More car hunting

I spent the day looking at more utes. Why do people over-price the stuff they want to sell? Do they really think their well cared for factory made second hand car is any better than the next person’s well cared for used car? Some difference above the norm is tolerable, but sellers shouldn’t put outlandish price tags on their things.

There was a Holden I saw at one of the car markets. It was a really nice relatively late model, but why were they asking over $19k when they should know the going rate. Everyone buying or selling a used car should consult the Red Book for a vehicle’s worth. I made reference to the Red Book, but the reaction was simply that they won't budge on the price. Okay, fine. I'll shop elsewhere.

There was also a Falcon in Craigieburn being advertised for $17,000 that seemed interesting. I spotted it on the carsales web site a few days ago. The Red Book listed the model between $15500 and $18400. So, depending upon its condition it could be worth considering. So long as it’s still available when I get to Melbourne.

There was a car market at Woden. There was nothing there for me at that market, but I spotted a campervan. I was curious about it, having one of my own. Though this one was a combi. As I approached, I saw someone inside. It turned out that it was the owners who were inside; sitting in it. They were a very young couple. Both of them were well wrapped up against the cold, and both of them had red noses and had the snuffles. I wonder if this campervan was their home. They were a cheerful pair, despite both having a cold. Youth is so optimistic. I noticed little columns of 5c and 10c coins on the table. They were checking their resources, I guess. When they sell their camper van, they’ll have some money, but perhaps nowhere to live. Poor souls. I felt for them.

Some logistics planning

I spent the day looking at a few more utes, private sales this time. Canberra used car buyers have the benefit of a great operation here. Around town on the weekend, various car parks in popular locations are set aside for the presentation of cars for sale. Anyone who has a car for sale may pay a fee, and would-be buyers are free to browse. It’s a very nice idea indeed. I spotted a couple of utes at a couple of these used car markets that took my interest and subsequently contacted the owners to arrange a test drive.

It’s been a while since I’ve been this close to newer utilities. Most of the newer utes I’ve looked at seem to be built with a lot more plastic that I’d like to have see on them. Constructing a commercial vehicle with a plastic tray seems darn silly to me. Sure it won’t rust, but will it be able to hold a load. Will you feel confident in throwing rocks and boulders into a plastic tray, as opposed to a steel tray? There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of choice whether you buy a Holden or Falcon.

I need the ute to transport a camper van that’s parked on the block at Warrandyte. This is the type of van that fits into the back of the ute – if you think of a caravan with no wheels, your half way to thinking of what it looks like.

Actually, there is a lot of transportation to be done in getting our stuff from Melbourne to Canberra, and not just our furniture and personal items. I got out a pencil and paper and began to go through the logistics. It may be difficult but not impossible. Here is one scenario. We’ll see what actually takes place when the time comes. Stuff has gone wrong all over the place so far. Anyway, the aim is to get our things to Canberra, and includes our:

• Stuff from Melbourne


• Ute from Melbourne


• EXA (which is in Canberra, with me)


• MR2 from Melbourne


• Camper from Melbourne


• Elsa and Squeak from Melbourne

So, here's my plan:

1. Assuming I buy a ute in Melbourne, I’ll drive the EXA to Melbourne on one of my trips from Canberra


2. Buy the ute, load the caravan on top of it, and drop it off in Canberra, and then drive back to Melbourne with the empty ute


3. Pack up the MR2 with as much stuff as it can carry, rent a truck and pack that up too, and both S and me will set off for Canberra together in separate vehicles


4. The MR2 gets left in Canberra, we unload the truck, and we both drive back to Melbourne in the empty truck, return the truck to the rental company, and drive back to Canberra with me in the EXA and S in the new ute with more stuff and our two pussy cats.

The problems will come with timing, bad timing, that is. If the lease of the ute can be worked out quickly and I get the caravan shifted early, that would help markedly. But if it takes ages, clashing with when we should be in the truck, then we will need to rethink everything. Or if I have difficulty getting the caravan on the ute that could be a problem too. If there are any problems such as this we may have to shift our stuff to one of the neighbours places for a few weeks. We don’t want to be renting this truck and getting in the way of the removalists.

I don’t have a photo of my own van, but here’s one I spotted on the web that gives an idea of what I have. These units are fabulous things. There’s no trouble carrying them really, except that they weight the vehicle down a bit. The only real hassle is getting them on and off the ute. They come with four heavy duty jacks that raise them to a suitable height to allow the ute to slip underneath. You then lower the jacks and the van sits flat on the floor of the ute, and you secure the van to anchor points that you have previously placed in suitable positions on the vehicle. And this is one of my problems in buying a ute. I will have to spend time fitting the anchors to the ute before I can attempt to move it.

I’ve done this work before on two other utes I’ve had, but manufacturers keep changing things. Each one has been a whole new experience each time, and it’s a very fiddly task. The last thing I want is to have hassles at the end.

Old Bus Depot Market

Canberra has a great little market in a fabulous venue, and the name says it all: the Old Bus Depot Market. Have a look here. It’s all under cover, and there is a wide variety of stalls, which I must remember with Christmas coming up. Who wants to struggle with the heat and flies or wind and rain when you can stroll around the stalls in the shade? There’s a guy there squeezing fresh oranges, and offering a variety of other drinks from the middle ages; an Ethiopian food stall with some spicy dishes; and of course a stack of the regular art and craft traders.

I think I've just given away my preferences: more emphasis to food and drink than craft.