and pics to prove that we lost more than the 10k covered by our policy. I don't think it will be an issue to get a full pay out.
Right now our budget to work with is ~$26K, until we get the last check. (We've had to spend more than we want living and running around, but are getting close to getting back on the road and cutting expenses dramatically.)
I put $700 down today on a 2004 Yukon Denali with 132K miles on it. I have all the print outs on the work done at the dealership when they took it in, plus the carfax. The previous two owner did most of the basic maintenance. They did not service the tranny. But it appears as if it was used for light towing at most. There's not hardly any scratches on the receiver and no trailer brakes. There's no particulates in the tranny fluid, the color of the fluid is good and it does not smell or look burned. It has the “Premium Smooth Ride” and Heavy Duty tow packs. PSR has the z60 “off road” self leveling shocks. Forums people complain that they blow if you try to rock crawl, but are fine for dirt / gravel roads; which is as wild as we get. They are expensive to replace. But the vehicle does not appear to have been used for heavy towing and still rides high. It also has a weight dist hitch rated receiver with a 7 pin. The PSR Heavy tow packs also includes a bunch of “intelligent” tow mode stuff that is supposed to keep the tranny from overheating and a “heavy duty” tranny cooler.
The base kelly / market prices for it is ~$5k at a private seller and about ~$8.5k at a dealer. I'm out the door at just under $10.4k. (Actually $9.3k base, but I'm having more done to it.)
It needed a ton of work when they got it. I have the techs work sheet. In addition to all the inspections they replaced both head gaskets and the oil gasket. It has 4 new tires that were mounted and balanced (the spec sheet does not show an alignment, but carfax shows one 10k miles ago). And they did a ton of little stuff like the hatch struts, dome light, etc.
I went in to see another one and ripped it to shreds. They wanted $7k, I told them I would give them $3k b/c it needed $7k work. I think I hurt their safe space when I told them they over paid for it at $5k. So they showed me the Denali, which was not even listed yet and was still being prepped for paint when we saw it. We haven't done a test drive yet or gotten an independent inspection.
It fires right up and sounds clockwork. Cold the mix smelled a little rich (not horrible) and was a little sooty on rev: I'm thinking of maybe adding a top end fuel system flush to my order.
The ton of stuff they already did totaled out retail to about $3k parts / labor plus a set of tires. So $9.3k is basically the private seller price ($5k) plus retail on the work it needed, plus dock and title.
I am dropping another $700 on having them do a full tranny service since it has never been done, a new set of plugs, servicing the transfer case and installing trailer brakes. That puts me out the door at $10.2k (I know I quoted dif above). It does not have a radio. The after market upgraded radio was removed before trade in and was unplugged, not cut, so I can get a new cheap one installed. They gave me a $250 credit. I am considering going ahead and having them flush the coolant system. That would bring me up to about $10.4k. It's not due for ~18K miles, but I wouldn't have to worry about it for another 150K miles.
If I add a top end fuel system clean it will bring me up to about $10.6k out the door. I'm not *too* concerned about a little rich and a little soot at 132K (even w/o an independent inspection) with it never having been cleaned and running like clockwork. And if I do all this it won't be due for another big service for 50K miles barring failures / repairs.
It's a gas, not a flex, so I'll run Lucas Oil ethanol treatment in it since all you can get any more is E10/15.
We didn't get to test drive it yet. We will check the park brake, alignment and neutral safety switch when we do. If it fails they will fix or we will walk.
It has a 6.0L vortec V8 with a 3.73 rear end and is rated at 8.2k #'s towing. I figure using the .8 west of the Rockies calc that equals 6560 #'s towing capacity.
We have a down payment on a 2013 kingstone springdale 179qbwe. NADA is $9k, we paid $10k plus paperwork.
Travel weight with a full pot tank and our full cargo load will be 5.3k #'s (well within trailer specs). Max wet weight will be 6.3k #'s. (I won't travel that way, but we've stayed places with water in and no sewer out and I want to be able to get up the hill to dump.)
I'm having a hard time finding GCWR. But, I figure since tow w/o the .2 west of the Rockies knock is 8.2k #'s and my TT travel weight is 5.3k (with cargo in the TT and the potable full w/ empty gray and black) if I remove the third row seats, add me, the wife and a full tank of gas I figure I can still max the interior bed payload at 700 #'s and be OK. That's the geny (travel, not run), some fix a flat, a tool box, yadda, yadda.
I still need to find the weight rating on the rear bumper of the trailer and see if I can get a small platform to put a couple of jerry cans back there. I'll get a 4 stroke geny and the truck and geny will be able to run the same gas. I'd like to be able to lock down 2-3 jerry cans back there in addition to the spare tire.
As a part of the package they are doing a full punch list on the trailer for the $10k.
I'm considering having them add a 200w solar system with a 2 battery bank. I want to be able to run my heater / fan off and on all night.
But, I also want more than that. It has LED light all through out. I'd like to be able to run some lights for a few hours after dark, maybe listen to the radio, maybe charge a PC or a couple of phones, maybe watch a *little* TV.
***Should I upgrade to a 4bank 400w system to do all that or will a 2bank 200W system do what I need?***
After prepaying one years insurance on both the truck and trailer, doing all services, paperwork, paying taxes and upgrades I'm expecting to get back on the for ~$23.5k and still needing to replace at least some stuff like the genny. ($300 on sale for a 4kw start 3kw run gas 4 stoke w/ RV plug).
We have $26k currently. The wife is bringing in $2.5 a month until the end of January. As we get in to this, even though we'll have to spend cash to drive up to ID to get things done, monthly living expenses will drop as we move out of a hotel and in to an RV an hour plus outside of Vegas.
We will stay in the Vegas area for about two more months until my neck heals for weather / doctor acess / ease of dealing with one insurance office.
I know I am cutting it close. But I am expecting an $8-10K check for the personal property in the next 10 days. I can go tomorrow and put $2k more on the trailer (in addition to the $500 I've already put down) and they will store it for a couple of months w/o storage charges. Which will leave plenty of working capital until the last check clears the bank.
Just about the same time that the wife's current gig expires in January I should be able to go back to at least light duty work.
When all is said and done and everything basic is replaced to start over I am hoping to have about $7.5k left over in pocket and looking for work.
***Which is exactly where we were before all this happened!!!** We we going to work camp our way through life. We had lot's of plans for that but that's another story.
With an almost perfect reset we will have a truck that is 10 years newer than the last one and a trailer that is 15 years newer than the old one with all the equipment we need to boondock and for me to feel that I can take the wife out in the middle of nowhere, with a good chance to get back to civilization and even a few upgrades (solar) that we didn't have the last time around.
Have I missed anything? Does anybody see any glaring holes I've missed?
Please feel free to punch any holes in this that you see and to comment on the 2 bank 200 w vs 4 bank 400 w solar systems.
Thanks everyone.
