Pay attention to THIS guy… He’s got the right idea… 30k is easy to come by if you work it…
Player 
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.
Agreed !!!
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.
Ok, I’ve got a bone to pick with the whole “gotta buy a brand new truck to look legit” mentality. Sure, a new truck is nice. But so is a used one that has been maintained. Or a used transit. Or Astro van, or Element, or xB… etc, etc.
My market is probably a bit like Colorado. Although the MD’s and other upper middle class peeps don’t drive quite as many clunkers, they do appreciate being eco-friendly, and using a smaller vehicle when it’s apparent I could have gotten something bigger and/or newer.
From the financial aspect, I simply don’t think buying brand new makes any sense. You lose a metric crap-tonne of dough on depreciation. If you shop for the right vehicles, the manufacturers’ warranties are basically a null point, and are outweighed by the money you save by buying used.
Plus it seems there are a lot of lemons being sold nowadays. If you buy something that’s had a couple years to be tested out and reveal its weaknesses, I think you can seriously reduce your chances of getting stuck with a lemon (provided you do your research). And yes, even with lemon laws, people are still getting stuck with brand new lemons.
You can make a used vehicle look really good. Even color choice can come into play. White hides scratches and blemishes really well. People are usually shocked to hear our xB is ten years old with 210k+ on the clock. Even though I’m painfully aware of every blemish, very few customers seem to notice the signs of its age. They mostly make comments like, “What a cool vehicle. That must be the perfect truck for your business.” I only paid $4,250 for it 4 years ago. No major repairs, and the total cost of ownership has been [I]very[/I] reasonable.
Please don’t have a polar view of ‘new vs. used’. There’s a happy medium between [I]Brand Spanking New[/I] and [I]Just About to Breath its Last[/I].
All I’m going to question is the deprecation. If you keep the Vechicle for the long haul. It doesn’t matter. I’m my eyes at least
The payments go away after a while .
Oops didn’t read your last paragraph Till now !!
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.
I can see where you’re coming from, but I’d like to provide a counterpoint: You can keep a used vehicle for the long haul, as well. You can also finance a late model used vehicle, save a bunch on the sticker price due to depreciation, and pay less each month for a shorter period of time.
While other people were buying a new truck at $400+/ month for 60 or 72 months, I got a nice used vehicle for $122/month for 36 months. Any additional maintenance costs were more than outweighed by the savings on monthly payments. I have to work about one less day a month to make the same effective income as I would with a $400 vehicle payment. Driving an older vehicle is worth it to me.
I’m probably coming across a little like I’m boasting. That’s not my intention at all, and I’ve made more than my fair share of financial blunders. I just really hope that someone can read this and learn from it and hopefully benefit themselves and their families.
Man, the guy just wanted to know if he should have gotten a rack. Instead, everyone is saying go out and buy a new $40k truck. I can relate with where he is coming from, since I live an hour from Boulder. The cost of living here is high, maybe not California high but getting close.
I would like to get a new truck too, but I can’t justify it with a mortgage, 22 month old and another one on the way.
My business will probably gross $60k this year, but that’s $10k short of what I need, due to the cost of living here.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app
I’m not saying one is better than the other. I’ve always bought used Vehicles. These last two mine , and my wife’s are the first brand new I ever bought in my life . I’m going to be 49 btw. Ugh!!!
Any who ya it’s what you feel is right for you , an what you can afford.
I would prob still have my Ford Ranger 2001. Got it in 03 kept it till 2013. I got sick of loading and unloading. My wife though deserved a brand new car .
As far as business goes , as long as you have something presentable I think that’s is good enough .
Let’s face it in 4 years my van will be 6! Years old an grow older by the year. I will keep it till its time is up, as long as it stays looking presentable I’m good.
Oh once my payment is done . I’m buying something used just for route work. Can’t wait.
Financial blunders good god ! Ah I’m not even going to get into it. We be here all day. Did I tell ya I was married befroe. Lol
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.
Yea! What Streaker said… I’m just another guy trying to get started asking about ladder efficiency and racks. I don’t know where this whole “new truck” stuff came from. Competition is tough; I’m paying $1425 for an apartment in town, and paying my parent’s mortgage in CA. I didn’t have, or need a vehicle in 4 years, biking to jobs I didn’t like. Now I’m free from being micro-managed and have the opportunity to make a dream a reality. My clients appreciate my integrity, not my truck.
I live in a town where PhD’s detail cars and people who have master’s degrees work retail at $10/hr. (not all, but many). I feel pretty darn fortunate.
Welcome to WCR. When you ask a question, we want to make sure you get your moneys worth.
Besides, who cares about how your truck looks as long as you’re using ettore? (See what I did there?)
Sent from my Panasonic VCR. Please set the clock before responding.
This would be my ideal work truck , Cali style
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app
i’m late here but get a back rack,that ladder will dent your roof over time.i hade the same truck for a long time get a 24,16 ft. xtenda leg levelers for both and a 6 and 4 ft.step.they will all fit perfect and you will be able to do it all and get a pole for the skylights. it will be the best cash you ever spent. i can’t stress the xtenda legs enough. i almost forgot ladder stabilizers are a must.
My goal is to get some kind of vw bus or bug for promotions and estimates
My last pay check was $9500 working 12 hours a week online. My sisters friend has been averaging 15k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can’t believe how easy it was once I tried it out. This is what I do,
wÂwÂw.nÂeÂtÂjÂoÂbÂsÂ3.cÂoÂ*monly
please remove the ONLY
You want to know where I got that mentality? So for a couple years I worked on a commercial account worth close to $10,000 per year. I landed that by the way… 5 hotels in a downtown city near where I live… Okay? I’m dealing with the Vice President of a multimillion dollar company. The LAST thing I need is for her to think I’m running some beat up, run down, bucket bob truck from around the corner. I get the used vehicle aspect… I ran one for seven years and it did just fine… She saw me in it though and I was embarrassed. It was a late model Toyota t-100. It’s a great truck. Toyota’s rock and they run FOREVER… I am a Toyota fan. Not too many lemons in that line. That said, to UP your game in the high end commercial side of this business it pays to look like you didn’t just come out of nowhere. People notice a nice spiffy truck. I’ve already gotten numerous jobs and leads from the nice truck and box. People think you’re doing well in the business if you show up to bid a job in a nice truck…
It’s a good thing we are ALL entitled to our own opinion. Otherwise, we might be living in Moscow, Beijing, or Damascus…
Ha. “Once upon a time, long long ago” maybe.
Now, truth be told, I just can’t seem to grow up.
When my friends were all getting married, I was still chasing women.
So, I never really learned how to ‘settle down.’
- but that’s alright, I’m very happy.
Yep. I’m in the same boat. In my 30’s and still dating crazy women that want to get married, but I end up running. Or they leave because my truck is ugly ;-).
Probably leave cause the truck is ugly, chicks dig a nice truck.
I’ve bought used vehicles and spent more than I paid in repairs… so from my experience and sick of paying to fix a POS I told myself I’ll always buy new/slightly used vehicles.
I’m already looking at trading my current truck in for a 2015, the Denali HD’s are beautiful and spacious… Plus like someone said when you pull up to give an estimate in a nice vehicle they’re more likely to pay your higher price because you look the part.
Seriously, do what gets the job done, but appearance is everything and all you gotta do is fake it til you make it.
Mike Radzik
Pro Window Cleaning
Central Massachusetts
Home
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource
I like this guy…
