Truck newbie has questions

[Rhino]

If all goes well, I will be a first-time truck owner some time tomorrow afternoon.

The vehicle I'm looking at is a 2007 XTerra, the Offroad version. Unless my mechanic tells me something troubling during his inspection tomorrow, I expect to go ahead with the purchase. Now, I want to get a jump on some things I will need to do in the early days of owning the truck.

The original netting and hooks that came with the truck are long gone but from reading many owner reviews, I can tell I'm going to want to do *something* to organize the storage space at the back. What are other XTerra owners doing in that regard? I toyed with buying the original equipment from Nissan but they want $55 for the large net and $57 for the hooks to hold it in place and that seems a bit much. I'm wondering if a trip to Home Depot or Canadian Tire will reveal aftermarket solutions that work every bit as well for less money?

I have some tools and so forth (like a folding shovel, a portable compressor, etc.) that I want to have in the vehicle at all times so I'll need to reserve some space for that and keep those things from flying around. I'd like to keep those things as compact as I can so that I have room for other things. I'm a single guy so I expect that the back seats will be folded flat most of the time but I will haul some passengers occasionally so I can't assume that they will be folded down ALL of the time. I'd appreciate any ideas people have to handle my situation. I'll also need to carry groceries regularly and occasional take the cats to the vet in their carrier. I suppose all of those things will need tying down as I drive around.

Is anyone finding parking garages that can accomodate the XTerra in southern Ontario? I'm guessing not. According to the specs, the XTerra is 75" (6.25 ft) but I can't remember the last time I saw a parking garage that has more than 5.9 ft clearance. Something tells me I'm going to have to park above ground - on the street or in above-ground lots - just about all the time....

What are XTerra owners putting in the storage compartment at the front of the roof rack? It's not that large and it's very flat and can't be locked so I'm having trouble thinking of much that I *could* put in there. (If it locked, I might put my socket set in there to save room in the back of the truck.)

Speaking of security, I'm giving serious thought to getting the key code changed for the XTerra. The used car dealer that I'm expecting to buy from says they only have 1 (full-function) key for the vehicle, which means that the other full-function key and the valet key are floating around. The previous owner lives in town here and I doubt there are many XTerras in town in my colour so I feel like leaving the locks unchanged is an open invitation to steal the truck back if he wants it. I called a local Nissan dealer and they want $66 for each new key - I really want to have at least 1 spare - and then there's a fee of $110 for each key to be programmed. I'm thinking of getting the combination changed on both keys (the existing one and the new one) but apparently that will still enable someone with one of the original keys to open the vehicle, just not start it. It's getting to be a very expensive proposition just to make this truck secure against the previous owner(s)! A better solution would be to recombinate the doors as well but I shudder to think of what that would cost. Is anyone aware of a more cost-effective solution? Maybe a local locksmith would do it a lot cheaper? I'd rather not do anything beyond buying a new spare key but I'm concerned that if someone *does* steal it, the insurance company will disallow a theft claim if they find out that old keys were floating around and I didn't change the locks.

During my test drive, I noticed that the warning light for low tire pressure was on constantly. I thought perhaps the tire pressure was just a bit low in one of the tires and mentioned it to the dealer. He told me that this particular indicator was not terribly reliable and was quite expensive to fix at $200. Is that what other XTerra owners have found? I'm thinking I should just train myself to ignore the light and NOT fix it if it is inclined to give false readings anyway....

All of my six previous vehicles were sedans so owning a truck will be a bit of a unique experience. During my test drive, I certainly liked being higher up and being able to see more of what was around me. I may need a bit of practice time to get my parking - and parallel parking! - up to snuff with this vehicle though. It FEELS big and I'm not completely used to depending on my mirrors for backing up.

Before I had cars, I had several motorcycles, either enduros or real dirt bikes. I really enjoyed those bikes and bashing around in the dirt with them. I didn't buy the XTerra with the primary intent of offroading it but it *is* the Offroad model and I have some fond memories of the dirt so I may well give that a try. Does anyone know of any places in the London area where I can drive offroad legally and for free (or minimal cost)? I have to admit to being a little anxious about driving offroad by myself in case I overestimate my driving skills and get myself stuck somewhere that no tow truck will ever go. That's part of why I've joined this club. It seems to me that offroading is probably best done via the buddy system so if I get stuck, my "buddy" (or buddies) can help pull me out. (In my dirt biking days, I could simply push the bike back to a road but I know I'm not pushing a two ton vehicle by myself!) Do any of you have gatherings - even very informal ones - in the London area?

[Miner]

Welcome to CNTC. Most of your questions should get answered by the Xterra owners so I'll stick to the generic stuff.

Parking clearance, I was able to park my lifted Titan in every underground or multilevel parking lot I tried. My antennas did drag on the ceiling, which was a good warning for when it was getting tight. Measure the truck and be careful until your comfortable with judging how much clearance you need.

The tire pressure sensors were reliable for ~10+ years. They are however susceptible to tire installers who do not pay attention. I'd check to make sure they're all installed, then confirm that each tire is properly inflated. If a sensor is damaged replace it, the system is worth having and can pay for itself if a tire us low and wears prematurely.

Keys...honestly I don't like the idea of only having one key. I'd push for more in the deal, offer less, or look at a different SUV depending on the asking price.

Again welcome, and I hope you enjoy your Nissan.

[Rhino]

Thanks, Miner! I'm glad to hear that height is not likely to be as much of an issue as I thought. I'll have my mechanic check the tires and sensors when he is going over the vehicle tomorrow. The dealer said there was only 1 key but his file said there are two so he's going to look around and try to find the second key; they apparently keep their main keys and backup keys in separate lockboxes in case of a robbery. I can try to get a price break due to the key issue - especially if there is only 1 - but he said they were a dealership that didn't dicker. We'll see. If I can convince him that I'll walk away if he doesn't give me $500 or $1000 off, he might decide to take the deal rather than lose the buyer. From the carproof, it seems he's had the XTerra for 5 or six weeks already so he may be getting anxious about moving it....

[Bow_Tied]

Welcome from a fellow Londoner! There are a few from the Forest City that are members here, hope to see you sometime, tho we are pretty quiet in the summer.

There no legal places to wheel anywhere near London on Crown land. There might be a place or two on private land but I don't know of them. If you want to run trails in Ontario noted by the OF4WD then the closest you are likely to find of any worth are in the Bobcaygen/Minden area ~4-4.5 hours drive. There are some ORV parks in Michigan as an option that might be a tad closer distance wise. I do recommend you check out Adventure weekend though!! http://cntc.ca/adventure-weekend/

If you had thoughts of an after market alarm at some point, before buying keys talk with a reputable alarm installer see if there are other options. I recommend Fox Autosound in Dorchester.

If the dealer won't dicker on the price then he ought to get you a key that works, every car should come with two keys/fobs in this day and age.

[Rhino]

Thanks for the suggestions, Bow_Tied! Bobcaygen's a rather long haul just to try a bit of off-roading; I was hoping I'd find something closer. The dealer that has the XTerra said something about a place in/near Tilsonburg. He said it is free and legal but, naturally, is on a "use at own risk" basis. He said there are both motorcycles and 4 wheelers there. I'll have to get some directions from him and check it out first. I won't expect much but then I'll be pleasantly surprised if it is good. If we get a harsh winter after this past mild one, I may get lots of extra practice at tricky driving ;-)

[the x kid]

Welcome from one of the other londoners.

[Rhino]

Welcome from one of the other londoners.

Thank you!

[kremit]

And another ...!

[the x kid]

Nice board name. Rino's are awesome.

[Rhino]

And another ...!

Hi Kremit, good to meet you!

[kremit]

Hi Kremit, good to meet you!

Take that back right ...now ...!!!

[Bow_Tied]

Don't mind Kremit; meds have random impact.

[Rhino]

Don't mind Kremit; meds have random impact.

Remind me not to really provoke him with something like "Good morning!"

[Rhino]

For what it's worth, I got good news from my mechanic on the condition of the vehicle and the dealer found the second key *and* a fob for the XTerra. He says the fob may not be working but that's no biggie to me. Maybe I can just change the battery and fix it. If not, I'll just go old-school and use the key. They're doing the safety now. I hope to get it this afternoon and have it for the long weekend but it may not happen until Tuesday. They have to do a fair bit of brake work for the safety.

I told him what I'd heard here about the tire pressure indicator and he took exception to that. He said he rarely disagrees with a customer but he had a lot with several different vehicles that had faulty tire pressure indicators. I suspect he was trying to avoid paying to fix it if it turns out that the sensor is faulty but he promised that if the tires were leaky - my mechanic said one of them was low - that they WOULD fix that. With a bit of luck, that's all it is and the indicator turns off after that. Otherwise, I'll just ignore the indicator and check the pressure every couple of weeks. I have a portable compressor thanks to a long-ago purchase at Canadian Tire so filling the tire is no challenge.

[Drizit]

Hmm I don't remember for sure, Mike can chime in here. Arn't tire pressure monitors required for the new safety regs if they are equipped?

[kremit]

Don't mind Kremit; meds have random impact.

Remind me not to really provoke him with something like "Good morning!"

Or, hey - don't provoke HER by making gender assumptions ...

Just like Bow_Tied shouldn't assume I'm actually taking my meds ...

[Drizit]

This is the Internet, everyone is a guy... Particularly anyone who claims to be a woman.

[Bow_Tied]

I knew it! Kremit almost had me fooled (admittedly not hard).