Toshi's thread
- Thread starter Toshi
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I mean... maybe it's just me, but this all sounds like a GARGANTUAN pain in the ass.
NTTAWWT.
NTTAWWT.
the lease then lease buyout two step?I mean... maybe it's just me, but this all sounds like a GARGANTUAN pain in the ass.
NTTAWWT.
had I bought straight up I'd have gotten $3,850 knocked off the price courtesy of Colorado. and that's it. the vehicle's not eligible for the tax credit and neither am I even if it was.
this lease/buyout dance got me that $3,850... + $7,500 in VW lease cash (which is them just passing through the Federal credit they'll get as the lessor to me, the lessee). ((leases circumvent vehicle eligibility issues, because magic IRS guidance.
)is $7,500 - the acquisition fee extra worth an hour of my time? yes, it still is.
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got the Buzz set up with its complimentary Electrify America plan. I may well end up using this once or twice over the 3 year duration. Costco on Airport Way has a bank of chargers but I bet they'd have high utilization, and I'm certainly not waiting for a "free" charger at my personal marginal rate. (midweek would be better but I'd rarely have the Buzz then.)
said Airport Way Costco had another of the fuzzy oversize seat in stock today. I don't need any more now, though.
last time I was there I had found a comforter + pillow cover set in that same ridiculous corduroy. probably should have bought extras, as now it's not there. I did find these $15/per 60 x 70" similar but not identical corduroy throws, though, so got some for the sectional, the oversized seat here in the basement, the oversized seat at the mountain house, and for the three kids' beds here. one cannot have too many fuzzy things.
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in other news, I burnt 23% SOC to drive 62 miles all around town in mid 30s weather, dry roads. that trivially works out to a range of 269.5 mi on 100%. 4.12 mi/kWh. good enough.
(still working on the Buzz lease buyout process today, too. Grand Junction dealer won't charge a doc fee since they were the originating dealer for the lease, as it were, but they insist on me financing through their credit unions. to save a $699 doc fee I'll do that… and if the rate isn't 100% on par with DCU then I'll refinance with DCU after a month. my credit score is already volatile due to too many inquiries so two vs one won't matter at all.)
(still working on the Buzz lease buyout process today, too. Grand Junction dealer won't charge a doc fee since they were the originating dealer for the lease, as it were, but they insist on me financing through their credit unions. to save a $699 doc fee I'll do that… and if the rate isn't 100% on par with DCU then I'll refinance with DCU after a month. my credit score is already volatile due to too many inquiries so two vs one won't matter at all.
)
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How much do your bikes flop over?
Mine are in there pretty solid, but don't weigh as much as your ebike?
I installed the fat bike kit on mine, which hopefully will work fine with regular tires because some of those flat bolts are made of super soft aluminum. Not something I'd want to be changing every year (just to carry the girlfriends fat bike around a handful of times).
I have the fat bike spindle kit because my commuter had 4" tires. now it doesn't. hmph.How much do your bikes flop over?
Mine are in there pretty solid, but don't weigh as much as your ebike?
I installed the fat bike kit on mine, which hopefully will work fine with regular tires because some of those flat bolts are made of super soft aluminum. Not something I'd want to be changing every year (just to carry the girlfriends fat bike around a handful of times).
anyway, that kit didn't help things. that plus instant electric torque out of corners (and by this I refer to the car, not the bike
) means my bike on it does flop an inch or two. usually not all the way to the side bar, if you will, but getting there.
I've had the fat kit on mine since 2016, normal mtb are fine, road bikes I just have to ensure they're centered and tight.How much do your bikes flop over?
Mine are in there pretty solid, but don't weigh as much as your ebike?
I installed the fat bike kit on mine, which hopefully will work fine with regular tires because some of those flat bolts are made of super soft aluminum. Not something I'd want to be changing every year (just to carry the girlfriends fat bike around a handful of times).
I assume you invited the grumblers to get out and walk so they could make better time?
the wife-bot was musing that she probably could run faster than the traffic at times
after several more rounds of badgering of my Grand Junction VW contact (their latest was a "can't pull a quote until 3 months" line!), I finally have a quote from them for an immediate lease buyout.
$27.20 in fees. tax, which is unavoidable. no doc fee. done and done. moving forward with them instead!
turns out my Juicebox up here was not on the wifi
this meant it didn't pause charging during peak hours of 5-10 pm, M-Sat. this in turn meant I maybe overpaid for electricity by a dollar or two (22 cents/kWh instead of 7 cents/kWh off-peak, and it probably sucked down 10 kWh at the higher rate.
nevertheless, I shall persist
it has been reset and has rejoined the wifi now to avert this calamity in the future
this meant it didn't pause charging during peak hours of 5-10 pm, M-Sat. this in turn meant I maybe overpaid for electricity by a dollar or two (22 cents/kWh instead of 7 cents/kWh off-peak, and it probably sucked down 10 kWh at the higher rate.
nevertheless, I shall persist
it has been reset and has rejoined the wifi now to avert this calamity in the future
TIAA-CREF would have me allocate my retirement funds in a diversified way… but also too complicated and not aggressive enough given my time to retirement.
two different allocations since my 401(a) and 403(b) don't have the same options.
solution: time to enroll in their self-directed brokerage program, and get me some low expense ratio total stock market index funds. that in and of itself is enough diversification for me. it's not like I'm going to sell any time soon…
related: getting out of their target date funds. their performance hasn't been bad
but no sense in being overly conservative / underperforming at this point in the game.
two different allocations since my 401(a) and 403(b) don't have the same options.
solution: time to enroll in their self-directed brokerage program, and get me some low expense ratio total stock market index funds. that in and of itself is enough diversification for me. it's not like I'm going to sell any time soon…
related: getting out of their target date funds. their performance hasn't been bad
but no sense in being overly conservative / underperforming at this point in the game.
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"Travis [GJ finance guy] sent you to two different lenders, one came back with a 6.5% and the other came back with 6.44%
Here's that 6.44% for you"
so it'll be a two-step to refinance into DCU in turn after I get the docs from this current lender. recall that this dealer (and the local one, too, might be a VW policy) offers no choice but to go through them. can't just mail them a check to close from DCU.
edit: they came back at 5.75% ultimately. still will refi away to DCU.
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It still might happen yet! I'd love my own ground-going aircraft, yes pls
Toyota Financial Services says, yes, a 6 mo lease extension would be possible, but it must be requested within 60 days of the lease end/"maturation date". calendar event thusly made for 2/15/26.another thought spurred by reading up on early lease termination/buyout is lease extension.
after all, the money factor on my Busy Forks lease is 0.00001, which equates to 0.024% APR. a lease extension would thus buy down the RV some more at this free-money rate.
Toyota Financial Services will do at least one 6 month extension and possibly chain another. rent charge would be on the order of a cent or three.
(when the buyout alternative is a 5.49% loan from DCU this may actually be the sanest strategy of all, buying out after the extension or extensions are up at the new, lower RV.)
can always change it if my whims change in the interim, eh
I kind of think it looks better without the wheel fairings, though I'm sure that must cost it some range.
nonononocat.gif
wheel fairings look way better imo. wheels just out there is so... Formula Ford
Thought the Buzz was having software problems keeping it from charging. Turns out my 9 year 1 month old Leviton EVSE has apparently finally kicked the bucket: not the car’s fault at all! 6-50R still is hot on one leg per my tester so I don’t think it’s at fault.
I’ll call tomorrow to see if they can service it. Original warranty was either 2, 3, or 10 years and I can’t find out which.
The Buzz is sipping electrons from the other garage EVSE now. Had to turn it around to make it reach.
set to charge immediately but not doing so
there should be lights lit up here
now charging like it’s supposed to, from the other EVSE
I’ll call tomorrow to see if they can service it. Original warranty was either 2, 3, or 10 years and I can’t find out which.
The Buzz is sipping electrons from the other garage EVSE now. Had to turn it around to make it reach.
set to charge immediately but not doing so
there should be lights lit up here
now charging like it’s supposed to, from the other EVSE
first real ride on new bike, finally. remembered my helmet, didn't break my chain. had to swap out the AXS battery for a fresh one (that I had handy), which is a step down from Di2 on an e-bike where it runs off the main pack. anyway, bike worked fine. riding was suboptimal due to snau
Now ~90% in self-directed brokerage allocation in my 401(a) and 403(b) alike.
401(a) brokerage entirely VTI. 403(b) brokerage entirely VTSAX… because somehow this account only allows for mutual funds, not ETFs.
I also shifted the allocation in my 457(b) to something all equities. They didn't have too many options so I picked the least bad.
Dakine mittens arrived today from REI. And I think I’ll return them unused, tags intact.
My main complaint is the size: their nominal XL is a 9.5. My size 10 Hestra (and Outdoor Research) gloves fit better. Size 11 Hestras I tried the other week are too big, on the other hand.
I’m also not a fan of the small-gauntlet design for going under jacket cuffs. And the wrist strap is both too small in circumference and of the jankiest, thin elastic material.It’s too bad since the interior is nice and fuzzy.
Now the question is Hestra Wakayama or Heli mittens in size 10. The Helis have my favorite long gauntlets and would be the mitten equivalent of my much-loved Hestra gloves... but those Wakayamas look so sweet with their retro vibe
I ordered both to see how they handle in person
(These are predominantly for my bike commute, but also for skiing until Outdoor Research processes my warranty claim for mah precious heated Prevail gloves. Which I'm hoping they can replace with Prevail mittens. Because mittens.)
/mittromneyintensifies
My main complaint is the size: their nominal XL is a 9.5. My size 10 Hestra (and Outdoor Research) gloves fit better. Size 11 Hestras I tried the other week are too big, on the other hand.
I’m also not a fan of the small-gauntlet design for going under jacket cuffs. And the wrist strap is both too small in circumference and of the jankiest, thin elastic material.It’s too bad since the interior is nice and fuzzy.
Now the question is Hestra Wakayama or Heli mittens in size 10. The Helis have my favorite long gauntlets and would be the mitten equivalent of my much-loved Hestra gloves... but those Wakayamas look so sweet with their retro vibe
I ordered both to see how they handle in person
(These are predominantly for my bike commute, but also for skiing until Outdoor Research processes my warranty claim for mah precious heated Prevail gloves. Which I'm hoping they can replace with Prevail mittens. Because mittens.)
/mittromneyintensifies
skiing, yo
plus I'm not going to fly 10 hours twice for 1 hour of meeting + a reception
You know... Austria is renowned for its skiing.
I heard it's like East coast snowYou know... Austria is renowned for its skiing.
I have these Burton's in XL for being outdoors in the cold. But for commuting, why not some cheap pogies? I wouldn't want to try and hold a grip and brake over bumps in full mittens
Men's Warmest GORE-TEX Mittens | Burton.com Winter 2023
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