Hey gents,

I was just doing a mod to my car this weekend, and I told my Dad that I was planning on doing a few other mods... some expensive ones, and he said 'don't put to much money into your car, you won't know how long you have it.' TO which I replied... 'its a Toyota.". But he was talking about the military. I'm going in in June, and was wondering what do you guys do with your rides while on deployment? What if I get stationed overseas...like Japan?

Thanks guys, any info appreciated.

I know there are garages that store vehicles for you. They take your tires off, keep the temp/humidity controlled, etc. That's an expensive option i think. I would keep it in a family member's garage.

Ya, or a regular storage place will work. Some places have stackable storage sort of like they store boats. I was lucky and was never stationed overseas. I do still have one car left in our garage/shop back home, however...

You're not going to want to hear this. A 6-10 month deployment is one thing, but if you are going to be stationed overseas for several years you should sell it, and I agree with your Dad about expensive mods.

What happens if you are gone for three years and by the time you return gas is 6 bucks/gallon? What if you get married and your needs change? There are any number of things that could happen in that amount of time. Your truck will never be worth more than it is now, and if you have to trade it upon your return you will take a beating. If you sell it and have the discipline to put the money away, you will be able to get something more up to date when you get home.

If you do decide to keep it there are a number of things that you should at a minimum do to the truck before you go. It has been a number of years since I was in this boat, but your command will have that sort of information available to you.

May not know much about 4Runners (yet), but know plenty about long term deployments.

Good Luck.

I see that you have a flag raising ove Suribachi as your Avatar.

So.........You are either becoming a Marine, or a Corpsman (the only position in the Navy worth anything.)

As you have been instructed, you need to know where you are going to be stationed before you can figure out what you are going to do.

If you are 0311 you will deploy for 7 months at a time to the Big Sandbox. If you go on a float anywhere from 6 to 13 months.

If you are an airwinger, you have another 7 month deployment.

If you are stationed in Guam, Okinawa, Iwakuni, or Misawa you are gone for 3 years. No sense in having your vehcile with you, especially since you might still deploy, though The Corps will pay to ship it for you. Although keeping a care in storage for 6+ months while on deployment can cause some problems.

Then recall that you can be called up and gone inside of 72 hours, and the Mean Green Machine could not care less about your precious 4Runner.

If you sell it, I say that you pocket the coin (in a Navy Federal Credity Union account - still have mine after 15 years) and save up for another 4Runner.

Oh yeah........If you get stationed at 29 Palms you don't want a nice paint job anyway......The sand will just take it right off.

"A Conservative in the land of Flaming Liberals........Massachusetts"

I thought you were talking about Boulder haha. I might have you beat on the flaming liberals part. I'm on a university campus to top it!

Yeah thats pretty much what I figured. I know for a fact my first duty station will be Virginia for 6mos, and after that I believe is Florida, Mississippi, or Texas, but I'm contracted as 7599 (dependant on my physical). If all goes to plan...and HOPEFULLY everything does!

Thanks for the replies!

Depending what base you're stationed at, they should have a long term storage area for all the people deploying.

If your entire unit is deploying (Unit Deployment Program or UDP), then they will definitely have storage set aside for you.

In either case, storing a vehicle will require you to disconnect the battery and possibly put the vehicle up on blocks (to protect the tires from rot).

Good luck and Semper Fi devildog!


USMC: 1985 - 1996

I am still in the Army so I can probably help you out here. When you go on a deployment, like Iraq, just let your parents keep your vehicle, DO NOT put it in storage because I have seen the damage the rats and hail will do to it while it is just sitting in the lot. If you go to Europe, you might want to sell it because the gas is bought by the liter, not the gallon, I think my friend who is over in Germany said he was paying a lot more for gas than we do here.

Evan

hey simple, are you up in sacramento or is sac town referring to somewhere else? If you are, are you going to teh meet next weekend?

Nope, sacramento it is. I'll definitely be at the meet! Rain or Shine.

Yeah, biding my time to pay off student loans and move to my dream.......Montana. God Willing.

Though I hear all thd Californicators are destroying that too.

Going to be an aviator? As an officer in The Corps you will live much better off than us lowly Enlisted Men.

If the Google search of 7599 is correct, you will earn those beautiful Gold Wings.

This changes things. You do OCS at Quantico (be sure to spend a few days at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Perhaps one of the finest quality museums you will EVER visit.

Then the 6-12 months at TBS. Then on to GORGEOUS Pensacola where you will definitely need a vehicle. Stationed in Pensacola for 6 months myself and it truly has the most beautiful beaches in the world (and I was stationed at Kaneohe Bay, HI for 2 years.)

Then to Corpus Cristi for further training.

You are in for a great ride man.

I agree that you should find out everything about your vehicle before reporting. A lot of training commands do not allow you to have a vehicle so it does depend on your schooling - although officers are held to a different standard.

you never mentioned what service you plan on joinng, what branch? So I assume you have DEP'd in already, right

Eh, hem.

Look at the Avatar that he is using. There are only 2 branches of service present.