The price of new trucks is beyond comprehension!

[BobsYourUncle]

It was 42 years ago today, seems so long ago, yet still a strong memory in my head, a milestone I reached in my humble beginnings into the home renovation industry building solariums and such.

Yes, it was on this day, October ten, nineteen seventy eight when I had been only 4 years into my lifetime career when I worked my way to being able to purchase my first brand new truck!

Yup, 10-10-78 I drove off the lot of Phillips Chev - Olds in Penticton BC driving my nice shiny new 78 Chev 3/4 Ton Camper Special.

As I pulled out of the lot and turned left on to Westminster Ave and headed east towards home, I though I had lost my marbles, that I am a total idiot.

Who in their right mind would pay $7714. For a new truck. All taxes, fees, dealer prep and all the rest of the junk in came to $8,109.70 out the door...... Bob, you are out of your mind! I kept saying to myself. Financed it on the never never plan I did. How will I ever pay for it? I was barely 24 years old.

It was a great truck, I had it for 26 years and about 527,000K on the odometer when I retired it, still in decent shape.

Hmmmmm......

42 years later, my 2007 truck in sig is getting worn out. 408,800K on the clock and I am eyeing the shiny new trucks on the lot.

92 grand $$$$$$$ for something similar with a few more bells and whistles.

No, just no! That's what, about a dozen times the price I paid back then?
Gosh how can they justify that?

Wow! Just wow. Amazing how expensive pickups have become. All these fancy gizzmobops they have, someone has to pay for all that I guess..

Guess I'll just keep fixing what I have. It was $1423.77 yesterday for a water pump and a U-joint. Expensive!

Oh well, that's life! 🙂

My story of the day.

[Geo_Boy]

ppine wrote:
You are right as rain, and used trucks are no better.
I bought my first pickup for $3,300 in about 1974. It was a Chevy Luv with an Isuzu engine and a 4 speed and 2wd. It went everywhere.

I just saw a 2002 Ford diesel go fro $35 k.

If one of the car makers figures out that there is a market for simple trucks at a lower price they will sell all they can make. I don't need a backup camera, blue tooth and adjustable pedals. I would buy a truck with vinyl floors and seats if the drivetrain was good.

That’s what I purchase, my first truck, 1972 GMC half ton, 250 cu. in. 6 cyl. three on the tree and was $2,500.00, my present truck 2015 GMC 3500 HD dually was $40,000. Both trucks are base trucks and do everything I need my truck to do.
If I want fast and fancy that’s what my car/SUV is for.

[Bedlam]

My last truck was an XL trim and my current one is a Tradesman, so I am one of the few exceptions that stays away from from high priced gadgetry.

[Lantley]

At the end of the day we balk at the prices and claim we want a cheaper truck. However when a considerably cheaper equally capable no frills truck is presented, Most buyers turn there nose up and prefer the more costly models.

[4x4ord]

The top of the line trim package is something I find fairly easy to justify. I’m looking at pricing on a new Ram and struggle with paying $2500 to upgrade from the regular Cummins to the high output. Then they want $1500 for adding air ride.

[Reisender]

Lantley wrote:
Those simple no frills trucks are available, but consumers simply don't buy them.
Lots of business buy the plain white vinyl seat trucks that are considerably cheaper. But consumers gravitate to Platinum, Denali, High Country, King Ranch etc.
Plain Jane is not very popular.

This happens with cars as well. Tesla makes a plain Jane 35000 dollar model 3 but sells very few. People are willing to pay more 3 or 4 grand more for the upgrade stereo, lighting package, performance. Heated rear seats etc.

Marketing is key.

[Lantley]

Those simple no frills trucks are available, but consumers simply don't buy them.
Lots of business buy the plain white vinyl seat trucks that are considerably cheaper. But consumers gravitate to Platinum, Denali, High Country, King Ranch etc.
Plain Jane is not very popular.

[larry_barnhart]

The 05 chev 3500 dually duramax runs better that the day we left the lot in Dec of 04 and still feels new when we tow so guess who is not buying a new chev or any brand. 111000 miles. We have a TT now so not many rv trips planned.

chevman

[ppine]

You are right as rain, and used trucks are no better.
I bought my first pickup for $3,300 in about 1974. It was a Chevy Luv with an Isuzu engine and a 4 speed and 2wd. It went everywhere.

I just saw a 2002 Ford diesel go fro $35 k.

If one of the car makers figures out that there is a market for simple trucks at a lower price they will sell all they can make. I don't need a backup camera, blue tooth and adjustable pedals. I would buy a truck with vinyl floors and seats if the drivetrain was good.

[monkey44]

Bought our truck six years ago ... good price. At 56K miles, most of those camping or traveling, we expect this to last another ten years or more. We drive our 4cyl runaround in town, so truck either camps or sits, but for an occasional material pickup and drive it once in a while to keep everything operating properly if it sits a while.

We would never pay the kind of price new truck cost now, and much of the cost sits in things we don't need or want. Safety features may be worth it - but much of the cost is unnecessary for what we do - camp!! It gets us there, gets us home. Feet still work in between.

[time2roll]

Yes my plan is actually for my truck and myself to live forever.
So far the plan is working great 😉

Actually if there becomes available an EV truck or MH that works for me.... I might just retire the Old Man.

[4x4ord]

^^^ so your plan is to keep it going till they drop you in a hole and throw dirt in your face?

[time2roll]

4x4ord wrote:
I think a good plan is, if you are on track with your retirement savings and can afford to buy a new truck then buy a new one and trade it every few years to keep it relatively new, or, If you can’t afford to do that, then buy a 10 year old truck and trade it every few years for a 10 year old one again until you can afford new.... unless you want to buy a new truck, keep it for 20 years then, move into your 3x7 hole in the ground.

Mine will be 20 years next March. No plans to sell. Right now I plan to pull my trailer to AK with it when I retire in maybe 7 years.

[4x4ord]

I think a good plan is, if you are on track with your retirement savings and can afford to buy a new truck then buy a new one and trade it every few years to keep it relatively new, or, If you can’t afford to do that, then buy a 10 year old truck and trade it every few years for a 10 year old one again until you can afford new.... unless you want to buy a new truck, keep it for 20 years then, move into your 3x7 hole in the ground.

[Cristian123]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm thinking about buying another truck. A new one is expensive, and having used a loan payments calculator, I found out that I'd repay such a loan in five years. So, I'm not sure that a new one is better than a used one, but in a good condition. And I do understand that I would never sell a truck at the same price as I bought.

[pnichols]

A1ARealtorRick wrote:

Groover wrote:

A1ARealtorRick wrote:

You've got plenty of good reasons to stay, however, but the mass exodus from the state that we have all been reading about says something about the overall desirability of it. I know you can buy homes there pretty cheap, right?? :W

This coming from a realtor on the coast? I guess that it is all relative but I just saw an add down the beach from you a bit in Mexico Beach for a 0.1720 acre lot on the canal. $64,900! No structures! That is $377,325 per acre! I would sell 20 whole acres for that price where I live. That is why I don't live on a coast.

Yup, people can ASK whatever they want to, but what will it really SELL for, if at all? The stories I could tell you!!

Around here, much like about anywhere, acreage that's not on the coast is very reasonably priced.

Yeah ... and a lot of the acreage that's on the coast better be a bit above the coast if you want your grandkids to inherit acreage that's not underwater. 😉

For long term living it's all a tradeoff ... so pick your poison:

1. Do you want land that will eventually have water on top of it?

OR

2. Do you want land that may wind up all black because the green stuff on it burned up?

OR

3. Do you want land that may wind up at crazy angles because the ground got all shook up?

OR

4. Do you want land this right in the middle of busy roads, other dwellings, close fire and police stations, crime hotspots, and only enough square inches in size to plant a dandelion plant on it?

OR

5. Do you want land with high winds, lightning storms, no obtainable underground water, rattlesnakes, scorpions, sagebrush, and desert bluffs for a view?

OR

6. Do you want land that's most of the time too hot to go outside during the day?

OR

7. Do you want land outside a small town - with none of the above - but otherwise often inhabited by too many folks on drugs or messed up with other downside issues?

I guess that's the most wonderful thing about RV'ing with or without a toad ... one can change "the land they're on" whenever they want. 🙂