Question, To lend my truck or not

[PGPowerboost]

Looking for your thoughts here. My brother in law called me today and asked if i would let my nephew borrow my truck to haul a sailboat from Houston to New Orleans over spring break.

My nephew is 22 y/o about to graduate college. He is a competitive sailor at a very high level and is in fact a licensed captain up to 100 tons (about an 80 foot boat).

The trailer is about 2,800 lbs. He has pulled boats across the country. My brother in law’s tow vehicle is currently out of state to move my nephew home from college in about a month and a half. He wants to take the sailboat to New Orleans over spring break to go sailing with friends (not sure if it’s a regatta or just sailing).

I’m having mixed feelings about this. Seems like letting a 22 y/o use my truck to pull a boat to and from New Orleans during spring break carries a higher level of risk than I’m comfortable with.

WIBTA if I don’t let him borrow it? Am I just worrying too much about nothing?

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[Samson16]

Tow it with him and go sailing with your nephew. Life is short.

 

[Grafx36510]

It’s a hard decision, to be sure. I’d probably say no, but only because of the fact that it’s spring break. Although, as @Samson16 says, I’d be happy to accompany him and have a good time.

 

[darkhorse]

No. Tell him you need it during that time. By 22 he should be able to own his own truck.

 

[astrand1]

That’s a tough one. He sound very responsible and has towed before. But on the other hand I remember what it’s like to be 22. lol. Maybe all parties might be better served for you to help him rent a Tahoe or something to pull it. I say Tahoe because most rental pickups don’t have a tow package but many Tahoe’s and suburbans do they are just covered with that bumper beauty cover. This way if something happens no one is out a vehicle. Just a thought.

 

[nvabill]

Looking for your thoughts here. My brother in law called me today and asked if i would let my nephew borrow my truck to haul a sailboat from Houston to New Orleans over spring break.

My nephew is 22 y/o about to graduate college. He is a competitive sailor at a very high level and is in fact a licensed captain up to 100 tons (about an 80 foot boat).

The trailer is about 2,800 lbs. He has pulled boats across the country. My brother in law’s tow vehicle is currently out of state to move my nephew home from college in about a month and a half. He wants to take the sailboat to New Orleans over spring break to go sailing with friends (not sure if it’s a regatta or just sailing).

I’m having mixed feelings about this. Seems like letting a 22 y/o use my truck to pull a boat to and from New Orleans during spring break carries a higher level of risk than I’m comfortable with.

WIBTA if I don’t let him borrow it? Am I just worrying too much about nothing?

Asking to use your truck is a big ask and probably only you can decide if you want to do it or not. With that said just remember we all get old one day and there may come a time you need a big something from your nephew. But, if you do loan it to him make sure you have as much insurance on it as you can!

 

[powerboatr]

Why would brother in law call on your nephews behalf?
That imo tells me the 22 yo is not mature enough to go straight to horse to borrow said truck

But then again. I have 3 seat settings and I am the only one thst drives the truck

 

[bfastr]

NO. NO good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Dan M.]

I’m sorry but I’d tell him flat out no. That’s why they have car and truck rentals. Too big a risk, and it sounds like he’s taking his buddies with him so no telling what they’ll be doing.

 

[diambo4life]

Go with him if you can, or add him as an authorized user to your insurance and let him go. Mitigate any risk. It's family and boy, it will be used against you in the future when you are in need. I would do it. Your brother obviously felt very comfortable with you for this big ask and it means a lot to him for his son to go, so make it happen.

BTW, why are they not renting a truck?

 

[Blue22]

That's a tough decision and one I hope I never have to be faced with. Will you not need your truck while he's gone? If you won't I probably would let him borrow it since he sounds like he knows what he's doing, but it would come with a list of caveats, which would firmly be expressed to both him and his dad. Definitely talk about what would happen if something were to happen to your truck such as who will be paying for any damages.

Take your brother-in-law and your nephew on a walkaround of the vehicle before he leaves. This would be to inspect the truck for any damages that are already there. If the sailboat is local, go hook it up with both of them and have your nephew get a few miles under his belt while you ride along shotgun to go over all of the safety and towing features these new trucks have to help him get familiar and comfortable before he heads out on his own with his buddies. Better to do it now before he gets on the road and they start goofing off and having fun. Treat the experience sort of like when you rent a car, which would mean returning it with a full tank of gas and a case or bottle of your beverage of choice at a bare minimum.

I would also let them know in so many words that the FordPass app let's you know where the truck is at all times so if he says he is only going to haul it there, launch the boat and then park it, you'll know if that's what actually happened.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe you can customize settings for another driver which may let you control the top speed and maybe some other things if you are concerned about that sort of thing.

In the end you are the only one that can make the decision based on your gut instincts. I get it, on one hand you want to be the cool uncle, but on the other hand you don't want something bad to happen to your baby and then harbor resentment toward him.

It's a tough call but not every kid going to spring break is a partying lunatic whose only goal is to get drunk and destroy his uncle's new truck. Accidents happen, which is what insurance is for. I say let him go to spring break in style in the best truck on the road.

 

[Pedaldude]

Lent a friend my truck once to pick up a motorcycle on a 1K mile round trip.

He returned it with an empty tank, the oil light on and absolutely filthy.

That was a seven year old truck that I had already put through its paces. I wouldn’t even ask to borrow a new truck if I knew the owner would want me to borrow it. Maybe your nephew feels the same way and it’s the BIL that has the feelings of entitlement.

If someone asked for the keys to my ‘21, depending on the context; I’d probably flat out laugh at them. I don’t even like to drive it myself in traffic. Even if something happens due to a third party while the truck is parked; it’s still a recipe for bad blood and you might even be blamed for any disaster.

The fact that you have to ask strangers on the internet is usually a good call that it was inappropriate for your brother in law to even ask, putting you in this dilemma in the first place.

Then there’s the slippery slope of once you loan it out, now everyone else is going to ask.

That being said, nobody has ever had a good time towing a sailboat; so it’s not like you’re going to have to worry about him hot rodding through South like in Two Lane Blacktop or even some Easy Rider scenario. You could even get him invested a bit in the truck, make him do the oil change and any other needed maintenance.

Either way, good luck!

 

[Buyer2021]

I'd gift him the cost of a suitable rental vehicle as an early graduation present.

I'm sure you wouldn't even consider this post if he weren't a very responsible young adult in your judgement, but that's not the point.

IMO the point is everyone else on the roads at and between Houston and New Orleans. I've BTDT trip many, many times over the decades and it's fraught with risk from 'the other guy', especially during 'event weeks' and festivals like spring break. Hell, those are the prime times for nefarious shits to mess with vehicles just sitting parked at hotels, etc. in New Orleans.

IF something happens when driving a rental that'd be very unfortunate, and hopefully it won't. But IF that something bad happens to your truck, IMO it's inevitable that all affected will feel even worse, even under the best of bad circumstances.

Explaining the reason for your decision to fund the rental rather than lend your truck demonstrates your generous and heartfelt support for the young man while avoiding any possibility of regret and/or remorse by anyone.

 

[PPK]

An enormously bad idea…

 

[JohngaltinOC]

I 100% get your dilemma, but no one here can answer. Kid sounds pretty solid, but I think if I was a smart 22yrs, I would be the one who had misgivings about using your truck. If he doesn't, that may speak volumes.

Also, this ain't running down to the local Home Depot, we're talking 700+ miles rt. Maybe the best we can do is give you alternate ideas, I liked the Tahoe rent scenario, if money is not a big impediment.

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