Reply With QuoteI think you already know the answer to that
Killer Wabbit!
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
TopicToaster
I think you already know the answer to that
Super Moderator & CA manager
SubscriberMay years ago (around 2000) the place I was working bought us a brand new 4x4 Triton tray. It was pretty much abused in the same way you describe - they replaced it only a few years ago - aparently it still ran and drove, but was basically scrap.
Not sure what the newer ones are like though.
If you need to contact me please email homestarrunnerau@gmail.com - thanks - Gav.
Master
SubscriberMy wife and I did a caretaking job last year and the property had a similar vehicle. Mid '90's Hi-lux with an unknown number of 'k's on it - the odometer apparently "hadn't worked for years". During the hand over from the previous caretaker I looked at the vehicle log. Not serviced in the last 5 years apart from an oil filter change "because it was leaking". As far as I could tell in the previous 5 years no meaningful maintenance had been done. The previous caretaker had welded a few bits of plate on the chassis where it had cracked behind the cab, he'd replaced a spring with one from a wreck and did a few other bits and pieces. We used it to cart all sorts of stuff sometimes into town and back with the suspension on the bump stops towing an equally overloaded trailer. We used it to "drag the road" towing a mob of tractor tyres behind it with a length of chain, (low 2nd at about 6kph for 60 odd km's) it did lots of runs to town and back (200km round trip) carrying all sorts of stuff. All of this on questionable outback "roads".
When the new caretakers took over from us he remarked that the car was a heap of crap and should be crushed so he asked about getting it replaced. The answer was "it got to town to pick you up and back again and it's served us well for about 15 years so no deal". It didn't look QUITE as bad as the one that used to feature on Top Gear but it was getting there.
Cheers,
Mark F...
Vk3KW
2002 D2 Td5 auto - current AKA The Citrus Money Pit
2000 Disco 2 Td5 Manual - dead and gone
197? Range Rover - gone
1973 SWB SIII Diesel, 1968 SWB IIA Petrol, 195? SI Petrol - all gone
Outback Campers Sturt
http://jandmf.com
Swaggie
After such a good run, did you look to get another hilux?
Cheers
Slunnie
~ Discovery II Td5 ~ Discovery 3dr V8 ~ Series IIa 6cyl ute ~ Series II V8 ute ~
Swaggie
Was the old hi-lux a petrol
Either way I reckon $6k on giving it a facelift will give you better return on your investment.
Unbreakable.....
Swaggie
No comment....
I think i have said my bit about the T brand on other threads.....
Killer Wabbit!
Yes we did but they were a lot more money as I insisted on 4X4 & diesel.Originally Posted by Slunnie
If had been left to me we would have kept this one & driven it until it stopped, unfortunately Workplace Health & Safety was a consideration.
Jonesfam
Killer Wabbit!
Yes, it's a petrol, I don't even know what size engine.
The $6k was 3 X the devalued book valuation, maybe that has tax implications? Not sure, the boss is the accountant. He has been suggesting we replace it for a couple of years & I have been resisting, but it really is becoming a problem safety wise, 1 airbag, no anti-skid, worn seatbelts which a hard to do up & undo etc.
Probably time.
Jonesfam
Wizard
Replacing it after only 50,000kms? Sounds like everything’s fallen apart around the engine after a few tip runs. Sounds like a poor run to me! For goodness sake, Get rid of it for something that will last at least 100,000km! LOL.
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