Originally Posted by
jonesfam
10 years ago (before my time) the Roadhouse bought a 2009 2X4 Toyota Dual Cab Hi-Lux ute as a work horse. Over the years it has mainly done Dump runs, staff pick-ups & drop offs, the odd run to Burketown & collecting stuff from the airport & Post Office.
To the best of my knowledge it has had 4 services in 10 years & has only racked up 50000 km. It is often over loaded with sand, gravel, rubbish & other crap, has been driven through some serious water & sits out in the weather it entire life.
Over time it has suffered many dints, scratches & minor breakages, the A/C packed up a couple of years ago, all except 1 light is cracked, the vinal floor is all ripped, the seats are in very poor condition & the roof lining is held up some sort of glue we smeared it with last time it fell down.
We do look after it though, I'm sure the oil gets checked annually, the tyres have been replaced once, we couldn't open the bonnet for a good while but we did eventually bust the lock so we could check there was a motor in there & I personally checked the air in the tyres once.
So, I was looking at this poor abused thing the other day thinking I should send it to Mt Isa & get all it's ills fixed up & it bought up to something resembling a suitable work ute which might meet Health & Safety standards. I phoned a couple of places around Mt Isa to do the work & they both estimated over $6 grand? What the? It's a bog standard Toyota ute.
I thought that's more than the thing is worth, so I phoned the Boss & told him the ute needed some major work & the cost was more than the depreciated value of the car, do I bother?
He said replace it. What can I buy I asked innocently? Not a Land Rover was the reply, Bugger I said.
Anyway, once the roads open the Roadhouse will have a shiny white Triton GLS Duel cab 4X4 with a slush box, bulbar, side steps & a few bits & bobs.
Wonder what that will be like?
I have done up a Policy & Procedure including a maintaince schedule & check list for the new ute because I somehow doubt it will put up with the abuse the Hi-Lux did. BTW when I was arranging all this I discovered the Hi-Lux hadn't been registered for 18 months because I had somehow missed the bill.
One of my staff is buying the old ute once the new one arrives. He reckons its a good car.
A new Triton? Probably be OK but will it beat the Hi-Lux because the do just keep on going?
Jonesfam