The Explorer hit a new milestone this week – it hit 80,000 miles! After the booboo it had in November (see previous post), I was feeling kind of down about the Explorer after getting it back. It needed some clean up, I lost a piece of my roof rack while driving back from the shop somehow, and my back up camera has a period of time when it stopped working. It needs to be detailed like no one’s business.
Anyway, last Thursday the back up camera started working again, and I was VERY happy. When they replaced my windshield they put the cord for the camera into the windshield seal which makes no sense (it’s an aftermarket back up camera that we had running between panels). I was unhappy about it, but things are looking up again with it actually working so that’s good. We talked about getting a new Explorer (which would be nice) or an Expedition (which would actually fit our family), but we don’t want to make any moves until our oldest starts driving. I don’t think the Explorer is a good first car because the visibility is really low, but the hubs pointed out that we know all the history of this vehicle so it’s better than buying used from a stranger.
In a perfect world, we would keep this Explorer, the F250, and then get an Expedition. That would meet all of our family vehicle needs for a while. If it were me picking a new vehicle, I would want a Mustang Mach-E, but I don’t see that happening because I have large children and a larger vehicle also makes sense. We have time to figure it out.
For now I just need to love on my Explorer. I told the hubs I found these little pockets you put into the door handles in the inside to make it a functional space. Yes, that’s the next improvement I need. 😜 I also might need to replace my Nebraska sticker. It’s starting to g to peel.
This March will mark 12 years with the red Explorer. It’s been a great Mom vehicle for me. My starter (white) Explorer was a 2000 model I bought in 2009 (when I was pregnant with first kid), and I drove until I got this one in 2013. I really loved that Explorer. It had 100k miles on it when I got it and was a higher trim model. We spent some time cleaning it up, I got a new stereo with Bluetooth, and it was perfect! We bought it for $4000 and got $1000 on the trade in. That was at a time when the hubs and I each had two cars. Oh yeah. We each had a beater and one we loved. I had an Escort that I used that crap out of until I sold it when I got the white Explorer and a corvette. He had my old Ranger and a 2010 F150.
The longest running vehicle we had was the Ranger. I bought it in 1999 and we sold it in 2012 although it’s the one vehicle we really miss. Hopefully this one breaks that record for us. The Ranger had way more miles by this point!
Anyway, for the Explorer’s 12th birthday, I will get her the ridiculous door handle pocket things, get the toll tag going again (had to get a new one with the new windshield), and maybe replace the piece of roof rack I lost