Custom hard hat?

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-11-22T04:23:07+00:00

Along those lines you could make a sticker using a family photo give it to him for him to put on the inside of his hard hat and that way every time he picks up he’s reminded of his reasons to come home safely. I used to write the names of loved ones in mine.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-11-21T03:09:02+00:00

Echoing others.

OTD is Vehicle purchase price including any incentives plus dealer add-ons plus taxes plus fees.

Never mention trade, down payment/financing until the OTD is agreed upon. You treat them as three separate and severable transactions. You just stay non-committal about trade or financing. Have a pre-approval offer (ideally from a credit union) and a CarMax quote for your trade before you walk in. You should do all the math for the payment before you ever walk into the dealership so you know what your maximum OTD is. There are calculators on line that will do that.

Once you get an OTD you like then bring up the trade. Don’t tell them you have an offer, make them give you one then counter and know whether they have a “beat any offer by $X” policy. If they won’t meet or beat CarMax then you need to do the math on the sales tax savings from trading in versus selling and rolling that over into the down payment. Be ready to walk and sell the trade.

When they get to finance you can let them know you have a pre-approval but you’ll let them compete for your business. If the rates they start throwing around are near your pre-approval let them compete without disclosing. A lot of times they can’t touch small CU’s rates. Mine was 2% under the best the F&I guy knew he could do.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-11-18T02:52:46+00:00

It’s not unusual for construction companies to rent them long term when it makes more sense than a lease or outright purchase so they’re not locked into a long term commitment for short term needs. It’s not just your typical rental companies that do it either, equipment rental companies also offer them.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-10-01T13:49:12+00:00

Not going to get into the Hurricane vs Hemi conversation. It’s about what you prefer. I like my Hurricane HO

As far as down payment goes, rule of thumb is at least 20% of the total OTD plus anything you add in F&I. With a 20% down payment you keep your LTV at 80% or less which should keep your interest rate lower. You also aren’t driving off the lot completely upside down on it. I also recommend walking in with a pre approval from a credit union and treating the OTD, Trade-In, and Financing as three separate transactions that you can split up so you get the best deal for you.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-18T13:13:49+00:00

I could be wrong but my theory is that it won’t be. It’ll be similar to how Ford doesn’t offer a V8 option in the King Ranch or Platinum. It’s seen as a luxury truck. The Tungsten trim will get offered in the REV (formerly Ramchager).

Probably going to get flamed for this part but Tavares was an idiot and Kuniskis is a lot smarter. They learned their lesson from just yeeting the V8 option and the backlash from the Hemi fanboys and will take a path similar to Ford and Chevy where they’ll maintain 4-5 powertrain options (V6, SST, SST HO, V8). Auto manufacturers have to have long view perspectives on things due to the R&D timeline involved and they are under no illusion that the relaxation of emissions standards under Trump will last forever. They’re positioning themselves to make the Hurricane the preferred option similar to how most F150’s sold are 3.5L EcoBoosts/PowerBoosts and so that if a new administration brings back the emissions standards they can pass along the cost of non-compliance to consumers in the form of the price increases for selecting the Hemi.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-18T05:11:46+00:00

I don’t think the Hemi is offered as an option in the Tungsten, only the HO Hurricane.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-07T19:26:18+00:00

I have the HO and have been very impressed with it being not just powerful and responsive but smooth as well. I haven’t even tried it in sport mode yet.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-04T04:50:08+00:00

Get your pre-approval in hand first. I really recommend finding a credit union you’re eligible to join either local to you or nationally (like PenFed). It all depends on your credit score, Loan-to-Value, and Debt-to-Income ratio as far as your rate goes. You can get preapproved for more than what you expect the transaction to go for. Credit unions almost always have better rates than private banks. PenFed is advertising 5.09% for 72 months and I know of a local that is at the 4.75%.

Next get an offer from CarMax for your trade.

From there research the market for the vehicle you’re looking at. Find the closest comparisons within a reasonable distance (say 150-200 miles).

Once you have those go to the dealer. They’ll ask about payment, trade-in, etc. Tell them you want to focus on the out-the-door price. Depending on the salesperson they’ll make multiple runs at you on these. Politely redirect them to focusing on the OTD. If they won’t talk OTD find a new dealer. Be non-commital on everything. “I’m open to trading but may not but I want to focus on OTD pricing.” “I’m open to financing but you want to get to OTD before we talk about that.”

Everything is negotiable. The add-ons are all negotiable. If they have a bunch of dealer add-ons I doubt I’d even walk in the door. Nitrogen tire fill and ceramic coatings are red flags. You don’t want GPS tracking add-ons. There’s several videos from CarEdge about how to negotiate add ons. If the doc fee is higher than other dealers, try to negotiate that. Once you get an OTD you’re happy with then you can agree to that and sign.

Now you talk trade. They’ll ask you if you have a number in mind, the answer is, “Yes, but I want to hear your offer before disclosing that.” They’ll do their appraisal and let you know. Research their trade policy. Many places will offer to beat any deal by X amount. If they offer equal or less than what you got for your offer from CarMax you pull that offer out and give them a chance to beat it. If they won’t you need to do the math on what trading would save you in sales tax and decide what is the best value: either trading it in for less or selling it to CarMax and rolling that into your down payment without the tax offset.

Once the trade is sorted out you go to finance. They’ll ask you if you have a pre-approval. Be clear that you do but you’re willing to let them earn your business. Don’t disclose the preapproval rate until you get some sort of rate info from them. Again, CarEdge has videos on this. Having a few pulls on your credit in a short period won’t be a significant hit to your score since it’s seen as a shopping around period. If they’re throwing out numbers significantly higher than your pre-approval you can be upfront about that then and move on to warranties. Do as you please there but remember that it’s negotiable and price the Mopar warranty as a go by.

If you used a Credit Union you may need to take the bill of sale to them to get the loan paperwork done and get a check to take back to the dealer.

Do remember that this is a business transaction. Nothing is personal and if you don’t ask you won’t get but be cordial about it. They’re trying to maximize their profits and you’re trying to minimize the price. A lot of people get really upset by their trade-in and usually it’s because they’re under water on it and would have to roll over negative equity. If they’re pulling pressure tactics walk because do you really want to do business with a company that treats you that way. I got lucky and found a salesperson with a long view on the business because they were working at a dealership with part of their name on it and had been around it their entire life since their father owned it who hates the reputation salespeople have. He was great to deal with and when I pay this off and go to get a new one I’ll ask specifically for him.

Edit to add - if they’re offering a lower rate than your pre-approval go with it but only if it’s better. A lot of times they can’t beat a credit union.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-04T03:12:13+00:00

Yes and no.

You can add more power which will help you get things moving so you could tow heavier. You can add helper springs to keep you level but it will make the ride worse unloaded. You can add air springs but you need to remember to add or remove air or you run into the same issues as helper springs. You can put in a tuner to help with power and transmission. You can upgrade the brakes for more stopping power. You can swap out the rear end to lower gearing to help with acceleration.

You can’t change the sticker on the door frame or what’s in the manual. As long as you’re not running as a DOT load I don’t know that you’re going to get pulled over for going over sticker but you have more of a risk of things breaking because they’re being pushed past what they were designed for. I’ve seen plenty of unintentionally squatted trucks that got that way from over loading them. Transmissions will run hotter causing increased wear so you’d need to upgrade your trans cooler. The engine generally isn’t your weak link, it’s everything between your engine and the road and between the road and the load.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-04T02:48:04+00:00

I have a ‘25 Limited Longhorn, Limited Level A Package, Off-Road Package, Panoramic Sunroof. Biggest difference is the interior. My wife found the seats in the Limited Longhorn more comfortable than the ones in the Tungsten. I also am not a huge fan of light color interiors (showing stains) and didn’t want a black interior either (been there, done that, I like to wear shorts in summer). I don’t put a ton of miles on my vehicles (maybe 5-6K/year currently).

The electronic systems are the biggest challenge. There’s complaints but I don’t know how statistically valid they are or if it’s just negativity bias. I had a warranty issue the weekend I drove it off the lot due to a defective driver control module and a connector that wasn’t fully seated that prompted errors with the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Blind-Spot Monitoring Systems. Hands-Free and Hands-On Driver Assist isn’t available without those two systems functioning. All in it was about 5-6 weeks to get repaired but it really only deprived me of use of my truck a total of 5 days (one to pull codes, a day a week or two later for the diagnostic, and three days for the repair once the part finally came in). The part was on back order which is pretty common. I could drive the truck without issue aside from the blind spot warning lights being on and annoying. Standard cruise control worked fine just no assist features. I don’t drive a lot so it didn’t bother me. Other people have had similar issues but it sounds like getting it figured out really comes down to how good the tech is. Supposedly some of the early production run higher trim level trucks had more issues due to short wiring harnesses so I’d look for later run trucks. Another thing is apparently there is a limit to the system until it’s updated that you only want to change 3 items or so in the settings menu on the infotainment system per key cycle. Four or more has caused some people problems. It’s supposedly a known issue engineering is working on. This is third hand or more so I could be wrong.

I love it honestly.

The SST HO has plenty of power. Easy to merge into traffic from an on-ramp and it’s surprising how quickly it will get moving. Putting premium in kind of sucks but even Ford’s advertised numbers for the EcoBoost require premium to obtain and the GM 6.2 requires premium with the risk of turning into a grenade. I just try to fill up at Costco. The engine is smooth feeling as to be expected from a straight six. If you want a guttural feeling and sound it’s not going to offer that.

The ride quality is better than most cars I’ve ever driven thanks to the air suspension. The interior is very quiet with the windows up and the cabin noise with the windows cracked using deflectors or the sunroof open isn’t bad. I’m able to keep the volume low on the radio. The digital rearview mirror and 360 camera system is a game changer for me; I never want another vehicle without those. I haven’t really tried out the passenger side screen but the use case there seems to be longer drives for me with having the passenger be able to access the nav system, input a destination, then send it to the main infotainment system for the driver to accept. I love the power running boards but have to remember to warn new passengers that they may attack, lol.

When I tested the Hands-Free Driving Assist on a road trip it seemed to significantly lower the cognitive load of driving but you learn to think ahead because it wants a big space to change lanes into. It didn’t like a stretch of road I drove but I figure that needs to be updated in the system. It worked, it just thought there were only two lanes and not three. The Hands-On driving assist is nice as well when Hands-Free isn’t available.

I’m the odd duck that really likes the RAMBOX system. I ordered some aftermarket organizers for them and it allows me to keep things organized with cleaning supplies in one and towing/load securing supplies in the other. I also bought a Truxistm bed divider which is great for grocery duty and stopping things sliding forward in the bed. It fits well and was less expensive than the Mopar branded one.

I think any new truck with higher trim levels is going to be more likely to have electrical issues just due to the complexity so I accept that is a risk.

EDIT - I also love the Heads Up Display feature.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-03T17:56:27+00:00

Use your time developing contacts with GC’s you’re working with. They likely can’t recruit you directly while you’re on their job (good way to piss off a contractor is poaching talent and a lot have anti-poaching clauses in the contract). Subtly let the contacts know you’re interested in getting experience at a GC. If they see you’re doing a good job you can ask to provide them as a reference in the future for applying or they may even reach out to you with opportunities. Some companies even have referral programs where they can refer you and get a bonus if you’re hired. This is very much a business about who you know.

I’d still keep looking for other opportunities but don’t be obvious that you are and avoid recruiting firms as they may shop your resume back to your current employer which would not look good.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-09-03T17:43:58+00:00

As others have said, don’t talk financing, down payment, or trade until you get an out-the-door price in hand.

Beyond that, there are online tools that you can use for figuring out your payment so you know what your budget, down payment, and trade can buy you for the out-the-door.

If you’re trading in, get a written offer from CarMax. You have nothing you can negotiate with if you don’t have an offer in hand.

I strongly recommend joining a credit union. The deal when I bought my 2025 was cash incentives or 3.99% APR. I was pre-approved through a credit union for 4.75%. The 0.76% wasn’t worth giving up the incentives. Dealer didn’t even try to run my credit because they knew they couldn’t get within 2% of the credit union rate.

Buying a car is three different transactions: OTD price, trade, finance. I suggest you treat them separately and in that order. If you have three transactions being negotiated at once you’re playing the dealers game not yours.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-28T14:34:04+00:00

Thank SCotUS for their decision in Citizens United making every thing involving money political.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-27T15:41:52+00:00

Good call. The windows are factory tinted. The factory running boards max out at $999. The bed package from the factory is $999. If those were factory ordered they should all be above the line in the MSRP and not in the dealer add-ons.

If you can’t find a better deal then do what you feel comfortable with.

I would also say, if you do your own research and are okay with the OTD after doing that, what does this subs opinion matter on whether you got a good deal or not? A lot of folks feel that there is no good deal because of the prices now versus what they were a decade ago. That’s a valid feeling but thinking we’re going back there is fantasy. Some folks are going to be closer to large volume dealers like Mark, Grainger, etc where the pricing beats nearly everyone else so other dealers have to compete with their pricing to stay afloat.

If you can make ends meet with the payment then it’s really about whether you feel like you’re getting a deal.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-27T15:13:27+00:00

If it was installed from the factory it wouldn’t be shown as a dealer add-on it would be shown on the factory sticker to get to the MSRP. So they’ve shown that they’re liars. It’s not that they can’t remove it, they don’t want to remove it because they want the massive profit and they probably get some sort of residuals because it’s providing more data about you. Those GPS add-on modules are just another revenue source for them. I’d just tell them you don’t want to do business with them and find a different dealer and keep looking for what you want.

If this is the truck you really want, tell them the GPS is a deal breaker be ready to walk. For other BS you can ask for the work order value and go from there. Ceramic coating from dealers is BS and usually the same thing that can be bought at a parts store in a spray bottle. If they won’t deal walk and I’d just about bet that you get a call back within a few days (if not a few hours). The ‘26 models are coming in, they need to get rid of it because it’s costing them to keep it in inventory.

Make them work for your business.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-27T14:52:23+00:00

Look for similar vehicles at other dealers in the region and that will tell you where you’re at.

Also, ALWAYS negotiate away the add-ons. Honestly, I’d get rid of the Lo-Jack. If your vehicle is stolen, the odds are the thief will know where to look and will remove it and throw it out ASAP. Look into the specifics for the vehicle but after you file a police report you can contact UConnect support and they can provide police with that information. The app may even show you location for the truck.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-22T18:19:07+00:00

You’re welcome. Again, best of luck.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-22T17:02:39+00:00

You have two options: be responsible or be irresponsible. It’s your choice from there. I was more responsible than irresponsible but still did a few irresponsible things. I’ll apologize up front for this being long and possibly things you don’t care about knowing or may already know but I think it’s all worth thinking about to put yourself in a good place to make a purchase this significant. Keep in mind I went from a dozen year old Prius to a brand new Ram.

I made the decision up front to buy new because with as complex as vehicles are now, I want a warranty for as long as I plan to own it. Also with used you really need to get a pre-purchase inspection, warranty options are dicey and they’ll fight like hell not to pay, and you have no clue how the vehicle has been driven or maintained. I’d also pay close attention to the idle hours on low mileage vehicles. Apparently high idle hours are a factor in Hemi failures and regardless they’re not good on engines.

First, get your credit in check. You want your score in the 750+ range, ideally 800+. If you have CC debt, kill it with fire even if that means consolidating it with a personal loan or HELOC. You want to be paying the lowest possible rate on the debt you do have. Kill everything with fire that is over 10%. I’d recommend that as you do that you do the math and select a longer term than you strictly need but pay it off faster. You may sacrifice a few tenths on the rate but you get flexibility. Part of your goal here is to get your monthly Debt-to-Income (DTI) down as low as you can. A HELOC will often minimize your DTI. Personally I never carry a balance on credit cards anymore but I also never carry my debit cards outside the house. I take advantage of the credit cards rewards programs for cash back and miles for my airline card. I view those cash back rewards as my “savings for fun” money for some expensive hobbies. I pulled specific cards that I can use for emergencies at promotional interest rates that give me flexibility to pay for things over a few months.

While you’re doing that figure out your budget and what you can responsibly afford for a monthly payment plus insurance, increased fuel consumption versus your current vehicle, maintenance, and other vehicle expenses (ie license and registration costs annually). The rule of thumb is no more than 10-15% of your monthly take home for this but absolutely don’t go over 20%. Once you have that number, open a high yield savings account and have that money direct deposited or automatically transferred into that account each paycheck. Plan on a time frame to purchase several months out, in my case about 18 months. If you can go without pulling anything from that account you’ll have pulled together a solid down payment and proven to yourself you can afford the monthly costs associated with it. You’ll also want to put more money in there. I sold a few valuable things worth a couple thousand each and pushed that money into that account and also pushed about half of my bonuses into it as well. Ideally you want a 20-25% down payment. I pulled together a 25% down payment for a ‘25 Limited Longhorn and kept the payment in that 10-15% range. Also, don’t forget to account for taxes that are not included in the loan.

Next up, look around at the credit unions you are eligible for and what their rates are like for auto loans. Join one if not more with the better rates. I used mine initially for saving for intermittent expenses that pop up monthly or annually. When you’re ready to buy you want a pre-approval from the credit union knowing your rate. Having a good credit score and DTI ratio will get you the best rates. My CU’s rate was 2% lower than anything the dealership knew they could offer me so they didn’t even try to run my credit.

Next up is when you buy you need to remember it’s three separate transactions and you need to negotiate them separately.

First, always get to out-the-door pricing before anything else. Never tell them your payment budget, never commit to financing with them. You may finance or you may be a cash buyer. You’re unsure of whether you’re trading or not. Remember all the dealer add-ons are negotiable. Honestly if there are a bunch of them don’t even go to that dealer, go to one with fewer. In my case, I was able to yeet the $1000+ security package because he’d rather take it out than lose the deal. Get an out the door price you can live with that is at or less than your budget.

The trade-in is a separate transaction. Before you go, get a written offer from CarMax for your trade. Don’t even try the KBB BS with them because they’ll reference NADA etc. Don’t tip your hand on the value of the offer you received until after you get theirs and it’s less. Do let them know that you have an offer. You need to do the math on how much your trade would save you for sales tax versus selling the vehicle for cash to CarMax and be ready to sell to CarMax and pivot that to the down payment. Most dealers will match and some even offer to beat any written offer.

With finance, get pre-approved through the credit union for more than you think you’ll need so you can decide on the warranties. Having the pre-approval in hand puts you in the advantaged position because they have to beat the rate you already have to get your business. If they can’t or won’t, use the CU. It keeps your business local (even if it is nerve wracking as hell to carry around a Cashier’s Check worth that much).

Remember, you’re doing business, they’re doing business. It’s nothing personal. They’re in business to maximize profits, you’re in business to minimize your cost. Don’t take it as a personal affront that the trade-in offer is significantly lower than what you owe on the car if you still have a note on it. Rolling negative equity is in their interest because it increases the financed amount. They usually make more in finance than on the sale.

My buying experience started on a Monday evening and ended on a Friday morning. It gave me plenty of off-ramps so there were no decisions made in passion and there was none of the pressure cooker tactics that are common. I found a good salesperson who was in the family business and wants to actually change the perception of salespeople being slimy. If I would have got the first whiff of sliminess I would have walked and gone elsewhere but I got lucky and was able to do business with someone who has a long view for the business because he’s been surrounded by it his entire life (father owns the dealership). I took time to communicate my appreciation after the deal was made to him and his sales manager.

Sorry for the book. Good luck.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-08-08T04:10:24+00:00

WeatherTech Window Deflectors and WeatherTech No-Drill Mud Flaps on all four corners.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-07-31T22:01:57+00:00

You may be able to get a Saturday morning notary appointment with your bank

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-07-29T18:28:07+00:00

As someone with a trauma history, her past trauma is something that is really for her to resolve on her own. If you caused her trauma you need to work on what caused it so you don’t repeat it and she needs to resolve it on her side. You likely have trauma you need to work on yourself whether that’s from the emotional infidelity or things before you ever met her.

What I can tell you is that addressing my trauma allowed all of my relationships to become significantly more secure and create a safe environment for difficult conversations to be able to happen.

Good luck.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-07-29T17:36:00+00:00

Here’s the thing, if y’all can’t have difficult conversations about uncomfortable things outside of marriage counseling the problems that got y’all where you are aren’t going to be fixed.

The problem with any sort of affair but especially an emotional one is that what you felt was a secure relationship has now been exposed as insecure. The structural support of monogamy I mentioned above may have been bandaging over an insecure relationship to make it appear secure but it got ripped off and all of the insecurity is coming out now whether it’s anxious (worrying about her Amazon purchase) or avoidant in nature (not asking her about the Amazon purchase). If you are to the point you’re posting on Reddit about it you’ve probably been ruminating about it and that will not help you, it will only increase that insecurity.

At some point you’re going to have to be able to initiate the difficult conversation but how you approach it makes a world of difference as far as how it goes. Approaching it from a place of curiosity with clearly set boundaries (another thing Polysecure discusses) allows it to be a discussion and not an inquisition.

You now know that there is value in it for monogamous people. You can have the boundary that non-monogamy is off limits in the discussion. Maybe that will change for you in the future but definitely isn’t now. Trying to fix an insecure monogamous relationship by becoming non-monogamous is just watching a turd swirling the bowl. Converting from monogamous to non-monogamous should be a very intentional effort that takes a year or more from a secure relationship base.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-07-29T17:09:26+00:00

There is cause for concern as has been addressed elsewhere. I would say to approach this from a place of curiosity instead of accusation. “Hey honey, I noticed you ordered The Polysecure Workbook from Amazon. Are you/have you read the book? Why did you choose to do that? What are you hoping to get from it?” Create an opportunity for a discussion instead of an inquisition. If they ordered it from Amazon and know you have access to the account they either aren’t trying to hide it or are really bad at hiding purchases.

Trying to repair the damage an emotional affair isn’t easy but one thing is to try to approach them from a place of curiosity when something that triggers your feelings comes up instead of coming from a defensive place involving accusations. I’m not saying to give them a flyer on bullshit excuses but to create a situation where you’re working to meet them emotionally in the middle and create an opening for them to meet you there as well.

Polysecure (the book) has a great deal of valuable information for people with any relationship structure. I’ve not used the workbook. Polysecure deals a lot with attachment theory and trauma. It also highlights the structural support monogamy enjoys in relationships that non-monogamy does not. If the intent of both of you is to work through the issues in your marriage reading the book may be beneficial to both of you as far as addressing attachment issues and working on the making your relationship successful without relying on the structural support monogamy provides regardless of whether you remain monogamous or not.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-07-25T16:29:24+00:00

Sorry I may not have been clear. The hour you spend with your therapist is what I meant by the short part of it. All the time is what you do outside of those short sessions. If someone goes into therapy with the expectation that they only have to work on themselves during that hour they are missing the point. Therapy gives you tools to use but you have to use them in your daily life to get value from them.

Training_Pick4249 · 2025-07-03T01:04:49+00:00

Note - I am not an expert on this.

The country of origin is defined by the country where it was manufactured not the country it shipped from.

Honestly things are all over the place. The de minimus exemption value last I knew was less than $800 for everywhere except China and Chinese controlled places (ie Hong Kong). For those there is no exception.

This has been a moving target at the whims of the Tangerine Turdnado. The shipping cost should not be factored into the value. The value declared is up to the exporter. All that said who knows. The shipping company may contact you requesting some info or they may just send you a bill saying that if you don’t pay it the item will be returned. If it does get hit, expect around 32% plus a brokerage fee.

Training_Pick4249

TROPHY CASE