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Old 02-07-2016, 01:50 PM
 
1,931 posts, read 2,168,164 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keyman51 View Post
Even w/ living in the bush, a second vehicle has its appeal. Here there is only about 2 miles of roads total from one end of the city to the other (12 miles of road at the end of town for those times when you want to take a long drive. ) In the last 2 years we bought our 2nd summer vehicle - a 4 wheeler, and just a few months ago, our 2nd winter vehicle - a snowmachine. Always have a bicycle as a backup too, as I rode the bike for 2 winters - even at -40.
Our local PD writes tickets for ATV driving in town. It sucks.
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Old 02-07-2016, 02:24 PM
 
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I was "the local PD" for 21 years... And even I won't go by what is legal. I go by what is the safest... Obviously to each their own when you are legal and Dillingham is surely not the craziness that Anchorage is, much less where I came from in the L48. So I certainly understand why you think a seat belt is sufficient.

According the wonderful web, in Alaska a Child 4-7 years old can be in a booster seat and doesn't have to be in a forward facing child seat. And this applies until they are over 4' 9" or over 65 lbs. Once they or taller or weigh more, a seat belt is fine in the 4-7 age group. (Probably why the local PD is 'OK' with a seat belt)

At 8 - 12 years old and they are big enough to properly fit in a seat belt, the seat belt meets the child restraint law. At this point you are going for does the seat go across the child's shoulder and above the head, across the head, or across the neck. Also that the lap belt fits correctly across the waist.

Source: Alaska Car Seat/Child Passenger Safety


BTW, all of the vans I listed I can get a sheet of plywood in... Including this rental, clunky, Nissan Quest that wallows like a boat as it goes down the road. The seat backs fold flat to create a flat surface but they don't fold into the floor. Probably why the thing is so much taller than the other vans too. Still gets 25 mpg on the highway though... Granted it is so far also the slowest van I have driven. Almost dangerously slow.

Good luck with your choice!
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Old 02-07-2016, 04:03 PM
 
Location: Anchorage
1,004 posts, read 1,187,773 times
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I have to say minivan too. Normal 3 row seating V6 front wheel drive and put seats down and put in a 4x8 sheet of plywood to haul anything you want. Mileage even on V6 is 24 on highway, more for 4banger. I have 175,000 on one now with only one plug change and a water-pump.
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Old 02-07-2016, 04:15 PM
 
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Realistically I have to look at city MPG. We will never see the HWY MPG out here.

The proud idea will be shelved for now. The minivan search continues.
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Old 02-07-2016, 06:56 PM
 
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Prius idea. Not proud.
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Old 02-07-2016, 07:44 PM
 
Location: Interior Alaska
2,383 posts, read 3,100,170 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Haolejohn View Post
Realistically I have to look at city MPG. We will never see the HWY MPG out here.

The proud idea will be shelved for now. The minivan search continues.
On that note, any chance of finding a 4 cylinder? Seems like it would be a good option if you could find one.
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Old 02-07-2016, 08:29 PM
 
1,931 posts, read 2,168,164 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by riceme View Post
On that note, any chance of finding a 4 cylinder? Seems like it would be a good option if you could find one.
On a big vehicle I think the mpg difference between a 4 and 6 is minimal. Plus the extra power for a bigger vehicle is just simply better.

We once owned a 6 cylinder Ford Escape. We bought it after driving many 4 cylinders.
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Old 02-07-2016, 10:17 PM
 
Location: In the middle of nowhere
459 posts, read 608,633 times
Reputation: 604
Please think repairs. All these new vehicles are hard or impossible for mechanics to fix. Find out if they have a computer to do diagnostics with. Ask them what it will cost to change the timing belt, and can they do it. Even the new snow machines can be hooked to computers today. Think old, before 1983, no computers and no electric locks on doors. No special keys. Think Chevy Suburban 8 mpg and 4 wheel drive. Lots of seats and will haul plywood easy. Get a great truck in Washington or Oregon and ship it up. No rust and put a new 350 engine in it. It will go forever.
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Old 02-07-2016, 10:17 PM
 
Location: Interior Alaska
2,383 posts, read 3,100,170 times
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You're probably right... I was very fond of my 4-cyl Tacomas and I hauled all sorts of crap all over creation, but let's face it. No one builds a 4-cyl like Toyota used to. Not even Toyota.
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Old 02-07-2016, 10:21 PM
 
Location: Interior Alaska
2,383 posts, read 3,100,170 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keyman51 View Post
Please think repairs. All these new vehicles are hard or impossible for mechanics to fix. Find out if they have a computer to do diagnostics with. Ask them what it will cost to change the timing belt, and can they do it. Even the new snow machines can be hooked to computers today. Think old, before 1983, no computers and no electric locks on doors. No special keys. Think Chevy Suburban 8 mpg and 4 wheel drive. Lots of seats and will haul plywood easy. Get a great truck in Washington or Oregon and ship it up. No rust and put a new 350 engine in it. It will go forever.
I was just thinking the same thing when I posted above about my old Toyotas... no computers. They were so simple to work on.

I still won't buy vehicles with a bunch of electronic/automatic bs. My truck has manual roll-up windows, manual transfer case, no bells and whistles. That means there's about 900 less things to go wrong, and I prefer it that way.
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