That's what the odometer on the trusty rusty Suburban said at the end of February. I'm glad we got to that mileage.
This time last month, I wasn't so sure. The first week of February, it made an unexpected foray into a ditch with DD2 and wedged itself up next to a bunch of trees in snow up to the bumpers. We'd had a huge snowstorm the day before, and, while the roads were not good, it wasn't anything she hasn't driven through in the past while living in the Upper Peninsula and Alaska. What she didn't bargain for, on her way home from a doctor visit that had all ready been rescheduled twice (hence why she was on the crappy roads), was the idiot driver coming at her from the opposite direction but traveling in the center of the road. When she attempted to move over closer to the shoulder to get out of that driver's way--because they weren't getting back into their proper lane, she hit a drift and got sucked off the road. (And did the other driver stop to see if she was okay? NO!)
Anyway. . .
While the wrecker we called pulled it back onto the road, the rear window on the passenger side got broken by a tree limb. Going into the ditch and trees had all ready dented the front fender, and a little of the front passenger door, torn off the fender molding and passenger side mirror, bent the antenna and broke the front passenger door handle. Had we had full coverage insurance on it, given the age (2005) and mileage (284,500+), our car insurance company would have considered it totaled and that would be that.
But, we have PLPD insurance on it, and so it was up to DH and I to decide whether it should be scrapped, or repaired. After about six hours of looking online at what used and brand new vehicles were currently available, we started calling scrap yards for prices on the parts that needed replacing, and an auto glass place for a quote on replacing that broken window. There was absolutely nothing on the market within 500 miles that we wanted to take out a loan on in order to buy. I have to admit, I'm kind of set in my ways about what I want to drive, and the current SUVs are not it.
Plus, I really, really didn't want to junk the Suburban. I've been driving it for 17 years now, and have a goal of hitting 300,000 miles. We're getting so close to that target, I just couldn't see throwing in the towel.
DH spent a few Saturday afternoon hours at the salvage yard acquiring a new door handle and mirror. then installing them on the Suburban. He also straightened the cockeyed antenna.
A new fender is going to wait a bit; it's perfectly road-worthy with the dented up one. We're holding out for a black one to match instead of just going with the non-matching colors currently available locally.
Less than $600 and about a week later after the ditch incident, the suburban rode again!
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