Total Cost of Ownership for Expedition Vehicles

[dhackney]

Introduction
When you discuss the purchase of an overland expedition vehicle (OEV), typically the only costs mentioned are the purchase cost and the options cost. Very rarely, ongoing operational costs are mentioned. You will probably never hear anyone discuss the costs of selling of the OEV when they are done using it. Unfortunately for potential and current owners, the purchase price is only a small portion of the total costs of the ownership experience with an OEV.

The critical perspective that is missing from almost every OEV purchase is not the simple cost of the vehicle and its options but the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the vehicle over the entire time span of ownership experience.

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The full document is here: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/docs/oevtco-overview.pdf

 

[MB309basket]

Man, you're cool

Mr. Hackney,

I really appreciate the feats you've done, and even more appreciate your willingness to share what you've learned with complete strangers like me. Thank you.

I would like to spend more time on your website but I repeatedly get a "Slow Scripting Error" when I try to do anything. It seems to occur whenever the "background" graphics load (the pix of passports stamps).

Other than throw out my stupid Mac and buy a computer, do you have any ideas what I should be doing differently?

(Anyone else on this site run into that issue?)

Thanks, Esmi

 

[dhackney]

appreciate your willingness to share what you've learned with complete strangers like me. Thank you.

You are very welcome. It is my hope that by sharing our mistakes made and lessons learned we can assist those contemplating or pursuing this path.

I would like to spend more time on your website but I repeatedly get a "Slow Scripting Error" when I try to do anything. It seems to occur whenever the "background" graphics load (the pix of passports stamps).

Other than throw out my stupid Mac and buy a computer, do you have any ideas what I should be doing differently?

I have never seen the "slow scripting error" before and have no knowledge of it. I did a Google search and found some hits related to Macs running Safari and experiencing that error whenever they were on forums.

The Javascripts on the travel web site (www.hackneys.com/travel) are on the home page and the header bar. They run the slideshows of the shots of us on the home page and the faces in the header bar.

It looks like an issue with scripts that Safari interprets as infinite loops. The slideshows are basically infinite loops, they randomize and run forever.

Suggestions:
1. You might try upgrading Safari to the latest version. That was a suggestion on the Mac forums I found.
2. You could change to Firefox as a browser.
3. Like many others, the site runs best on a broadband connection, so if you are on a slow connection that may be an issue as well.

I have friends who are on Macs and they have never reported any issues with our web site, including the "slow script error." I don't develop on or own a Mac anymore, so I don't have the ability to test the problem.

Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Doug

 

[Christian P.]

Doug

this is really impressive. I am not sure I agree with all the assumptions, but it is quite an exercise and it's very helpful to fully understand the cost of such a venture. I will use it to calculate the cost of my TroopCarrier when I have a minute.

 

[dhackney]

I am not sure I agree with all the assumptions, but it is quite an exercise and it's very helpful to fully understand the cost of such a venture.

Christian,

The assumptions in the model are all in green cells. Most relate to taxes, financing costs, and initial estimates of insurance cost and residual value. YMMV, especially with residual values. Since those cells are green, you can modify the existing formulas or enter any value you think is appropriate.

As you said, the most important thing is to fully understand all the aspects of cost in such a venture.

Doug

 

[haven]

Thanks Doug -- The result is depressing, but still informative. I guess I fit in the "Jeep and sleeping bag" class of overlanders. Incidentally, the pages display properly on my Mac.

Chip Haven

 

[MB309basket]

Site works fine in with Firefox

Thank you for the Safari tip -- your pages load much better on my computer using Firefox. I look forward to poking around your site.

 

[dhackney]

Thanks Doug -- The result is depressing, but still informative.

Chip,

Yes, the total cost of ownership and total economic exposure numbers can be eye opening.

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of overlanding. The real numbers can be sobering.

The depreciation rates and resulting low residual value of expedition vehicles really hurts overlanding as a concept compared to other models such as sailing, where the primary asset can, and often does, retain a very high % of its original cost.

I guess I fit in the "Jeep and sleeping bag" class of overlanders.

It was my hope that by developing this model and the Criteria for OEV model I could help people to better understand how their needs / requirements matched up with available platforms and how much those platforms and the overlanding experience actually cost.

In my view, it is better to be a fully informed, realistic and happy "Jeep and sleeping bag" overlander than a frustrated, unhappy MAN 8x8 dreamer.

My goal was not to shoot down people's dreams :REOutShootinghunter , but to help people have dreams that match thier needs and their available finances.

Doug