sly_karma
Crew Member
I mentioned in another thread a truck I'm preparing to barge over to our cabin at Buccaneer Bay on Thormanby Island. In the past we've used gas golf carts and they've been good, simple vehicles with few systems to maintain or repair. But in the next few years we will be doing some serious repair work to the century old cabin so it makes sense this time to take a pickup truck for moving materials from dock to cabin.
The truck is an 02 GMC half ton long box with 5.3 small block. It has 310,000 km on the clock and was in my construction business fleet for several years. In the fall I replaced a failing transmission. More recently I've installed new fuel pump and water pump in preparation for the trip to the island in April. Rationale is to do items now that can be reasonably predicted to fail eventually on a high mileage vehicle. Fuel filter, air filter, radiator hoses and serpentine belt have all been replaced for same reason. Alternator looks relatively new and is easily accessed.
Now my thoughts turn to the truck's "lifestyle" once it gets to the island. No one uses the cabin from late September until possibly Easter, more often mid May. 7-8 months of inactivity, and then through the season just short runs of 1 km each way from dock to cabin ferrying people and their food, clothes, booze etc. Given this very different usage pattern from a normal road vehicle, what precautions could I take to be prepared? I love tinkering with trucks, bikes and boats, but I like it to be on my schedule, and when I'm in my warm, dry, level shop with all the tools and a parts place 3 minutes away. Golf carts are easy: single cylinder, no hydraulics, minimal electrical. For years I've counseled the family to stay away from trucks because of complexity, but now we need one.
The truck is an 02 GMC half ton long box with 5.3 small block. It has 310,000 km on the clock and was in my construction business fleet for several years. In the fall I replaced a failing transmission. More recently I've installed new fuel pump and water pump in preparation for the trip to the island in April. Rationale is to do items now that can be reasonably predicted to fail eventually on a high mileage vehicle. Fuel filter, air filter, radiator hoses and serpentine belt have all been replaced for same reason. Alternator looks relatively new and is easily accessed.
Now my thoughts turn to the truck's "lifestyle" once it gets to the island. No one uses the cabin from late September until possibly Easter, more often mid May. 7-8 months of inactivity, and then through the season just short runs of 1 km each way from dock to cabin ferrying people and their food, clothes, booze etc. Given this very different usage pattern from a normal road vehicle, what precautions could I take to be prepared? I love tinkering with trucks, bikes and boats, but I like it to be on my schedule, and when I'm in my warm, dry, level shop with all the tools and a parts place 3 minutes away. Golf carts are easy: single cylinder, no hydraulics, minimal electrical. For years I've counseled the family to stay away from trucks because of complexity, but now we need one.
