I played around with a few titles for this post, like “The Reality of Finding a Pick-up Truck in a Pandemic Climate” and “Our Terrible Truck Saga,” and the folder with my collected notes on the subject is called “The Truck Shit.” If that doesn’t set the tone for this multiple-month ordeal…
Mark and I have been looking non-stop for a sturdy, decent SuperDuty Ford pick-up truck to carry a truck camper, our new set-up, with extended travels in South America on the horizon. I was not going to write about this quest until it was a done deal (spoiler alert!), unlike when I touched on buying one of those cute houses (and land) for sale in Baja this past winter, which didn’t end well. (Read that post here.)
WARNING: This is a very long post, so browse the photos, skip to the end, or settle in with a cup of tea or coffee. Or, better, an alcoholic beverage.
(As always, click on or hover over the photos to read the captions.)
Why did we sell Zesty?
The first question that might arise for most long-term readers of this blog is probably why we changed gears and got rid of a perfectly-maintained and awesome campervan? A few reasons:
- While we loved Zesty, his components – besides being European – were 15 years old; we didn’t want to risk breaking and sourcing uncommon parts in remote places, a continent removed.
- We wanted a sturdier vehicle with high clearance and 4WD, as many boondocking areas (free parking without facilities; our main way of camping) are located along dirt roads.
- The mileage was still relatively low and the van kept its value the last four years.
- We wanted to sell Zesty on the US West Coast, where these vehicles are desired. You can read here how that went.
- If we sold the van, we would HAVE TO finally change campers and make that trip to South America happen – it would be the fire beneath our bums…
- Mark and I (and our two previous dogs) owned a truck camper before and traveled throughout Mexico and Central America with it for one year. It was the perfect set-up for such an adventure. (If you’re interested in photos and snippets of that adventure, check out this site and scroll down to “California Coast” and below. No blogs back then.)
Do we regret selling Zesty?
Not really. It was time for a change and despite all the issues along the way on our search for a new vehicle, we have no regrets. Except, maybe, driving our van across the country to Massachusetts instead of having to spend $700 on accommodation and a rental car for this stretch. The new owners (from California) were grateful, as they would have traveled further otherwise.
Bottom line: if we knew what we know now, we would have sold the van as easily on the East Coast and possibly for more money as it changed hands right before the RV market (like the housing market and truck market) exploded. And, we would have saved that $700… Which wasn’t the first “wasted” expense.
What went wrong in our truck search?
The quickest answer is: Covid caused unexpected behaviors and problems. Mark and I are grateful that we didn’t suffer many inconveniences due to the pandemic in 2020. It “hit” us more this year.
I’ll keep it short*: between people all of a sudden having extra money (from not using their income for commuting, dining out, entertainment, vacations, …) and deciding to buy pick-up trucks with it, a demand that skyrocketed the prices, and a shortage of computer chips for new trucks, we were pretty much out of luck. No new trucks on the market meant that the only ones left were being sold for more than MSRP (no bargaining power and, for example, in California new trucks are sold for sticker price + $5,000), so truck owners held on to their vehicles (postponing new purchases), which led to a limited used market – our market.
People who had an extra truck or decided to take advantage of the inflated market, sold their used vehicles for insanely high prices, sometimes thousands of dollars over what they paid for it, new, years ago. I’m not kidding! Additionally, dealers, who faced empty lots, contacted truck owners and offered ridiculous amounts of money to buy the pick-ups back or acquire them from non-customers. It was insane. We could not compete with any of it and often contemplated giving up and finding an alternative for a year or so, until the market recovered. If only one of those cute houses in Mexico would have worked out, we’d have a place to go…
Read an article from April about the current car and truck issue on CNN here.
So, what happened?
For four (!) months, Mark researched the truck market full-time (except for his two-week break in Belgium) by scouring the internet (different Facebook Marketplaces, Craig’s List, Ebay, Auto Trader, and a couple of auction sites he had access to), in the entire United States. He called, texted, planned, made offers, negotiated, stressed, refreshed pages, and became frustrated and disheartened.
We had a maximum dollar amount in mind (including taxes) that we were willing to spend; an amount thousands of dollars higher than what the equivalent truck was worth in January, yet not as high as what those vehicles were selling for. Our task seemed impossible. The “perfect” pick-up truck was a SuperDuty Ford with a short bed, extended or crew cab, gas engine, 4WD, less than 40,000 miles on the odometer, younger than 2015, and ideally not black.
The evolution
The more we thought about it and the more time passed, the bigger our intended and imaginary truck camper grew… The slippery slope.
March 2021 (Mexico)
When we sold Zesty over the phone in Baja California, Mexico, in mid-March, we had a clear picture of what our next RV would look like. We wanted to go smaller for easy maneuvering and low-key travels in South America. The internet helped Mark with the availability of such a vehicle.
Our envisioned set-up was an F150 pick-up with extended cab (half doors in the back) and the same specifications as above. But this truck needed to have the “heavy-duty payload package” to allow for a higher weight capacity, as we wanted to live in a hard-sided truck camper instead of a pop-up one (which does fit on a normal F150).
So, with this particular truck (and us being extremely careful, taking the back seats out, ditching our e-bikes, limiting glass and heavy items aboard, etc.) in mind, Mark shopped and didn’t find what we needed. Not many of these trucks come with this feature! On our cross-country drive, early April, we did look at one of them in Maryland and decided an extended F150 cab didn’t give Maya enough room in the back seat. We also checked out the camper we had in mind, in Arkansas, and an alternative. That seemed doable.
April 2021
Once settled in the room above the garage at my in-laws in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the search continued and so did our discussions.
Did we really want to be extremely careful with our weight on this upcoming trip? Could we really live in a smallish camper – with small tanks – for years on end? The slippery slope… It brought us to the Ford F250. We remembered that this model and the next one up – both called a SuperDuty – were pretty similar. The owner of Truck Camper Warehouse (where we browsed some truck campers to get a feel for bigger models) confirmed this. “If you’re still in the market for a truck, you might as well buy a 350 instead of a 250; the price difference is negligible and there are less weight issues.” No weight issues for us! Both trucks are exactly the same, except for an extra spring in the rear.
Rusty Red in CT
We found our first F350! But it was still expensive and four hours away. Well, at least we could combine it with a family visit if nothing else, we thought. And, we would try to negotiate on the price.
The three of us spent hours in the car, arrived on the scene of this used car dealership in Connecticut, and stayed all of ten minutes. Including five minutes of waiting and listening to how employees focused on the low monthly car payments/finance options for their customers – stretched over up to eight years, believe it or not – ignoring the fact that the vehicle would cost thousands of dollars more in the end. What world do we live in?
This red pick-up truck only had 19,000 miles on it, but one look underneath showed the frame was terribly rusted. Even the seatbelt junctions on the back seat were rusty! An old plow truck… That’s what these vehicles are mostly used for in New England. Another hurdle. We didn’t want an ex-plow truck. We continued our drive to brother-in-law Brian and his wife Margaret and enjoyed an evening together.
May 2021
The SuperDirty in NH
Mark had spotted a “reasonably priced” white F350 that was located not too far from us, across the border in New Hampshire. It wasn’t quite what we wanted (the 4WD system lacked in its use and the tires wouldn’t pass inspection), but we didn’t have anything to lose. I even played with the idea of buying this truck and selling it to a desiring dealer for a better price or trading it in whenever we found another one. That way we wouldn’t have to pay the steep tax on a used vehicle twice. Was I getting desperate already? The projections from the experts about price drops looked very bleak.
The SuperDirty in New Hampshire
Our little household jumped in the car of my mother-in-law and met the owner of this truck, which I immediately named the SuperDirty. OMG, this car was filthy inside. I should have taken a photo… Dust, dirt, hair, documents, trash everywhere. Were these people even serious about selling their one of ten vehicles? Mark and I did go for a test drive anyway. Maybe this car was a steal, as, undoubtedly, nobody else was interested in this mess!
We contemplated. It would work as long as we remained in the US. We made a low-ball offer, which was declined with a counter offer that was reasonable. But we were only willing to compromise on this car for the price we had in mind, so we passed. The SuperDirty lingered in our minds the rest of the month, but it was not what we wanted, not even close, so we moved on.
The Green One in NY
Mark discovered a truck in New York, on out-of-the way and best-to-reach-via-ferry Long Island. It fit our specifications, except for the mileage. This dark green truck had over 40,000 miles on it, the color wasn’t great, and the interior looked beaten up. Mark wanted to go see it, texted back and forth with the nice enough dealer, and made an appointment.
The evening before his daytrip, I expressed my reluctance. Spending $100 for parking, ferry, and fuel to see this mediocre truck being sold for way too much money didn’t feel right to me. Mark stayed home. We mulled this vehicle over for weeks. Should he still check it out? What if it was rusty underneath as well? Why was it not selling? We eventually moved on. Still no truck. Did we make the wrong decision?
The Phantom Truck in MA
This was going to be our truck!!! Mark first saw it online on a dealer’s website, weeks prior. It didn’t have a price, so he ignored it. Then, at some point in May, the purchase price appeared, in the ballpark of the other dealer-listed trucks we were interested in. (We’d still have to bargain on the price to reach our maximum offer.) He called. The truck was not available yet. Why advertise it then? Weeks went by. Mark called and texted frequently regarding this dark grey truck’s status; it was never there. Did this truck even exist?
Before returning home from a friend’s house in the area of this “phantom truck,” Mark called the dealership again, talked to a different person, and learned that the pick-up was parked at a body shop. And, yes, he acquired the name of said shop. And, yes, we swung by “our dream truck.” Ha!
The Phantom Truck
Upon approach Mark could already tell from the shape of the front bumper that it had been used as a plow truck. When Mark researches something (for months), he turns into an expert. On anything. Just ask our camping and boating friends… Mark becomes the resource. I love it, despite the time, energy, and frustration that proceeds him becoming a pro.
Anyway, while I really liked the truck – the mileage, the color, the extended cab – the underside was rusty, the tailgate was banged up, the bed had damage, and one of the mirrors was broken. Whoever owned this truck did not care for it at all. Do you want that as a new owner? Of course, the fact that this car was stationed at a body shop – and we got to see it before its make-over – tells you something. Again, we confirmed our preference to buy from a private owner. Who knows what these dealers did/do to the trucks they are selling? What were/are they hiding?
The complication
While we looked for a suitable second-hand pick-up truck, Mark also kept an eye on truck campers. After weeks of reading, talking, and thinking, we came up with a list of four potential camper models and Mark kept an eye on ads for them (used), everywhere. These ones offered more space, comfort, and bigger tanks than our initial choice back in March.
One of those four models we singled out after deciding to go with an F350, our #2 on the list, became available in Vermont: a Cirrus 820, built by NuCamp. By then, we had decided we really wanted our #1 on the list (a Northstar Arrow U), but what did we have to lose, except fuel for the four-hour drive (X2) to check it out. At least we could combine it with a visit to friends, if nothing else!
On that drive to Vergennes, Vermont, we stopped at Truck Camper Warehouse again (now interested in different models than on our first visit) to look inside a new Northstar Arrow U. Yes. We were convinced (and still are): this is our camper for South America.
The Cirrus 820 almost became an afterthought by the time we finally showed up at the seller’s house. “Let’s have a quick look because we promised and then visit our friends,” I suggested. They lived another hour and a half away and we hadn’t seen them in almost a year…
Well, the “quick look” took two hours. This camper was nice! Modern, streamlined, European, automated, so different from standard truck campers. Fancy. Too fancy. We really liked the looks and the feel, but preferred something more basic and utilitarian for our upcoming adventure. We thanked the owner and told him we’d be in touch. By the time we arrived at our friends’ place, we had decided to not buy this camper.
The following day, back in Newburyport, Mark and I discussed the Cirrus 820 again on a long walk with Maya. We needed to let the owner know our decision. It was a nice camper. What if we didn’t find anything else this summer? “The last thing I want is to have a truck, say by September, be ready to leave, and not have a camper to live in,” I said. We’d negotiated a good deal. We had first choice. It was not too far away. We could turn it around the next day for the same price or more. The RV market was heavily inflated as well. This might be our only chance…
When we returned from our walk, we contacted the owner of the Cirrus, asked if he could store it until we found a truck, and bought our new home on wheels. Before we even had wheels. Now we were in a serious bind. We’d better find a truck soon!
June 2021
The Fancy One in MI
Another pick-up truck, a maroon red one with a fancy Lariat trim level, appeared in Detroit, Michigan. Well, it reappeared. We hadn’t reacted to the Facebook ad, other than inquiring if the price was negotiable, because it was out of our range. The private owner messaged me. Were we interested? Mark and I were very honest and told him “Only for a certain price. If that’s not feasible, let’s not waste anybody’s time!”
Long story short: the guy, John David Baker II, and Mark agreed on a price, we booked a one-way plane ticket, and planned to get a cashier’s check for the amount we already set aside for the SuperDirty and take out the rest of the money at different ATMs in cash. All we needed was John’s address for the check on this particular Friday. The flight was on Monday. The banks would close during the weekend.
Talk about a stressful day. Never mind how much we tried to get in touch with this guy for the next eight hours, before the banks closed, we didn’t get a hold of him. Previous arrangements had been delayed as well. Red flags. Our anxiety rose and fears of this deal falling through became reality.
That evening (the banks were long closed), John told us he sold the truck to someone else for more money. No surprise. And, sure, go for the money and erase an agreed-to deal, but why not tell us sooner? Why waste our time (exactly what we didn’t want)? Why not be honest from the start about waiting for a higher offer? Why ignore our texts, messages, emails, and phone calls?
We “respectfully” let him know we weren’t pleased with how he had treated us. The following are just a couple of his replies: “Go find another truck or go buy from a dealership you cheap asses” and “You two are probably the scum collecting stimulus checks and pocketing every penny you can pinch.”
Maybe buying a truck from a private party in this climate wasn’t such a good idea after all? As Mark said: The only people selling their trucks right now are the ones who can miss it and try to get an insanely high amount for it. Not really the kind of people we wanted to deal with.
The Inconvenient One in AR
This was the truck that “did us in;” a white F250 with crew cab (which offers more space inside than the extended version, but lengthens the entire set-up) of the right year and with the right number of miles. Mark and the dealer in Arkansas agreed on a price.
After lots of research, discussions, inquiries, and contemplations, we got over the fact that this was an F250 instead of an F350. They technically were exactly the same, as this particular vehicle had the camper package, meaning that extra spring that’s usually in the rear of the F350.
It took a week to research, make travel arrangements, buy insurance, book two one-way flights to middle of nowhere Arkansas for Mark, reserve a hotel room in Dallas – the stopover from Miami, FL, to Harrison, AR – line up used truck camper parts from private sellers on the drive back, and get ready to go. I was on stand-by during Mark’s planned five-day journey: two days to fly there, three days to drive our new truck back.
The dreaded phone call came on day two, when he was inspecting the truck at the dealership in Arkansas. The frame had extra, mis-drilled holes in it from someone not knowing how to install a fifth-wheel bracket the correct way. This meant the integrity of the frame had been compromised. Luckily, Mark managed to quickly find a Ford manual online explaining how and where to drill holes in frames. We did not feel comfortable putting over 3,000 pounds of weight in the bed of a Swiss cheese Ford frame. The decision to pass was easy and hard at the same time, but it was the right one.
The Inconvenient One – the F250 in Arkansas, with a structurally unsound frame
I immediately booked new flights for Mark, we found another hotel room in Dallas, and my husband did the exact same route in reverse. Another four days and $800 lost. No wonder our expenses have been high these last months. And, our spirits low.
July 2021
I went on a three-week visit to Belgium and Mark joined me for the last two of those. He stopped his research (I think), since he couldn’t fly anywhere and leave Maya. We had no free time and little internet in my home country, so the truck break was welcome. Upon our return to the US, Mark dove into the all-consuming search again.
The Black One in RI
Before flying to Belgium, Mark had seen a black pick-up truck for sale in Rhode Island, but he ignored it. The asking price was way too high. The weekend after we returned to the US – our friends Duwan and Greg were still here – Mark contacted the owner (since his truck hadn’t sold in over two weeks) to let him know we’d be interested, but only for a substantially reduced price. Pretty quickly, he came down a couple of thousand dollars. Did we have a chance?
After a few more messages back and forth, we reached a deal, if we’d throw in two signed copies of Plunge. I’m not kidding!
Two days later, we inspected the truck, received a Bill of Sales, and wrote a check. Again, we bought car insurance (the one for the Arkansas truck had been cancelled) and researched used camper tie-downs we needed to buy. After the check cleared, we received the title, paid the high Massachusetts sales tax, and picked up our new truck! Black is our least favorite color, but it ticks all the other boxes. And, we bought it for a decent price, all things considered. Our patience paid off.
We immediately dropped the tailgate off at a friend’s place (it needs to be removed to fit a camper in the bed of the truck) and got to work. Lots of other items were/are needed to equip our new vehicle: stronger shocks, replacement springs, new heavy-duty floor mats, new tires, a GPS system and holder, a sunshield, covers for the lights on top, gear to fix the stuck hub cap, attachments for the camper… We have been busy. But this new adventure is finally becoming a reality! Stay tuned.
*Here are more insights regarding the current climate of price inflations for cars and trucks – it was my answer to a question Peta (Green Global Trek) posed in the comment section of my blog a couple of months ago, when I first brought up our struggles with finding a used pick-up truck.
What happened is multiple-fold and many unfortunate things occurring at once.
1) people (especially middle-class) realized they had a bunch of money to spend (they couldn’t spend it for a year on travel, dining out, gifts for parties, drinking, commuting, …) so, they started buying cars, RVs, and homes in the US and abroad, driving the prices up.
2) interest rates remain incredibly low, so people are buying cars, RVs, homes on credit.
3) spring is usually the worst time of the year to buy anything, especially cars, RVs, and homes with summer trips coming up.
4) because of Covid, companies couldn’t produce the same number of parts (like computer chips) needed to assemble cars, especially trucks, especially Ford trucks – the kind we need – so there is a shortage of new trucks, driving prices up a lot, making wait times for new ones incredibly long (over six months instead of six weeks), and stocks are down.
5) because of the lack of trucks and the super high expense of the ones that are left, nobody is selling their own truck. There literally are no decent used trucks available anymore at the moment.
6) used trucks are now being sold for the same price they were bought – new – years ago! We are looking at $5,000 – $7,000 higher cost than normal on the truck we have in mind. Used!
7) there is NO negotiation possible on any truck – new or used – at dealerships. And then there are extra fees and taxes on top.
8) new trucks are being sold for sticker price. No deals, no discounts, no incentives. In California 5K higher than MSRP.
9) prices keep going up, because dealers are not getting new cars in and they try to get as much profit as they can on the existing vehicles in their lot, because their income will dry up over the next months.
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August 21, 2021 at 00:39
Hey Liesbet! Congratulations on finally finding the truck that was meant to be yours. Definitely an adventure but isn’t that the way of things these days. And yes, it will be a good part of your “new” story! ~Kathy
August 22, 2021 at 16:41
Hi Kathy! I debated writing this post, as I’d already spent more than enough time on this entire truck fiasco. But, it’s good to keep these stories for future reference and hopefully provide some entertainment to others. 🙂 It was probably the most time-consuming blog I ever wrote and, like you, I prefer to start spending less time online and on blogging and spend more time living and adventuring…
August 21, 2021 at 01:27
I read your entire saga because I can totally identify with all of Mark’s research. That’s me! My common sense tells me that for all of the hours I put in, the dollars I save is not worth my time, but does that stop me? Nooooo! Here is my last car buying experience in 2019 (I looked and we weren’t following each other yet. It was a lot of song and dance, but the bottom line is I’ve been very happy with my vehicle. My wife likes driving it too. I hope all of Mark’s hard work pays dividends.
https://petespringerauthor.wordpress.com/2019/07/29/waging-war-at-the-car-dealership/
August 22, 2021 at 16:45
Haha, Pete! I can totally relate to your statement of time versus money saved. That is so us! But, it also makes us feel better to know that we found the “best deal” regarding quality and price. Over and over again. This behavior happens with EVERYTHING we buy online, believe it or not. So, when we are stuck in Massachusetts for the summer, this is pretty much all Mark does here. Researching. Shopping. Saving money. And, fixing and maintaining our set-ups. 🙂
In this particular situation, Mark’s hard work will pay dividends from the minute we pull out of the street with our equipped set-up and all our belongings. And, who know when and if we will ever come back here (in our camper). I’m looking forward to reading your car story one of these evenings, Pete – I have it open in my iPad browser. 🙂
August 21, 2021 at 01:33
Blimey Liesbet – that was an epic and a half, but congratulations on your persistence and finally finding your new truck and camper.
We were so lucky to have bought The Beast just before Covid hit, even though it meant we haven’t been able to go anywhere with her 🙂
I am so happy for you and Mark and we’re looking forward to hearing about your adventures, now that you’ve finally found the truck camper of your dreams!
August 22, 2021 at 16:51
Hi Jackie!
Did you buy The Beast as an empty shell or was it already converted? I know, I should go and read your blog and find out, but it might be quicker to just ask you here for now. I still don’t have time to leisurely browse blogs at the moment. 🙂
I hope you get to hit the road with your new and amazing set-up soon. Will you take it to Africa at some point? Such an overlanding vehicle seems to be the newest trend among our RV friends… It makes me wonder if a beast is in our future as well at some point.
The camper (Cirrus) we bought is actually not our “dream” one yet. We are still on the look out for an Arrow. Unfortunately, this means that we will have to adapt and convert two campers to our specifications within a short amount of time, hopefully one year. And, we will have to deal with selling, buying, and logistics some more.
August 21, 2021 at 04:39
I can’t believe how hard it has become to buy a truck. Covid has really made everything so much harder. Kudos to you both for not giving up and well done Mark for his research and determination. Huge congratulations on your new home-on-wheels, it looks great. We are also planning to travel in South America next year, but likely to be a car trip. Maybe we will meet up on the road. Exciting times ahead.
August 22, 2021 at 16:56
Hi Gilda! So great you are heading to South America as well. Please, keep me posted about that! We have no clue when we will be able to go, but hopefully, we have the “right” set-up by then. It all started with a reliable truck, though, so step one has been achieved. It would be soooo cool to finally meet you!!
August 21, 2021 at 08:49
Wow quite the saga! Honestly a testament to both of you having a healthy dose of persistence and perseverance, not to mention stamina. Good you at least got in a little break by going to Belgium and getting away.
I was surprised by the impact of this whole pandemic on purchasing certain big ticket items. Since reading your post and answer on the process I’ve heard from others that the wait for a new fridge is close to 3-4 weeks. The housing market in certain areas is off the charts….
Anyhow big congrats for finally finding your vehicle, the wheels that will take you in your next adventures!!! Very cool.
Peta
August 22, 2021 at 17:00
Hi Peta!
We really bit our teeth in this one, because we needed to. Without a truck (and a camper), we’d have to live with the in-laws forever. That was not happening. It is time to live our own lives again – on the road. You know, itchy feet and less responsibilities… 🙂
Yes, the wait times are insane for so many products and the prices have gone up for virtually everything. I am glad that we are not looking for a house right now. That would be way worse, financially. I actually don’t even like the fact that we “need” something. We’d rather wait for the “right moment” to want something. Our good friends in Massachusetts waited one full year for their fridge. It arrived exactly one year after it was ordered for her birthday in June 2020!! Insane…
August 21, 2021 at 09:58
Liesbet, Congratulations to you and Mark on finding your new home on wheels! Here’s to less stress and more fun adventures.
August 22, 2021 at 17:07
Hi Natalie! Thank you, especially for the sentiment and wishes of less stress and more fun. Let’s hope we can finally achieve that again soon. Happy week ahead!
August 21, 2021 at 10:38
What a journey! I read it with interest (the whole article, with a cuppa) because my son is coming home from Okinawa and will need a car. That black truck looks very nice. I am glad to hear the owner dropped the ridiculously high price to reasonable. I’ve heard used car prices are skyrocketing so maybe that drop is good news.
Enjoy the new truck!
August 22, 2021 at 17:09
Hi Jacqui! I remember you telling me about your son needing a car soon. I hope he’s already keeping an eye out for one online, so he at least gets an idea of where to look and what to expect. I do think a normal car will be easier to find and less pricy. Wishing him luck!! I hear the prices might be stabilizing, but they are long not back to what they used to be. They might never get there again. Everything has gone up in price. It’s crazy!!
August 21, 2021 at 11:44
Whew…I’m exhausted just reading this. I can imagine what it was like to live it. Sounds like you met your fair share of kooks along the way. That’s too bad. Anyway, it’s all good now and this experience will literally be in the rear view mirror as you set off on a new adventure. I’d hate to have to NEED anything right now. The world has gone nuts.
August 22, 2021 at 17:14
Sorry for tiring you out, Suzanne. The post took me three days to write, proofread, and equip with photos! But it is so nice to not be infatuated and all-consumed by this crazy truck search anymore. This post brings “closure” about that time. Now, we can look forward. 🙂
I hear you about needing something. Mark and I often said to each other the last months, “If only we didn’t need this darn truck!” and grumbled how we usually never really “need” something, but rather wait when something we kind of need becomes available for a reasonable price.
Did you know that each time we “need” an item on Amazon (always camper and lifestyle related), Mark puts it on a massive watch list? Then, he checks the prices (and looks for “warehouse deals”) for each of these items, until they drop in price or become a deal. That’s when he buys the parts and gadgets and we start installing/using them!
August 22, 2021 at 17:28
Liesbet, it would have taken me 3 weeks to write that piece – well done!
August 23, 2021 at 12:32
Oh wow! The moment I write three weeks on a blog post is the moment I will stop blogging. Sometimes, I wonder why I don’t spend all those blogging hours on writing articles, something that actually makes money instead of costs money, haha. Have a wonderful week, Suzanne!
August 21, 2021 at 11:52
Wow, that was a two-cups-of-coffee saga and an amazing read! Your persistence paid off. I had a chuckle when you mentioned not wanting a black vehicle and then ending up buying one. Same thing happened to us earlier this month. We decided to trade our SUV after repairs were becoming too expensive. Knowing the state of the vehicle market in Canada and the difficulty dealers were having getting inventory, we decided that a bird-in-the-hand (the black SUV on the lot) was the way to go. At least it’s not pumpkin orange!
Enjoy the truck and safe travels.
August 22, 2021 at 17:17
The fact that this truck was black was super ironic, Marg. Honestly, though, the color is growing on us and – in combination with a light-colored camper on top – it’s not that bad. 🙂
So funny that you now have a black car as well. And, even funnier is that Mark said exactly the same thing: “Luckily, it’s not bright orange!
Thanks for the wishes!!!
August 21, 2021 at 14:09
My husband too is the ultimate comparison shopper, which is how he picked his wife. (Chuckle!) Now he is researching computer storage on iDrive–hours and hours and hours of research, which he delights in telling me.
With a detailed post like this, you will never wonder about the facts or motivations regarding buying your truck. Do you have a name for this one, maybe Trusty–not Zesty.
I hope you get many safe miles of enjoyment with this vehicle. And, by the way, you get an A+ on comparison shopping and another A+ in problem solving. Yay, Liesbet and Mark! 😀
August 23, 2021 at 12:22
I love that teacher attitude of yours, Marian, especially since we are achieving lots of A+ marks from you these days. 🙂 I think what we gain in comparison shopping and problem solving, we lose in time management!
This post is a good one for the records and shows our steps, yet not in too much detail. I have my diaries for that.
Cliff knows his stuff!! So glad he picked you out of the bunch, Marian. Your comment sure made me snicker. He IS a good shopper and researcher. Wish him well with his computer storage on iDrive!!
August 21, 2021 at 14:12
Sorry that took so long. Yes, my brother works (as a CEO) in the car parts industry and parts are hard to come by this year, thus the shortage of new cars and the high price of new ones. (The best time to buy a car was the end of last year, unfortunately.) At least you finally have your truck.
August 23, 2021 at 12:40
We do finally have our truck and, of course, had no idea of the pickle we would get into when searching for one. I hope your brother is doing okay at his job right now, Alex. Such challenging times for people working in the car industry too. Although, I have heard that dealers are actually not doing too poorly as selling the few cars they have on the lot for highly inflated prices actually brings in the same amount of money – ore more – than selling a higher number of cars for less profit a piece. Car prices might never go down again after this experience…
August 21, 2021 at 17:44
That was quite a saga! Fortunately, it sounds like it has a happy ending. Lots of prices have been crazy since the pandemic began (we’ve had to buy some lumber… yikes!) and there are tons of speculation as to the reasons why. I imagine greed plays a big part. Good luck in getting ready for your next adventure. I’m looking forward to following along!
August 23, 2021 at 12:29
I’m so glad this saga ended on a happy note. I promised myself, I wouldn’t write this post until it had a conclusion. Sigh.
It’s insane how ALL the prices have gone up, Janis, including items at the grocery store. No idea what the reason for it is. It might be because manufacturing costs or production costs have gone up, together with minimum wages. But, I also believe a lot of companies are taking advantage of the “Covid excuse” to charge more money for items or delay shipping or not answer the phone or extend the wait times. Oh well….
Happy to have you follow along on the next adventure, my friend, whenever we embark on it! 🙂
August 22, 2021 at 14:44
What an incredible ‘adventure’ (for lack of a better word)!
Your patience and perseverence is incredible – and definitely paid off.
Good luck with your adventures ahead — I look forward to following them!
August 23, 2021 at 12:31
Life is an adventure! In more ways than one. Some of them are enjoyable, others you have to get through to reach results or goals. 🙂 Yes, let the next adventure begin and have you – and others – follow along virtually!!
August 22, 2021 at 18:23
Wow, what an ordeal! I’m glad you finally got what you wanted, though; and at least you can feel confident in your decision because of all the research you did. Wishing you many happy trails in your setup (when you finally get it all put together). 🙂
August 23, 2021 at 12:34
Hi Diane! Good point. That’s actually something that I rarely think about, that after doing all this research, there is never any regret about what we eventually bought and how long we had to wait for it. Hoping to get going within the month. Thanks for reading and following along!!
August 23, 2021 at 10:01
You really did put in the work for this one! The pieces all seem to have come together nicely, finally, and I look forward to hearing where and when you head off into the wild again!
August 23, 2021 at 12:36
Thanks for reading this extensive post, Lexie. You adore road trips, so you know how important it is to have the right car to head out, especially when it carries our house. The wait and research hopefully pays off soon, as we hit the road. I sure hope we get to meet up this time, on our cross country drive!!! Either in Colorado or Texas. I assume you won’t be back in Boston?
August 23, 2021 at 15:32
I never know for sure where I’ll be! Our daughter is still in Boston, so there’s a chance … nothing planned right now. Good luck getting ready to start rolling again!
August 23, 2021 at 16:11
Just like us, Lexie! We never know where we will be as well. Other than these past months apparently. 🙂 We will have to stay in touch!! Enjoy the rest of summer. xx
August 23, 2021 at 13:59
What a saga! At least it kept you busy. Can’t wait to follow your future travels.
August 23, 2021 at 16:10
Too busy. 🙂 I would embrace a quieter life right now. Between the truck and camper search (and driving around for it_, the research for gear, taking care of my in-laws, making sure Maya gets enough exercise, keeping my blog and social media up to date, constantly replying to comments and emails, and keep focusing on book improvements and promotion, I have been super busy!
August 23, 2021 at 18:12
Aaargh!! Ooof!! Thanks for sharing the full unedited minutia of the truck shit! Brings back memories, and not good ones either, buying and outfitting our own overland rig. It was a good vehicle but it was humbling to run into other travelers in Central America in old Class C rvs they bought for $5000!
August 23, 2021 at 19:39
Hi Rus!
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Believe me when I say that this was the edited version, haha. It’s a summary of four months of day in day out truck shit. I certainly didn’t want to add too many details and do that to my readers. 🙂
I still remember your Class C from Central America and the quick visit to Karl’s place in Austin with the rig and Ziggy. Did you recognize Karl in Plunge as the person you stopped by, I wonder?
I agree with you that cheaper vehicles (same with boats) often make these trips as easily as the more fancy rigs. Yet, we’ve always opted for something more pricey and higher quality and then hope to resell it for close to our purchase price. Most of the time, we’ve been pretty lucky with that. In our current situation, it might be a toughie…
Happy European travels to you!
August 23, 2021 at 23:12
It’s a mad mad mad world my friend. And that was quite the journey. <3
August 24, 2021 at 14:12
Life is an adventures! Some of them are more fun than others… 🙂
August 24, 2021 at 07:01
What an incredible saga, Liesbet! You and Mark certainly have the patience and perseverance to pull this off. Congratulations! I’m so glad that you’re making your dreams a reality. ~Terri
August 24, 2021 at 14:13
Hi Terri! Thanks for reading and commenting. And for the happy wishes. It’s been a long time coming, that idea of heading to South America. Once we have the perfect set-up for that, it will all depend on the pandemic.
August 24, 2021 at 08:09
Quite a saga! But I’m glad you got there in the end. And the black looks quite stylish.
August 24, 2021 at 14:14
You know, Anabel, that black color is growing on me too, especially covered with a whitish home. 🙂
August 24, 2021 at 14:45
I’m glad Maya could always be so much help! She is adorable.
I like the black truck. The color black just looks sturdier, more sound. The white trucks somehow look smaller, less ready for adventure. Any other color would just stand out too much. I plan on our next vehicle been grey or grey-green – something that blends into the background and doesn’t stick out like a giant white whale.
Can’t wait to see the new setup in person!
August 28, 2021 at 14:58
Maya is Mark’s sidekick, whether he wants that or not. 🙂 But, I’m the more productive assistant, thanks to my opposable thumbs.
I like your explanation about why you like black better than white. In combination with the camper, it looks pretty smooth to me. Or, I’m just getting used to it. 🙂 Of all the other-colored trucks we checked out, darkish grey was my top choice too.
Hoping to give you a quick tour of the camper whenever we meet again!
August 25, 2021 at 10:20
What a saga. I can’t believe how that guy answered your emails when you told him how unhappy you were at how he had treated you both. Some people never think of others – just themselves, so I’m glad that sale fell through. I’m sure karma will pay him a visit.
I’ve heard of phantom vehicles too, Liesbet. Some dealers in the UK have been advertising them as clickbait. It’s happened to my partner. He wasn’t best pleased with the dealerships and told them they were breaking the law, but they carry on advertising vehicles they don’t have. It’s a crazy world at the moment when trying to buy certain items that were always plentiful. Not that I eat MacDonalds, but they ran out out of milkshakes and bottled drinks yesterday in the UK. And last week, KFC ran out of chicken!
I’m happy you finally got a vehicle, though. Who’d had thought it would have taken so much trouble, stress and money to find it. Congratulations on the purchase.
August 28, 2021 at 16:21
Hi Hugh!
Thank you for reading all the way through this long post. We have met quite a few jerks in our lives, especially online. Especially when we ran our business. Funny you mention karma in this particular case, as I wrote back to this guy that “karma is a bitch,” without further explanation. That’s when he ended the conversation and blocked me on Messenger. 🙂
Clickbait should be a crime, unless the article – a written piece or the actual substantial article/item – is exactly what and how it is portrayed. I’m trying to understand the advantage of advertising vehicles that don’t exist. I guess these dealers hope the customer will get brought to their site this way and then pick another vehicle? Some of us – like your partner – have principles and don’t like to be taken advantage of. The problem is the people who do fall for this clickbait and do what the dealers hope or expect them to do… It’s why they keep doing it.
Funny about the chain restaurants and multinationals running out of certain foods. Doesn’t seem to be a big deal to me, but it might be to regular customers who are addicted to those items. Imagine Starbucks running out of coffee. Now that would be a blast, as I never understood the dependence – and heavy expense – for take-out coffee!
August 29, 2021 at 07:11
That’s exactly what these car dealerships were doing, Liesbet. Hoping we’d go to them so they could convince us to buy a vehicle they had in stock which we weren’t looking for.
Garden sheds are the latest thing to be of short supply in the UK. Apparently, if you want to buy one, they’re up to 100% more in price than they were last year. There are lots of empty shelves appearing in shops all over the UK. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see panic buying happening again, especially as we get nearer Christmas. Since Brexit, the UK has lost over 90,000 truck drivers, most of whom have gone back to live in mainland Europe. And we were told nothing like this would happen. Just as we were told that roaming charges for mobile phones wouldn’t be reintroduced when going to mainland Europe.
As for take-out coffee, I’m with you. I just don’t get it when I can make myself a mug of coffee at home.
August 29, 2021 at 10:52
Dealers are tricky bastards. Crazy about the garden sheds. I hear lumber prices have gone way up as well. Luckily, they are using composite materials for the massive deck works here in the condo we are being a guest at. Yet, there are huge delays, because of shipping issues. Sigh.
I’m so sorry to read about the negative effects of Brexit, yet I’m not surprised. Empty promises are something we, as consumers, can’t do anything about. People believed in them and now they are kind of screwed as all these sanctions and changes are affecting them greatly.
I’m so glad you and I are on the same page regarding take-out coffee. We’d make a lot of enemies if we were to speak out about this, haha.
August 26, 2021 at 22:11
Wow, Liesbet, what a frustrating and complicated search! I’ve heard the same thing about a scarcity of trucks here in Canada, too. Glad it worked out, and look forward to reading about your next adventure!
August 28, 2021 at 16:22
Hi Deb! Happy to have you come along on our next adventure, whenever we hit the road again. Hopefully next month. I think the vehicle crisis is a worldwide problem, but especially so in North America. In a way, we got lucky to find the right truck and owner. But, it wasn’t for lack of trying and being persistent, haha.