I'm not leased to anyone.

I'm pretty sure that's what they said about anti-idling laws... now they are popping up across the country. Very often, California initiates something and the other states, one by one, follow suit over a period of a few years.

Walmart has committed to developing a 13 mpg truck (if I remember the article correctly... it's been a couple of years since I read it). They and others currently have fleets that are averaging over 8mpg. Technology is only starting to touch on reducing air drag and rolling resistance.


If you reread what I typed in the previous post, you may notice that I said in two to three years my truck will be due for an in-frame. If you think your truck payments on a 2010 model in 2012 or 2013 would be $2400 a month, you'd have yourself one really, really bad deal. You should be able to pick up a decent two or three year old model 2010 truck for $50k - $70k. I'd just use my rebuild fund (which is also combined with my new truck fund) and pay cash.

My truck will be paid off 2 1/2 years early by this December. It'd be paid off now, but I'm in the middle of putting an addition on my shop so I can park inside when I'm home. Not having a truck payment is a good thing. I'd not have one now except our last truck was stolen and stripped 2 1/2 years ago and I was forced to buy a truck in a hurry and when I wasn’t planning on doing so for quite a few years. And yes, our property should be paid for in two more years as well. That is, if we continue making the kind of money we have been, that is. Right now we’re doing great, but I have the feeling that our situation could change at any time, so I’m being conservative with everything I’m doing right now. I guess only time will tell.

I would not want to take on any major debt with this economy. In fact, we would all be much better off if we just saved our money and paid cash for everything. I would expect that if everyone paid cash for their trucks that the prices would drop. If you didn't have to pay finance or interest charges on what you purchase you can live much more cheaply than you can when you are making payments.

Can't argue with that, GMan. Guess that is why I am going to just rebuild my truck and keep it rolling. I am getting closer and closer to my goal of debt free on most everything. Just the mortgage will be the last one to get cleared out. And if someone were to walk into truck purchase, new or used, and be able to pay cash, then they could negotiate a pretty good deal. It is amazing how much leverage you have when you let them know this is a cash buy. I have gotten substantial discounts on big ticket items when I paid cash.

Update: I got my new (actually a 2006) Volvo, and it averages 10.8 MPG bob tailing on level ground, vs. about 10.3 of my old 2001 model (same engines in both trucks).