Ballmobile

Jun 14 17:29 UTC 2004

My wife has been trying to persuade me for a while that I
should buy a "truck".  I was resistant to the idea, but
driving (or rather wading) home through floodwater the other
day made me think that perhaps she's right.

She has a "pick-up" in mind, but I'm more inclined toward
something like a Landrover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser or
perhaps some kind of Jeep.  I want a (Biodiesel compatible)
Diesel engine (perhaps a newfangled turbo-diesel or common-
rail) and a manual gearbox.

Constructive comments, observations and suggestions are
invited.

response 2 of 66:

Jun 15 05:30 UTC 2004

Might be cheaper to move.

response 4 of 66:

Jun 15 18:15 UTC 2004

Get laptops. 

The increase in truck use is another example of the Tragedy of the Commons.
They offer increased utility of "1" to the buyer and each one makes
only a near "0" addition to global warming, oil depletion, pollution,
etc. But so many people think this way, the net effect is increasingly
serious in all regards. 

response 6 of 66:

Jun 17 07:16 UTC 2004

I had to borrow Mrs. Ball's car today, as mine refused to
start.  The new vehicle decision grows closer with every
passing day.


Re #4: Environmental impact was one of the things that put
  me off for a long time.  :-/


Re #5: Renting a delivery truck isn't an option for the kind
  of applications that Mrs. Ball is likely to come up with.
  You're right that (low volumes of) PCs will fit in a car.

  I'll have to check whether there's a cycling conference
  here on Grex.  I've an idea that I used to read one here.
  I would love to buy a bicycle, but my requirements are
  probably atypical (I'll write more in the cycling conf.)
  There is no significant hope of finding another job that
  is within bicycle range, and for leisure cycling I'll
  need a motorised vehicle to get to suitable locations. :-(

response 8 of 66:

Jun 18 19:15 UTC 2004

If your main need is to haul around large amounts of stuff, consider a
station wagon.  They get better fuel economy and handle better.

If you must get a truck, keep in mind that four wheel drive models get
considerably lower fuel economy and have higher maintenance costs than
two wheel drives.  Ask yourself how often you would *really* need four
wheel drive.  You don't mention where you live, but in most parts of
southeast Michigan you just aren't going to need it often enough to
justify the expense.  My Volvo 240 has little to recommend it as a
winter car (rear wheel drive, open differential) but the previous owner,
who lived on a rural dirt road, successfully used it year 'round.

response 10 of 66:

Jun 19 07:25 UTC 2004

Re #7: 15 miles doesn't get me anywhere useful, but an
  electric bike is an interesting idea.  Out of interest, do
  they charge the battery when you're coasting downhill or
  braking?

  My next pushbike (pedal bicycle) will be leg-powered. I'll
  just have to ride it locally until I (hopefully) become
  fit enough to extend my range a bit.

  A rented truck wouldn't satisfy my wife's expectation of
  instant, on-demand cargo space. When we buy a house, it's
  likely to be a "fixer upper" and I daresay she'll have me
  driving furniture, building materials and other large (or
  just odd-shaped) stuff around.

  I actually quite like hatchbacks and really enjoyed
  driving a rented Vauxhall Corsa with an interesting
  3-cylinder 1 litre engine when I was getting ready to
  return to the U.S. in 1999.  I think it's a distant cousin
  of the Geo Metro over here, but with more elegant design.
  My wife's inevitable veto aside, that was probably better
  suited to British driving anyway.

response 12 of 66:

Jun 19 19:05 UTC 2004

I've been thinking about the Outback wagon for a while.  The AWD is
attractive when you live on roads that don't get plowed and that turn to
ice frequently.  Mainly the problem I've had with a 2WD truck is getting
started at icy intersections (especially those on hills).  It really
doesn't take much to get stuck with 2WD if you aren't careful.  So,
the idea of a little more traction to get going in those circumstances
sounds good, as does much better gas mileage.  

We, too, would not want to give up the ability to haul stuff (groceries,
bags of mulch, lumber, golf clubs, furniture, etc.) and carry a
passenger (spouse), but would like to get better MPG.  I live 25 miles
from work, 5 miles from the grocery store & pharmacy, and 10 miles from
the doctor's office. Biking is not an option, especially on the roads I
drive (narrow) and very especially with the kind of auto drivers I see
on the road every day.

I've owned two Subaru wagons in my lifetime.  Both of those had
shiftable 4WD (full time front wheel drive) and were excellent for
getting around in the winter. Both had a decent amount of space for
hauling. A luggage rack helps, too. Ground clearance was fine, though
nothing like a truck.  Gas mileage was excellent for a 4WD vehicle.

I've never had an AWD vehicle.  It seems they are getting more
sophisticated about applying power differentially to the wheels.  Our
neighbor has an AWD Audi and got stuck on the icy hill near our house
this past winter.  We were finally able to get the car up the hill by
taking a slightly faster run at at (there's a corner at the bottom of
the hill that makes gaining speed on the ice difficult unless you want
to slide into the big trees near the bridge).

So, I'd be curious how they fare in the icy SE MI winters.  

(The night my neighbor got stuck with her AWD, I took the back way into
my house, which avoided taking the hill with my truck (I've been stuck
on the icy hill before, too, and that was also a result of not being
able to take a good enough run, but due to gawkers looking at the car in
the creek beside the bridge). Note that I put 600# of sand in the back
of the truck in winter and that helps a lot with maintaining control and
getting started (but puts a dent your mileage). You definitely can't
make jack rabbit starts, though.  And if you're going too fast and try
to stop quickly, you'll slide real nice.)