Executive Decision
 

Son in law is going to nursing school, in Reno. Crash pad is in North Lake Tahoe, goes up from Sacramento area Tuesday morning, returns Friday evening. He has two commuter vehicles at his disposal, Summer and Winter.

Summer is a Civic Sedan, generic, bland, tires from Jan of this year.

Winter is 4WD Toyota truck, M+S rated tires are almost teenagers, "but they have plenty of tread"

I borrowed his truck.

Now he has some mountain with a snowflake in the middle tires from Cooper, because, upside down in the Truckee River is no way to spend a weekend. It was either that, or life insurance. This way was much easier. That tire guy is the best, Tim Haltom at Radial Tire on Cottage, always hooks me up with exactly what I am looking for. Gave him the skinny on the commute, "these Coopers are just the ticket." Sold

Son in law is a paramedic, all OCD about the car seats and fire extinguishers, does not get that tires are like milk, always have a use by date. Wife wants to know what I will say when he asks about the tires. "Same thing I told him last time we talked about the tires."

Ever have to make an executive decision like that?

Good for you.

When I left for the Gulf in 1990, knew I'd be gone a year, I replaced the tires on the 1988 Bronco II my newly minted wife would be driving when I would be gone for the year...they had about 15k left.

It is what you do.

Teenage tires. Beautiful line.

I kinda did recently with my daughter's Suburban.

It's a long story but the jist of it is that she curbed her Suburban so badly it ruined the tire and left a ding in the wheel. Surprisingly the wheel held air as they put a new tire on and all was well. Since she had just gotten the truck in May, I couldn't let it go back to Virginia with a ding in the rim. I know how badly she felt about it happening as there were extenuating circumstances happening at the time.
So I told her I'd gift her a replacement wheel as an early Xmas present.
Got it all taken care of before the truck got shipped out to Virginia to their new home a few weeks ago.

I face the problem all the time with vintage cars that mostly just sit. The tires on my Speedster are 20 years old but look like new. They've barely ever been in sunlight. I hate to throw them out, but - they're 20 years old.
The tires on my old truck are 30 years old, but I never drive it over 35 mph so I keep them.
The 911 tires never last long enough to get old.

Cost maybe an issue here with kids and their limited income. When I was their age, I went up there often to ski on a shoe string budget sometimes without chains and regular worn out tires. I would never do that today.



Get him the tires. You know as well as I do, it can get nasty up there on the 80 near Truckee.

Nice, it's nice when you can take care of your kids/family like that.

You were able to do it and did the right thing.

That’s the right thing to do!

Interesting. I get what you’re all saying, but . . .

I have what I consider the best parents in the world. Wisdom, common sense, generosity, selflessness, self-made people, you name it.

When I was growing up, they taught me the value of a dollar, but I also never was wanting for anything. They paid for everything. I never worked a job during a school year, ever, through graduate school, because they felt it was more important for me to focus on my studies and also have time for a social life etc. And my schooling was expensive, they pad every penny, tuition, nice apartments, living expenses, etc. I had access to an unlimited bank account (which I of course never abused and pinched every penny because it wasn’t my money, and I was entrusted with it).

Th point being, they have the means and were wiling to spend on their children.

I got married within a few months of my final graduation..

At that point, although they never said it, it was clear that I was a fully formed adult and 100% responsible for my own finances. Marriage made that so.

They remained generous (they’d always pick up the dinner tab in the early years, etc), but even in those early, lean years when my wife and I were starting out (literally with a few hundred dollars to our name), would they have put a set of tires on my car?

Absolutely not.

Nor would I have expected it, or, frankly, really welcomed it. If I really needed something like tires, they certainly would’ve loaned me the money (if I asked), but it would be expected to be paid back.

I saw the wisdom of that at the time, but appreciate it even more almost 35 years later.

(That’s just my experience and opinion, which may not apply to your specific facts or situation).

Giving is fun.

But did you get all five? They should be a matching set.

Got hooked on actual snow tires while living in Germany. IIRC, if you don't have them in Germany and are in a wreck, you are per se liable.

When we moved to Northern NY, just 20 miles from the Canadian border we had two 4x4 drive vehicles. The first snow in October I was driving the wife's SUV on 'all seasons', started to brake for a stop sign and slid right through the intersection. Got Bridgestone Blizzaks the next day for both SUVs.

Kept up that habit while living in Metro DC until recently moving back to Texas. Still have a set for my 996 in the garage.

Some might say that the way that they supported you through grad school and never working in school/college was overboard or above and beyond. Only commenting because lots of folks see things differently or from different angles. And there's probably multiple right ways to get things done with excellent results.

This particular instance sounds like it was more about safety than money.

Good on you, Tobra...

I have done the same...

something like that..
and a wreck with Teenage tires will have your Insurance saying..
Nicht zahlen..
we don't pay..
as that goes on the report as well..

Rika

How often do you have to change tires (in years)? I’m looking at a 2004 Mercedes with 297XX miles. Tires have about 3K miles but date to 2017.

I would not worry about 5 year old tires, especially if they are quality tires and look good. 8-10 years, I'd think about replacing them.

Rusty Heap, how stupid of you to misunderstand the world so badly.

How long tires keep depends on how you store them. Sitting in the sun es no bueno. I see dry rot looking anything on a tire that vehicle is up in the air for a look. 5 years I am not too worried, 6 or 7, I am thinking about it, also take into consideration what the thing is used for. Driving up to Starbucks to ooh and aah at whatever old car Thom brought, 3 blocks at 25 miles an hour, not too worried.

Traffic Cameras for the trip to the condo, in order if I did it right

Donner Summit, the old Ag check and Brockway Summit. I went to the Nevada website, but the camera on Mount Rose Hwy(431) but the video was not available.

Brockway and Mount Rose get NASTY sometimes. I have been cross country skiing up to the observation turnout on Mount Rose a few times, they close that road a lot due to weather I have pictures where there was 4 feet of snow on top of the car. I 80 was closed a couple days.

You have to click the link, then click play, can't embed or make it auto play.

https://cwwp2.dot.ca.gov/vm/loc/d3/hwy80atdonnersummit.htm

https://cwwp2.dot.ca.gov/vm/loc/d3/hwy80atoldagsta.htm

https://cwwp2.dot.ca.gov/vm/loc/d3/hwy267atbrockwaysummit.htm

Okay, here is a couple links to Nevada DOT cameras, one for the summit was down, but by the ski area it is working, and at the intersection with 28, but that is at lake level

https://www.nvroads.com/cctv?start=0&length=10&filters%5B0%5D%5Bi%5D=2&fil ters%5B0%5D%5Bs%5D=Reno&filters%5B1%5D%5Bi%5D=3&fi lters%5B1%5D%5Bs%5D=SR-431+%40+Mt+Rose+Ski+Area&order%5Bi%5D=1&order%5Bdi r%5D=desc

https://www.nvroads.com/cctv?start=0&length=10&filters%5B0%5D%5Bi%5D=2&fil ters%5B0%5D%5Bs%5D=Reno&filters%5B1%5D%5Bi%5D=3&fi lters%5B1%5D%5Bs%5D=SR431+%40+Mt.+Rose+Summit&orde r%5Bi%5D=1&order%5Bdir%5D=asc

Good for you. I tend to make good decisions now, as a result of making bad ones when younger. "Good decisions come from good judgment. Good judgment comes from bad decisions."

Good for you, Tobra. I don't know if any lessons have been learned, but at least you have peace of mind.