k, My dad passed away and im left with 2 moving trucks both 5 tons. One is an International and one is a GMC Topkick. Im 15 and i cant put them on the road until im 18 what can i do to keep them so i dont need to spend too much to put them on the road in 3 years?? I have the option of getting dealer plates and driving them once and a while, how many times a year?
Sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. You don’t say wether these are diesel-powered trucks or gasoline-powered trucks, and the difference might matter, a lot.
i suggest you find someone of legal driving age, whom you can trust, to help you maintain these trucks until you are old enough to operate them yourself.
Letting them sit for three years is not a good idea. Problems will develop, especially if these are gasoline-powered trucks.
If you, or someone else, can legally drive the trucks, do so once every two or three weeks, and they need to be driven more than just around the block. Drive them enough for the engines and drive trains to fully warm up. I suggest at least twenty or thirty minutes, and include some highway driving.
Good luck!
Another potential problem area is tires. If the tires are aged, and facing 3 years of sitting outside in the sunlight, it’s quite possible those tires could be dry rotted and unsafe when you’re 18. A large pile of truck tires is going to be pretty expensive.
I would say try to drive them about once every few months but the batteries are going to suffer from this sitting also.
Condolences about your father.
my condolences to you and your family.
about the trucks. although you don’t say the year, i believe the value of the trucks is worth it to sell NOW, save the money and buy a used truck later, when you can make money with it, and then pay for the upkeep. (but that is only if you can NOT spend the $$, it takes discipline)
i know that now is a particularly hard time to ‘let go’, but these trucks will cost you over the next three years in maintenance, and registration costs. why pay for them and NOT make $$ for three years? take the $$ they are worth, save it, and buy a truck when you are getting the business going.
as an alternative, since you don’t say what kind of business you want to do, do you need two trucks to do this business? if you don’t, sell one, and save the $$ to maintain the other, so it is ready when you are.
Off the wall idea …
Consult with an lawyer and an insurance company. It may be possible you can lease or rent those trucks for the next three years. For a car it would likely not be worth the bother, but for those trucks, it may be a good idea. It may also put a little money in your pocket for the next three years. Letting them just sit there will result in risk or insurance cost as well as reduced value even if they don’t move. Also there is the concern of damage while they are parked.
Oh they are diesel
these trucks are both used for moving and are both used on a regular basis
This is actually an EXCELLENT idea. With the trucks just sitting there they are depreciating. So they won’t be worth the same value in 3 years that they are now. The best financial decision now is to sell them and put the money in a Money Market Fund or bonds. Then in 3 years you’ll have a decent amount to buy a newer vehicle.