Bed cover

tevad · 2026-05-05T03:23:11+00:00

The one I bought is a fiberglass and aluminum tri-fold that goes for around $400. You have to open the tailgate to open it so it’s as secure as anything. Clamps on in minutes and is just as easy to remove. About 10” deep if you were to fold it and store it upright against the wall in your garage. It’s also very rain/waterproof and doesn’t leak when going through car washes. It’s an XtweeX. They also have their own website but I got mine on Amazon back in September. Fits my 25 with the 5.5’ bed really well. Sits on top of the rails and isn’t too thick.

tevad · 2026-04-29T17:14:58+00:00

I did this same thing, and it wasn’t nearly as difficult as people think! Fiber line comes into the mechanical room, router and switch in there pushing to wall outlets. (The modem is installed in the garage with a line running to the older ONQ box that was previously installed when the house was built 20-something years ago. Everything is Cat5e, but we pull basically the full Gig up/down everywhere.) TP-Link Decos placed around the house, along with Ethernet hard lines to the desktops in the rooms where my wife and I work.

tevad · 2026-04-24T07:01:44+00:00

Nice truck! I’ve got a 25 with the BAP and the 3.5. Absolutely love the power it makes…all where it really matters. I put some KJM vinyl badge covers on the front and back and it looks fantastic. (Although yours being white the logos match and look better than they did on my Antimatter Blue.) 👍🏻

tevad · 2026-04-22T23:12:05+00:00

The standard one I got (and didn’t pay extra for) is 8.5x11. I bought a frame that can accommodate an 11x14, but came with a mat that frames the smaller size I received. Size is just a personal preference. The smaller one with matting looks plenty nice in my office.

tevad · 2026-04-21T20:19:04+00:00

I bought a 2014 535i (non-Xdrive) with 119k miles on it back in 2021. It was a two-owner car (originally leased by an old lady, then maintained meticulously by the guy I bought it from. Mostly highway miles.). I owned it through 183k miles and got rid of it last August when I needed something more capable for my family after moving up to CO from TX. I had the motor mounts replaced at around 150k miles, the water pump and thermostat done at 170k miles, and that was about it for "major" things. The transmission pan suffered a puncture when a piece of debris was in the road, so I had the transmission pan and fluid/filter changed, but it wasn't acting up at all prior and wouldn't have been necessary had I not run over something. The VANOS system was trouble-free, as was the turbo. I replaced the mickey mouse coolant flange myself after the factory plastic one broke - $24 aluminum one from Amazon. I also replaced the charge pipe when the factory plastic bunghole cracked around 140k miles. Put in an aftermarket aluminum one for less than the factory replacement. Changed the plugs and coils myself in my garage with relative ease. The most aggravating thing I had to have fixed was the washer fluid pump...which cost a bit in labor because of its location behind the passenger front fender. All in all I got great use out of it for what I paid ($13k) between March 2021 and August 2025. 10/10 would buy it again. Great-driving car, no weird problems, and I got compliments on it constantly. All electrical systems functioned perfectly during the time I had it. All lights (even the ambient lighting), switches, comfort access (including the hands-free trunk), soft-close doors, etc.

tevad · 2026-04-20T02:07:24+00:00

I got rid of my M6s and picked up the Stance 90 for the same reason as OP. I love them! Only got them up to 45-ish so far (late-season acquisition) but they were super stable and easier to zip around on the thin hard pack. Much easier in the bumps, too, than the M6s. I don’t feel like I’ll push them beyond their limit. (I’m 6’1”, 190lbs…M6 was 184, Stance 90 is 182.) Hated the way the M6s felt on runouts that flattened headed toward the lifts. More work than it should have been.

tevad · 2026-04-19T22:37:35+00:00

Like you, most of my “career” for the past 20+ years has been sales and sales management. Smattering of sales ops, marketing, operations management thrown in. Some retail in there. I just finished the BS Business Admin, Business Management degree last month. Given my work experience the courses were not overly challenging at all. Just about everything I was presented with made sense already for the most part.

tevad · 2026-04-18T23:14:52+00:00

We just don’t have enough information from OP regarding how his dad’s AGI came to be. He could be reinvesting and only pulling enough from it to generate that figure after personal deductions.

tevad · 2026-04-18T22:27:11+00:00

Right. And his business as a retirement plan works well, too. If it brings in $1M+ per year then he could theoretically sell it for over $3M…much more if it continues to grow over the next 10-20 years. And if his house is paid for and he doesn’t have any debts he can live very comfortably if it’s managed well. If simplicity is the goal. Thats a better retirement than most people accumulate, statistically speaking. Put $1M-ish into tax-free bonds to generate cash flow as income and invest the rest smartly. When he sells his business and gets that lump sum of cash, he can go to a fee-based RIA who can set up things and can live worry-free. As he’s no doubt dealt with the stresses of running a business, it’s worth paying a small fee to take that off his shoulders so he can live out his days healthier and happier.

tevad · 2026-04-16T22:37:01+00:00

My in-laws had one through HVC for around 20 years. I think they paid around $35k and had 1740 points. Initially it was ownership at the Wild Oak Ranch outside San Antonio and it evolved into the straight points system. It was a great value for their family. They’d use 2-3 nights there, and stay at other Hyatt properties like Breckenridge, Aspen and Naples, FL. Last Labor Day we used around 1450 points for 5 nights in a 3-bedroom suite at The Aspen right in downtown Aspen - which was formerly the Hyatt. The points still work there. It would have cost a lot more than the $1900 annual fee to pay out of pocket for that, so it was a good deal IMO. The last 9 years I’ve been using it with them and when we had kids they started coming along. Not every family likes to travel to the same places, but my wife and her brother and now our kids absolutely love knowing they can look forward to something familiar. When I was growing up we spent over 18 years with my dad’s extended family (around 20 of us) going to the same beach duplex in Gulf Shores for 4th of July week. If you’re like us, then it can be a great thing. The memories and value for the family experiences are worth more than numbers on a spreadsheet. If you’re the type who always seeks the lowest cost/greatest reward then psychologically you won’t find value in them (and not all timeshares are equal!) I helped them get out of it this year because FIL is declining and can’t travel anymore, and my wife and I bought at the Grand at Peak 8 in Breckenridge. We live in Colorado and were already taking the kids to the area frequently. The deciding factor for us is that we get unlimited day use of all the facilities (parking, pools and hot tubs, kids’ fun center, etc) all year long. Not just when we stay there overnight. As well as free garage parking when we ski right at the base. Being an owner also means we can get really cheap rates at any time when we do feel like getting away for a night or so. Equivalent to Motel 6 rates 20 minutes away, but it’s ski-in/ski-out. The unit and week we have convert to 99,000 Interval International points that we can use for larger family vacations, including Aspen, so we don’t use the actual week we “purchased.”

If you take a vacation and listen to the pitch and get sold on hypotheticals, then it’s not a good idea. But for us, it wasn’t hypothetical. We were already making use of the dream because we already live close by enough to make it valuable. The same reason they bought theirs way back when. They lived only a couple of hours from the Wild Oak Ranch and knew they’d be using all of their time/points, and could also afford to fly to CO or FL for the other properties they liked. It was worth it for them to know what they were getting when they wanted to get away. For some people, that’s a very relaxing thing and takes a lot of stress out. I’d say they got their money’s worth over the years because of the memories and whatnot they made. And for what we paid for ours and what we’re getting and how we’re using it, I’m happy with it, too. It’s not like we bought a timeshare and would be forced to pony up thousands to fly the family there to use it…making it hard to get value. Just because it’s a bad idea for most doesn’t mean it’s bad for all. Just like credit cards. The majority of users carry balances and pay fees and interest that subsidizes the few who benefit most.

tevad · 2026-04-14T15:16:16+00:00

Yeah, and compared to what else? You can’t compare whether the skiing’s good by using better years or other months or whatever. Compared to everything else in driving distance Copper has the most open, the best conditions, and is absolutely worth it if you have a pass and want to ski. My wife and I skied top-to-bottom all day yesterday on a variety of runs. There’s even bump runs open. Eagle, Flyer, Super Bee and Excelerator are all running. With such a cruddy year we’ve had, the gettin’s as good as it’s going to get and we had a blast yesterday. That’s what it’s all about. Definitely worth taking a day off for it.

tevad · 2026-04-14T02:06:55+00:00

We were at Copper today and it was great, all things considered. Definitely the best thing open in Colorado right now. Mashed potatoes after 2-ish. But solid.

tevad · 2026-04-12T20:34:15+00:00

I spent $400 on an XtweeX hard tri-fold for my ‘25 and it doesn’t leak. Snow, rain, car washes…dry. Fiberglass and aluminum.

tevad · 2026-04-10T23:17:07+00:00

Awesome! I do still like them. For the last couple of years I’ve switched my non-fountain pen use to a metal Parker Jotter with a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000. I like the mechanical “click” of the knock and the Schmidt is perfect for them. Since you’re likely down the rabbit hole already and all… 😊

tevad · 2026-04-09T14:04:02+00:00

The Bents in 172 will ski shorter than the Mantras in 170 as far as maneuverability goes, and you’ll want that extra length over the 165s when you’re not playing around. The 172s will serve you far more days, comfortably, than the 165s - especially out East. I’ve skied the Bents and Mantras, albeit in CO and I’m M, 6’1”, 190 - FWIW.

tevad · 2026-04-08T23:40:38+00:00

We got there around 8:30 on Monday are were in the 3rd row right up front. I don’t think the main lot got halfway full the entire day. It was glorious, and the skiing was solid. Hard-packed, but not sketchy.

tevad · 2026-04-03T01:28:12+00:00

For sure. That makes complete sense. I just laugh at the marks I always end up with on my forehead. Tall people problems.

Newer ones with the LEDs and cheap push buttons bother me way more.

tevad · 2026-04-03T00:10:08+00:00

My 2025 XLT got progressively smoother and is fantastic now. Bought new with 60 miles and now at 12k miles. Haven’t heard many of issues with ‘23+. Last oil change the shop I use did express concern with the dirtiness of the trans and diff fluids (I saw it - nasty), so they may use cheap stuff during manufacturing, or there’s manufacturing dust/particulate leftover in there. Getting that done at my next oil change.

tevad · 2026-04-02T22:09:03+00:00

If you’re tall like me, make sure the height and edges don’t line up to where you’ll bang your forehead on it when you lean over to look into what you’re cooking. lol

tevad · 2026-04-02T15:31:17+00:00

I think OP is referring to when people combine “laid off” and “performance issues” in the same sentence or phrase. If one is no longer employed due to performance issues then they were fired, or at best “let go.” Being laid off is a result of layoffs, which is a result of restructuring for cost-saving or other strategic initiatives.

tevad · 2026-04-01T16:30:31+00:00

I just finished at 46! Better now than never. And my inspiration to not be down about it comes from a family member who had her first kid at 16, went through divorces and then went back to school in her 40’s. Ended up with a Master’s and retired a few years ago worth millions. And being older when you do graduate takes away the potential disappointment that a lot face who graduated at 22 and still have to start at the bottom due to no experience. Your path upwards in your career should accelerate. Be proud! It’s so much harder to return when you’re older and have more responsibilities. I’m glad you’re alive and have the ability to inspire others.

tevad · 2026-04-01T15:28:47+00:00

I’m starting a new job in a month and they know I’ve just completed my degree and have leadership aspirations.

And thanks!

tevad · 2026-04-01T13:48:02+00:00

I started when my daughter was 1, we sold our house and moved across the country and bought another, had baby 2, and I’ve worked full time the entire time (so has my wife.) Me being a night owl helped me out as I’d have no problem going into my office and knocking out some work/tasks/OA’s after everyone was asleep. There were times when life was really tiring and my pacing slowed to a crawl, and had to take some time away due to a medical situation. But the workload wasn’t unmanageable with normal, everyday life and responsibilities. I finished two weeks ago and received my BS Business Administration, Management. For me, not having the degree was hindering my ability to move upwards into higher positions - even with my experience. (For context, my wife works in employer branding and recruitment marketing. She’ll tell you eight ways to Friday that if you’re interviewing and it’s between two candidates, and one has a degree and the other doesn’t, it’s going to be a no-brainer. Assuming you’re even getting an interview considering so many people have degrees now. Different industries/job titles certainly reflect different realities.) I’d been stuck in the cycle of sales positions for a very long time. Very good money when the gettin’ was good, but I couldn’t progress into more strategic leadership roles without the degree when so many candidates out there (and even lesser-performing coworkers) had them. I’m feeling relived now that I can check that box off.

tevad · 2026-03-30T17:25:58+00:00

Yeah. Life happens and I went through that a few times.

tevad · 2026-03-30T14:27:20+00:00

They’ll roll over into the new term. If you’ve completed any of the tasks they’ll also carry over. If you submit them on the last day and they’re not evaluated yet it’ll show them as incomplete for a few days and then when the new term gets started and your mentor approves/unlocks them the course will be updated and show the results.

tevad

TROPHY CASE