# Truck Is Paid Off



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

So my week starts with a review of my maintenance records on my 06 Ram 3500 with 5.9 Cummins. The perfect storm is brewing as it looks like I need to do just about everything on it.

It needs all fluids and filters done, $250 in material later I am ready to go, I do my own work but it still hurts some.

It needs the tire rotated so I stop by Costco on the way home and have then rotated for free, plus I wander around hitting all the sample booths so all in all feel okay about the stop. I ask the tire guy to eyeball the brakes when it is apart and of course he says "we don't do brakes" and I say I know but just want a guess on the condition, heck they take tires off all day you know they look at a few brakes. Well go to pick up the truck and the guy says the tires are all fine but the brakes are "Shot". At 65,000 miles I knew they were coming due but saying they were shot seemed to be extreme.

Get home and jack up the truck to take the front wheel off. These wheels are a major pain to take off but since it was just done it came right off. The tire guy was wrong, it was not only shot there was only about a paper thin sheet of pad material left. How it stopped and how it did it without making noise or pulling is a mystery. Inspection of the rotors also showed that they were badly rusted and feeling generous I head off to the auto parts store for more parts. $350 later I have two new front rotors and full set of brake pads.

The rotors on the front have to be beat off with a 5 lb sledge, no fun, it sure would have been nice if Dodge had put a little anti seize on them before they put it together. Get everything done and although it was a pain it went okay, lots of corrosion and lots of caked on mud but it seemed to come clean enough. Go for a test drive and the front right brake is dragging. Okay what went wrong, pull the right front apart and the boot on one of the caliper pistons is torn and on inspection through the tear I see the piston is rusted! I missed it the first time around as it was ripped near the base and was only exposed when the piston was extended. So back to NAPA and $100 later I have a new caliper on there.

Load all the garbage from all the truck maintenance plus a little yard waste and head to the dump. On the way there I see a piece of steel in the road looks like a 6" long piece of 2" channel iron and I try to dodge it but all I manage to do is kick it up with the front tire and have it driven straight into the back tire. The tire was flat within 60 seconds!!!!!

Change the the tire and finish the trip to the dump and then off to Costco again. The tire has 18,000 on them but they are in very good condition and the Costco guys says it is covered under road hazard and all I have to pay is mounting fee. I expected that it would be prorated but it was 100% covered! They also had tire in stock so it is back into the store for a tour of the sample booths while the tire is changed! Saved $220 for a new tire.

Well get home and relate the long sad story to the DW and she said how much did you save with the AAA card at NAPA? What I say? Find out I could have saved 10% on most of the stuff I bought at NAPA.

Oh well, at least I don't have a truck payment!


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

I feel your pain. Our Excursion was paid off years ago, and I tell the misses that we can now save about $500 a month. Wrong. It seems that no matter what, theres always something that needs replacing as the life of the truck goes along. At 55K, new brakes all around- new disc's, 2 calipers and pads.... $1300. makes the $500 a month seem a bargain.

New truck= monthly payments, but nothing really goes wrong (at least covered under warranty)
Old Truck= no monthly payments, but scheduled service and repair/replace parts with age.

Either way, they cost. I am now putting $150 a month aside for "suprises"....


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I haven't had any payments on anything for about 7 years now -- paid cash for the house (now there's a feeling!), no kids college, no vehicle payments, nothing. Darned nice. However, as you said, expenses don't stop. We are in the Texas pan handle now and I noticed a little drip from the front of my engine. $314 later I have a new water pump. I'm just lucky I caught it when I did.....

We are now going up into the flat, humid, tornado-prone mid-west. Nothing I would hate worse than getting in the middle of a hail storm. There's no way I would want a new pickup with one of the new diesels. I kind of like my '05 diesel -- if not "the best", then close to the best, that cummins has made to date (IMHO).


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## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

Well, I "remember" when I could say my vehicle was paid off!! LOL. However, like vdub, my house is paid for, and THAT is good to know, that, no matter what, you have a permanent home over your head, and it's fully insured at for full replacement.
But, when I got a motorhome, and I wanted a tow-behind vehicle, the Dodge Caliber w/auto transmission (paid for) couldn't be flat-towed, and I didn't want to mess with a trailer, etc. So, I got a Honda CRV, and I owe, I owe! That, plus the fact that it has sustained damage 3x (!) in 15 months (teen driver w/ learner's permit, then he didn't hook up the tow bars correctly







, as in secure it to the FRAME OF THE CAR!! and I didn't notice), it costs me money, and I STILL have payments.
So, consider thyself VERY fortunate!! LOL
Darlene


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

Rotors, I agree, they are a pain. I have not tried taking them off the D-Ram. It was annoying enough on the Jeep.

CamperAndy: Did you change transmission fluid, or is yours a manual? 
Have a good one.


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

I just had to replace passenger side u-joint on my 2004 dodge diesel. Let me say that it was not easy but I saved $300.00 doing it myself. Trying to get evrything apart was a chore but could probably do it again in half the time.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Tyvekcat said:


> Rotors, I agree, they are a pain. I have not tried taking them off the D-Ram. It was annoying enough on the Jeep.
> 
> CamperAndy: Did you change transmission fluid, or is yours a manual?
> Have a good one.


It is an auto (48RE) and I do the change about every 20K. So the answer is yes I just did it for the 3rd time. Not too much of an issue to do but wish it had a drain plug in the pan.


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

Nothing a drill and a self tapping screw, along with a dab of blue sealant cant take care of! courtesy of ******* mechanics school, 101


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Calvin&Hobbes said:


> Nothing a drill and a self tapping screw, along with a dab of blue sealant cant take care of! courtesy of ******* mechanics school, 101


If that is for the drain plug I would have to go a little more high tech then that. They make drain plug kits but I have not been motivated enough to get one.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

It's the same with a non-diesel, Andy (but, apparently, cheaper)!! No payments on the Tundra (1 out of 3 + m/c + TT helps a little) BUT ...

we just replaced all 4 rotors & brake pads ..... Total =$450 for 'top of the line". Labor for this + install of the 5'er rails by our friend, a retired truck mechanic, only cost us a 6-pack & dinner.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

wolfwood said:


> It's the same with a non-diesel, Andy (but, apparently, cheaper)!! No payments on the Tundra (1 out of 3 + m/c + TT helps a little) BUT ...
> 
> we just replaced all 4 rotors & brake pads ..... Total =$450 for 'top of the line". Labor for this + install of the 5'er rails by our friend, a retired truck mechanic, only cost us a 6-pack & dinner.


Well if I had gone hog wild and done all 4 rotors and went with "High end" stuff I would have been out about $700. I am happy with the OEM grade so will see if I can live with that for now.


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## Traveling Tek (Oct 15, 2010)

had a 1995 Chevy Suburban diesel. Owned it 3 years. Paid $6k for it and then spent over $11k in 3 years in repairs. Finally sold it for $1200 and bought something new.


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