Congrats on Your New Ram Tim
- Thread starter Beninbeta
- Start date
Blue Oval 5.0
Active member
Did he get a Ram? Ever sell the Silverado?
Beninbeta
Well-known member
Blue Oval 5.0
Active member
Dang it, don't know how I missed that one. Thank you!
Beninbeta
Well-known member
Not a problem. I should have posted it the first time!
GMT 900
Well-known member
Real enthusiasm in the video, but curious (again) on a few things:
- You alluded to the business income wasn't as big in 2023 compared to previous years, so the new truck purchase wasn't in the cards as a deduction...Also, in previous years, you had to divest of the previous truck and buy the new one before the end of the calendar year. No Section 179 expert here, but has your accountant given different advice?
- Apologies if I haven't been keeping up, but you mentioned not getting $$$ for accessories in the market value of the High Country. Did you trade it in to Reganis as part of the deal for the '25 Ram?
I think this is a good compromise and may drive more traffic than the Tacoma Trailhunter, a more niche vehicle that will have a Halo effect, but doesn't suit the strengths of your channels...Overlanding with school attending children in a smallish truck seems impractical on many levels, while daily use, towing, gear hauling, and the like beg for a truck like this...
- You alluded to the business income wasn't as big in 2023 compared to previous years, so the new truck purchase wasn't in the cards as a deduction...Also, in previous years, you had to divest of the previous truck and buy the new one before the end of the calendar year. No Section 179 expert here, but has your accountant given different advice?
- Apologies if I haven't been keeping up, but you mentioned not getting $$$ for accessories in the market value of the High Country. Did you trade it in to Reganis as part of the deal for the '25 Ram?
I think this is a good compromise and may drive more traffic than the Tacoma Trailhunter, a more niche vehicle that will have a Halo effect, but doesn't suit the strengths of your channels...Overlanding with school attending children in a smallish truck seems impractical on many levels, while daily use, towing, gear hauling, and the like beg for a truck like this...
First, thanks Ben for posting the video. I was slammed yesterday with everything and finally got a chance now to check out this thread.
GMT - thanks for the enthusiasm comment. I had a lot of fun making that video.
I haven't talked to my accountant, but I did the quick math on a piece of paper the other day. The business was down like $80k from the prior year and I spent $21k on Swede plus another $50k or so on payroll and other expenses. I figured I didn't need a new truck for section 179.
Plus, there was nothing to buy. Once I realized the Tacoma wasn't going to come in on time, I was pretty much stuck. Then I got pretty sick and just didn't do anything. It turns out that was the right approach since I sold the Silverado in January and any capital gains will go on the 2024 tax year. Again, helping the business.
I laid it all out on a video I posted today with the mods. I'll post below.
I'd still like to see if I can get a Trail Hunter, but you are right. I spent a lot of time talking with my friends in the business over the past week. It seems like this channel is a full-size truck channel. I played with buying a new Super Duty instead of the Ram 1500 and the videos I saw did so-so. Also, the Super Duty comes in so many different configurations it didn't make sense.
Here is the video:
GMT 900
Well-known member
Thanks for the info Tim,the "inside baseball" stuff really sets your channel apart from the others. I have some Ram thoughts based on experience, but will keep to myself until you get the truck (to see if you have some of the same observations). Ram Boxes? My '12 'Lanche says "been there done that," LOL. It has adjustable pedals too, so Jill needs to ask GM why they deleted the feature. That begs another question which you alluded to concerning ordering the all around camera's for the RAM; do you or Jill or other contributors feel truck/truck hoods are getting so tall they they obscure the front view from the drivers seat too much? This is starting to be a public issue:
I get tagged in a social media post like once every 6 months about truck height. There were a variety of stories a couple years ago about the massive size of the grilles and overall height.
What I say is automakers have been working on this for several years. CAFE rules judging vehicles by footprint (2011), consumer demand for taller cab height, the push for massive towing numbers all resulted in a larger truck. Automakers then added parking sensors, cameras (front and rear that turn on in low speed situations), pedestrian detection systems, etc... to address those issues on seeing over the hood. New trucks and SUVs are also changing up how the hood is shaped to allow people to see over them better. Check out the Lexus GX video coming out next week for a pretty unique hood design.
The problem then is people still want to rely on their own eyeballs OR they have a truck without all the safety features. That's the problem IMO. If owners would use the cameras and trust the sensors, IF they have them, then this issue goes away.
I could see NHTSA making those safety features mandatory in the future which would make things safer as well as make vehicles more expensive. Automakers don't just absorb the cost of these features.
I think it is getting a lot of HOLY COW attention from uniformed journalists right now and it will go away eventually.
chaseydog
Well-known member
Tim, eagerly awaiting all the content you will be doing on the new Ram. I recently picked up a 24 GMC 1500 AT4 with a Duramax and your content on the Trailboss helped convince me that the Duramax was the engine I wanted. I’d briefly considered waiting on the new Ram but ultimately decided I’d prefer the GMC. That being said it will be interesting to see how the two compare. Your previous experience with the Chevy put you in a unique possible to give us a real world comparison of the two.
How do you like your truck?
chaseydog
Well-known member
I’ve owned it for a week now and just hit 600 miles. Very impressed so far. I’m just a few years away from retirement and wanted a vehicle that would offer me a lot of options with my free time, while also fulfilling the role of daily driver. As a daily driver the Duramax means fewer trips to the gas station, while the AT4 package offers me a spacious well-appointed cabin with features that I didn’t know I needed but have quickly come to appreciate. There’s been a bit of a learning curve as the AT4 is significantly bigger than the Toyota Highlander that I drove for the last 15 years. The cameras on the AT4 go a long way towards mitigating that learning curve. This is also my first experience with a diesel, and while that involves a learning curve of its own, YouTube channels such as your own have taught me enough of the basics that I’m confident I’ll get by.
Its funny. I get a dozen messages a day it seems about the new technology in trucks. Most are like "I don't need that crap" or "when did a work truck become like a F-22 fighter jet?"
I think that's probably what it looks like from the outside, but once you get behind the wheel and live with a truck, the questions change to "what does this button do?" Followed up by, damn that's a cool feature. LOL
I've always been a sucker for tech. But only if it helps me do something that was a PIA before. Like powered rear sliding windows, split tailgates, bed steps of any kind, b/u cameras, and all surfaces I touch heated are my favs.
I think I'd like digital mirrors as I complain about the view when I'm loaded. Front cameras could be real helpful as well.
I think I'd like digital mirrors as I complain about the view when I'm loaded. Front cameras could be real helpful as well.
chaseydog
Well-known member
My views over what is useful have definitely changed since getting the AT4. The auto high beam headlights are a good example. Prior to purchasing the truck I thought, looks interesting but if it wasn’t part of a package I wouldn’t bother. Heck I hardly ever use high beams anyway. The first dark morning that I took the AT4 out and experienced the auto high beams was an I get this now moment.