Thanks again to everyone who weighed in. It was great to get some outside perspective on this thought experiment while we figured out what actually makes sense for us. Now that my head is back out of the clouds, it looks like we are going to make the mature decision and reshape the fleet around what we really need.
The Tundra and the 80 are going on the chopping block.
As much as I love the 80, it is hard to justify owning both an 80 and a 60 when they fill very similar roles. These days I rarely wheel hard enough to take full advantage of the 80, and I need to get to a point where I spend a lot less time wrenching. It was especially tough when the 80’s head gasket went last summer. I ended up daily driving the 60 for a good portion of the winter while waiting to get the 80 into a good shop. I do not want to think about how much I spent on rust anxiety driven car washes last winter.... I am glad I ultimately sent it down to Keith’s in Grand Junction because the pricing and quality of work were both excellent, but having the 80 out of the game for almost a year really stunk. Even legendarily reliable trucks require regular attention when they are nearly 30 years old, and I no longer want an aging project vehicle to also be something we depend on every day.
The 60 has been a labor of love and still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. Since it will not see winter duty, it can remain the passion project. I can work on it when I actually want to, rather than because I need it running on Monday morning.
We are going to sell the Tundra and the 80, then find a smaller SUV for Amber, most likely a 4Runner or GX. On my end, I am going to make the jump to a 200 Series, although realistically it will probably be an LX 570 given how much better the pricing tends to be. It will get a light build, or at least that is what I am telling myself, and serve as my year-round daily driver. If we can score a good GX and LX, we should end up with two comfortable, capable and dependable vehicles that only require reasonable maintenance. The LX also lets us keep the awesome Terra interior and V8 that we love in the Tundra, while still giving us something that can tow like a beast.
I will admit that this decision was partially inspired by our recent trip to Tahoe. While we were struggling to keep the 80 at 70 mph, a guy in an LX rolled up next to us on the salt flats, gave us a wave and promptly disappeared over the horizon. That made an impression.
The ADV van idea is still out there, but I also recognize that the 60 would probably have to go before that ever happens. Even if we had have the financial capacity to support four vehicles, that does not make it practical or smart. At some point, each vehicle needs to have a use case rather than simply being something else to store, insure and maintain.
I am sure plenty of you will tell me how much you regret selling your 80s. I keep reminding myself that I can always get back into one someday. In the meantime, if anyone is looking for a fully built 80 that is 100% ready to party, let’s chat! Also open to any buyers tips as I dip my toe into the 200 world.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
