1st world problems!

[B0at1n]

I am fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to have a free company car, however they do not allow any other drivers including my wife.

The other vehicle we have is an avalanche for my wife to drive.

So, my mother in law is in town, they are going to go shopping tomorrow afternoon with the kids and cousins. Immediate thought is GREAT! It’s going to be high 60s and sunny so I’ll take the boat out for a while. Then I remembered, I won’t have a tow vehicle to get the boat to the water! ‍


Now I’m back to asking someone to let me borrow their truck to get the boat the water

I guess I need to purchase another tow vehicle.

 

[Beachbummer]

How often does this happen? Maybe cheaper to rent?

 

[B0at1n]

Well I have had the boat for a month and a half and this is probably the third time.

I also plan to do a rental business this summer with boat, so I am prob not going to have a choice.

 

[Beachbummer]

Interesting...Any chance a Marina near by will solve your vehicle problem? Dry Stack or Boat on a lift is awesome.... Just giving you some options...nothing wrong with a new car.

 

[B0at1n]

There is a marina close by, I would love to have a slip, but it would cost $400 a month to keep it there and they told me I couldn’t rent the boat out from there either.

Plus $400 a month for a year is $4,800.

I can hook the boat up and have it in the water in under 20 mins from my house. Since I’m so close to the launch.

I am thinking of finding a Suburban with third row seating. Quite a few listing in the 2-4K range for a early 2000s model. Most likely be able to use that for a few years and sell it for close to what I paid.

 

[Scottintexas]

I hope to be out tomorrow afternoon 4-5 probably on the west side running fast letting my youngest daughter get some wheel time,

flag us down if you see us,

 

[B0at1n]

I hope to be out tomorrow afternoon 4-5 probably on the west side running fast letting my youngest daughter get some wheel time,

flag us down if you see us,

Will do! I actually planned to go explore the west side a little bit. Where do you usually put in at?

 

[Scottintexas]

normally point vista, sometimes sycamore bend

 

[robert843]

@B0at1n I feel your pain. My work car is a prius and I ran into this same issue where my tow vehicle was consistently being used by someone else on weekends and when the wife and kids ran off with it I had no way to get the boat or ski to the water. I took a different approach instead of buying another tow vehicle I bought the wife something better on gas that she now uses on a daily basis. Basically I look at the gas savings versus her using our tow vehicle as a wash she was spending around 240-300 a month in fuel using the tow vehicle as her permanent driver and now she uses her other vehicle costing me around $100 a month so that $200 a month saving justifies the third car. She still uses the tow vehicle when needed but its much less frequently. Just a thought versus buying another tow vehicle the trick is to find something she thinks is fun to drive but still gets good gas milage.

 

[B0at1n]

@robert843 same thoughts have crossed my mind. Since my wife stays at home we use maybe a $100 a month In fuel in the truck. The avalanche was a compromise already, she wanted a lifted f-250. While I would much enjoy one of them. It’s more than twice the cost of ownership than the Avalanche to spend most days sitting in the driveway.

Since we have a 6 year old and a 1 year old, the suburban could have dual purpose of being the bigger vehicle to carry a bunch of kids around in. They are going to have to squeeze 4 kids in the back of the avalanche tomorrow.

My original thought was to use it as an excuse for a sports car. But that would have no functionality really.

 

[robert843]

@robert843 same thoughts have crossed my mind. Since my wife stays at home we use maybe a $100 a month In fuel in the truck. The avalanche was a compromise already, she wanted a lifted f-250. While I would much enjoy one of them. It’s more than twice the cost of ownership than the Avalanche to spend most days sitting in the driveway.

Since we have a 6 year old and a 1 year old, the suburban could have dual purpose of being the bigger vehicle to carry a bunch of kids around in. They are going to have to squeeze 4 kids in the back of the avalanche tomorrow.

My original thought was to use it as an excuse for a sports car. But that would have no functionality really.

Another option is a TDI Audi or VW great performance and fuel economy. Her last third car before the current third car was an Audi Q5 tdi and that thing was bad ass. It hauled ass and had room for the family. I think if you buy a 4K Suburban you guys will quickly grow tired of it. A 4k Suburban will likely have high mileage and be older and likely not entice the wife to drive it as a secondary kid hauler well at least not my wife. That said our wives are opposites I put my wife behind the wheel of a 2019 Ford F250 Platinum Diesel the other day at the dealership as I wanted to trade tow vehicles and she wasn't having it at all. While her current Lincoln Navigator L was only slightly smaller she said she felt like it was to big which made little sense as we pulled them together and the were pretty close on the eye test the F250 was just taller. I was so disappointed as I really wanted to move to a F250.

 

[B0at1n]

Our wives are definitely opposites.

German cars scare me, always seem to be expensive to fix, I know very few people good at working on them and don’t know them well myself. The Chevy is very simple and I feel comfortable fixing most things on them.

Being the plan is for this vehicle to sit unless it pulling the boat or if we have more than 5 people to carry at once. I’m not expecting to put more than a couple thousand miles a year on it. So I am okay with higher mileage and even salvage title if it gets me a truck that will serv the purpose of pulling the boat when I need it too.

Currently talking to this guy, with the lift my wife will probably be all for it.

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/d/tahoe-z71/6750844327.html

 

[itsdgm]

Any friends that have a truck and want to go boating for the day?

 

[B0at1n]

@itsdgm my neighbor has s truck for his boat that sits, he is going to be nice enough to let me borrow it this time.

I bought a boat because the whole “use a friends boat” never worked for me, always canceling or not wanting to take the boat out.

Now that I have a boat, I’m sure I’ll make some new friends who actually use their boats... hopefully.

 

[Beachbummer]

The cheap suburban is an awesome idea. My dry stack is cheaper, and it lets me boat more often. Based on your costs and how close the water is to you, it sounds like you know what you want, and it makes sense.... Send pictures when you find it!!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I find that a designated beach wagon " as I call them" works the best as you can load all your equipment in it and leave it there.
I always use a high top van.
I build in a fishing pole rack , water ski rack, life jacket rail that runs the length of the van and I have more life jackets than I can probably use but with 11 grandchildren and their friends I usually need a bunch of jackets.
I load in wake and knee boards, a huge container for my tubes and tow ropes, a big first aid kit, sun glass box, water shoe box, an electric shower for rinsing off at the end of the day so I don't get in the van with salt water on me.
I also have numerous other items like canopies, umbrellas, and fold up beach chairs, kids floats and rafts. AND ALWAYS HAVE SUPER GLUE !!
I also have a big supply of tools for emergencies with a set of trailer hub bearings with a spare hub and lug nuts, a trolley jack, some emergency traffic cones and a twin cylinder 12 volt compressor with a very long hose so I can air up any tire on the trailer or van , big lug wrenches a spare tire and wheel, an electric winch for really low tides since I beach launch and special traction mats to back on to if the ground is soft at low tide . Jumper cables are in there as well. And triple A towing just in case.
I also have motion sensor video cameras set up monitoring sound and video in front of and behind the van.
I have several coolers with pole holders built on to them and special mounting hardware, tackle boxes and cast nets with bait buckets for fishing and an electric trolling motor mount and a separate battery plus a trolling motor .
Oh and extra clothing for a variety of conditions including nylon ski pants and nylon jackets in the event that it gets cold.
The point is I always have what I could possibly need and often what some other person who is not as prepared may need. High top vans with a V8 and cold air are perfect beach wagons, all derived from over 50 years of boating experience.

 

[B0at1n]

First reaction is wow, now I feel like I need $10k to pimp out my tow vehicle. lol.

That is a good idea though, specially if your in the ocean and traveling with the boat to different places.

 

[Betik]

you can come get my truck for today if you need to ( PantherCreek and tollway).

Maybe I missed this, but why are you not using the Avalance to tow your 190?

in regard to the suburban/taho, I love the way the look. I have liked them since the early 90s, and when the forum here forced me to trade in my 3 month Pilot for a decent tow vehicle I looked very seriously on them. However, in comparing to a Honda Pilot the interior was dissapointing. Although it "feels" bigger , leg room is not where it should be for a length of the vehicle. If I had a 190, I would have kept my AWD Pilot as it tows 5,000 and if you put brakes on your trailer you can also stop.

 

[B0at1n]

@Betik wife has plans today and will have the truck. My company only allows me to drive the company car. So gotta figure out solutions for a second tow vehicle, she isn’t going to accept a car she already wants a bigger truck. So my thought is an early 2000 model Tahoe or Suburban. Looking at them for sale. Should be less than $2,000 to pick one up.

Also the avalanche only pulls 5,000 as well, the Tahoe or suburban would do 7-8000 so if I upgrade boats I would have a tow vehicle already.


As for today, my neighbor is allowing me to use his truck, but I really appreciate the offer. If you wanna go out this afternoon your welcome to join. I plan to just putt around and explore and maybe fish a little. Still waiting to hear from my brother, he might join me.

 

[Betik]

would have loved to come say "hi", but I am still on antibiotics and generally speaking a wuss. It is highly unlikely I will be in the water until the Houston trip. at the end of April