My Truck Got New Shoes

It hasn't been that long ago that we talked seriously about selling my 2002 Chevy Avalanche because we had just bought the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid.   Well, we're glad we decided to keep it. 

Besides it being my favorite vehicle in like 'forever,' it does have its advantages.  The size alone makes it easy and comfortable for me to get in and out, and drive for long distances, not to mention carrying a much larger payload of gear and luggage.  That really comes in handy, especially when we cook at Eggfests.  We need tables and chairs and ice chests and gear boxes and an assortment of other items depending on where we're going and what we're doing before and after the Eggfest.  We may even want to take a Big Green Egg with us.  And sometimes we're delivering something large to someone or bringing something back.  None of this kind of 'stuff' will fit into the Toyota. 

Yes, I love my truck...

So keeping the truck was a good decision.  But it comes at a price.  Like yesterday while at a restaurant for lunch, Judy noticed a side-wall puncture in the right front tire of the truck.  Not good, especially in the Texas summer heat when road surfaces can be extremely hot and capable of blowing out weak tires.

We probably had 8k to 10k more miles left on the tires but decided to change them out now.  We drove across the highway to Sam's Club and got four new tires.  And while we were at it we had them put in a new battery.  Batteries don't last forever either and ours was a little over three years old.

Now we have an 11 year old truck with a new transmission, new fuel pump, new wipers, new battery, new tires and new panel in the driver's seat where it gets the most wear.  And it only has just over 90k miles on it.  And it is still looking as good as the day we bought it, minus a few small 'age spots.'

Even better, I built some new cabinets in the garage that allows me to park the truck in the short side and still have 1" clearance for the garage door to come down.  The Toyota fits nicely in the long side of the garage close to the side door.  That makes it much easier for us to navigate inside the garage without opening the garage door.  In addition, it allows me to easily back out the Toyota so I can set up my Total Gym to do my exercises (yes, I do them and actually enjoy doing them).

So with our most recent investment in the truck I think it's pretty obvious that we will be keeping it for a few more years.  And I feel relieved of all that worrying about losing it. 

Sometimes, you don't recognize the value of something until you lose it.  In this case, I didn't have to lose it to recognize its value. 

Did I mention that I love my truck...