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Hello all, first post. I'm looking for different opinions on my situation. I commute 25 miles one way to work in my 09 Rav4 (170,000 miles). Last season i started doing lawn care on the side and towing the equipment with the rav4. (It's at capacity) Now in the 2nd season, i really want a pickup to haul the trailer, mulch, equipment, etc. I'm nervous that I'm killing the rav and it's just a big pain to put stuff in, plus it looks ridiculous. Ha. Anyway I'm torn, i don't want to spend a lot. I feel like commuting with a pickup is a bad idea bc of gas and mechanical bills, but it also seems wasteful to have a truck as the 3rd car sitting in the driveway most of the year as i work my real job. There's also the option of just holding tight and running the rav until it explodes i suppose. What would you do?
Are you making enough money on your lawn care business to justify the added/initial and running cost of a pick up truck? Unless you're doing enough work to justify the added expense I would stick to your trailer for now. If it's a automatic transmission install the biggest transmission cooler you can fit. Make it a stand alone cooler bypass the stock in the radiator cooler if it has one.
Thanks I'm going to look into that . I only have about 10 accounts only $5000 last year. I expect to do more this year but only enough to do on the weekend and weeknights
Thanks I'm going to look into that . I only have about 10 accounts only $5000 last year. I expect to do more this year but only enough to do on the weekend and weeknights
If the lawn care business can afford an older diesel truck in good condition I would highly recommend going that route. You can easily put 300-400k on one of the good Diesel/transmission combos out there and still recoup some of the money when you are done with it as long as it still runs good.
"I" would sell the RAV4, get a cheap commuter car (civic, corolla, elantra, sentra) and a good well taken care of truck for the business. BUT, only if the idea is to grow the business to the point that it is your main and only job.
If it will only ever be a side business, keep the RAV4 and continue as you have with a transmission cooler.
Thanks I'm going to look into that . I only have about 10 accounts only $5000 last year. I expect to do more this year but only enough to do on the weekend and weeknights
For now you're better off with a trailer and keeping the RAV4. Just do a trans cooler and keep up the fluid changes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobRiguez
If the lawn care business can afford an older diesel truck in good condition I would highly recommend going that route. You can easily put 300-400k on one of the good Diesel/transmission combos out there and still recoup some of the money when you are done with it as long as it still runs good.
"I" would sell the RAV4, get a cheap commuter car (civic, corolla, elantra, sentra) and a good well taken care of truck for the business. BUT, only if the idea is to grow the business to the point that it is your main and only job.
If it will only ever be a side business, keep the RAV4 and continue as you have with a transmission cooler.
Good luck finding a diesel that's cheap and not beat within a inch of its life. While a diesel CAN be a good investment, when they break it's expensive.
When I had my business anything large order (material) I simply had it delivered. I just added it to the total bill. It was cheaper to order it all than it was for me to go get it load drive it and deliver it.
OP is better off waiting till the business is lucrative enough to make it worthwhile to buy a pick up.
Most landscape guys I see have F150s or minitrucks with a ladder rack and some have older stake beds minitrucks
Quote:
Originally Posted by eaton53
I had an old truck for many years but for different reasons.
It was because I had sports cars that were useless in the snow.
They do come in handy, I'm a "right tool for the job" kind of guy.
Sure. If he was making some crazy money yeah, but at 5k a year it would not make sense to spend the money on a truck. The ROI would take forever.
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