Moses Ludel’s courses and digital downloads at Teachable.com led to the launch of YouTube #Shorts at the magazine’s rebranded “Road and Trail Ready” site. We all have time constraints and demands, and this quick, easy-to-view format is in step with our lifestyles. In these short videos, Moses will share a variety of information, including ‘how-to’ tips that support the magazine’s viewers and Forum Members. This will also be an opportunity to share excerpts from digital downloads and courses that are available at https://roadandtrailready.teachable.com.
In the opening #Shorts video (above), Moses shares how his household has avoided spending an extra half a million of today’s dollars over the past five decades. Only six vehicles out of forty-eight cars, light trucks, SUVs and motorcycles were purchased new. The rest were preowned. In the current era, it is not unusual for household vehicles to log well beyond 200,000 miles. The 2005 Ram/Cummins 4WD pickup, featured at the magazine and in Moses’ “The Long Haul” column for the Turbo Diesel Register, is expected to reach 500,000 miles. (The truck has accrued 186,000 miles since purchased new in October 2004. The Ludel’s have not had a vehicle payment since 2008.) The recently purchased, one-owner 2003 VW Jetta 1.9L ALH turbodiesel, bought with “only” 110,200 miles on the odometer, should easily pass the 250,000 mile mark.
Moses professionalized his mechanical and welding skills as a light- and medium-duty truck fleet mechanic in the late sixties and early seventies, learning the value of preventive maintenance. He has personally maintained, serviced, repaired, rebuilt and restored his family’s vehicles, saving an additional “small fortune” in maintenance and repair costs. A portion of these savings has paid for professional grade tools, equipment and needed shop space.
Many are familiar with Moses Ludel’s Bentley Publishers books, hundreds of videos, decades of magazine and newspaper journalism, years as an Automotive Technology and Welding instructor plus the decade of exchanges at the 4WD Mechanix Forums. He has always encouraged students and earnest DIY mechanics to perform safe maintenance and professional grade repairs on vehicles. For those interested in improving DIY mechanic skills, growing professionally or broadening their automotive consumer awareness, see Moses’ ‘Road and Trail Ready’ Teachable courses and digital downloads.
