NFR Does this Sprinter Van make my trust fund look big?

[dustinchromers]

The Rockies have been a Trustfunders playground for 100 years. The history of Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole National Monument are pretty interesting.

Thanks for sharing the essay.

"I'm headed to J Hole too."

That's the cool guy way to say it as you board the company jet......

 

[dustinchromers]

That's been done before. There was a luxury tax on boats over $100K, and the most concentrated negative impact was on the working class guys that make their living building yachts. Same cause and effect kicks in whenever there's a targeted tax on the construction of expensive houses, etc.

Something like a very broad, progressive consumption tax would accomplish the same thing and be less distortionary. That's what I'd vote for in my private utopia.

A tax like this should at least be honest and be called a jealousy tax. More taxes on those who are loathed are not the answer and as you stated have adverse consequences on the very working class making these items of opulence.

I too loath the social influencer cool guy crowd as well but I'll gladly take their money. If you're going to splash about my area of residence as the, I don't know, "last steelhead paradise" for the gram you can at least tip heavily, be polite, park courteously, and make a general effort not to sink up the place. Now before you all accuse me if hating on wealth let me correct you. I don't hate on wealth or sprinters for that matter. I hate on the attitude of entitlement and aggression on a resource. Those that compete over parking places in the city like they are in some futuristic version of Far and Away make very discourteous folks to share a run or River with.

 

[dustinchromers]

Nothing new here. Locals from tourist destinations have hated tourists and what they stand for since tourism existed. Don’t like these people descending on your town, don’t live in Bozeman. In fact, skip town on western MT altogether. There are lots of places in MT you can live that tourists don’t flock too. Be a “real” Montana’n and move there. I live on Bainbridge Island which gets pounded by tourists every summer (many from MT btw). They clog up my ferry, make it run late, cause traffic and drop the shitkickers for boat shoes. Annoying, sure but I understand the appeal. It’s why I moved here.

Also, MT should be prepared for even more if this. Way of the world going forward. My guess is many companies...and big ones will move to full time work from home after this pandemic. This thing was like a forced mass experiment and companies are realizing that their workforce’s are just as productive when they do so. They’ll save on real estate expenses, be able to hire talent from anywhere instead of specific markets, work life balance for employees improves, less expenses for employees not commuting, etc.. Win, win all around.

I have already started looking at properties in MT in anticipation of my company going that direction which I think is a possibility.

I know for many living in these areas it's not about hating tourists but not wanting to become a tourism based economy. Being from a burned out logging town it's easy to see that a tree faller doesn't want to get someone their coffee or guide an interpretive flora hike. Tourism is parasitic at worst and symbiotic at best.

 

[Old406Kid]

paddlefishing is super underrated on instagram. its the next big thing.

Hey, I have a 119 pounder in the books along with many others from back in my youth.
The secret then was a couple of big ass treble hooks in tandem and depending on the current one or more spark plugs on the end... that and a crap load of liquid courage in the form of Budweiser in steel cans. (pre Koozy days and the steel cans kept the beer colder longer)
The liquid courage was needed as we figured out that we did better in the pitch black of night and whoever hooked up had to jump in the muddy, mighty Mo and chase it downstream while somebody else beat it through the willows with a flashlight cheering you on.

 

[kmudgn]

I had to google Fjallraven and Kuhl. Shows you how "unhip, or unhipster?) I am

 

[dustinchromers]

I had to google Fjallraven and Kuhl. Shows you how "unhip, or unhipster?) I am

I'm a big fan of the Fjallraven stuff. It's bridges the gap between logger tough and heavy and REI ultralight and comfortable yet fragile and basically disposable. I'm speaking mainly from a working in the woods or farm standpoint. I'd say the Keb trousers are about the best outdoor pant built for a variety of situations. From bucking hay to cruising timber they are a good choice and have stood the test of durability over time. Which is a good thing as they don't come cheap but are a good value over time.

 

[racermo]

After years of an air-cooled Vanagon Westphalia I was looking forward to the horsepower and comfort of a Sprinter... not to mention the integral toilet and showering facilities. With my wife onboard that becomes a must....
Thanks for ruining it for me!

 

[dustinchromers]

After years of an air-cooled Vanagon Westphalia I was looking forward to the horsepower and comfort of a Sprinter... not to mention the integral toilet and showering facilities. With my wife onboard that becomes a must....
Thanks for ruining it for me!

I still want one. I think they are cool rigs. Don't let others wreck it for you. I certainly won't.

 

[Yard Sale]

So 5 years from now I should be able to pick one up for $30K? Perfect.

 

[IveofIone]

I don't get the Sprinter allure at all. They are tall and narrow and look like a phone booth on wheels. They are expensive and expensive to maintain. Parts are prohibitively costly, shop rates are high and not every dealer has a qualified mechanic to service them. Plus Mercedes dealers are few and far between.

Since they are narrow to begin with the bed has to be oriented lengthwise instead of crosswise using up even more of the limited space. They seem to be an example of a product that gains traction through a series of misconceptions by uninformed people that just want to be perceived as savvy. The Dyson vacuum of vans if you will.

You can go vanning in much more user friendly rigs for about half the price that can be serviced in any town in the US. The horror stories I have read about Sprinters make me wonder why more people don't look before they leap and at least get some idea of what they might be getting into.

Avoid the herd mentality, do some research.

 

[ChrisC]

I don't get the Sprinter allure at all. They are tall and narrow and look like a phone booth on wheels. They are expensive and expensive to maintain. Parts are prohibitively costly, shop rates are high and not every dealer has a qualified mechanic to service them. Plus Mercedes dealers are few and far between.

Since they are narrow to begin with the bed has to be oriented lengthwise instead of crosswise using up even more of the limited space. They seem to be an example of a product that gains traction through a series of misconceptions by uninformed people that just want to be perceived as savvy. The Dyson vacuum of vans if you will.

You can go vanning in much more user friendly rigs for about half the price that can be serviced in any town in the US. The horror stories I have read about Sprinters make me wonder why more people don't look before they leap and at least get some idea of what they might be getting into.

Avoid the herd mentality, do some research.

That's what I have heard too. What are the more user friendly options you mention?

 

[enlightened]

That's what makes me nervous. Trip and I are moving our daughter to Bozeman....not looking forward to the welcome.

 

[Yard Sale]

I don't get the Sprinter allure at all. They are tall and narrow and look like a phone booth on wheels. They are expensive and expensive to maintain. Parts are prohibitively costly, shop rates are high and not every dealer has a qualified mechanic to service them. Plus Mercedes dealers are few and far between.

Since they are narrow to begin with the bed has to be oriented lengthwise instead of crosswise using up even more of the limited space. They seem to be an example of a product that gains traction through a series of misconceptions by uninformed people that just want to be perceived as savvy. The Dyson vacuum of vans if you will.

You can go vanning in much more user friendly rigs for about half the price that can be serviced in any town in the US. The horror stories I have read about Sprinters make me wonder why more people don't look before they leap and at least get some idea of what they might be getting into.

Avoid the herd mentality, do some research.

can anybody over 6’ actually sleep sideways in a van? I know I couldn’t.

Good point on repairs. Not all sprinter style vans are Mercedes right? What about the Ram ones? Same issues?

being able to stand up inside is a huge plus if camping in bad weather. After fishing in the rain all day last thing I want to do is hunch over all evening.
Vans are great but a 4x4 van isn’t cheap either. You can certainly get them into places you couldn’t get a sprinter though.

I’m happy with my long bed truck and a hard shell with cot for simple trips or the big ass cab over camper for longer trips. I just wish I could afford electric jacks!

 

[jasmillo]

A tax like this should at least be honest and be called a jealousy tax. More taxes on those who are loathed are not the answer and as you stated have adverse consequences on the very working class making these items of opulence.

I too loath the social influencer cool guy crowd as well but I'll gladly take their money. If you're going to splash about my area of residence as the, I don't know, "last steelhead paradise" for the gram you can at least tip heavily, be polite, park courteously, and make a general effort not to sink up the place. Now before you all accuse me if hating on wealth let me correct you. I don't hate on wealth or sprinters for that matter. I hate on the attitude of entitlement and aggression on a resource. Those that compete over parking places in the city like they are in some futuristic version of Far and Away make very discourteous folks to share a run or River with.

This is one area I think rural and urban folks can agree on. The sense of entitlement some folks carry with them whether on vacation in MT or at the grocery store in some suburb of Seattle is nauseating.Those people are pricks no matter where you come across them.

I know for many living in these areas it's not about hating tourists but not wanting to become a tourism based economy. Being from a burned out logging town it's easy to see that a tree faller doesn't want to get someone their coffee or guide an interpretive flora hike. Tourism is parasitic at worst and symbiotic at best.

I agree, the loss of an industry in any town just sucks in general. The reality is industries change regionally and towns are forced to adapt. It’s happened in every part of this country. I grew up in multiple towns in the northeast littered with abandoned textile mills and factories. My dad has worked in a factory for 45 years. Bustling place when I was a kid with hundreds of employees. Now a shop with 15. He’s lucky to still be there. He earned the right by my working his ass off for a lot of years. If he had been let go, I could not imagine him taking tourists from NYC on interpretive floral hikes . In the end though, he could take them fishing if that was what it took to feed his family....or follow the jobs elsewhere. If how you want to live your life is no longer a viable option in your town, adapt or move to a place where it is. Sucks but that’s life as a grown up. Sometimes your only options are shitty and shittier.

 

[JayB]

I know for many living in these areas it's not about hating tourists but not wanting to become a tourism based economy. Being from a burned out logging town it's easy to see that a tree faller doesn't want to get someone their coffee or guide an interpretive flora hike. Tourism is parasitic at worst and symbiotic at best.

At some point in the mid-to-late-90's when there was a massive amount of job loss occurring in mill towns up and down the West Coast, I can remember someone on the radio talking about using tax credits in an effort to lure *call centers* into these towns to bring some jobs back. I think this was the Clinton-Era version of "learn to code."

All I could think was that the person dreaming up this proposal had never met a faller/mill-operator and had also never been in a call center. Not only that - they'd never met anyone who had personally known someone who had worked in either capacity and must have imagined that all humans are interchangeable GDP-producing machines that can be moved from one career to the next like lego characters that you can transform by swapping out their helmets. "Snap! Look - the interior designer from Seattle is now a backhoe-operator from Concrete!"

That memory stayed dormant until we rolled through Forks at the tail end of the "Twilight" era and we drove by what looked to be the last storefront hawking Twilight paraphenalia. Kudos to whoever owned the place for taking the initiative there, but I found myself secretly hoping that they had someone in their life who loved them enough to tap them on the shoulder and say "Sweetie -it's been a good ride, but there's only so many mini-van-loads of Midwestern women in overly snug XXL pastel leisure-wear that are gonna road-trip it out here with their girlfriends and pay good money for "local" Twilight memorabilia that we had shipped in from the Guandong Excellent Movie Item Product Making Company in a Sea-Land container. It's time to break the lease and move on."

As we drove away I couldn't help but wonder if the same person from the 90's who concluded that the same suite of personality traits that make you a good timber faller would make you equally adept at graciously fielding complaints from disgruntled toaster-oven owners was still alive and out there somewhere, dreaming up a scheme to help choke-setters that may have fallen on hard times transition into a new role as live action role players in a Twilight theme-park somewhere nearby. "Milady - when I gaze into your eyes, I know that I want to spend eternity in....your....soul.....and..and...Jeeeeesus Christ who the F*&^ wrote this s*&^? Hey Rick, call my wife and tell her I *am* gonna take that job at her uncle's trucking company in Florida. Tomorrow. "