Apologies in advance, this is another vehicle question.
I have a 2007 F350 with 60,000 original kilometres, this is the XL no-frills trim, no power locks, no power windows, uncomfortable seats. It has the infamous 6.0 L diesel engine, a workhorse with its own idiosyncrasies and known failures. The truck is rugged, not pretty to look at, but I am not afraid to dent it or scratch the paint or to take it on rough dirt road. It has the payload to safely carry my popup camper in the bed, and everything I need for full-time living on the road. Which is what I do from April to October in Northern Canada where I have a great gig that I am not ready to quit (and without the camper, I’d have to share a room in a house full of messy strangers for about $800-$1K a month), then for 4 to 6 months during the winter, we are on the road in the US Southwest and Mexico where we mostly boondock. In between travel seasons, I am confined between four walls and keep on whining until my wife finally agrees we can leave. Truck is paid off, cheap to insure, but needs major engine work after a catastrophic failure two months ago in the mountains of Chiapas in Mexico. We were able to get it back on the road at the cost of a few $Ks, but the repairs were temporary and barely allowed us to limp back to Canada.
I fully realize this truck is a fuel-monster and not exactly mustachian, so I will expect some face punches. But to my own defense, having a truck and camper is part of my 10-year retirement plan, and I cannot see myself enjoying anything else until I am forced by age, health or another major event to become house-bound. I also despise flying, even if or because I was previously involved in the airline industry. So I have two options:
Option 1: Fix the truck. Estimated cost for proper engine repair, what is generally called “bullet-proofing”, will be around $5K. Maybe slightly more. Once done, I expect the truck to last several hundred thousand kilometres. Maybe.
Option 2: Get a new-to-me truck, cash. In good condition with similar payload and low mileage, I am looking at $30K-$40K. I checked a few models a few days ago, they are really nice and well-equipped, butt and back-friendly, and usually come with some sort of powertrain warranty.
Some of my friends proposed a third option: ditch the dirtbag life and travel like everybody else. I don’t even want to think about it.
What would you do in those circumstances?