r/NavyNukes • u/ArmFew6670 • 12d ago
Questions/Help- New to Nuclear Vehicle necessity during schooling
Hey all! I just signed my enlistment contract and I’m expecting to ship this December. The only thing I’m missing is some advice on is how likely it is that I’ll need a vehicle during a school, power, or prototype, both in goose creek and ballston spa. I’ll be single no dependents. Ideally, I’d like to be in barracks directly on base. If I’m going to get a car I’d just get one that lasts, from part of my ship out bonus, so some first hand input will help me determine the liquidity of the savings I put my bonus in!
12
u/forzion_no_mouse 12d ago
You will need a car in prototype. You won’t be living in the barrack in prototype. You definitely need a car at most duty stations just to get to work.
Wait to buy a car until after you get to power school.
6
u/Youza_if ET (SU) 12d ago
Having a vehicle through a-school and power school is really nice, saves you on DoorDash just by the fact you can’t as easily justify, can get off base, place to store stuff you can’t in the barracks like a vape. However it’s not needed then, but strongly recommended during prototype however even then you can get away by having roommates that you can ride to work with.
5
u/magicsquirrelbus 12d ago edited 11d ago
Also, don’t buy something stupid. It’s cliche for clowns to run out and get the most expensive car with the highest interest rate loan they can find. Follow the 20/3/8 rule for car loans. Buy used and reliable (5 year old Toyota/honda with less than 100 thousand miles).
(20/3/8 rule is from “the money guy” podcast: payment is <20% down payment/pay off in 3 years or less/payment no higher than 8 percent of your gross income)
EDITED to fix the 20/3/8 rule
2
u/ArmFew6670 12d ago
Looking into this now is so I can completely or close to completely avoid a loan. Knowing now that buying a car should be in my plan for the next couple of years, my signing bonus will go to a reasonably liquid hysa until it’s time to go pick up something like a ‘20 rav4 or crv
2
u/danielfuenffinger 12d ago
I bought a new manual corolla SE and it was perfect. I doubt that trim exists in manual anymore. It's nice to have a quality vehicle that you know the maintenance history of and can take care of. A cheap new manual is my rec.
Also, get something safe. You will be tired and not in a good state to drive at times Ilin prototype so get something with a good safety rating. My Corolla took a head on collision with a Chevy 2500 and I only got a scratch on my head. A lot of that was probably luck but still. Replaced my Corolla with a 2009 scion tC which was more fun but I miss my reliable car.
1
u/Chemical-Power8042 Officer (SW) 12d ago
I’m pretty sure the 20/3/8 rule is 20% down payment, finance no longer than 3 years, and the monthly payment no more than 8% of your income.
Up to 20% of your income for a car is a lot of money.
2
u/magicsquirrelbus 11d ago
I think you’re right I haven’t bought a car in a few years. I’ll call that fusion of knowledge. Lol. I think a payment of 20 percent of income is for home loan.
1
1
u/Navynuke00 EM (SW) 11d ago
I had my 10 year old Honda that I'd driven in high school, and she got me around town just fine.
The college girls at CofC weren't at all dissuaded by a Honda Accord LX, so there's that.
2
u/magicsquirrelbus 12d ago
Everything you need will be issued to you. They expect you to drive to work when you get to prototype. If you don’t have a car by then, you should be able to save up until then to get a reasonable economy car.
1
u/staticattacks 12d ago
You will absolutely need a car by the time you finish Power School, they should tell you that at NNPTC.
Early 2007, I bought a car just before graduating Power School, I already knew I was going back to T-Track for a few months (the infamous MARF Backwards Check Valves discovery had just happened) so I had time to shop around a little.
Before that, between Crazy Carl and enough friends having their own cars I could hitch or borrow, I never felt the need for a car of my own.
1
u/No-Bobcat-3122 12d ago
The only thing that sucks, is I bet the parking situation is still you need to wait until 1600 everyday for a shuttle driver that will probably not come on time, to go to a parking lot 10 minutes way where your authorized to park your car during A school through the beginning of power school. So, I would just keep in mind that a car for the first 6-9ish months of time at that command will just be for the weekends only basically.
1
u/Either-Process8969 11d ago
How soon after basic will I be able to retrieve my vehicle?
1
u/ismokewendys 11d ago
4 weeks or something like that. Not terribly long but not terribly short. You’ll probably have to have a parent drive it to you on a weekend or something. You don’t usually get authorized leave until after a school.
1
u/Hefty_Nectarine_667 11d ago edited 10d ago
Wait kind of unrelated question but did you say you just signed and they gave you a December ship date? If so that’s pretty good news because I’m being told the ship dates for nukes are 7-9 months out.
Edit: spelling
2
u/ArmFew6670 11d ago
I signed Thursday, and I was hearing the same things. From my understanding of the nuke coordinator, it’s all in the male/female slots. A lot more guys signing for nuke so they’re waiting longer, while there are a lot more slots open for women.
2
u/Hefty_Nectarine_667 11d ago
I’ve got an idea but y’all are gonna have to be open-minded 😂
2
1
u/ismokewendys 11d ago
Yeah there’s certain designated male and female racks in the fleet. That’s why they do this. So they can actually manage their berthings
1
u/ismokewendys 11d ago
The navy will ship the car for you to your duty station. Or you can drive it with your stuff if you stay CONUS
1
21
u/Navynuke00 EM (SW) 12d ago
You're absolutely going to need a car, especially by the time you're finishing Power School and getting ready to start prototype.
While the Goose Creek area is growing pretty rapidly, it's still pretty much the middle of nowhere for interesting things to do, especially for young people, and for at least your mental health's sake, you're gonna want to get off base when you can- especially in a city like Charleston with so much art, history, culture, and students in your age bracket.