People suck...My rant for the day...

[Positrac]

So, I’ve been looking for a newer used Ram Power Wagon for a while...like 2 years a while. I already have a 2005 but had been looking to upgrade to a newer one because while I don’t mind doing the maintenance on a older vehicle mine is starting to get a bit of rust and it’s just not worth spending the money to have it all repaired on a vehicle that’s only worth $6-8 grand...

So one came up a week ago in Whitecourt that ticked all the boxes. It was a 2011 with only 116km. Carfax showed the services it had with no accidents or liens. Because it was 550km away I made sure to ask as many questions as I could think of. I wanted to know every detail of the shape it was in because it was a long ways away and if I was to make the drive I wanted to be sure I was bringing it home. Original owners and in pretty good shape for a 9 year old truck. It was their baby and they were sad to see it go but they had decided to sell. We negotiated a price that I was happy with. I then got the bank draft and with the VIN was able to get insurance on it for today.

So far everything was going smooth with the hardest part being talking my wife into driving out to Whitecourt with me then driving all the way back by herself. She’s not a driver and really doesn’t like long trips, and with over 11 hours of driving round trip in one day it was definitely long by her standards.

We leave before dawn this morning and are there by 11am. A quick walk around the truck and I can start to spot flaws that I wasn’t told about but nothing too serious. We then open up the truck and before I could even get in it I could smell, well I have a real crappy nose so it was more taste, this really strong/bitter something permeating from in the truck. I ask my wife to jump up in it and right away she said wow, it really smells like cigarette smoke. The owner admitted that he smoked in it a few times.

Despite that we still decide to take it for a test ride but we only made for a couple miles and my wife said she had to get out....the smell was that bad. By then I had a headache from the smell so the test drive was quick and we took it back. While there are shops that could detail the interior and possibly get rid of all the smell there was no way I could drive it the better part of 6 hours back home the way it was today.

So why do that to a guy? I can understand not mentioning the heavy tick coming from the motor because they might not be very mechanical or may have thought I wasn’t, but something that smells that bad can’t be missed. It physically assaulted your senses. Do people who regularly smoke just become immune to the smell? Is that even possible? I find it impossible to think that they didn’t know how bad it smelled and do you not think that might be something to tell a guy before he drove 6 hours to see the truck, especially when they knew I was picky and looking for just the right truck.

People...

Rant over.

[Twisted Canuck]

Yep, that truly sucks. And you can really never get the smell out when it is that bad. I had a similar situation years ago when I drove from Pincher Creek to Edmonton to buy a 'mint low mileage' cargo van. When I got there, it was a short version, but the pictures had made sure not to show it, and it had been given a really poor spray job, over rust, lousy masking job so overspray on mouldings and trim. Just garbage. It wouldn't even start, battery was dead. None of this was disclosed during our phone call, just that I would be 'veddy veddy happy with eet'. The owner was a camel salesman in his previous job, I'm pretty sure. I was choked too.

So I feel your pain.

[jungleboy]

Smokers don’t smell smoke as unpleasant
Dog owners don’t smell dog smell in their homes and vehicles
Cat owners don’t notice the acrid smell of cat pee in their homes

Human nature.

But you’re right people suck for the most part.

[RandyBoBandy]

Well, if the "ticking" is just failed exhaust manifolds, you're OK and the smell should be able to be eradicated by a top shelf detailer (read ozone generator) Sux you had to do that trip

[tbiddy]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Smokers don’t smell smoke as unpleasant
Dog owners don’t smell dog smell in their homes and vehicles
Cat owners don’t notice the acrid smell of cat pee in their homes

Human nature.

But you’re right people suck for the most part.

Yup. They’ve gone nose blind.

[sewerrat]

Even dealers suck, we saw a nice Toyota RAV4 on line the car was a year old and a good price, we made the appointment to take a closer look, got to the dealership the sales lady pulled it up front, and as soon as she opened the door I could smell the cigarette smell, I told her i'm not interested, but she was ready to sell us a new one.
Would be nice if she told us that the car it stunk, before we drove on the lot.

[Outbound]

First question I ask when looking at a used vehicle is "Are you a smoker and has this vehicle ever been smoked in, even once?" If the answer is anything other than "No, I don't smoke.", I'm not interested. I won't even sit in a smoker's vehicle or visit a smoker's house.

[58thecat]

Meh....you hunt high and low to get the so called deals....expect this or buy new and even then...our first world issues surface now and then.

[sako1]

Originally Posted by Positrac

So, I’ve been looking for a newer used Ram Power Wagon for a while...like 2 years a while. I already have a 2005 but had been looking to upgrade to a newer one because while I don’t mind doing the maintenance on a older vehicle mine is starting to get a bit of rust and it’s just not worth spending the money to have it all repaired on a vehicle that’s only worth $6-8 grand...

So one came up a week ago in Whitecourt that ticked all the boxes. It was a 2011 with only 116km. Carfax showed the services it had with no accidents or liens. Because it was 550km away I made sure to ask as many questions as I could think of. I wanted to know every detail of the shape it was in because it was a long ways away and if I was to make the drive I wanted to be sure I was bringing it home. Original owners and in pretty good shape for a 9 year old truck. It was their baby and they were sad to see it go but they had decided to sell. We negotiated a price that I was happy with. I then got the bank draft and with the VIN was able to get insurance on it for today.

So far everything was going smooth with the hardest part being talking my wife into driving out to Whitecourt with me then driving all the way back by herself. She’s not a driver and really doesn’t like long trips, and with over 11 hours of driving round trip in one day it was definitely long by her standards.

We leave before dawn this morning and are there by 11am. A quick walk around the truck and I can start to spot flaws that I wasn’t told about but nothing too serious. We then open up the truck and before I could even get in it I could smell, well I have a real crappy nose so it was more taste, this really strong/bitter something permeating from in the truck. I ask my wife to jump up in it and right away she said wow, it really smells like cigarette smoke. The owner admitted that he smoked in it a few times.

Despite that we still decide to take it for a test ride but we only made for a couple miles and my wife said she had to get out....the smell was that bad. By then I had a headache from the smell so the test drive was quick and we took it back. While there are shops that could detail the interior and possibly get rid of all the smell there was no way I could drive it the better part of 6 hours back home the way it was today.

So why do that to a guy? I can understand not mentioning the heavy tick coming from the motor because they might not be very mechanical or may have thought I wasn’t, but something that smells that bad can’t be missed. It physically assaulted your senses. Do people who regularly smoke just become immune to the smell? Is that even possible? I find it impossible to think that they didn’t know how bad it smelled and do you not think that might be something to tell a guy before he drove 6 hours to see the truck, especially when they knew I was picky and looking for just the right truck.

People...

Rant over.

Be glad you didn't buy it. The tick might be a simple exhaust manifold. But good chance it needs a cam and lifters. Done 3 hemis this month alone. Usually ends up about 4g....

[Map Maker]

Originally Posted by sewerrat

Even dealers suck, we saw a nice Toyota RAV4 on line the car was a year old and a good price, we made the appointment to take a closer look, got to the dealership the sales lady pulled it up front, and as soon as she opened the door I could smell the cigarette smell, I told her i'm not interested, but she was ready to sell us a new one.
Would be nice if she told us that the car it stunk, before we drove on the lot.

That’s the old bait-switch technique. I had the same thing with an Ethnic dealership. Took a truck for a test drive and check engine light came on. I said “ are you serious?”
He was almost embarrassed it was so obvious what they were doing.
Just losers.

[jstubbs]

Just seen a post on FB about a guy who bought a truck out of AB and had it shipped to Ontario. He's told it needs a few small things but in overall great mechanical condition. It arrives and the truck clearly has a blown head gasket, among numerous other fairly serious issues.

At the end of the day, it's a huge gamble on any used vehicle. But also, some people really do just suck.

[rjlester]

Originally Posted by Outbound

First question I ask when looking at a used vehicle is "Are you a smoker and has this vehicle ever been smoked in, even once?" If the answer is anything other than "No, I don't smoke.", I'm not interested. I won't even sit in a smoker's vehicle or visit a smoker's house.

I'm the same way, I don't smoke, but growing up my parents smoked and I hated it. Can't stand the smell of smoke at all, especially in enclosed spaces.

One time, I was working on a film set, they were using one of my vehicles for the film and since I was a car guy, they asked if I could look after all set vehicles. This included getting different vehicles ready for filming particular scenes, warming them up, and also driving actors from one location to another on this big farm East of Edmonton.

They assigned me a Ford Escape to drive some actors around and I jumped in it and the smoke smell was hurrendous, the worst I had ever smelled!!! It was a cold fall morning, just above zero, and I drove with all the windows open, even the actors could'nt stand the smell. I would have used my own vehicle, but it was in the shoot so I was stuck driving this discusting thing for two hours.

Later I saw the owner get in it and lit up a smoke. First thing she did was shut OFF the heater fan and drove away with the windows up, and no fan. Just gross. At least my parents cracked the windows open and blasted the fan, that really does make a difference.

My Mom passed away five years ago as a result of decades of smoking. My dad quit smoking about 4 years ago, I was quite proud of him for finally taking that step. His vehicles took about a year before you could barely smell the smoke and after two years, I could not smell it at all.

[HeavyD111]

Back in 2013 we looked at an 07 FI Cruiser at the Toyota lot in Medicine Hat. It was only 12k or something weirdly low when others were 17-20k.

Sales person said it had slight dog smell so they dropped the price accordingly...well, I never knew what anal gland issues were and holy crap did that thing smell like an outhouse..one gagging trip around the block and we returned it.

Sales person said they figured gland issues and even ozone couldnt fix it, so best to just try and bail out. I suggested they donate it to the college mechanics program if they have one as this thing was just gross.

[GeoTrekr]

My first car was a smoker's car. Every time it rained or got humid out, the smell would resurface.

When I went into the dashboard to replace the radio, part of the job involved removing the air vents (first step, they just snapped out of the dashboard). The back of them were covered in some sort of nasty yellowish goo.

I've known many 'clean' smokers over the years, the type you wouldn't ever know unless you caught them in the act. I've got no problem with that.

But as for smoked-in cars/houses, or even sometimes anything kept in them, forget it. I've done my time in one, and once was enough.

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by rjlester

I'm the same way, I don't smoke, but growing up my parents smoked and I hated it. Can't stand the smell of smoke at all, especially in enclosed spaces.

One time, I was working on a film set, they were using one of my vehicles for the film and since I was a car guy, they asked if I could look after all set vehicles. This included getting different vehicles ready for filming particular scenes, warming them up, and also driving actors from one location to another on this big farm East of Edmonton.

They assigned me a Ford Escape to drive some actors around and I jumped in it and the smoke smell was hurrendous, the worst I had ever smelled!!! It was a cold fall morning, just above zero, and I drove with all the windows open, even the actors could'nt stand the smell. I would have used my own vehicle, but it was in the shoot so I was stuck driving this discusting thing for two hours.

Later I saw the owner get in it and lit up a smoke. First thing she did was shut OFF the heater fan and drove away with the windows up, and no fan. Just gross. At least my parents cracked the windows open and blasted the fan, that really does make a difference.

My Mom passed away five years ago as a result of decades of smoking. My dad quit smoking about 4 years ago, I was quite proud of him for finally taking that step. His vehicles took about a year before you could barely smell the smoke and after two years, I could not smell it at all.

That sounds right. I don't smoke, nobody in my family immediate or extended smokes in fact. I get exposed to it at work since 90% of people in the patch smoke and I fricking hate it. I can often peg somone as a smoker from 10 feet away. I really don't think smokers realize just how bad they stink or how much that smell permeates their clothes, vehicles and homes. t least at work I can get up wind or put some distance between us.

The reason I won't even visit a smoker's home again is due to one time I spent at a friend's place. We were on a road trip and stopped in to visit and spend the night. I'd forgotten that he and his wife were not only smokers, but indoor smokers. Their ceiling was stained from the indoor smoking... It was too late to find a hotel and not wanting to be rude, my wife and I bucked up and spent the night. On our way out of town we had to stop at a community center pool to try and get the smell out of our skin with the chlorine. We each spent 30 minutes in the showers scrubbing and that didn't even get it all. I felt gross for a couple days. Our clothes from that night went in garbage bags in the truck bed for the rest of the trip and took 3 heavy washes to get the smell mostly out, but not enough. I ended up throwing those clothes away. My wife and I both had persistent coughs for 4 days afterwards as well.

Smoking is such a disgusting habit.

[^v^Tinda wolf^v^]

You probably won’t eliminate all the smell as I’ve been trying to get the smell of cigarettes out of my truck for the past four months. I quit smoking successfully and can’t stand the smell now. I may try one of those steam cleaner deals I seen on tv recently. I’ll look it up again, it’s a smaller hand held steam blaster.
So far I scrubbed it up to a standard only a women would appreciate and also used non scented fabreeze. I hit it with that super powerful ultraviolet light I got as well. The light did help believe it or not! That is after that burnt smell dissipated.

[TreeGuy]

Originally Posted by Outbound

That sounds right. I don't smoke, nobody in my family immediate or extended smokes in fact. I get exposed to it at work since 90% of people in the patch smoke and I fricking hate it. I can often peg somone as a smoker from 10 feet away. I really don't think smokers realize just how bad they stink or how much that smell permeates their clothes, vehicles and homes. t least at work I can get up wind or put some distance between us.

The reason I won't even visit a smoker's home again is due to one time I spent at a friend's place. We were on a road trip and stopped in to visit and spend the night. I'd forgotten that he and his wife were not only smokers, but indoor smokers. Their ceiling was stained from the indoor smoking... It was too late to find a hotel and not wanting to be rude, my wife and I bucked up and spent the night. On our way out of town we had to stop at a community center pool to try and get the smell out of our skin with the chlorine. We each spent 30 minutes in the showers scrubbing and that didn't even get it all. I felt gross for a couple days. Our clothes from that night went in garbage bags in the truck bed for the rest of the trip and took 3 heavy washes to get the smell mostly out, but not enough. I ended up throwing those clothes away. My wife and I both had persistent coughs for 4 days afterwards as well.

Smoking is such a disgusting habit.

Snowflake much? Probably the single most whiny BS post I’ve read in the nearly 20 years I’ve been on AO.

Tree


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

Snowflake much? Probably the single most whiny BS post I’ve read in the nearly 20 years I’ve been on AO.

Tree


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually, what he posted is very true, a minute in a smokers home or vehicle, and it's easy to tell that they are a smoker. Or a minute in a checkout line , and it becomes obvious from the disgusting smell, who the smokers are. When shopping for used vehicles, if it smells like an ashtray, I move on, why would I want to tolerate the stench every time I get in the vehicle? Some smokers are offended that other people don't like the stench, but the fact is, that they stink , and many other people prefer not to be around them. And if you are offended that other people notice that you stink, and prefer not to be around you, then perhaps you are the snowflake.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by Outbound

.....It was too late to find a hotel.......

Ahhh, those hotels suck, when it gets late, they close and come round and kick everybody out.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Outbound

That sounds right. I don't smoke, nobody in my family immediate or extended smokes in fact. I get exposed to it at work since 90% of people in the patch smoke and I fricking hate it. I can often peg somone as a smoker from 10 feet away. I really don't think smokers realize just how bad they stink or how much that smell permeates their clothes, vehicles and homes. t least at work I can get up wind or put some distance between us.

The reason I won't even visit a smoker's home again is due to one time I spent at a friend's place. We were on a road trip and stopped in to visit and spend the night. I'd forgotten that he and his wife were not only smokers, but indoor smokers. Their ceiling was stained from the indoor smoking... It was too late to find a hotel and not wanting to be rude, my wife and I bucked up and spent the night. On our way out of town we had to stop at a community center pool to try and get the smell out of our skin with the chlorine. We each spent 30 minutes in the showers scrubbing and that didn't even get it all. I felt gross for a couple days. Our clothes from that night went in garbage bags in the truck bed for the rest of the trip and took 3 heavy washes to get the smell mostly out, but not enough. I ended up throwing those clothes away. My wife and I both had persistent coughs for 4 days afterwards as well.

Smoking is such a disgusting habit.

Gotta agree it is really filthy and only nicks off some years of a I healthy life to begin with.....just talk to people who quite....they are simply amazed at how everything they do is amazing but was hindered as a smoker.....

I have looked at vehicles and just walked away due to the stench....to each their own though....

[Buckhead]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Actually, what he posted is very true, a minute in a smokers home or vehicle, and it's easy to tell that they are a smoker. Or a minute in a checkout line , and it becomes obvious from the disgusting smell, who the smokers are. When shopping for used vehicles, if it smells like an ashtray, I move on, why would I want to tolerate the stench every time I get in the vehicle? Some smokers are offended that other people don't like the stench, but the fact is, that they stink , and many other people prefer not to be around them. And if you are offended that other people notice that you stink, and prefer not to be around you, then perhaps you are the snowflake.

I've smelled a lot of disgusting things in peoples homes, vehicles and in checkout lines. 9 times out of 10 it isn't cigarette smoke. It is someone who has doused themselves in cologne or perfume, or someones body odor or flatulence. People can be offended all they like. If you don't like a certain smell don't go there. Period.
Most humans don't realize how bad they smell to other humans.

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Trochu

Ahhh, those hotels suck, when it gets late, they close and come round and kick everybody out.

Small town with one crummy little motel, 2AM, been driving for 14 hours...there's times when it's too late.

[sns2]

Low life scum move by the guy selling the truck.

Smoke stinks. Heavy smoke stinks worse. Smokers likely don't notice it because it smells good to them.

To the guy who had to stay overnight in a smokers house, you either didn't use soap or need a new washing machine. Cigarette smoke on your clothes is not different than campfire smoke, and it sure as heck don't take three cycles to get that smell out. Just sayin.

We all rant from time to time, but best not to exaggerate in your rant.

By the way, people do suck. That's why I have a Lab. He never smokes. He never lies. He never breaks forum rules and whines about the results. He is a truly nice person

[Buckhead]

Originally Posted by sns2

Low life scum move by the guy selling the truck.

Smoke stinks. Heavy smoke stinks worse. Smokers likely don't notice it because it smells good to them.

To the guy who had to stay overnight in a smokers house, you either didn't use soap or need a new washing machine. Cigarette smoke on your clothes is not different than campfire smoke, and it sure as heck don't take three cycles to get that smell out. Just sayin.

We all rant from time to time, but best not to exaggerate in your rant.

By the way, people do suck. That's why I have a Lab. He never smokes. He never lies. He never breaks forum rules and whines about the results. He is a truly nice person

Until a skunk shows up.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by jstubbs

Just seen a post on FB about a guy who bought a truck out of AB and had it shipped to Ontario. He's told it needs a few small things but in overall great mechanical condition. It arrives and the truck clearly has a blown head gasket, among numerous other fairly serious issues.

At the end of the day, it's a huge gamble on any used vehicle. But also, some people really do just suck.

Yup I’m the one on there that commented something to the effect of, “there will always be untrustworthy douchbags in this world and there will still be naive people that will buy something sight unseen”


The smoking thing drives me nuts because it’s damaging both to your health but also to property like the truck the OP checked out. The seller in Whitecourt wasn’t very upfront with everything and I’d be ****ed off about that....

[Steyr Luxus]

Purchase an ozone generator which will get rid of the smoke smell. Something like this one available at Cabela's; Article # 260982. Turn it on close all the doors and windows ideally outside of your garage. Several treatments like this should have it smelling much better than the "gagger" you experience. Follow this up with a interior clean and wash good to go.

[rjlester]

Originally Posted by Outbound

That sounds right. I don't smoke, nobody in my family immediate or extended smokes in fact. I get exposed to it at work since 90% of people in the patch smoke and I fricking hate it. I can often peg somone as a smoker from 10 feet away. I really don't think smokers realize just how bad they stink or how much that smell permeates their clothes, vehicles and homes. t least at work I can get up wind or put some distance between us.

The reason I won't even visit a smoker's home again is due to one time I spent at a friend's place. We were on a road trip and stopped in to visit and spend the night. I'd forgotten that he and his wife were not only smokers, but indoor smokers. Their ceiling was stained from the indoor smoking... It was too late to find a hotel and not wanting to be rude, my wife and I bucked up and spent the night. On our way out of town we had to stop at a community center pool to try and get the smell out of our skin with the chlorine. We each spent 30 minutes in the showers scrubbing and that didn't even get it all. I felt gross for a couple days. Our clothes from that night went in garbage bags in the truck bed for the rest of the trip and took 3 heavy washes to get the smell mostly out, but not enough. I ended up throwing those clothes away. My wife and I both had persistent coughs for 4 days afterwards as well.

Smoking is such a disgusting habit.

Totally agree and have experienced a lot of what you mentioned. Also, I have to say that like you I am far from a snowflake lol.

In fact the house we live in now that we bought 23 years ago, was a smokers house. It had the yellow staining on the ceiling and walls. We painted every wall and ceiling in this house. Steam cleaned the carpets, scrubbed floors. Bought new curtains etc. It worked, nobody knew it was a smokers house at all after that.

I remember when I was about 20 years old, and I had already lived on my own for about 6 months. I had a few shirts hanging in my closet back at mom and dads place. Went there before work one morning and put on a shirt. The smell that just a few months ago I was used to was OVERWHELMING but I had to wear it to work, no other choice. I asked a friend I worked with who knew I never smoked if I smelled like that when I lived with my parents. "Yep" was his reply. That was an eye opener for me.

The electronics in my parents house would not last very long. I have a Computer Engineering background so I was always the VCR/radio/amplifier repair guy. Their electronics were full of brown goo. The potentiometers would produce static and only so many treatments of cleaning spray would work.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Buckhead

Until a skunk shows up.

yup.....my most awesome lab came back with such a stench from natures black and white stink devil....it too took many washes to get the stench out

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by sns2

Low life scum move by the guy selling the truck.

Smoke stinks. Heavy smoke stinks worse. Smokers likely don't notice it because it smells good to them.

To the guy who had to stay overnight in a smokers house, you either didn't use soap or need a new washing machine. Cigarette smoke on your clothes is not different than campfire smoke, and it sure as heck don't take three cycles to get that smell out. Just sayin.

We all rant from time to time, but best not to exaggerate in your rant.

No exaggeration. Believe what you want. Maybe Costco detergent doesn't get smoke out like another brand. Maybe some people are just far more sensitive to certain smells than others. What I know for sure is after the 3rd wash, we could still smell a traces of smoke. For what it's worth, camping clothes are washed twice in our household as well. Rarely needed more than twice because we try to avoid standing in the smoke. Campfire smoke exposure is a little different than 8+ hours of indoor cigarrette smoke where every single thing you sit on or touch has smoke engrained in it and permeating through it, plus the half pack each two people smoked indoors during the visit...

[Glenn D]

Ya smoker smell is tough to get out. We bought a house for my mom from a smoker so got new carpet fresh coat of paint everywhere and just a real detailed cleaning. Still smells and its a year later, not as bad buts still smells. Smokers just destroy and devalue everthing.