I'm not sure if this is the right section for this or not; but here goes. I live in wisconsin and have been traveling to south dakota, north dakota, and wyoming to shoot prairie dogs for the last 13yrs.
When you travel with pals how do you split costs? Of these 13 trips I have taken we have used my vehicle 9 times, the other guys vehicle 4 times, and the 3rd guy never. We have in the past split the fuel costs evenly, but with the wear and tear costs on the vehicles it ends up costing me more. If we would take turns using each others vehicles it wouldn't bother me as much.
I am also concerned about if our firearms were to get stolen; that my pals would expect me or my insurance company to pick up the tab. After talking to my agent I found out they will not. I could see one of the guys sueing me if that was to happen (he would also over inflate the value of his stuff as well).
I usually buy a new vehicle every 2-3yrs. I have had new half tons from dodge, chevy and nissan; I have to listen to complaints due to fuel economy every fill up. I have also had to purchase tonneau covers or toppers to protect our gear (I use this stuff on these trips only), again more cost.
In short, I'm asking what should I do? I can't afford to drive out there alone, I can't afford to replace their stuff if the worst was to happen, and I really can't keep absorbing the extra costs with taking my vehicle all the time. This has been eating at me for quite a while and I need some advice. Thanks guys.
