Keeping my JK and Ram into Retirement?

Ratbikerod

Ratbikerod

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Carrollton, TX
I have a question that I think I already know the answer for. I have a 2015 JK Rubicon, well maintained with 98k on it with no issues and a recent gear change. I also have a 2015 Ram (same motor but with the 8 speed instead of the 5 speed in the Rubicon) with 133k miles on it. It too is in perfect condition with absolutely no problems. I am pretty fastidious about maintaining my vehicles. Antidotally, my wife has a ‘24 Grand Cherokee as well.

She is retiring next year and I plan to retire in ‘28. I think the right thing from a cost standpoint would be to keep my two 2015’s and keep them up and keep her in the new vehicle. I also forgot to mention, I bought the lifetime warranty on my RAM so no matter what goes wrong it cost me $100 to get it fixed. Now, will Ram uphold that if the engine or tranny goes out, maybe not but they will have a fight on their hands about it.

Anyhow, Love my Ram, love my Rubicon so my thoughts are it will be cheaper than replacing them with a new Rubicon which would be my other option.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
 
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My wife and I are also retired, she has her 2004 Jeep liberty that was bought in 2005.

I have a 2008 JKU bought in 2019, and a 1981 F350 with a 12v Cummins that I built. The Ford is my best vehicle it's always dependable, no electronics for it to run.

It's really nice not to have vehicle payments or a house payment.
 
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Cimmerian said:
If they're paid off, I don't understand what your issue is. I don't understand this mentality people have that they HAVE to buy new vehicles.
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No mentality of having to buy anything new, really just validation that holding on is the better route. Which by all comments it is. And yes, they are paid for and I do not plan to retire before my house is paid off or we sell it and move to a smaller area using the funds to fully purchase another. Luckily I am pretty handy from a mechanical standpoint as well and I like that the 2015’s are not as complicated as like my wife’s newer Grand Cherokee.
 
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I think the 2015-2018 JK Rubicon is probably peak Jeep for the new platforms. (TJ would be peak for the smaller platform). By 2015 the bugs were worked out and they did extra corrosion resistance between door hinge and body panels. Also, I think, the 3.6 liter v6 has fewer issues with the cams. The new JLs arguably look nicer, but they have more electronics. So not as simple to fix. Also, Jeep hasn't figured out the aluminum body panels yet. So the JLs have more paint issues than the JKs steel body. Since you have a clean 2015, I'd keep it.
 
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Fargo said:
I think the 2015-2018 JK Rubicon is probably peak Jeep for the new platforms. (TJ would be peak for the smaller platform). By 2015 the bugs were worked out and they did extra corrosion resistance between door hinge and body panels. Also, I think, the 3.6 liter v6 has fewer issues with the cams. The new JLs arguably look nicer, but they have more electronics. So not as simple to fix. Also, Jeep hasn't figured out the aluminum body panels yet. So the JLs have more paint issues than the JKs steel body. Since you have a clean 2015, I'd keep it.
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A close buddy got a JL Rubicon after I got my JK (I have only had the JK for 2 years). Everything we have done to his JL has been double the work when compared to my JK. The JL’s are very nice but a lot more complicated, I agree.
 
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I'd keep everything! Even if you need to replace something, it's cheaper than having a vehicle payment. My wife paid off her car and right away she was looking for something newer. I told her to keep putting money in her savings account like she was still paying on the car. That way IF something happened she had extra money for whatever. Fast forward 2 years, and someone in a new pickup truck swerved to miss a deer and took out her car and a telephone pole instead. The kid totaled both vehicles. She got her new car she wanted.
 
I'm a strong proponent of keeping things and taking care of them. My Mom used to tell me when I was little that you could always tell people that were wealthy that would stay wealthy because they let things age.

I had an '06 Ram and an '04 Rubicon TJ and I loved both of those vehicles. Always changed my own oil and really any maintenance. My Dad always said learn to take care of your stuff because no one cares about it like you do. I still have/don't have the '04 Rubicon. It came time for my son a vehicle and he loved that Jeep so I gave it to him, he still drives it and I get to visit it every now and then. LOL!

I paid cash for both vehicles when new and maintained them so well that repairs were miniscule and no car payments. I drove my Ram from here in TN to TX in 2021. I was the only person to ever change oil in that Ram but I had no where to change it in TX. I thought, it won't hurt one little time to let Jiffy Lube change my oil. Short version is they seized my engine.

Jiffy Lube had to pay for Ram to put me a new engine in the truck. That truck was never the same. It went from trouble free bliss to a brand new engine and repairs cost more than financing a new truck.
 
I am about 6yrs from retiring at this point. I have 2) 2007 vehicles. I will probably need to get a newer pickup (currently an 07 f150 fx4 w/170k) But i am keeping the Jeep!!

If you will need to make payments, consider doing that now if your gonna buy a new or even used, with the hopes of it being paid off as you ride the retirement tide. Just a thought.

My goal has always been to get 20 years or when the cost of owning it is more than a monthly payment. For instance, my wifes 2018 Ford Expy is starting the wind up, it just had $3k in AC work done and it has failing cam phasers (again!) which cost about 6K to get done properly. So it has been marked, if it stops there, we can keep it. Next big ticket item within the year and it goes for the chop.
 
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