What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

So fuel costs are one big part of the math problem we have with hauling. Diesel is much cheaper in Oregon than California. We haul north to south and back north. The Freightliner holds 200 gallons so we max it out just before crossing the border. Meanwhile the Ram only has a 50 gallon tank so we have to fill it up a lot more within California. Hence cost to run the RAM is higher.

My bro in law does have a second fuel tank he could put on a crate and strap on the Ram near the headliner. But he doesn’t seem overly excited about that project. Probably because he has a million other projects.

If it were me, I’d want a bigger tank under the bed as one integral unit but that’s spending a bunch to save money and not super smart.

 

Indiana has a notoriously low cost of living.
Our wages reflect that.
If we go back to 2008-2016 era gas prices, there will be a surplus of trucks and a shortage of fuel sippers...again. I drove a VW through those years so it hurt, but not as badly as it'll hurt this time around.
**I also only drove ~15 miles a day instead of 50+.

 

Do this.

Not this. People think they are going to save money by having another vehicle but your return on investment is long. Years to break even. I drive our Rav4 around town to save money.

 

I see what you're getting at.
If we only take into account my commute, I cover 13200 miles a year.
At 14.2mpg, that's 929.6 gallons.
At 25mpg, that's 528 gallons.
That's a 401.6 gallon difference.
Multiply 401.6 by current gas price of 3.599/gal is $1445.36.
By this math, I'd need to spend less than $1445.36 on a commuter and use it every work day for it to pay for itself in a year. (I wouldn't drive it to work every day.)

 

And what decent car can you get for $1,500 right now? Nothing unless a friend hooks you up. Not to mention insurance and maintence on a 3rd vehicle. Oh and paying registration fees.

 

I work at a dealership. There's a pretty steady stream of junk available for purchase.
And insurance on a 4th vehicle wouldn't be too bad.
Registration here is pretty cheap. Our excise taxes are based on the value of the vehicle.

 

They are Federal Couragia M/T 285/70/17

 

lol same here! already pushing $5/gallon and $100+ to fill up...thank god i work from home

 

Bicycle has a quicker break even. And health benefits. That’s my pick.

 

Yea Im lucky that I can bike to work a few times a week. Its just a matter of me having the motivation to do so. Atleast the days are getting longer and warmer so Ill start making an effort to bike to work more often.

 

We’ve been between $4.79-4.99 for a few months now. I won’t be surprised to see $6/gal soon. 150+ miles a day for work isn’t out of the norm so I drive the car 90% of the time. Hard to beat 35mpg’s and still have the utility.

 

I was wondering what gas costs in CA right now. We're at $3.50/gallon for regular here.

 

I'd dig out my alignment specs, but the truck tramlines under braking and wanders at freeway speed. I'm not super pleased with the alignment.

Not when I bicycle shop.
And as much as I like the bike, I'm not riding 25 miles each way. Hell, it'd probably be closer to 30 since I couldn't take the freeway.

 

$4.29 to 5.59 for gas in cen Cal

 

It took a summer to get where i could bike 20-30 miles each way, but i really only rode off hours. Cause there was about 2 miles without a shoulder or suicide lane. Scary stuff. And i know how much ‘those people’ suck. around here spandex cycling is pretty popular. So i slow down and wait until i can give them room. Been there. Sucks for everyone involved.

take an aluminum chassis dbike and put a newfangled pair of hub motors and a honkin’ li-po battery, tall bars, knuckle guards, and a windscreen. Go full motard, but i’d get ds tires, cause deer trails are worth it sometimes.

 

$3.50-$3.80 here. I wouldn't be surprised if we break $4.00/gal for the first time ever.

 

A good ebike takes the edge off. You can get some that won’t quit at 20mph. $5k gets a nice one, $3k price point is doable. Health benefits worth at least $1k per year. Solid win and should last 10-20 with basic maintenance.

I ran to work before kids and pandemic. Great way to force solid miles. Get to the office then slog home, forced miles when you are tired. Best way to get fit.

Also, while I was younger then, my first bike commute was 32 miles each way. Including a few solid climbs and a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge. Saving the toll fee was a nice side benefit.

 

Diesel in CA is close to $5, it was $4.19 in Oregon. Gas has a similar delta.

 

Another option is drive in, bike home, bike in, drive home. Good way to get started on commuting.

 

I get that works in CA but where I live it's not pedestrian or bike friendly. Plus, weather. I once posted a picture of one of our back roads showing my little Corolla fit under a downed tree. My relatives in MN couldn't believe I was on a public road. They called it a goat path. You'd run the risk of getting killed riding a bike on some of our roads.

 

Risk is there, especially in CA. It’s a legitimate concern. Awareness and defensive cycling offsets some of it. But it’s always there.

gear is fantastic now. Rain definitely sucks. But dark and cold are solvable.

An eBike helps with the “I don’t want to show up at work all gross and sweaty” problem for those without a shower. But not super hard to do a bird bath shower. And with the drive-in first plan you can stash a rinse kit in the truck or something.

Anyway, I’m not likely to convince anyone not already receptive. But I think the commute fuel cost problem is best used as an incentive for health and wellness. I miss the days of bike commuting.

 

I read this as "A good edible takes the edge off" and thought to myself, "SMH, you Cali mofos, I swear"

You mean these people? Similar ass-tards nearly killed my FIL in Miami. Yes, I know it sucks sharing the road. But just like car-on-car rage, seems like some humans tend to have entitlement issues and/or forget they're rolling around in a ton or more of steel capable of instantly killing someone if you use it to be a dick.

I'm not an avid cyclist, I def don't wear spandex, but I do ride one to the store, to the park, or to work sometimes. I don't like people who are actively dicks on bikes, but I know how/why a lot of those people got the way they are. At least half of cyclists in ATL have been hit by, run off the road by, screamed at by, or otherwise f'd with by drivers. Most of it is ignorance, they want me on the sidewalk, but statistically 3x more likely a cyclist gets hit by a car on a sidewalk, as stupid as it sounds - drivers are only looking for pedestrian-speed things on sidewalks.

Same in ATL. They're improving things here, building more dedicated bike lanes, trying to connect it all together, but I've been run clear off the road twice, once into a long picket that banged me up pretty good, the other time just some scrapes but the bike was toast (easily $800 down the drain). It's at the point where it has to be ideal circumstances, whether/traffic/pathway to get there, else I'm driving.

 

I don’t have numbers to compare. But here is my full droop.

 

This is what I did today. Wiring is relaxing if you go slow. Took me all day.

 

If that were only true in my line of work. I deal with 100s of twisted wire pairs that would make you slowly lose your sanity.

 

Edit: I do have a number. 31.5". My lower shock mounts are turned down like a Ford. I gave up some droop to be safe on bottom out with my setup.

 

Yeah - not that kind of wiring, lol

 

I'm banking on those $5 prices for fuel - going to make my next 1st gen Tundra SUV (crew cab) affordable. Should knock a couple grand off the ask.
Meanwhile i'll limp along at a miserable 38 mpg. Sell that when $gas starts back down.

 

Looks awesome, but what does it do, squeeze that padlock in your sack? I'm confused.

 

It has 3 modes:
1. turn on a blue light conveniently placed on the switch.
2. squeeze the padlock (and your sack)
3. less interesting - lock the rear end. Before you say anything - I mean differential.