OK, I'm back. Has everyone been good?

My 05 Chevy 4x4Crew Cab only has 50,000 miles on it and already gone thru 2 u-joints and all kinds of little gremlins keep popping up and disappearing like ABS Fault coming and going or those stupid push buttons for 4x4 2wd..4wd..4wd low that don't change the mode when pushed etc,etc,etc. Back to Ford or Toyota next time around for me.</p>
 
Just purchased a new Chev HD 2500 ZLT loaded with 8' bed to pull my cat excavator and skidsteer.............4 inch stainless side pipes that go from front wheel to back wheel, undercover cap to keep the tools dry..........</p>


Rusty Anvil,,</p>
 
[quote user="Kubota Kanook"]</p>


My 05 Chevy 4x4Crew Cab only has 50,000 miles on it and already gone thru 2 u-joints and all kinds of little gremlins keep popping up and disappearing like ABS Fault coming and going or those stupid push buttons for 4x4 2wd..4wd..4wd low that don't change the mode when pushed etc,etc,etc. Back to Ford or Toyota next time around for me.</p>
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[/quote]</p>


Don't tell me that... I have the same truck (but mine's a GMC). Knock on wood, but I haven't had those problems but I only have about 25K miles on mine. Had a bad O2 sensor under warrantee but otherwise, no issues.</p>


Congrats on your new truck Rusty.</p>


I'm seeing a trend here (new toys and trucks). I'm wondering if I should do the same... Actually, I just picked up a few new toys for plinking so I guess that counts. If I have any harder time finding rims for my tractor (the calcium has rotted them out and they're about to blow), I think I'll just get a new tractor...</p>


</p>
 
BCzoom.............If you start hearing a squeeking sound from under the box whenyou first start out, get it up on a hoist and check the universals. Mine were just about to give out and of course outside warranty. The two of them were manufactured incorrectly and the holes in the T ends were not present thus preventing grease from getting to the bearings. Bearings were totally dry and I had about 1/4in play in the one at the tranny end. It was never off roaded or driven in water. the ford that i traded for it had 135k and other than brakes and a squeeky ball joint it never had a problem. The u-joints are a common problem for that vintage from what i've been able to discover. As for the electrical I think its made by the same outfit that makes British refrigerators,,,,thats why the brits like their beer warm.</p>
 
I've got a good ear and nothing sounds out of whack on the truck except that really annoying clunk sound you get when it shifts from 2nd to 3rd.</p>


My vehicles get driven so little that they wear out on my eyes before much of anything has a chance to go bad. Basically, I just get a hankering for something new every few years and sell my old (but mint) current vehicle. Neighbors and friends start licking their chops when I mention I'm thinking of a new vehicle. They know I'm probably going to part with my existing vehicle and I normally sell it at a very nice price (for the buyer). Heck, the last vehicle I sold was my Mercedes ML. It had 35,000 miles and was immaculate, inside and out. I let it go for $15,900.</p>
 
bc:</p>


With the way the economy is going (downhill) these days, its hard to determine what the US dollar will be worth down the road several months or even a year from now.Looking at my investments, it doesn't look all that promising. But, I know ifI have a piece of machinery sitting in the barn, I know it will be worth something anyway. And that philosophy applies to other items as well - if its a RTV or firearms/ammo, or stand alone electrical generators. I'm not a doomsday kinda guy by any stretch, but I like to do as the Scout motto says, "Be Prepared."Therefore, part of the reason for buying thetractor/loader/backhoeat this time.</p>


The John Deere 110 and the Kubota L39 are very similar machines from most all of the listed specs. I looked hard at both brands and dealerships. Again very comparable. I don't think anyone would go too far wrong with either machine. However, the John Deere is rated as 'commercial grade' if that means anything. Overall, it'sbuild more robust (weights 7,600 lbs)overall than the Kubota (6,987 lbs). I guess what really determined which machine I would buy was that I talked with folks that used both machines at their work sites. They all preferred the JD110over the Kubota L39. And, all the gas companies in our area use the 110.Time will tell I guess. I have many projects scheduled for its use and may even fit in a few 'paid jobs'. </p>
 
I know what you mean about having cash/investments versus durable goods.</p>


I'm normally very well prepared but continue to "top off" necessities. I have a decent financial nest-egg and have been considering its best usage. I continue to purchase things that I can consider an investment (most recently (4) AR-15 uppers and (2) lowers) but will refrain from buying anything big for awhile. It's been covering me for the last 5 months of unemployment (since I'm self-employed and can't collect any unemployment benefits) and is my "emergency" fund for whatever may arise. If SHTF, I'm doing quick lump-sums transfers to make sure I'm paid in advance 1 year on everything (utilities and mortgage). If the $ drops in value, oh well, I'm pre-paid and they can't ask for more. BTW, I've kept my mortgage since my rate is so low. It doesn't make sense to me to pay off a mortgage that's 4-7/8% when I get 3% for letting it sit in a Money Market account and I get the tax write-off.</p>


Once I'm back to work (which will hopefully be in about 1 month), I'll have more funds to play with. A new TLB would be nice but I think I see a new car for Mrs. Zoom first.</p>
 
And while we are on the subject of transportation (sort of), thought I
would pass along the photo below, taken a few hours ago. The last few
days have found me in Dubai and having concluded business yesterday,
today I enjoyed a 'desert safari'--including trying out a novel form of
desert transport. Think I will stick with my RTV!</p>


/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.36.14/BWH-and-Camel-2.jpg</p>
 
[quote user="Onfoot"]</p>


--including trying out a novel form of
desert transport. </p>
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Should have said 'ancient form of desert transport'! But you can see that I was establishing good bonding with the camel!</p>


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thats a arabian rtv250.it's got 4hoof drive with a limited slip rearend and a two hump diferential up top that ties into the hydrostatic transfercase delivering all the power to the centrifical hoofclutches .</p>
 
[quote user="Onfoot"]</p>


I was establishing good bonding with the camel!</p>


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[/quote]</p>


Best to bond with them, let them get that sand between their toes intead of your ~~~~</p>


Nice picture >>>> Never been there !!!!</p>


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[quote user="tommy 20/69"]</p>


thats a arabian rtv250.it's got 4hoof drive with a limited slip rearend and a two hump diferential up top that ties into the hydrostatic transfercase delivering all the power to the centrifical hoofclutches .</p>
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[/quote]</p>


Wow, Tommy! You really know your equipment! From my very limited experience, I wonder if you might be able to make some butt-savers?</p>
 
yea i recomend a can of expsantion foam just put it up to the edge of the holeand pop the top and insert it!!! oh wait you said butt saver no i'm afraid i don'thave any buttsavers check wit rusty hemight be able to make you one out of the left over squirl fur .lol you be safe over there now!!!!</p>
 
Onfoot,</p>


What are all of those tires doing in the desert?????????</p>


Do they have people over there that throw their old tires anywhere they can to get rid of them.............</p>


Rusty Anvil,,,,,,,,,</p>
 
Onfoot,</p>


I wonder if we can send Tommy over there to pick up all of those tires and bring them back to La. and melt them down to make more Outlaws.......</p>


Then he can go and play in the mud.......I wonder if he has any sisters that wears a veil??????????????</p>


Rusty Anvil,,,,,</p>
 
last time my sister tried wearing a veil it took a whole cotton feild to make it and thelittle league base ball team was mad because there was no cotton that year to make anymore shrts for their uniforms. thenwe was walkin through academy sports one day and she saw them mocasin shoes and wanted some but they didn't make them that huge notice i saide guhe not big. well anyways i found a great idea we took her out to the cow pasture and shoved her foot up the rear of a cow and shot it we then hooked up my seal-a-meal to the mouth of the cow and wall-a don't you know it that cow form fitted right to her foot now i will admit we did have to walk all night to find another cow that matched the other foot but she's happy.</p>
 
i think them arabs waist alot over there being they get so much money from us for their oil they could be recycling them tires for something.</p>
 
[quote user="RUSTY ANVIL"]</p>


Onfoot,</p>


What are all of those tires doing in the desert?????????</p>


Do they have people over there that throw their old tires anywhere they can to get rid of them.............</p>


Rusty Anvil,,,,,,,,,</p>
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[/quote]</p>


As near as I could tell, the tires had been used to mark what had been a 'dune-buggy' 'track'. They have little quads that tourists can rent for 15-20 minutes of racing around a short course marked by tires. There seemed to be several of these in the area where they take tourists (like me) on what they call a 'desert safari'--mostly racing up and down sand dunes in Toyota Landcruisers followed by dinner at a desert 'camp'--the camp being where they have the camels and quads and a variety of other touristy stuff. The finale of the evening is a belly dancer. I think they keep moving the camps and leaving the tires. Very obvious that there is little in the way of any ethic about not leaving trash about. Too bad, really.</p>


/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.36.14/Dune-Bashing.jpg</p>


/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.36.14/Belly-Dancer.jpg</p>


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I heard that onfoot had to be trained at the RENT-A-Camel. They took his camel down to the water hole - as he was drinking the guide walked up behind the male camel and reached between his back legs and slammed two bricks together over his male appendeges This caused the camel to take a deep breath and he took in an extra 2 galsof water. Onfoot aked if that hurt and the guide said only if you get your fingers between the bricks. When they were out about 5 miles the camel came to a stop and layed down and wouldn't get up. Onfoot walked back and explained the problem. They sent a mechanic out who walked around the camel acouple of times and then kicked him in the belly real hard which made the camel "fart". The mechanic just said "Vapor Lock".</p>
 
<span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">After being gone for a week, OnFoot found that he sorely missed the company of a
woman. He asked his buddies what
they do when they need a woman. They both chuckled and pointed
over to where the camels were kept. OnFoot thought about it for
awhile but decided that it wasn't for him. After several more
days passed, OnFoot reluctantly decided he would give his friend's
suggestion a try. After the first time it became easy, and </span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">OnFoot</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">
visited the camels frequently. Sure enough one night, </span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">OnFoot</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;"> was
discovered doing the wild thing with the camels. His friend
yelled, "</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">OnFoot</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;"> what do you think you're doing?" </span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">OnFoot</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;"> was
embarrassed and tried to explain, "But you were there, you
guys told me to use the camels." </span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">OnFoot's</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;"> friend laughed,
"Yea </span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">OnFoot</span><span style="color: #400040; font-size: medium;">, but we usually ride the camels into town and find
a woman."</span></p>
 
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