So, a thought on regular decisions that should be biased towards the prepper mindset. I have, in recent years, made vehicle decisions based on cost and fuel mileage. I am currently driving a PT Cruiser. This has been a mistake on quite a few fronts. Now, do not get me wrong, gas mileage has been great and the car drives well. Did you know that newer manual cars cannot be pop started? My PT Cruiser cannot be pop started. This makes no sense to me. How about this one? If the car overheats, light go off and you lose power steering. The TIPM (Totally integrated power module) is unable to be worked on, and is not based on fuses, but a circuit board. Once a component goes, you need a new TIPM. I am on my second because of headlights going out. The bulbs are fine, but a component on the circuit board went out.
My wife and I have decided that I need a new vehicle, well, new to me vehicle. Firstly, I refuse to have car payments. As with most preps, I want my stuff to actually be mine. Secondly, new cars have way to many computers and other stuff you cannot work on. My wife’s car cannot have transmission fluid put in without being on a lift. My sister had a car that needed the engine dropped to replace spark plugs. There is absolutely no reason why I should not be able to do routine maintenance on my own car.
When I was in the marine corps, I bought a Jeep Wrangler. I loved it, and my buddy had one, and showed me how to work on it. Through that, and my own exploits, I learned how to work on them, and it was easy enough. I had to change the clutch and pressure plates on the side of the road with the minimal tools I had in my jeep. I got it done. A wrangler is not the most desired, for me, though. I have decided to get a Jeep Cherokee XJ 5 speed. I am going to have to pay a little more, and travel to find one, but it is worth it.
More interior space if one must bug out, and the ability to pull my trailer. Easy to work on and minimal computer issues like I have now. I just wanted to put that out there that even something as simple as a vehicle purchase could be used with a prepping mindset. Sometimes you learn your lesson later. Granted, my wife and I bought the cars we have now 1.5 years ago. Hers runs well, and had one small issue a few months after purchase. She had a metal coolant line get a small hole in it. $100 part and it was fixed. The problem with the PT Cruiser is that, from most sources, you need to have the exact same numbers on the TIPM. Chrysler no longer exists, and they aren’t making anymore Chrysler TIPMs. I have been looking for 2 months for the exact model of my TIPM, when one finally came up. The first one I bought a year ago was $80, this one was $130. The price difference is easy to explain. They are not making them anymore, and they go out pretty easily. Every one that dies is one less in circulation. I would just repair the board, but they cover it in a water proofing sealant that, when you attempt to remove, is pulls the traces of the board, making them non-repairable.
That is the end of my rant on vehicle parts and decisions. When getting a vehicle, make sure you plan ahead and look at the pro’s and con’s. I knew the PT Cruiser wasn’t the best choice, but I got a good deal since we both got cars from the same lot the same day. Just think about it.
Cogito Aprendo Prepping and Views 