My Plans Have Been Wrecked

ScottG wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
I've never understood leasing a vehicle. You never pay it off - you're always making a payment just like this going from one lease to the next lease and you never have anything you can sell or trade in, in the end????????

I don't think you should be leasing a new truck in retirement.

Bill

You mean the idea of paying for a vehicle and then just giving it back?
Not for me either.

I agree. Go down in vehicle, but pay for it and take care of it and drive it for 10 years.

Wranglers have terrible reliability records and are terrible for a daily driver. Very uncomfortable.

You do not need a F-350 to pull a trailer big enough for 1 person. Look at F-250 towing/cargo capacities, and you will find many trailers well within those limits and comfortable size.

If I were going to full-time as a single person, I would get a nice toyhauler, remove the folding sofas, etc. Then outfit the rear as a comfortable living space with bed, recliner, office space, etc. Not only do you have a space that is easily customized; you have a sturdy construction and large tank capacities, ideal for full-timing.

Trackrig wrote:
I've never understood leasing a vehicle. You never pay it off - you're always making a payment just like this going from one lease to the next lease and you never have anything you can sell or trade in, in the end????????

I don't think you should be leasing a new truck in retirement.

Bill

You mean the idea of paying for a vehicle and then just giving it back?
Not for me either.

#1 - For the motorhome, a lot depends on the maintenance and care it received and a good bit on just plain luck. Generally I would not expect significant chassis/drivetrain problems on a five year old unit that's in good shape and has been reasonably maintained. Problems tend to be more in the house structure and systems, and those are not as varied among different RVs. If you're somewhat handy and willing you can take care of a lot of the smaller issues yourself.

As for a Jeep, I have no idea.

#2 - Your vehicle, your call. There are some advantages and disadvantages to either a class C or a class A, and a lot of things that frankly aren't much different at all. I don't think either one is really easier to drive, though there are differences in how they feel and behave that make some people prefer one or the other. The bigger window and more open feel of the class A's (and your position closer to the front of the vehicle, sometimes over or in front of the front axle) gives a different perspective on the road. The big windshield is nice unless the sun is beating in or it gets broken. The overhang of a class C blocks the sun sometimes, but also can block traffic lights. A class A will usually be more maneuverable than a similarly sized class C (the van chassis don't have a particularly good wheel cut angle, which is okay for a typical van wheelbase but makes for wide turns when stretched). It can be a little easier to find places that will work on a class C than a class A, but I don't think it's a big difference overall. Lighter duty chassis (which often includes class C's) will often be less costly to maintain: 16" tires are a lot less expensive than 21.5" tires, etc.

#3 - I don't know too much, but this does depend a good bit on what exactly you mean by off-roading and on what part of the country you're in. There are in many places routes that are technically public roads but require a Jeep or similar vehicle to reasonably travel and would generally be classified as off-roading.

If you're towing a Jeep or whatever, bear in mind that it's also going to be your grocery getter and errand runner. There are tradeoffs between what's fun on the trails and what's comfortable and convenient around town. It's not that any given vehicle is right or wrong, of course, but rather where your priorities lie.

I've never understood leasing a vehicle. You never pay it off - you're always making a payment just like this going from one lease to the next lease and you never have anything you can sell or trade in, in the end????????

I don't think you should be leasing a new truck in retirement.

Bill

find a good used F250 or other brand ..look at used Fleet/lease.

my F 250 is my daily driver... but its not a Cadillac

Sorry to hear about the accident, glad you did not sustain any substantial injuries. You can certainly go with a class A or C if that works for you, one thing to note is that a 350/3500 truck is not required to pull most travel trailers. In our couple of decades of RVing it's been rare to see a travel trailer being towed by a 1 ton truck, although we've seen a couple here or there from time to time. We need a truck for other reasons and don't see a future where we will ever get a motorized RV, that is just us, you need to find out what works best for your situation.

Some would say that a TT is not suited for full-timing, and that has some truth to it particularly with older TTs, but recent model TTs are flat, single level copies of their fifth wheel counterparts albeit without as much available storage. Many can be pulled with newer model 1/2 ton trucks that are equipped with the proper motor/tranny combination. Plenty of off-roading is available in the western states, NM is next door and opportunities for such activities are endless. We prefer boondocking and dry camping and do most of our RVing in the four corner states where we bring our ATVs along with us for exploring the area.

DO NOT ASSUME ANYONE'S LEASE!!! That is a recipe for disaster. It is expressly forbidden in almost all lease contracts. Even if you get the lessor's written approval, you are going to be on the hook for anything that went wrong and was improperly repaired by the previous lessee. Not to mention it is a bad deal. You will be paying the same payment for a used vehicle that the original lessee paid for a new one.
If you carefully buy a seven or eight year old vehicle, drive it normal miles, your cost of ownership will be very low for the next 8 months. That is the best financial option if you wish to stay with your original retirement plan.
However, I would prefer the motorhome/toy vehicle plan if you are going to be in to off roading. Jeeps are much better off road vehicles than F350s. And they also are more convenient daily drivers in many parts of the country. (driving that honking F350 thru Boston would be a trip in itself.) Good Luck

Does temporarily buying a used vehicle get you back on track? Doesn't have to be truck. You can likely sell that vehicle for what it cost and go back to your retirement plan.

Get a class A if you're going to full time. You'll have more room inside and out. You should be able to find a nice used unit that is only a few years old at a decent price.

You're not limited to just Jeeps for towing behind the moho. There are several other vehicles you can tow with 4 wheels down that cost less and get better fuel mileage than Jeeps.

Good luck!

Could you just get the F350 now and use it as a daily driver until next Sept?