|
|
Post by acidohm on Feb 22, 2015 7:15:04 GMT
So, in the face of a likely colder outlook over the coming years, i am selling my current business vehicle, a vauxhall panel van...and swapping it for a 4x4 pickup. My reasoning is my van has done 140000 miles, costs about £1500/year in maintainance (mostly bad luck, cam belt snapped after 20000 miles needed top end rebuilt...turbo blew nect year  ..) Finance on 60,000mile truck is about the same.....plus i get to take the value of truck off my profits so it's paid for itself in the first year. Also, as a plumber on a new build site, even the frosts we have had in the uk so far have cost me about £1000 due to brickies not building and plasterers not skimming....therefore less work ....and now its cold again!! My intention is to become used to the 4x4 capabilities now, make friends with local domestic plumbers and if it gets really nasty at least i'll be in a position to take work from customers with boiler/heating issues when accessability is potentially an issue and my services are needed! i live in what passes for countryside here in the uk.....i appreciate others on this forum probably have more extensive wilderness on their doorstep! I have been able to take what i think is a reasoned judgement call thanks in part to the great information pool available here and at other sources and the fact that cold really does seem to be biting in as an observation. Just wondering if anyone else has taken steps to accommodate for impending doom (LOL)?? |
|
|
|
Post by sigurdur on Feb 22, 2015 16:48:54 GMT
I bought my wife a set of tire chains.
|
|
|
|
Post by nonentropic on Feb 22, 2015 18:13:59 GMT
In spite of your best intentions Sig I'm not sure that any women will thank a man for getting her chains after she has fitted them once.
The women survive but they have very poor attitude, its been said the men often regret saving them.
|
|
|
|
Post by sigurdur on Feb 22, 2015 18:17:20 GMT
acidohm:
With the AMO switch coming along nicely, a colder outlook certainly looks to be in the cards. Hopefully, your 4X4 works out well for you. I have 4 wheel drive on my pickup. Used to have 2wd and use tire chains. If you have weight in the box, tire chains are a very effective means of driving through snow ice. Not as handy as switching a gear box tho, and not as good in mud as a 4X4.
Where I live, and what I do, 4X4 becomes a no brainer.
|
|
|
|
Post by sigurdur on Feb 22, 2015 18:19:09 GMT
In spite of your best intentions Sig I'm not sure that any women will thank a man for getting her chains after she has fitted them once. The women survive but they have very poor attitude, its been said the men often regret saving them. She is an exceptional woman, so she thanked me. However, with that said, I hope she never has to use them! Because, as you indicated, the downdraft...................... |
|
|
|
Post by walnut on Feb 22, 2015 18:19:17 GMT
The only way I can really think of to prepare for a coming cool climate is just to get wealthier. The US dollar was supposed to have collapsed by now according to many of us republicans, instead it has been roaring. I don't know that dollars will be great during any looming apocalypse but any type of useful wealth is what I feel like I will need.
|
|
|
|
Post by sigurdur on Feb 22, 2015 18:44:10 GMT
walnut:
Only reason the dollar hasn't collapsed is as bad as the US economy really is, it is still better than anywhere else. Not a very comforting statement.
|
|
|
|
Post by sigurdur on Feb 22, 2015 18:45:17 GMT
The advantage that acidohm has is that he is a plumber. That is a trade that will not go out of style.
|
|
|
|
Post by walnut on Feb 22, 2015 18:55:13 GMT
Sig- most of our towns are composed of a few wealthy landowners, the rest dirt poor peasants, generally with some drug use. The towns are dominated by two institutions: The local Wal-Mart and the local US Department of Human Services office (which will be a fairly large building).
I should mention, those few landowners seem always to be involved in most of the prosperous industry that the town might have.
Welcome to the new US of A. Americans can be be industrious and inventive, but they have to be pushed into it. In the 19th century, the young people were told to move west. In the 21st century, they are told to sign up for food assistance. And to go to college (where they will learn not much useful but accumulate huge amounts of debt, which will later be defaulted on or forgiven by the government).
rant\
|
|
|
|
Post by acidohm on Feb 22, 2015 19:41:15 GMT
acidohm: With the AMO switch coming along nicely, a colder outlook certainly looks to be in the cards. Hopefully, your 4X4 works out well for you. I have 4 wheel drive on my pickup. Used to have 2wd and use tire chains. If you have weight in the box, tire chains are a very effective means of driving through snow ice. Not as handy as switching a gear box tho, and not as good in mud as a 4X4. Where I live, and what I do, 4X4 becomes a no brainer. thx...If nothing else the kids will find a couple of trips on some dirt roads entertaining! Chains, sand ladders, thermos, blanket, snow shovel....etc....to be obtained prioritised as to which may be most difficult to obtain if it gets gnarly....thankfully none of this is that expensive so not much outlay... |
|
|
|
Post by acidohm on Feb 22, 2015 19:47:25 GMT
The advantage that acidohm has is that he is a plumber. That is a trade that will not go out of style. However not so useful if the mains freezes  Should add to the list a generator...i have one anyway and could run a lead from the central heating boiler if the mains power ever went out... Most people I know have no idea why I should think this way....i consider minimum investment for potentially highly practical results to be no problem. |
|
|
|
Post by walnut on Feb 22, 2015 20:00:27 GMT
Harbor Freight in the US is fairly amazing. An 8000 watt generator with a Honda clone engine which might actually be better than the Honda itself, these can be gotten on sale for 549 pretty often. www.harborfreight.com/8750-peak7000-running-watts-13-hp-420cc-generator-carb-68525-8558.htmlAt this point, Craftsman tools I am suspicious of, Harbor Freight has some pretty good stuff. China import or not. This generator will power a portable welder which can weld 1/4" steel, or power an average house. |
|
|
|
Post by acidohm on Feb 22, 2015 21:23:43 GMT
Harbor Freight in the US is fairly amazing. An 8000 watt generator with a Honda clone engine which might actually be better than the Honda itself, these can be gotten on sale for 549 pretty often. www.harborfreight.com/8750-peak7000-running-watts-13-hp-420cc-generator-carb-68525-8558.htmlAt this point, Craftsman tools I am suspicious of, Harbor Freight has some pretty good stuff. China import or not. This generator will power a portable welder which can weld 1/4" steel, or power an average house. That's good power! Mine is a wolf (!!?!) 2600 watt. ..been run on site in all weather's for 5 years. ..i have the email for a parts supplier written on the side in sharpie for those occasions when something goes wrong! Got it in a deal for £115 half price. Reckon the harbour freight is probably £6-700 here.... |
|
|
|
Post by Ratty on Feb 22, 2015 23:00:02 GMT
I bought my wife a set of tire chains. What a SNAG!  |
|
|
|
Post by sigurdur on Feb 23, 2015 0:18:41 GMT
acidohm: With the AMO switch coming along nicely, a colder outlook certainly looks to be in the cards. Hopefully, your 4X4 works out well for you. I have 4 wheel drive on my pickup. Used to have 2wd and use tire chains. If you have weight in the box, tire chains are a very effective means of driving through snow ice. Not as handy as switching a gear box tho, and not as good in mud as a 4X4. Where I live, and what I do, 4X4 becomes a no brainer. Sig, Like your new pic. That looks like a nice New Holland there you got. Nice pic. I frequently, however not this year, drive a lot in the snow because I ski. I have a 4WD Chev SUV with factory skid plates and Bilstein shocks, it's an old truck with close to 300K but still running strong, that I use year round. I used to run on all season Michelin LTX M/S2 for the entire year, they are an excellent tire, but a few years back I decided to try a pair of winter specific snow/ice tires. Now having driven them I will never go back to all season tires in the winter. The winter tires absolutely dominate on snow and ice, I can drive without going into 4WD, I have dramatically cut down on slipping while braking and cornering has improved a lot. Because I only run on them during the winter months I expect to keep the same tires for a good number of years because I switch back to my regular Michelin's for the rest of the year. The picture is a couple of years old. My daughter drove that combine. She was really good with it. She is now married, so I may have lost my "operator". Agree 100% in regards to choice of tire. A lot of folks have forgotten the benefits of an actual tire designed for a specific task. I put snow tires with studs on our car. I seldom drive it, but my wife does and it makes it a lot safer for her. And after all these years of her putting up with me, I rather hope that the tires help assure that she continue to be here for that task. |
|
..) Finance on 60,000mile truck is about the same.....plus i get to take the value of truck off my profits so it's paid for itself in the first year.
