How many of you keep a "backup vehicle"?

[terryknight]

i wouldn't say i have a "backup." i have an in town car (04 jeep cherokee) and my truck (94 F350). work is 1 mile away, it makes no sense to fire up the diesel truck to drive there. but if i need to tow or i go hunting or go on the road i take the truck. last yea the jeep saw about 8500 miles and the truck 13000.

 

[schmism]

i have low millage insurance on my toyota truck. (backup) It cost me about $300 a year. Tags is another $100 here in IL. Plus being my off road truck and pickup, it affords me things a rental cant do.

 

[japody]

We have a going to town truck, around the farm truck, and back of the farm truck!

 

[Capricious]

Well, the "back-up" vehicle is going to get used. On the way home last night in the Ranger got "rear-ended", which pushed me into the vehicle in front of me. I have bumper damage on the front (the Kia I was pushed into almost looked like it wasn't damaged, although I suspect the bumper may have issues underneath- score +1 for Kia rear bumpers, and -1 for Ford Ranger front bumpers)

The real issue is the rear; with a step bumper and a receiver hitch, the "weak link in the chain" was the frame rails, which are all buckled between where the step bumper & hitch mount, and where the rear spring hangers are. The car that hit me (Mazda) had it's air bags go off, and was the only vehicle towed, although I had to pry my front bumper away from one of the front tires so I could steer.

I swear, I think the guy who hit me is a DEA agent. "Company" car.

Anyway, I tow a 3000 lb trailer. I don't know that I would trust the truck to tow it any longer if those frame rails were merely straightened out, and not cut out and replaced.

May have to replace this truck a full year or so sooner than I wanted to.

A tip: don't ever get hit by a vehicle owned by the federal government.

A week ago I was 'rear-ended" on the highway by a DEA agent driving a DEA car. He was not in pursuit, but merely commuting. I was pushed into the vehicle in front of me. I heard from that second guy's insurance company the next day, but they have decided I was blameless.

Have yet to hear from the DEA. Called the DEA and left voice messages on Tuesday and on Wed, and still have not heard from them.

Did some checking and found out collecting from the federal government for auto accidents is a real problem.

 

[JDgreen227]

i have low millage insurance on my toyota truck. (backup) It cost me about $300 a year. Tags is another $100 here in IL. Plus being my off road truck and pickup, it affords me things a rental cant do.

I would LOVE to get that kind of insurance premiums...my '04 Saturn L-300 rolls up less than 3,000 miles a year and I get every possible discount Triple-A offers yet full coverage is over $800 a year with $250 deductible comp and $500 collision. Not sure if your premium is full coverage but those two coverages only add $180 a year to my policy.

 

[Capricious]

I would LOVE to get that kind of insurance premiums...my '04 Saturn L-300 rolls up less than 3,000 miles a year and I get every possible discount Triple-A offers yet full coverage is over $800 a year with $250 deductible comp and $500 collision. Not sure if your premium is full coverage but those two coverages only add $180 a year to my policy.

For an '04, you might consider dropping the comp & collision. I have only liability on the 2002 Ranger, and its about $290.00/yr. That is State Farm, with a total of (3) vehicles and the house all insured there.

 

[jwstewar]

A tip: don't ever get hit by a vehicle owned by the federal government.

A week ago I was 'rear-ended" on the highway by a DEA agent driving a DEA car. He was not in pursuit, but merely commuting. I was pushed into the vehicle in front of me. I heard from that second guy's insurance company the next day, but they have decided I was blameless.

Have yet to hear from the DEA. Called the DEA and left voice messages on Tuesday and on Wed, and still have not heard from them.

Did some checking and found out collecting from the federal government for auto accidents is a real problem.

That is actually true of any government entity - be it Federal, State, or local. Your insurance will pay and they will cover your deductible.

 

[jwstewar]

Well since everyone else is mentioning they are using their back-up vehicle, I guess I will too. I received a call from my wife the other night crying saying I wasn't going to believe what happened. Thinking and fearing the worst, I asked her what? Turns out she was backing out of the garage and didn't give the garage door quite enough time to go up all the way. She backed into the door. Bowed the door pretty good, but the bigger deal was it busted the glass in the back of the Suburban. Since it is a bit cold to be driving without a rear glass right now, she is now driving the Silverado until the new rear window comes in. I had my buddy order it in last Thursday, kinda surprised it isn't here yet, but he will probably install it this week sometime. They said the glass listed for over $700, he is selling it to me at cost of $225 and then we will install it together. So for that cost, no insurance claim. Now I just need to make a trip to Carter Lumber and order 2 bottom panels for the door. Not in an overly big hurry to do that though, the door still goes up and down.

I went into my buddy's shop on Friday and we installed the new Window in the back of the Suburban. It was a very simple install. Pull 2 retainer clips at the top of the window, slide the 2 hinges (which are normally glued to the back glass) to the left, bolt the top plastic trip piece to the new glass, slide it back on the pins, install retainer clips, install the shocks and it was done. All said and done maybe took a half hour with all of the interruptions he gets by being a working garage/junk yard.

 

[Capricious]

That is actually true of any government entity - be it Federal, State, or local. Your insurance will pay and they will cover your deductible.

Except I don't carry collision coverage on an almost 13-year-old truck.



Spent some time over the last several days studying the Federal Tort Claims Act, and this morning I mailed-off my "Standard Form 95, Claim for Damage, Injury or Death" addressed to,

Office of the General Counsel
Administrative Office of the United States Courts
One Columbus circle, NE
Washington, D.C. 20544


Certified, return receipt, of course.


Body shop says over $5,000.00 in damage, frame needs replaced, "totaled."



EDITED TO ADD: Still have not heard from anyone associated with the DEA or the federal government. When I called Friday I was told that the investigator who would handle my claim was "'working the streets" to rid our fair city of drugs. He would deal with it when he had some spare time.

 

[sld]

Just bought a 2001 Mercury Sable today with only 42k miles. Has a couple of door dings and a scuff on the rear bumper but overall it's fantastic.

Drove it home 180 miles and it drives nice. Just switched jobs that will require me to use a lot more gas more per week. This things get triple what my V10 F250 gets and will save me about 10 gallons per week. It's worth it to keep miles off my truck but if gas hits 4.00 / gal again it will really pay off.