The Road...Yet Again

It had been my hope that our little Santa Fe would see us through for some time. It has been a remarkable automobile, with no significant mechanical problems for almost eight years. I am extremely fond of it. Now it appears that it has met its match on the back roads of Texas. It can get out on our road until it rains and then we are stuck here. Even when it's dry it is a real teeth rattler. I had previously written that I wished we could have brought a four by four (four wheel drive) with us. Andy at www.myoldrv.com (a really good and useful blog) once wrote that these same roads had tore up the underpinnings of his Suburban. So I kind of knew the Santa Fe would have a tough challenge. Anyway, we have been searching around for a four by four for a while. In Texas it seems if a pickup or jeep will run it is valuable. Once they thrash the living daylights out of them they come up with all kinds of unique uses for them. Retirement for a four by four in Texas means being utilized as a hunting platform, ranch truck or just an errand truck for the oil business. Hell, some Texans keep them around the property for kids toys or projects. A half decent Jeep Wrangler that runs goes for over $5000, no matter the vintage. Missy found one that barely ran and they wanted that much. We really don't want to make car payments for a while, so we're trying to find something reliable (appearance obviously doesn't enter the picture here) that won't cost an arm or a leg. That is proving tough down here. Amongst the many things I recommend for gate guarding is a good four by four. Even the best of us has to get out every once and a while.