When to keep a second vehicle?

[406MtnFire]

When do you keep a second vehicle that you trust versus getting rid of it?

I have a 2013 Silverado half ton with the 5.3 motor and 215k miles. I've had it since new, it is not a lemon, have kept up on maintenance. I bought a 2015 silverado 3/4 ton to pull my travel trailer with 165k miles.

My half ton is worth $12k? It has permanent plates. Thinking about just keeping it for a "daily driver" / spare vehicle. No fuel savings. Mainly, a spare vehicle is nice, an extra $12k doesn't move the needle?

[GuitarStv]

Keeping a second car is like running an extra fridge/freezer in the basement.  The cost of the fridge isn't usually the issue, it's the yearly cost to maintain it that really should be considered:
- Insurance
- Oil changes
- Battery charge
- Keeping fuel good in the system (either by ensuring that it's driven simply to burn fuel in which case mileage might come into play, or with stabilizer)
- Brakes (tend to rust and get damaged if unused for long periods)

If you figure out what that number is, then you get an idea of what it really costs to maintain and will have a better idea of whether it's really worth it to you.

[neo von retorch]

One year, I owned an efficient daily driver hatchback, and a relatively low cost sports car.

After a year, I found having two cars was just not something I liked. The sports car was mildly fun (but I largely drive close to legal speed limits) and pretty (but you better wash it!) But I didn't like if it was time to pick up groceries/lumber/etc. and I had to take the other car anyway. Also the little hatchback was actually pretty fun to go around turns, but I digress...

These days my wife and I share one car and I like how I'm not spending all that extra money. One car beats three cars!

Given you have two trucks that really, really overlap on purpose, it seems difficult to justify. But it's actually almost exactly what my dad does, except he really only uses his newer 2 door, 8' bed truck for visiting people and going out to eat. (Though sometimes he still drives the '97 Suburban...) He keeps his '94 Chevy half-ton for getting real work done around the 10 acre property. (Firewood, stones, etc.)

He buys these vehicles used, and then keeps them for decades, and does some of the work himself. (He's 75 and I wouldn't blame him for doing less.)

But yeah, just to keep a spare? I personally do not think it's worth it. Especially with the luck you have that used trucks are treated like gold even with a billion miles on them...

[Just Joe]

If you do keep the older truck, definitely drive it once a week or so. Also get it out of the weather.

We have two cars. We carpool. Don't need two cars - until we do. Renting one is not an option. We need the second car on potentially very short notice or on the weekends.

We expect that need to increase going forward so we bought the second car.

We drive the more efficient hatchback daily, the nicer travel car sits in the garage, all clean and ready to roll.

And I have to remember it exists and it needs driving once a week.

Alternatively - you could sell your spare truck. Don't know if the value of the truck is trending up or down. Either way, I understand the value of a good tool.

[Morning Glory]

I would sell the second truck and get something cheap and fuel efficient so you don't have to drive the big one all the time. Instead of a car,  an ebike or small motorcycle might be fun to use in the summer and then just use the truck in the winter and for pulling the camper.  Bonus is that you can bring it with you on camping trips instead of driving the truck around at your destination. 

[Arbitrage]

Financially, having a second vehicle is almost always a dumb, unnecessary luxury.  As others have noted, there are lots of ongoing costs even if you don't use it.  If you choose to keep it, recognize it as the luxury it is - we all have some of them, but don't fool yourself into thinking that it's anything but.

I don't have even a single vehicle for myself, so the idea of a spare, just in case, is on the other side of the spectrum.  We have one for the family (which I do drive the family around in when we're traveling together), but all personal transport and errands are by e-bike.  Though our car is getting a bit older now, nearing its tenth birthday, the number of times we've required that spare vehicle "just in case" over the 4 years we've been a one-car family has been: zero.  We were 'car-lite' for two years before that, where the spare car was almost never driven.  We did have one "just in case" incident during that time when the primary car's battery died.  Not having the second car would've been a bit inconvenient at that point, but we certainly could've overcome that for a minimal cost and better preparation.  Nowadays, we sometimes have to coordinate things to make it work for four people with one car, and occasionally have to sacrifice here and there.  Nevertheless, it's been totally worth it.  I can't imagine personally justifying the waste (cost, storage space, aesthetics/ugliness) of having more cars than we have drivers.

[lthenderson]

Keeping a second car is like running an extra fridge/freezer in the basement.  The cost of the fridge isn't usually the issue, it's the yearly cost to maintain it that really should be considered:
- Insurance
- Oil changes
- Battery charge
- Keeping fuel good in the system (either by ensuring that it's driven simply to burn fuel in which case mileage might come into play, or with stabilizer)
- Brakes (tend to rust and get damaged if unused for long periods)

If you figure out what that number is, then you get an idea of what it really costs to maintain and will have a better idea of whether it's really worth it to you.

+1 Once you know the cost per year to hold onto a spare vehicle, it is quite easy to compare with rental costs for the amount of time you need a spare vehicle per year to see if it is worth it.

[GilesMM]

If it is a good truck sell it to someone who needs one and will actually use it. Otherwise, it will just rot/rust away due to neglect.

[uniwelder]

Keeping a second car is like running an extra fridge/freezer in the basement.  The cost of the fridge isn't usually the issue, it's the yearly cost to maintain it that really should be considered:
- Insurance
- Oil changes
- Battery charge
- Keeping fuel good in the system (either by ensuring that it's driven simply to burn fuel in which case mileage might come into play, or with stabilizer)
- Brakes (tend to rust and get damaged if unused for long periods)

If you figure out what that number is, then you get an idea of what it really costs to maintain and will have a better idea of whether it's really worth it to you.

+1 Once you know the cost per year to hold onto a spare vehicle, it is quite easy to compare with rental costs for the amount of time you need a spare vehicle per year to see if it is worth it.

Considering he could sell it for $12,000, that would probably give 150 days of a rental.  Or just with compounding interest, he could keep his 12k profit and get 7 free days of renting a car each year.

OP, keeping a backup truck around sounds pretty silly.  I'm all for replacing it with a scooter, e-bike, or even cheap electric car. 

[Paper Chaser]

Vehicles are tools. Having different tools for different jobs can make some sense. Right now you have two tools that do the same job. If you want to use the big truck for towing (since that's the job you purchased it to do) then sell the 1500 and put that $12k towards a tool that is better suited for safe, efficient, low cost daily driving.

[Retire-Canada]

When do you keep a second vehicle that you trust versus getting rid of it?

My GF and I each have our own vehicles. We use bikes a lot for transportation so they are not driven a ton. Both are paid off and 14+ years old. We could get rid of one, but I'm retired and she's still working FT so we don't do stuff together that often. Just weekends when she's free. So if I do want to drive to do something and it's raining she wants to use a vehicle one of us would have to change plans.

Could we make that work?

100% yes. One of my FIRE contingency plans was to stop driving and park my vehicle to save money and then sell it and just bike around to save even more money. My portfolio is much bigger now than when I FIREd so it never came to that and I can comfortably afford to keep the vehicle insured, maintained and fueled up.

Owning two nice vehicles is fancy pants luxury and I am aware it's not remotely essential.

[iris lily]

I feel you cannot have too many vehicles as long as you have adequate parking for them and your house doesn’t look like a used car lot.

Signed Iris, who likes cars
The two of us have 4 cars between us

[406MtnFire]

Yeah I enjoy having a second car. I've had an 05 corolla for years for buzzing around town. It kicked the can of buying a new truck for 3 years so it's made 3 years of interest in a trucks work of investments. More than paid for itself. Plus it's great to get the grocery store door dings, etc.

 So I currently have 3 vehicles haha. But I have plenty of parking. I'll sell my corolla probably.  I'd rather keep my half ton for a daily driver. It'll also help justify writing off the new truck for my business as well. Which that depreciation is a couple grand a year of tax optimization. 

[spartana]

Keeping a second car is like running an extra fridge/freezer in the basement.  The cost of the fridge isn't usually the issue, it's the yearly cost to maintain it that really should be considered:
- Insurance
- Oil changes
- Battery charge
- Keeping fuel good in the system (either by ensuring that it's driven simply to burn fuel in which case mileage might come into play, or with stabilizer)
- Brakes (tend to rust and get damaged if unused for long periods)

If you figure out what that number is, then you get an idea of what it really costs to maintain and will have a better idea of whether it's really worth it to you.

+1 Once you know the cost per year to hold onto a spare vehicle, it is quite easy to compare with rental costs for the amount of time you need a spare vehicle per year to see if it is worth it.

Considering he could sell it for $12,000, that would probably give 150 days of a rental.  Or just with compounding interest, he could keep his 12k profit and get 7 free days of renting a car each year.

OP, keeping a backup truck around sounds pretty silly.  I'm all for replacing it with a scooter, e-bike, or even cheap electric car.

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

[neo von retorch]

Yeah I enjoy having a second car. I've had an 05 corolla for years for buzzing around town.

Should rename thread "When to keep two extra vehicles?" ;)

But you're not here to make a decision. You're here to get at least one of us to agree with the decision you already made.

Do you have any objective criteria to throw at this?

Financially, it probably makes zero sense to keep either of your extra cars unless you have a long commute, so fuel savings can overcome registration, maintenance, insurance, opportunity cost, etc.

Utility wise, it's really not clear why you need two pickup trucks over one.

Emotionally... well... you are in charge of your life and we encourage people to understand their values and put their money towards those values. That's fine. But you came to a (mostly) financial (and psychological... and environmental) forum, asking if you should keep two trucks when one will do just fine.

I'm confused...

[uniwelder]

Keeping a second car is like running an extra fridge/freezer in the basement.  The cost of the fridge isn't usually the issue, it's the yearly cost to maintain it that really should be considered:
- Insurance
- Oil changes
- Battery charge
- Keeping fuel good in the system (either by ensuring that it's driven simply to burn fuel in which case mileage might come into play, or with stabilizer)
- Brakes (tend to rust and get damaged if unused for long periods)

If you figure out what that number is, then you get an idea of what it really costs to maintain and will have a better idea of whether it's really worth it to you.

+1 Once you know the cost per year to hold onto a spare vehicle, it is quite easy to compare with rental costs for the amount of time you need a spare vehicle per year to see if it is worth it.

Considering he could sell it for $12,000, that would probably give 150 days of a rental.  Or just with compounding interest, he could keep his 12k profit and get 7 free days of renting a car each year.

OP, keeping a backup truck around sounds pretty silly.  I'm all for replacing it with a scooter, e-bike, or even cheap electric car.

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

I was assuming a cost of $80/day.  Actual cost in my area is $100 for a single day rental on a pickup.  If something should break on the new pickup and OP needed a last minute replacement for a day or several, this seems appropriate.  I know you rent for a full month on the best deal you can find, and generally awesome in your practicality and frugality, but this isn't the situation I'm trying to illustrate.

[uniwelder]

Yeah I enjoy having a second car. I've had an 05 corolla for years for buzzing around town.

Should rename thread "When to keep two extra vehicles?" ;)

But you're not here to make a decision. You're here to get at least one of us to agree with the decision you already made.

Do you have any objective criteria to throw at this?

Financially, it probably makes zero sense to keep either of your extra cars unless you have a long commute, so fuel savings can overcome registration, maintenance, insurance, opportunity cost, etc.

Utility wise, it's really not clear why you need two pickup trucks over one.

Emotionally... well... you are in charge of your life and we encourage people to understand their values and put their money towards those values. That's fine. But you came to a (mostly) financial (and psychological... and environmental) forum, asking if you should keep two trucks when one will do just fine.

I'm confused...

+1

[Tasse]

You have a cheap efficient little car and two trucks, and you want to sell the little car instead of one of the trucks? WHY? What benefit does the smaller truck have that isn't covered by either of the other two??

I simply cannot fathom needing one pickup truck for a specific task and then wanting a second, different pickup truck as your daily driver.

[chasingthegoodlife]

Reading your posts it sounds like part of the barrier is that you KNOW this car is a great car, but it's not worth a heck of a lot second hand. On the other hand, should you ever need to buy a similar car second hand, you might end up paying the same price for a poorly maintained lemon. It feels like a 'waste'.

The solution to that quandary in my social circle has been to sell the quality car to someone you know in need of a quality car, and enjoy the social capital and sense of satisfaction that your relative or friend now has a great car for a great price. 

(Full disclosure - our household of 2 adults has 3 cars. We need two fuel efficient daily drivers for our location/work/toddler lifestyle and the third is a pure luxury related to my husband's hobby. Were I living by myself in a metro area I would far prefer (and have done before) to be car free. You have to do what works for you :))

[spartana]

Keeping a second car is like running an extra fridge/freezer in the basement.  The cost of the fridge isn't usually the issue, it's the yearly cost to maintain it that really should be considered:
- Insurance
- Oil changes
- Battery charge
- Keeping fuel good in the system (either by ensuring that it's driven simply to burn fuel in which case mileage might come into play, or with stabilizer)
- Brakes (tend to rust and get damaged if unused for long periods)

If you figure out what that number is, then you get an idea of what it really costs to maintain and will have a better idea of whether it's really worth it to you.

+1 Once you know the cost per year to hold onto a spare vehicle, it is quite easy to compare with rental costs for the amount of time you need a spare vehicle per year to see if it is worth it.

Considering he could sell it for $12,000, that would probably give 150 days of a rental.  Or just with compounding interest, he could keep his 12k profit and get 7 free days of renting a car each year.

OP, keeping a backup truck around sounds pretty silly.  I'm all for replacing it with a scooter, e-bike, or even cheap electric car.

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

I was assuming a cost of $80/day.  Actual cost in my area is $100 for a single day rental on a pickup.  If something should break on the new pickup and OP needed a last minute replacement for a day or several, this seems appropriate.  I know you rent for a full month on the best deal you can find, and generally awesome in your practicality and frugality, but this isn't the situation I'm trying to illustrate.

You're right renting a truck or cargo van at a daily rate IS expensive. I guess I was thinking he wanted to replace the use of his smaller car and his old pick up. So selling the old truck means he still has a truck but maybe needs a car or smaller passenger vehicle very occasionally. So sell both the old truck and the car and use the new truck and rent something if ever needed. Lots of savings!

ETA: Im curious why the OP wants to use his 5.3L huge truck for his daily driver instead of his car? Do you need a truck for your job everyday? I've had a couple of Ford Ranger extra cabs (both the 4 and the 6 cylinder) and they did most truck things I needed to do at a fraction of the cost of a big truck. Pre-FIRE I commuted the approx 40 miles (one way) to work via motorcycle and only commuted in the the truck in bad weather. Saved it for fun stuff or when I needed a vehicle.

[406MtnFire]

Very good points, appreciate everyone's thoughts. I think I'll sell my half ton pickup to someone that can use it. Maybe keep my little car since it's low cost, permanent plates, fuel efficient, and easier to drive around town.

[StachelessNicholas]

This is timely for me, I have 3 vehicles, a 2014 Prius, 2019 Land Cruiser, and a 1996 Land Cruiser, so I can relate to the redundancy you've got... We don't have commutes, live really close to everything, so it's all completely unnecessary. It's about 100k in Land Cruisers alone, which seems so ridiculous some days, but I've always been an auto enthusiast and it doesn't greatly effect my bottom line, so I've justified keeping them around. That being said, I've recently found myself debating the sale of the newer Land Cruiser to drop in another large chunk of cash.

[GilesMM]

This is timely for me, I have 3 vehicles, a 2014 Prius, 2019 Land Cruiser, and a 1996 Land Cruiser, so I can relate to the redundancy you've got... We don't have commutes, live really close to everything, so it's all completely unnecessary. It's about 100k in Land Cruisers alone, which seems so ridiculous some days, but I've always been an auto enthusiast and it doesn't greatly effect my bottom line, so I've justified keeping them around. That being said, I've recently found myself debating the sale of the newer Land Cruiser to drop in another large chunk of cash.

Your vehicles are on opposite ends of the automotive spectrum in terms of size, weight, capacity and economy!  Gadzooks.    I'm consulting occasionally in the mid-east and have LC envy since they are everywhere.   I even test drove an LX570 (which died, mid test run) but found it too ponderous for daily driving.  I mostly admire the fact that the LC is very reliable, runs for decades, and capable of almost anything.  But you perhaps don't need two and the 1996 is probably the better of the two.

[Dicey]

We have an RV and use it quite a bit. We frequently take US 50, aka the "Loneliest Highway" from NorCal to CO. Because it's a byway, you see a lot more homes, ranches and towns up close. From our perches in the rig, we see hundreds of decrepit RVs and vehicles scattered around homes with space for them.
We always say if you knew the last time you were going to use something, it would be a lot easier to get rid of it.

It's a guessing game, and an inexact one at that. We are also taught being prepared and having supplies at hand in anticipation of future needs are virtues. It's truly a conundrum.

OTOH, my first job included a company car that allowed personal use. I hung on to my personal car "just in case", which I came to regret. Thereafter, whenever my job included a company car, (a good chunk of my career) I immediately sold my personal car. Did I mention it's a conundrum?

[spartana]

Very good points, appreciate everyone's thoughts. I think I'll sell my half ton pickup to someone that can use it. Maybe keep my little car since it's low cost, permanent plates, fuel efficient, and easier to drive around town.

The environment thanks you :-). Or sell them.both and get a fuel efficient (or EV or hybrid) vehicle to use most days but has a bigger cargo space then a compact car.

[clarkfan1979]

We are guilty of having an RV in the driveway that we haven't used in 2 years. I had some problems connecting the 4 batteries. I will be fixing it July 5-10 for a camping trip scheduled July 16-24.

We have a 4th vehicle parked in the backyard of a medium term rental in Hawaii. We use it about 60-90 days/year. It cost $3000 to purchase in 2020. Registration and insurance is around $500/year. We probably average $500/year in repairs, so $1000/year. A rental car would be $75/day and a minivan would be $100/day, so the alternative would be $4500-$9000 for a rental car. The math on this one is pretty easy to keep the minivan parked in the backyard.   

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Very good points, appreciate everyone's thoughts. I think I'll sell my half ton pickup to someone that can use it. Maybe keep my little car since it's low cost, permanent plates, fuel efficient, and easier to drive around town.

I think that is a great decision!

We are a two car family. We have a 2022 Sienna that we bought when we added a third child to the family and a 2011 Honda Fit that was the only car for about 18 months before that. (No, you actually CAN'T safely put three kids in a Honda Fit, even if it were comfy, which it is not- that was definitely a subject of debate on my journal.) We had gone down to 1 car during the pandemic when my husband's 2005 Civic hybrid needed yet another really pricey repair. (He used to drive a lot- it had 200K miles on it.)

Big fan of the decision to have a big car and a little car. Our little car is the go to work car, and also the car we use if one of us needs to take just the big kids someplace. It is SO much easier to park! The van is the car seat car. So they both get driven regularly.

It's weird not having a "personal" vehicle. My husband I take turns going to work and being at home with the baby, so both cars are for both of us. I feel kind of guilty owning 2 cars because they don't get driven very much, maybe 7K miles per year per vehicle. Maybe less even. If the Fit crapped out/got in an accident we might not replace it because actually usually my husband walks to work and I go on my ebike so the occasions when we "need" two cars at once are just not that common.

I hope you get a good price for the truck! Someone will be lucky to get it!

[lthenderson]

I thought I would add an anecdotal story about the hazards of keeping a car parked in the driveway for just in case emergencies. I had a spare car that I kept for years because I just couldn't justify the math to get rid of it and use a temporary rental when it was needed. Then one day it was needed and I went outside to drive it. It wouldn't start. I popped the hood to jump start it and found a squirrel nest in the headlight cavity complete with cut wires. I went to retrieve my jumper cables stored in the back trunk of the car. I opened it up to find roughly six inches of water standing in the trunk. Leaves had fallen and decayed in the rain channel around the trunk lid and eventually formed a dam so that instead of channeling rain around the trunk to the ground, it overflowed into the trunk. The carpeting was shot, mold was everywhere and the metal in the pan rusted. It took the rest of the day to clean out the water, scrape off the mold, splice the headlight wires and finally jumpstart the battery. It took longer to remove the god awful smell from the rest of the car's interior. I sold the car a couple weeks later and never regretted it.

[Just Joe]

Financially, having a second vehicle is almost always a dumb, unnecessary luxury.  As others have noted, there are lots of ongoing costs even if you don't use it.  If you choose to keep it, recognize it as the luxury it is - we all have some of them, but don't fool yourself into thinking that it's anything but.

I don't have even a single vehicle for myself, so the idea of a spare, just in case, is on the other side of the spectrum.  We have one for the family (which I do drive the family around in when we're traveling together), but all personal transport and errands are by e-bike.  Though our car is getting a bit older now, nearing its tenth birthday, the number of times we've required that spare vehicle "just in case" over the 4 years we've been a one-car family has been: zero.  We were 'car-lite' for two years before that, where the spare car was almost never driven.  We did have one "just in case" incident during that time when the primary car's battery died.  Not having the second car would've been a bit inconvenient at that point, but we certainly could've overcome that for a minimal cost and better preparation.  Nowadays, we sometimes have to coordinate things to make it work for four people with one car, and occasionally have to sacrifice here and there.  Nevertheless, it's been totally worth it.  I can't imagine personally justifying the waste (cost, storage space, aesthetics/ugliness) of having more cars than we have drivers.

It has alot to do with where a person lives. We we lived in town, we did the one car thing for years. I used my ebike for some of the trips. Our town is not very bike friendly anymore. It used to be quieter than then it hit a growth spurt. Now I don't trust the traffic in that part of town.

Then we moved out of town to a rural situation. The drive to work is faster now. The distance is short but not much development on our side of town.

We still carpool nearly all the time but due to recent elder events DW or I may need to travel to our respective families on short notice to assist. I've been out of town to assist my parents x3 in the past 10 days.

Different living choices, different responsibilities, different time of life.

[spartana]

Financially, having a second vehicle is almost always a dumb, unnecessary luxury.  As others have noted, there are lots of ongoing costs even if you don't use it.  If you choose to keep it, recognize it as the luxury it is - we all have some of them, but don't fool yourself into thinking that it's anything but.

I don't have even a single vehicle for myself, so the idea of a spare, just in case, is on the other side of the spectrum.  We have one for the family (which I do drive the family around in when we're traveling together), but all personal transport and errands are by e-bike.  Though our car is getting a bit older now, nearing its tenth birthday, the number of times we've required that spare vehicle "just in case" over the 4 years we've been a one-car family has been: zero.  We were 'car-lite' for two years before that, where the spare car was almost never driven.  We did have one "just in case" incident during that time when the primary car's battery died.  Not having the second car would've been a bit inconvenient at that point, but we certainly could've overcome that for a minimal cost and better preparation.  Nowadays, we sometimes have to coordinate things to make it work for four people with one car, and occasionally have to sacrifice here and there.  Nevertheless, it's been totally worth it.  I can't imagine personally justifying the waste (cost, storage space, aesthetics/ugliness) of having more cars than we have drivers.

It has alot to do with where a person lives. We we lived in town, we did the one car thing for years. I used my ebike for some of the trips. Our town is not very bike friendly anymore. It used to be quieter than then it hit a growth spurt. Now I don't trust the traffic in that part of town.

Then we moved out of town to a rural situation. The drive to work is faster now. The distance is short but not much development on our side of town.

We still carpool nearly all the time but due to recent elder events DW or I may need to travel to our respective families on short notice to assist. I've been out of town to assist my parents x3 in the past 10 days.

Different living choices, different responsibilities, different time of life.

This is true for me also but in reverse. When I lived in a crowded city/suburb I found it easy to get around without a car despite public transit and biking/walking infrastructure being very bad. But since I've moved to a smaller more remote ski resort town I really need to get a car even though biking, walking and even the bus system is great.  Being unable to get off the mountain for emergencies or just because I want to visit family and friends is pretty impossible. Even trying to rent a car there is difficult and expensive. Even now that BF has moved in with me and I have access to his truck he's often using it for short surfing trips so I feel stuck sometimes without a car. So even though I don't need one day-to-day I think I need one in my more rural area "just in case".

[2Birds1Stone]

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

Would you mind PMing me where you rent at these types of rates?

I am having a horrible time finding rentals for month or two and we really need to figure one out 2x per year. Thank you in advance :)

[spartana]

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

Would you mind PMing me where you rent at these types of rates?

I am having a horrible time finding rentals for month or two and we really need to figure one out 2x per year. Thank you in advance :)

I've posted about it here several times but basicly I use Hertz, look for AAA deals (there are others), look at monthly rents (or weekly then extend them for an additional 3 weeks), be flexible and check out different dates as you can save hundreds sometimes by just pick the car up one day earlier or later, check daily even if you already have a resevation as cost can change everyday,  use a CC (chase freedom in my case) that will cover the collision damage on the rental car for up to 31 days, use your own private liability coverage (I have a non-owners policy since I don't own a car and it's less then $300/year), join their rewards program for points and free upgrades, and don't rent at an airport or tourist hub but a corporate site. I just looked at the hertz site and it's kind of expensive now due to holidays and school graduations and summer but check often.

[clarkfan1979]

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

Would you mind PMing me where you rent at these types of rates?

I am having a horrible time finding rentals for month or two and we really need to figure one out 2x per year. Thank you in advance :)

I've posted about it here several times but basicly I use Hertz, look for AAA deals (there are others), look at monthly rents (or weekly then extend them for an additional 3 weeks), be flexible and check out different dates as you can save hundreds sometimes by just pick the car up one day earlier or later, check daily even if you already have a resevation as cost can change everyday,  use a CC (chase freedom in my case) that will cover the collision damage on the rental car for up to 31 days, use your own private liability coverage (I have a non-owners policy since I don't own a car and it's less then $300/year), join their rewards program for points and free upgrades, and don't rent at an airport or tourist hub but a corporate site. I just looked at the hertz site and it's kind of expensive now due to holidays and school graduations and summer but check often.

I'm renting a car from the Minneapolis airport for 11 days to visit family that have a second home in Ely, MN. It's $675 for 11 days. I normally book through Costco Travel.

[spartana]

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

Would you mind PMing me where you rent at these types of rates?

I am having a horrible time finding rentals for month or two and we really need to figure one out 2x per year. Thank you in advance :)

I've posted about it here several times but basicly I use Hertz, look for AAA deals (there are others), look at monthly rents (or weekly then extend them for an additional 3 weeks), be flexible and check out different dates as you can save hundreds sometimes by just pick the car up one day earlier or later, check daily even if you already have a resevation as cost can change everyday,  use a CC (chase freedom in my case) that will cover the collision damage on the rental car for up to 31 days, use your own private liability coverage (I have a non-owners policy since I don't own a car and it's less then $300/year), join their rewards program for points and free upgrades, and don't rent at an airport or tourist hub but a corporate site. I just looked at the hertz site and it's kind of expensive now due to holidays and school graduations and summer but check often.

I'm renting a car from the Minneapolis airport for 11 days to visit family that have a second home in Ely, MN. It's $675 for 11 days. I normally book through Costco Travel.

  Seems expensive. Renting at airports always are. I just plugged in a one week economy car rental (22nd to 29th) and here's what I found at a local agency in my old hood. It would be double ($428 includingbtaxes and fees) for 2 weeks with an AAA discount:

"Checkout:
AUTO CLUB OF SO CAL Discount Applied!
Due Later

$214.13

Economy
Managers Special or similar


Huntington Beach South Hle

Jun 22 | 10:00 AM • Jun 29 | 10:00 AM"

Here's the breakdown: "AUTO CLUB OF SO CAL Discount Applied!
Rental rate

Weekly rate

$208.46

Taxes & Fees

Vehicle License Recovery Fee

$9.52

Total Tax

$17.00

Discounts

Promotional Coupon (211443)

-$22.18

Total
$214.13"

[spartana]

A full size sedan for 2 weeks including taxes and fees over the 4th of July : 

$492.99

Fullsize
Chevrolet Malibu or similar


Huntington Beach South Hle

Jun 22 | 10:00 AM • Jul 06 | 10:00 AM

That is way more then I normally pay but holiday etc so prices are higher.

[sonofsven]

I rented a 2016 Sentra (last month, not in 2016!) on Maui for two weeks for $349.
Kihei Rental Car, family business. This was their cheapest model for rent.

[Car Jack]

It all comes down to your use of the vehicles and the relative cost to you.  I own 4 vehicles (5 if you count the one being parted out).

1) 18 Legacy that my wife drives.  6 or 8 months or so ago, my 88 year old mom decided that she really should not be driving.  The car had 5k miles on it and I probably put more than half those miles on driving her.

2) 19 Crosstrek manual.  This is my only manual.  I bought it so I would have a manual to teach my younger son how to drive a manual.  We will be giving this to my younger son soon.

3) 17 Legacy.  My younger son is currently using this.  When we give him the Crosstrek, my older son who owns 2 cars will use this when driving into the city for his new job where he'll have to street park.

4) 14 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited:  I use this for 3 things aside of normal driving now and then.  Offroading during non-winter months with a Jeep club.  Snow plowing my driveway in the winter.  Pulling my small trailer to bring branches to our recycling center and steel scrap to the scrapyard for cash.  Although 10 years old, it's only got 43k miles on it.  It's been modified in many ways, almost all of which could be unbolted and brought back to stock when it's time to sell.  Insurance costs $325 a year, inspection $35 a year and registration $60 every 2 years. 

I will be retired a year this Sunday and in the year with no work income, our investments have risen from $4.1M to $4.5M.  So I can clearly afford to keep all these cars.  We don't live in a "normal" place.  For my older son's 1 year old birthday party, we threw a huge splash of a party.  We had 75 cars parked on our property, so storing the cars is not a problem. 

The junked car?  13 Subaru Crosstrek with 201k miles that the engine failed.  I've been pulling it apart and selling parts on facebook marketplace and craigslist with materials (wire, aluminum, steel) going to the scrapyard for cash.

[Sibley]

OP, to answer your title question: Never.

Why would I have 2 vehicles? That's silly, and wasteful. If I need a vehicle for a purpose that my vehicle won't work, I'll rent it. I rented a cargo van for an afternoon recently for that reason. (Giant whale of a vehicle, omg. Never want to drive a moving van.) However, I'm not a car person, and I really don't understand the people who are. And I don't have a lifestyle where I regularly and extensively need a different type of vehicle.

If you use a particular type vehicle often enough that it's more cost effective to own it than to rent it when you need it, then sure, go ahead and own it. But I suspect that's a pretty high bar.

[Drink Coffee And Stack Money]

I will always keep a second vehicle on hand, always. Or current non-primary vehicle is a 2012 Jeep Patriot we bought new. it only has 131k miles on it and is typically only driven 4-5 times a month. This cost us less than $1,500 a year for inspections/license/insurance/maintenance, which is well worth the price to me to know I always have a backup and never have to worry about borrowing or renting a car. I personally loath borrowing anything because I do not want to ever be indebted to anyone for anything.

Just my perspective and I realize everyone is different.

[rothwem]

Very good points, appreciate everyone's thoughts. I think I'll sell my half ton pickup to someone that can use it. Maybe keep my little car since it's low cost, permanent plates, fuel efficient, and easier to drive around town.

The environment thanks you :-). Or sell them.both and get a fuel efficient (or EV or hybrid) vehicle to use most days but has a bigger cargo space then a compact car.

Kind of a funny thought, but if he's not using the truck much, and he sells it to someone who will use it, did he just fuck the environment?  He's truck sequestering! We should pay him carbon credits. 

[Tasse]

I will always keep a second vehicle on hand, always. Or current non-primary vehicle is a 2012 Jeep Patriot we bought new. it only has 131k miles on it and is typically only driven 4-5 times a month. This cost us less than $1,500 a year for inspections/license/insurance/maintenance, which is well worth the price to me to know I always have a backup and never have to worry about borrowing or renting a car. I personally loath borrowing anything because I do not want to ever be indebted to anyone for anything.

Just my perspective and I realize everyone is different.

This is approximately my attitude toward keeping a single car (as a couple). I guess you can always have a backup to your backup but there is a point at which it's not worth it.

[Tasse]

Very good points, appreciate everyone's thoughts. I think I'll sell my half ton pickup to someone that can use it. Maybe keep my little car since it's low cost, permanent plates, fuel efficient, and easier to drive around town.

The environment thanks you :-). Or sell them.both and get a fuel efficient (or EV or hybrid) vehicle to use most days but has a bigger cargo space then a compact car.

Kind of a funny thought, but if he's not using the truck much, and he sells it to someone who will use it, did he just fuck the environment?  He's truck sequestering! We should pay him carbon credits.

Would the buyer of the truck have bought a fuel-efficient car instead, though? Or would they have bought a newer truck if they couldn't get one used? Seems to me like a robust used market helps depress the demand for new gas guzzlers to be produced?

[spartana]

Very good points, appreciate everyone's thoughts. I think I'll sell my half ton pickup to someone that can use it. Maybe keep my little car since it's low cost, permanent plates, fuel efficient, and easier to drive around town.

The environment thanks you :-). Or sell them.both and get a fuel efficient (or EV or hybrid) vehicle to use most days but has a bigger cargo space then a compact car.

Kind of a funny thought, but if he's not using the truck much, and he sells it to someone who will use it, did he just fuck the environment?  He's truck sequestering! We should pay him carbon credits.

LOL! Although he can part if out and keep other old high mileage trucks going - which would likely be even worse from an environmental perspective. I wonder if new ICE trucks are less polluting and get better mpg than some old ICE cars? Likely.

[Dicey]

What the heck kind of rentals are you talking about? I'm carless and rent an suv around 4 times a year for a month each time for road trips (unlimited miles) and average $500/month all inclusive (tax, fees, etc). I have a non-car owners liability policy for about $300/year and use a CC that covers 31 days each rental period to cover damage or theft to the vehicle. 

So if the OP is only hanging on to the $12k vehicle (and paying annual license, registration, insurance and maybe inspection fees) "just in case" they'd be better selling it and going carless or getting a more practice daily driver.

Would you mind PMing me where you rent at these types of rates?

I am having a horrible time finding rentals for month or two and we really need to figure one out 2x per year. Thank you in advance :)

I've posted about it here several times but basicly I use Hertz, look for AAA deals (there are others), look at monthly rents (or weekly then extend them for an additional 3 weeks), be flexible and check out different dates as you can save hundreds sometimes by just pick the car up one day earlier or later, check daily even if you already have a resevation as cost can change everyday,  use a CC (chase freedom in my case) that will cover the collision damage on the rental car for up to 31 days, use your own private liability coverage (I have a non-owners policy since I don't own a car and it's less then $300/year), join their rewards program for points and free upgrades, and don't rent at an airport or tourist hub but a corporate site. I just looked at the hertz site and it's kind of expensive now due to holidays and school graduations and summer but check often.

I took spartana's advice recently and had good success. I'll add: Join the affinity clubs for the major rental outfits.  Rent from an off-airport site. Get familiar with Autoslash, which is owned by Priceline. Also, Costco sometimes had good rates.

Our best score: got a deal in Denver via Autoslash. The best price was from National, so we quickly joined their Emerald Program, which lets you choose any car on the lot. All the incoming hipsters wanted cool cars, so we were able to grab a brand-new, fully loaded minivan, which was perfect for a trip to see the grandkids. If you haven't looked, minivans cost a fortune to rent.

Best advice: try everything, try often, be flexible, and clear your cookies once in a while.

[johndoe]

I bought a 2nd car nearly a decade ago and have kept that setup.  In my case it was because the 1st (coupe) was perceived as unreliable with a negligible resale value.  The 2nd (convertible) is more 'fun' to drive and gives some redundancy (let's say one vehicle is having issues / dead battery) but isn't driven in winter.

Looking at recent years of budget data:  'Gas, maintenance, insurance, and registration' accounted for about $240 / month.  'Purchase price (divided by months owned)' accounted for about $65 / month.  So at the top of my monthly spending are 'house' at ~$500 and 'cars' at ~$300.  While my budget would be lower with a single vehicle, I think the redundancy is worth this price.

If I'm understanding OP's situation correctly, selling one truck makes sense.