OT: The Avalounge (mod warning - No Politics)

[ASmileyFace]

A truck is just necessary for where I live and what I do. I'm about 50 miles over two mountain passes from the nearest real town, have to haul firewood 2x a year for my main heat source, haul lumber and tools for when I pick up odd carpentry work, drive off-road 5+ times a week (in winter and summer conditions), I camp out of the vehicle 20+ times a year, haul all the ski/bike/camping equipment, and I'll need to tow rafting and snowmobiles often going forward. As @henchman24 said there just isn't a vehicle that does all that as well as a 1/2 ton truck.

I'd much rather daily drive a prius, but I can't afford two cars so gotta get the one that does it all. Luckily my girlfriend has the efficient car we use for our weekly grocery runs and road trips when we don't need the gear.

Rural america was built out of the bed of a truck and will always be a staple of middle america. I'm looking forward to the next generation where electric and hybrids will be more widespread.

 

[UncleRisto]

Anyone want to talk smart home tech? Have you found a cool setup that works for you, or maybe recently added a new thing? I'm thinking of getting some new lights and stuff.

 

[sethro109]

Anyone want to talk smart home tech? Have you found a cool setup that works for you, or maybe recently added a new thing? I'm thinking of getting some new lights and stuff.

I have an Alexa. I have her turn on and off some lights and show me the video feed of our video doorbell. Setting routines and linking devices through the app is easy enough. My main complaint is how often she activates by mistake. I've tried switching the activation command from Alexa to Echo, but it keeps doing it. Also if you have a strong accent of any kind, it has trouble. I got one for my mother, but she hates it because it doesn't understand her.

 

[Avsboy]

Anyone want to talk smart home tech? Have you found a cool setup that works for you, or maybe recently added a new thing? I'm thinking of getting some new lights and stuff.

I use buttons

 

[sethro109]

I use buttons

I'm trying to avoid this well know medical condition.

 

[redacted]

Appreciate the cultural look at it. Sure, that all sounds very Middle American to me. It's sort of interesting how different it is to the "utility" view of someone like me, obviously given the gas and space considerations and all that. And not only that, also just how differently car manufacturers are valued between the US and Northern Europe.

It is certainly middle American for the most part. Places on the (north) East Coast of the US don't really have the same space as elsewhere in the country. You still see trucks, but Philly, DC, and NYC are far different than say Kansas, Tennessee, Florida, Oregon, etc. Only place out west that I feel has a similar idea to NYC is the Bay Area. Even LA has plenty of space and use for trucks.

IMO if fuel costs were remotely similar to what they are in Europe, there would simply be far less trucks (or toned down versions of them). To US consumers, $4 a gallon is a lot and $5 is torch and pitchfork time. If we were hovering around 7/8/9, it would likely be a different story.

 

[The Moops]

Anyone want to talk smart home tech? Have you found a cool setup that works for you, or maybe recently added a new thing? I'm thinking of getting some new lights and stuff.

I recently setup Home Assistant. It's pretty awesome. Run almost everything through it

 

[UncleRisto]

I recently setup Home Assistant. It's pretty awesome. Run almost everything through it

Ah. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on Assistant! How do you have it set up?

 

[The Moops]

Ah. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on Assistant! How do you have it set up?

I'm just running it on a raspberry pi 4 with a combo z-wave/ZigBee USB stick. I have door and window sensors, power shutoff sensors, monitored alarm system, and thermostat all running though it. Light will be next I suspect. I just haven't decided on whether to get smart bulbs or switches yet.

 

[redacted]

I once got into smart home stuff, then just found I didn't use it enough to justify things. Whole home audio with zones and electronic door lock were really the most useful to me. Anything beyond that has been meh to bad and I'd rather just flip a switch or move a knob. I despise my Nest thermostat, but it was the best at the time for my system (2 wire). When I upgrade to a whole house heat pump, that thing will be in the trash ASAP.

 

[The Moops]

I once got into smart home stuff, then just found I didn't use it enough to justify things. Whole home audio with zones and electronic door lock were really the most useful to me. Anything beyond that has been meh to bad and I'd rather just flip a switch or move a knob. I despise my Nest thermostat, but it was the best at the time for my system (2 wire). When I upgrade to a whole house heat pump, that thing will be in the trash ASAP.

This is the first time I've done it, and I primarily wanted to do it because my damn kids always leave the door open while the AC is on, so now I have an automation that will shut off the AC if a door is open for more than 30 seconds. Also nice to have a home security setup finally too

 

[UncleRisto]

I'm just running it on a raspberry pi 4 with a combo z-wave/ZigBee USB stick. I have door and window sensors, power shutoff sensors, monitored alarm system, and thermostat all running though it. Light will be next I suspect. I just haven't decided on whether to get smart bulbs or switches yet.

I once got into smart home stuff, then just found I didn't use it enough to justify things. Whole home audio with zones and electronic door lock were really the most useful to me. Anything beyond that has been meh to bad and I'd rather just flip a switch or move a knob. I despise my Nest thermostat, but it was the best at the time for my system (2 wire). When I upgrade to a whole house heat pump, that thing will be in the trash ASAP.

I have a couple of Lifx bulbs. They are pretty decent, but with it being darker outside, I've noticed an actual need for more lighting in the apartment, and I'm considering getting deeper in the shit with smart lights.

My actual light switches are kind of annoying so centralizing them to a hub could well be beneficial. But now I've also considered gradually adding Hue so...

Heat pumps rock.

 

[Foppberg]

Unless you work in the trades I don't understand why someone would have a truck as their everyday vehicle. I see so many people driving around in my province with huge trucks that haven't seen a second of real work done with it. Not for me, I'll stick with my little Mazda

 

[5280]

Unless you work in the trades I don't understand why someone would have a truck as their everyday vehicle. I see so many people driving around in my province with huge trucks that haven't seen a second of real work done with it. Not for me, I'll stick with my little Mazda

It’s probably nice to have the option of a truck bed for some people…..but yeah it becomes a status symbol, too.

I’m more of a Toyota Tacoma kind of guy. Good utility, less footprint.

 

[Foppberg]

It’s probably nice to have the option of a truck bed…….but yeah it becomes a status symbol, too.

I’m more of a Toyota Tacoma kind of guy. Good utility, less footprint.

If I really felt I needed a truck I’d probably just buy a little second hand beater truck for those times tbh. That’s what most of my family and friends do. I was parked beside a supped up F450 the other day and was just blown away by the massive size of the damn thing. I can only imagine the fuel mileage and cost

 

[redacted]

Heat pumps rock.

The energy savings that I'd have will pretty much pay for itself in time. I'll still some days where I have to use backup heat (and I have a natural gas furnace that will stay installed for those days), but for 95-98% of the time a heat pump will heat and cool my house for about 60-65% the cost of what I use today.

Unless you work in the trades I don't understand why someone would have a truck as their everyday vehicle. I see so many people driving around in my province with huge trucks that haven't seen a second of real work done with it. Not for me, I'll stick with my little Mazda

There are some real dummies with trucks (I live in a prime area for that), but if we are talking two vehicle solutions, those can actually have more of an impact than just driving around one truck. IE a person driving just an F150 powerboost hybrid (they actually are incredibly efficient) is likely making less of an environmental impact than one driving a similar truck and also having a rando CUV for the daily. The environmental cost to produce and maintain the second vehicle out weight they emissions difference while driving.

If I really felt I needed a truck I’d probably just buy a little second hand beater truck for those times tbh. That’s what most of my family and friends do. I was parked beside a supped up F450 the other day and was just blown away by the massive size of the damn thing. I can only imagine the fuel mileage and cost

That's what I have for my truck things... barely moves, but useful when I need it. When EV trucks are easier to buy, I'll likely condense my daily driver and truck into one vehicle.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

The real clowns are the people who have those huge, black chimney exhausts retrofitted to their truckbeds. Or those who have lifted trucks on lego wheels. Those immediately tell me everything I need to know about them.

 

[The Moops]

The real clowns are the people who have those huge, black chimney exhausts retrofitted to their truckbeds. Or those who have lifted trucks on lego wheels. Those immediately tell me everything I need to know about them.

The worst part about riding a motorcycle (besides being almost hit by soccer moms on a daily occurrence) was getting stuck behind someone who "rolls coal" at a stop light. Man breathing that in unfiltered is freaking terrible.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

It's funny, in Alaska I find all sorts of people driving trucks that have absolutely no clue on how to do so. They think they can conquer the world, then they floor it from a red light with absolutely no extra weight in the bed and go for a loop-de-loop through the intersection like an idiot. We basically drive on ice most of the winter. I found that mid-sized SUV like Honda CRVs or Subaru Forrester do better on the roads if given a decent set of Blizzak's than trucks do simply because of the weight distribution.

 

[redacted]

The worst part about riding a motorcycle (besides being almost hit by soccer moms on a daily occurrence) was getting stuck behind someone who "rolls coal" at a stop light. Man breathing that in unfiltered is freaking terrible.

And dangerous to your health. The sooner we can get rid of that shit the better.

 

[Ceremony]

I was looking up expensive local houses (I think this one was actually a mansion) recently and one said it was equipped with "the latest home operating systems" and I felt like becoming one of those people you read about who go and live in the woods and completely shut off from civilisation.

 

[dahrougem2]

I have a newfound respect for hockey players. Took a stick to the mouth last night in my season opener and then literally minutes later took a slapshot to the face and got a huge gash on my cheek underneath my eye.

The next few days should be fun.

 

[redacted]

I was looking up expensive local houses (I think this one was actually a mansion) recently and one said it was equipped with "the latest home operating systems" and I felt like becoming one of those people you read about who go and live in the woods and completely shut off from civilisation.

Also... that sounds like the most boomer way to describe a smart home.

My dream is a couple hundred acres of land in the mountains that has a tiny cabin with a view. I don't want to see another person from it either.... one day.

 

[MonsterMack]

I have a newfound respect for hockey players. Took a stick to the mouth last night in my season opener and then literally minutes later took a slapshot to the face and got a huge gash on my cheek underneath my eye.

The next few days should be fun.

I don't understand non-pros not wearing a cage of some sort.

Hope you are okay.

 

[The Moops]

Also... that sounds like the most boomer way to describe a smart home.

My dream is a couple hundred acres of land in the mountains that has a tiny cabin with a view. I don't want to see another person from it either.... one day.

Pretty close to what I've got. Not that much acreage though