Buying used..... (Mexico: rent, credit, live)

[Elcarim]

We've been doing a little looking around for a truck at some used dealerships down here (Texas - in case ANYONE doesn't know where I'm from yet!) and have been advised by several guys to wait and buy when we get to Maine. Now, imagine a used car salesman telling us NOT to buy! Outlandish!!

They said if we buy a vehicle that is conditioned to such warm weather and take it into the cold climate, we're risking all kinds of mechanical failures when true winter sets in. They said we could end up with a cracked block or cracked hoses, etc.

Now, our credit is good, so I don't think this is a matter of them not wanting to sell to us. I also wondered if they don't want to sell to us, knowing we will be taking the vehicle out of state. So, are they giving us wise advice or just thinking they know what they're talking about??

[Parrotpaul]

That's funny. The trucks don't know the difference, but a Maine used truck is very likely to have been exposed to salt, water, and air....three things that promote rust. In addition, the winshields and front ends of Maine vehicles are also pitted and dinged from driving on sanded roads.

A used Maine truck has probably been stressed much more than the Texas truck. I'd spring for the Texas truck in a heartbeat. Make sure you get the correct anti-freeze formula in the radiator...you need to have the entire system flushed and all new stuff put in. That will ensure the hoses don't crack. With the correct antifreeze, there is no reason for a block to crack...just make sure you have a good mechanic flush the system and replenish with lots of anti-freeze.

You will have to change the oil and use a good grade of 10-30 or 10-40 oil. That is sufficient for summer and winter driving, and if the vehicle has not been rust proofed at the factory, you might want to have that done. Keep the vehicle's surface clean and well waxed...constantly brushing snow off the paint and lots of rain and snow requires more waxing, and the mud and salt require washing the surface and getting the undersides hosed off fairly frequently. You will use your windshield wipers and washers much more than you ever had, and you will want to carry a quantity of windshield washer fluid in the vehicle at all times. If you run out, and you are driving when snow on the roads is melting, you will need to stop all the time and toss snow on the winshield to clean off the sand, mud, and salt that is thrown up by cars you are following...it really sucks when that happens.

I think the guy who told you that has no clue what he is talking about. Vehicle preparation is important, but a rust free well running truck from Texas would be my first choice.

[Acadianlion]

I do not buy ANY vehicles that have lived in the northeast ANYWHERE. The last two trucks that I bought were from the Texas and the Southwest. The Texas truck was a one owner very heavy dual wheel Chevy that had 88,000 miles when it arrived in Maine by truck. It was just exactly what I wanted and since I had bought it on eBay, I paid below dealers' wholesale here in Maine.

The second truck was a light duty Ford 4X4 that I bought to plow my challenging roadways. The truck, thirteen years old when I bought it, had lived in New Mexico and then moved to northern Florida for a year. It had around 100,000 miles and was so much like new that it was hard to believe that it was what it was.

Modern vehicles come from the factory with cooling system coolant that is designed to be work with the metalurgy in the modern engine blocks. Transmission and differential lubrications are not particulary temperature sensitive. A truck that has "grown up" in Texas shouldn't operate much differently in Texas than it will operate in Maine.

The only real change that you might want to make will be to use oil that has viscosity appropriate for cold weather. I use 10W30 or 10W40 in my vehicles year round, and I change the oil and filter at the manufacturer's recommended intervals.

If you can find a good deal in a truck there in Texas, you should buy it. If it is three or four years old or older, then it will likely have MUCH less corrosion than it would have if it had been in Maine. Maine's "bare road" policy means that the MDOT uses an awful lot of ice melting compounds on the roads, and that translates to added wear, tear and corrosion underneath the vehicle. This isn't just rust, but also deterrioration of ALL rubber or non metal compounds such as suspension bushings, brake hoses and exhaust systems.

Find a different dealer to buy the truck from, or even better, look on eBay. If you do some research and know what you are looking for, you will find a terrific buy on line.

[Elcarim]

Much as I suspected. Thanks for great info! Never thought of looking on Ebay for a vehicle, though I buy lots of everything else on there!

[Bydand]

I know several people who have bought trucks on e-bay and have been very happy with them. One thing that MAY have to be changed quickly going from one climate to another is the tires. I know from coming from cold to hot climates they tend to go rather quickly, but from warm to cold couldn't tell you. This was 5 or 6 years ago that a bunch of people I know moved from here to warm climates and most of them had to change tires shortly after arriving further South. I would snap up a good truck from down there in a heartbeat.

Most vehicles here do NOT have pitted glass and fronts. A few sure, but they are by far the exception and not the rule.

[Elcarim]

And what about snowmobiles? Is that something most people buy or just rent when they go out? Would you buy from Ebay for those, too?

[Bydand]

Some places rent them, but it is expensive. Everybody I know that rides just buys them. I can't stand them myself, but that is one of those personal wintertime sports that some do, some don't. I happen to be a "don't." I like skiing, and snowshoeing instead.

[contented]

have to easily agee with purchasing the warm weather truck and preparing it for maine as stated above.............will you be looking for one with 4WD?

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Some places rent them, but it is expensive. Everybody I know that rides just buys them. I can't stand them myself, but that is one of those personal wintertime sports that some do, some don't. I happen to be a "don't." I like skiing, and snowshoeing instead.

I'm with you. I saw too many areas really invaded by snow mobiles. I loved to cross-country ski. It is one of those spiritual activities where a person can become one with the land.

On the good days, the sun is bright, the air is crisp and cold, and all you can hear are the skis on the snow, your pole plants, your own breathing, the sound of the forest...snow crashing off tree branches and falling through the other branches to the ground, chickadees hunting for seeds, a breeze whistling through pines....on the bad days the sound of high powered snow machines crashing through underbrush, zipping along snowy trails, and the hollering of their drivers screaming to each other, and those ghastly engines breaking any spirituality and oneness with the land. They are intrusive.

I always wanted the state to limit them to certain areas....in the southern part of the state they did that. Snow mobilers weren't especially careful about where they went, when they went there, and in what state of sobriety they did it. Many were killed and injured, and they have never added anything to the wild but noise and gasoline fumes. That's just my take. Many many Mainers love the damned things.

In California there are no snow machine, and there are no gasoline powered vehicles of any kind allowed on the trails of the state parks, and the National Parks here don't allow them either. They are very strict about preserving the mountains and the deserts....hiking, mountain climbing, and running in the parks are terrific experiences. We just got back from hiking Joshua Tree NP for a few days....the desert is really quite endearing.

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by contented

have to easily agee with purchasing the warm weather truck and preparing it for maine as stated above.............will you be looking for one with 4WD?

Yes, 4WD seems to be the general recomendation.