How Many Miles Until You Swap?

What's the longest you have kept a vehicle?

 

Last one 17 years, 96 Mustang GT.

 

That's a good run.

 

96 Bronco, daily driver for 22 years. Should have never sold it.

 

We just got rid of out 2010 limited w/ 190k and bought a new ORP. Didn’t do much but change the oil and do routine maintenance since new.

 

There are a lot of variables for me. I chose the 4Runner over an FJ mainly due to the newest FJ you can buy was a 2014 and the color I wanted was radiant red, a 2012 Trail Teams. But then I thought about how much I might stop liking the red if I were to own it lol. So I decided on the 4Runner. If the sixth gen is a more dedicated off-roader or if the FJ returns I’ll sell my 4Runner I’m sure. So I can’t answer the poll honestly.

 

Hoping to keep it for at least 10 years...but I've never kept a vehicle that long. 8 years is my record.

Wife's car is coming up on 9 years...she always tells me she never wants to get rid of that thing... we'll see how that goes.

 

only really owning 2 vehicle over a lifetime is a real possibility. That is a rabbit hole I would like to explore further. Congrats on the retirement.

 

Well the intent was to keep this thing a long time. I bought it because it's a vehicle that fits my family hauling tent camping lifestyle. Now, we're looking at campers. My perfect idea of a camper in a 5x8 or 5x10 teardrop, with bunk space and a galley. The wife's idea of a camper is a 5,500 lbs travel trailer. She is demanding a toilet and U-Shaped dinette, with sleeping capacity for up to 5...

You see where this is going.

We have an appointment to check out campers this weekend. If she insists on anything over 3K dry weight, I'll tell her to go ahead and make me appointment at Ford and Toyota to look at F-150s and Tundras, and to cough up the checkbook. If that doesn't scare her into a smaller camper, I don't know what will. Perhaps a pop-up or A-frame.

 

Should have never sold my 07. I love my 2016, but you only have your first 4runner once. This will be mine at least until I retire, but probably longer. Never had a more reliable vehicle.

 

3 kids? Sleeping 4 adults in a camper sucks in my opinion. 2 small campers are way more fun. The 4runner will be happiest with a dry weight under 3500. There are a lot of really good options mostly under 23 foot. Do you want a really good tent or a really crappy house? Big long trailer people are usually looking for a house replacement and it is never big enough. I tend to think of a tent and start adding the features to that. A small travel trailer that that allows you to shower in a walmart parking lot in KS is pretty amazing.

 

I'm leaning towards one of the Geo-Pro/E-Pros, NoBos, or something similar. We can get a bunkhouse in that range. I'm just not looking forward to towing it to Wyoming from SC this summer. The majority of our camping and towing will be NC/SC/TN/GA. The Wyoming trip is a one off.

 

The 4runner is a good little tow vehicle and long as you keep your expectations under control. Keep doing your research and you will end up with a good one. You ended up with one of the best vehicles ever made, do that same research for your trailer. Using a 6cyl to tow is fine but it will rev more than a small v8. This is a little fatiguing on longer drives. The bigger the box and more weight result in more reving and a less fun drive. generally speaking the cheaper trailers are less aerodynamic than some more expensive brands like Casita. I would also encourage you to take a look at the used market. You probably have an idea how long you plan to keep your trailer. Take a look at the brands that you are looking at that are 5, 10, 15 years old. Some trailers hold up better than others. Big brands like forest river will retire old brands and come out with new ones, but the construction and quality has not changed much in the last 30 years for most brands.

 

I plan on keeping it forever, although I’ll eventually add an EV sedan/wagon to my a garage for daily driving

 

I give some of you props for holding back and not buying new. When new shit comes out and I want I get.

Longest the wife and I have owned a vehicle is her 2015 Highlander. Which I'm already thinking of swapping to a RX350 this year.

 

My '13 'Runner, Limited was gonna be my last new vehicle. If I hadn't come across my '19, Supercharged, Midnight Black, Limited Knight Shade with a front level and KO2's, I'd still be drivin' my low mileage '13. Damn my impulse buyin'!

 

Also, what will cause you guys to throw in the towel? New Tech? Better MPG? Don't want to spend the maintenance money?

 

I don’t plan on getting rid of mine. At some point in the future I may get a small car to commute to work and drive the 4Runner on weekends.

 

I kept a Chevrolet Blazer running for 15 years/~210k miles....probably could have bought a new Blazer with all the repairs but if I can do that with a Chevy product, the 4Runner should go forever. Bought the 2019 4Runner at the end of '19. Plan to keep it in the family for the forseeable future....depending on what the next few years models look like, might hand it off to my son when he graduates HS in '24 and buy myself a newer one.

 

I like to keep a good vehicle as long as I can. They earn a place in my heart, and then I tend to commit to them more and more over the years. So far, my 4runner is shaping up to be one of those vehicles.

It’s hard to say for me what will cause me to throw in the towel. But maybe I’ll know it’s time when I stop putting more than a 1/4 tank into it at fill-ups to avoid wasting fuel lol.

On a side note, driving a car till the wheels fall off is a sure sign the owner already gave up on the basic needs of the car. It’s ok. Some cars need giving up on. The wheels falling off sounds romantic, and maybe is even a glorious end for an old steed (besides that business of being shunted into ditch or oncoming traffic lol)

 

I agree. That is probably a sign of neglect. I guess what I was trying to get at is the point that even with proper maintenance the cost of the next repair exceeds the value vehicle, probably motor or transmission failure. Maybe a rusted through frame.

 

‘96 T100 4x4 4” lift done at California Concepts purchased Fremont Toyota, Ca.
Owned 23 years.

 

Rusted through frame is definitely what I fear most, there’s not much to be done then.

As to almost everything else, once you get past 15 years anything you do will exceed the the vehicles cash value. But sometimes we are lucky to have special cars that are worth more than their monetary value.

 

I'd get a newer 4Runner if they brought the CD player back. No, you did not read that wrong. They could keep everything else the same with the Apple Carplay and all that crap. I just want my CD player back.

 

Seriously. I was practically distraught when I got my 2020 last year. I missed the CD player by a year.

 

@Gamma Ray I'm with it man. Use my CD player at least once a week. What else an I gonna do with em? Nobody wants em. Took me forever to get em all.

 

Amen to that. I miss having a CD Player, and would love to have one in my 4Runner. *sighs* I guess copying all of my CDs to a USB drive(drives, more likely) is my next project.

 

For anyone missing the CD player. I am one of them mainly due to specialized CD's I do not wish to transfer for hours and hours. Here is a link below and there are many others that might help you out. Its like an old school Discman but for your car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4crlwFE-nZE

 

I tend to keep my vehicles until they die...