When does a custom truck cease to be the daily driver? (And by daily driver, I mean commuting 5 days a week, 400 miles.)
Is it when you look down at the odometer and get that sinking feeling, realizing you've spent a solid year literally wearing out a truck that you're "just getting started on"?
Is it when you realize you haven't done one major modification in about half a year (unless getting gas is considered a mod)?
Is it when the weather stripping is falling off and a nice layer of dirt has coated many of your truck's surfaces?
Is it when you're afraid to leave your truck in open parking lots, and worry about vandalism?
Is it when the investment you've made in your truck makes driving it 100% of the time a greater risk than you'd like to take?
Is it when you're keenly aware of the possibility of failures on the road?
Is it when you've had one too many failures already on the road?
Is it when you're constantly looking for the 5-oh in your rear view mirror?
Is it when you'd like the chance actually do something on your truck beyond the scope of a weekend project?
Is it when it occurs to you that you can't simultaneously rely on a vehicle to get you from point A to point B soundly every weekday morning and continue to work on modifications?
I believe the answer is simply "yes."
Although I still feel basically the same way as I did back in November 2006 when I wrote Mini Truckin' Commuter Style, the one thing I didn't take into account is that you can't have any substantial further progress on your project when it's constantly on the road! Simple yet profound. Yes, I'd much rather drive it than simply preserve it, and yes, I've had my truck reliably on the road almost every day for a year, and wouldn't have had it any other way. I have taken great pride in making this happen.
But, now I am antsy to clean my truck up (1999 Chevrolet S10) and do a few "things" that will require some downtime, making a backup vehicle a necessity. If you have been following along, I had called this truck Commuter Status because it was the sole transportation I used to commute to work in daily. While it will still always be the daily, it will not have to be literally the daily commuter anymore. This way, we can follow more progress on this truck, in addition to the suspension upgrades that are already up.