Back home.

I got home last evening.  The drive wasn't bad, traffic was pretty light both there and back.  It was uneventful other than the issue with the truck.  I only got part way through West Virginia, I had hope to make it to the far side, but my short power nap turned into an all night nap.  Oh well.  I had my breakfast of champions when I awoke.  Yoohoo is like chocolate milk, and an oatmeal creme pie is kinda sorta like oatmeal right?


Driving through the mist of morning was pretty neat.  I didn't get a picture from the top of the hill, but got one part way down.


I also did a little bit of design work on the camper while I was there.  I worked on how I would design the underside of the bed since that is one of the critical pieces of the murphy bed approach.  It yielded a design that gave me a decent sized desk and a dining room table.  I would likely store a mobile island and at least one chair under there.  The chair would have to have a folding back, but that isn't hard to do.  The TV will be on an arm, so it could swing over against the wall so it is facing out for armchair consumption. 


While I was there I pulled the code on the truck and cleared the active code.  It was a P2757.  I couldn't completely clear the code, it is permanently embedded in the computer's flash, but it got the dash back to normal.

That code indicates a torque converter malfunction.  I cleared the code in hopes it was just a blip, but it happened again on the drive home, so there is an actual problem.

The way I see it I have 4 options:

1. Try to find someone to just replace the torque converter.
• Cheaper than a full transmission rebuild.  Still probably expensive though since it requires dropping and opening the transmission.
• The transmission seems like it works fine.
• Generally regarded as playing with fire from what I have seen, since the transmission and torque converter are regarded as being a pair.  
2. Rebuild the transmission.
• Rebuilt transmissions include a new torque converter.
• Replacing the torque converter requires dropping and opening the transmission anyways.
• Most expensive option (where I keep the truck).
• Safest option.  Keep in mind that I can't just call home and have someone pick me up.
• The transmission will be trouble free for the rest of the life of the vehicle.
• Seems overkill for a ~3 year anticipated life span.
3. Clear the code when it comes up and just drive it.
• This is the most risky proposition, the issue will only get worse, not better.
• High risk of being left stranded.  If it finished going esplody, I will be walking.
• If I did this I would most likely rent a car for the KY trips.  There is a good chance I would get AAA too.  
• AAA is approximately $75 a year
• A car rental for a trip comes to a little under $300.  I would make roughly two trips a year plus Christmas which we normally take Aunt's car.  So call it $600 a year, with an additional trip somewhere in there which is paid for with gas savings (rentals get better mileage than my truck).
• Total is $2025.
• This isn't really cheaper than just getting the truck fixed and has a lot of risk associated with it, but is cheaper short term.  
4. Clear the code, trade it in.
• For obvious reasons, the most expensive.
• Get rid of a poorly designed truck that has had abnormally high maintenance costs.
• I intended to buy a new vehicle anyways in a few years (my truck has a lot of rust).  I also thought about looking at something other than a truck (perhaps a small SUV) which I haven't explored yet.
• I could trade in the Nissan at the same time.  Kill two birds with one stone.
• I expect I will get around 10-12k for both vehicles.  After buying a tractor and paying off the septic loan, I don't have a ton of cash for a down payment.  Its timing couldn't be worse.
• I very much dislike taking on a car loan when I need to build a house in another year or two.
• I would have to come up with a short term sleeping solution until I get the camper built for KY trips.  Air mattress/cot in the bed with a cap?  Standard cabs can't lay the seat flat.
• A quick gander at new trucks: Chevy would be ~35k, a new Ford would be 39k.  Dodge no longer makes an 8' box.  Those prices don't include a rubber undercoating and a bed liner which I would get.
• An offshoot of this would be to sell the Toyota and buy another used truck, but I don't think I like that idea; I might at least look though (8' boxes are very rare).  Something like this could be an option though: https://vermont.craigslist.org/ctd/d/north-springfield-2008-chevrolet/7123568277.html  though it means I am going older and higher miles and is nothing more than a stopgap being already 12 years old.

I think at this point it is safe to say that the Toyota has topped the list of worst vehicle purchases, moving past the Dodge for first place.

It was really hot in my house when I got home (84 inside) so I didn't really feel like doing much.  I think I know why campers have such oversized A/C units though; it took a few hours to pull down to a nice temperature.  I had hoped to at least start mowing the yard.  I will have to do that tonight.  It is really bad.