u/Haunting_Werewolf130

This afternoon, I was at the AT&T building in downtown Dallas (zip code 75201), and my iPhone had no data for 30 minutes. However, I was still able to make phone calls. This has happened a few times over the past 2 years, and it’s starting to annoy me. I can’t work out without listening to podcasts and music, and today I had to do that for 30 minutes without data.

I’m not sure if someone is using a signal jammer or if it’s just AT&T with their 100000 mmWave antennas nearby. Whatever the reason, I think I’ll switch to AT&T-based MVNOs like Cricket Wireless once the phone is paid off. Even with my Work Perk discount, I’m still paying $100 a month.

I recently totaled my 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk at Yellowstone (RIP, it served me well), so I’m officially in the market for a replacement.

I also just started a new career path as a union apprentice electrician. Because I'm union, I don't need to haul heavy tools or use my personal vehicle as a work truck. However, my job sites will constantly change. Some projects might be 10 minutes away, while others will be a 1.5-hour commute each way.

I used to work from home, so this is my first time facing long commutes, and I'm really worried about how bad gas mileage will impact my paycheck.

I’m currently torn between a new RAV4 Hybrid and a 4Runner. Here is my breakdown:

Why I’m considering the RAV4:

• Fuel Economy: The savings on gas will be massive, especially on those 3-hour round-trip commute days.
• TSS 4.0 (Toyota Safety Sense): The advanced driving assists will drastically reduce my road stress during heavy highway traffic when I'm tired after a long shift. I’ve driven a friend's 4Runner with TSS 3.0, and because it only tracks the immediate lead car, it waits too long to brake, causing that sudden, stomach-to-throat slowdown. TSS 4.0 tracks two cars ahead, making the automated braking way smoother and less stressful for a daily commute.

Why I’m considering the 4Runner:

• Overlanding / Camping: Overlanding is my primary hobby. My plan is to remove the back seats and convert the rear into a dedicated camper setup.
• The Terrain I Hit: I don’t go rock crawling for fun, but during my one-month vacation every year, I head to remote places like Big Bend, the Nevada Desert, and spots around Escalante, UT (like Barney Top and the dirt roads out to Little Death Hollow). I need something that can confidently handle deep sand, sudden washouts, and rough washboard roads without tearing off an oil pan.
• The Payload/Weight: When I go out for a month, I pack heavy. I carry a ton of gear: extra water, jerry cans of gas, a loaded cooler/fridge, tools, and recovery gear, on top of the built-out sleeping platform.

My Dilemma: Am I crazy to buy a gas-guzzling 4Runner as a daily driver for an unpredictable construction commute just for a hobby I only get to fully indulge in once a year? On the flip side, can a RAV4 (maybe the Woodland edition?) handle mild-to-moderate overlanding and sleeping in the back, or will I regret not getting the body-on-frame SUV?

Would love to hear from any tradespeople, commuters, or overlanders who have balanced this exact choice. Thanks!

I recently totaled my 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk at Yellowstone (RIP, it served me well), so I’m officially in the market for a replacement.

I also just started a new career path as a union apprentice electrician. Because I'm union, I don't need to haul heavy tools or use my personal vehicle as a work truck. However, my job sites will constantly change. Some projects might be 10 minutes away, while others will be a 1.5-hour commute each way.

I used to work from home, so this is my first time facing long commutes, and I'm really worried about how bad gas mileage will impact my paycheck.

I’m currently torn between a new RAV4 Hybrid and a 4Runner. Here is my breakdown:

Why I’m considering the RAV4:

• Fuel Economy: The savings on gas will be massive, especially on those 3-hour round-trip commute days.
• TSS 4.0 (Toyota Safety Sense): The advanced driving assists will drastically reduce my road stress during heavy highway traffic when I'm tired after a long shift. I’ve driven a friend's 4Runner with TSS 3.0, and because it only tracks the immediate lead car, it waits too long to brake, causing that sudden, stomach-to-throat slowdown. TSS 4.0 tracks two cars ahead, making the automated braking way smoother and less stressful for a daily commute.

Why I’m considering the 4Runner:

• Overlanding / Camping: Overlanding is my primary hobby. My plan is to remove the back seats and convert the rear into a dedicated camper setup.
• The Terrain I Hit: I don’t go rock crawling for fun, but during my one-month vacation every year, I head to remote places like Big Bend, the Nevada Desert, and spots around Escalante, UT (like Barney Top and the dirt roads out to Little Death Hollow). I need something that can confidently handle deep sand, sudden washouts, and rough washboard roads without tearing off an oil pan.
• The Payload/Weight: When I go out for a month, I pack heavy. I carry a ton of gear: extra water, jerry cans of gas, a loaded cooler/fridge, tools, and recovery gear, on top of the built-out sleeping platform.

My Dilemma: Am I crazy to buy a gas-guzzling 4Runner as a daily driver for an unpredictable construction commute just for a hobby I only get to fully indulge in once a year? On the flip side, can a RAV4 (maybe the Woodland edition?) handle mild-to-moderate overlanding and sleeping in the back, or will I regret not getting the body-on-frame SUV?

Would love to hear from any tradespeople, commuters, or overlanders who have balanced this exact choice. Thanks!

New 6th gen 4Runner comes with a free trial of Toyota Drive Connect, which includes Destination Assist. But it's been 6 months, and I still have not used it once.... I don't know what the use case for it is. I usually just do it on my phone before I start driving.

How complex can my request be with them? Can I say “Can you find me the cheapest but highest rated motel/hotel that is close to Grand Canyon National Park's south entrance?" "Can you find a hotel that's within $120 range with the highest rating and close by fast food chain or restaurants and southbound of where I am now?"

Have any of y’all used this feature? What did you use it for? What did you ask? How did it go?

Thank you.

I have been buying West elm tencel sheets for 5 yrs, but they all ripped after 6 months. I tried to wash them in gentle cycle, still the same. So I've officially given up on this brand.

Anyone know any tencel sheets that feel just like the west elm tencel sheets?

Just got the car in past Nov, so we are still in honeymoon phase. Yesterday, I was hand washing my car in the hot, muggy weather. My sunglasses kept slipping down my face, and by the end of it, I was $15 lighter, my shoes were damp, and my face was covered in chemicals that blew back at me by the wind.

This got me thinking, why not just use a tunnel car wash? When I traded in my previous car, I don’t recall them using a magnifying glass to inspect the paint condition. It was more like, “Make, year, model, trim, condition is good, then Kelly Blue Book value.”

Am I being too overprotective of this new car? How do you all wash yours? I’m considering that once I run out of the chemicals I bought, I’ll just use a tunnel car wash since I live right by a Buc-ee’s.

*Come to think of it, I do remember seeing hairline circles all over my previous car that was only tunnel washed. But it's only visible in the sun. But I don't think it affected the trade in value at the end.