After a truck fire...what is still useful?

[geusterman]

Had the darndest day last month...walked out behind the barn in the morning to find the fifth wheel and my wonderful custom 04.5 burnt to the ground. I thank the Lord the grandkids were not in it...just back from a 10 day trip. Previous owner mis-wired the 50Amp plug in and I smoked the converter. It was headed to the shop that morning.

The fire burned itself out...so no water (again I thank God I was not out rescuing it at 3 AM but slept through. Trees and barn scorched but limited to trailer and truck. Big question is what is still good. I bought back the salvage. My take is that because the metal got hot and cooled slowly...a lot might be ok. This truck has FRONT factory posi (must be snow plow feature) and even though tires burnt I bet the differentials are fine. Also the top of the engine had major heat but thinking block and transmission and transfer still quite usable. Maybe even the head? Pacbrake gear toast. But the TorkLift (just put it on) Super Hitch and Helwig bar should be useful. Heck, even though the springs were spring steel...they look fine and did cool slow. I don't know. Anybody have as weird a life as mine? BTW...lost a custom aluminum bed with folding sides and tool boxes. So useful...
Insurance gave me top dollar for truck but not builds. Truck had 92K and all synthetics. Supposed to last me forever.

 

[Wayne M.]

Sorry for your loss. You are indeed lucky that there was no collateral damage to your property around the rig. I worry often what i'd do if something were to happen to my rig- what would I replace it with? even with very handsome compensation, I'd be stretched to buy a new one.
It's hard to give opinion without pictures.

 

[geusterman]

Sorry for your loss. You are indeed lucky that there was no collateral damage to your property around the rig. I worry often what i'd do if something were to happen to my rig- what would I replace it with? even with very handsome compensation, I'd be stretched to buy a new one.
It's hard to give opinion without pictures.

Thanks Wayne. Hopefully this pic made it. George

 

[AH64ID]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Wow that got HOT, I wouldn't keep anything.

Insurance should cover mods, if you can prove you had them.

I am not sure on the OEM factory LSD, there was no option for that on any model. The only one with that option was the power wagon for a selectable locker, and that was only on Power Wagon's which didn't start until 2005.

 

[mwilson]

I am with John on this one. I would not reuse anything from that truck. Too hot. I feel bad for you having to go through this.

They won't even consider any components for core / rebuild use when stuff has been that hot.

You may find something that survived, but there will always be that doubt.

Mike.

 

[MMeier]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Wow that got HOT, I wouldn't keep anything.

Insurance should cover mods, if you can prove you had them.

I am not sure on the OEM factory LSD, there was no option for that on any model. The only one with that option was the power wagon for a selectable locker, and that was only on Power Wagon's which didn't start until 2005.

I am with John on this one. I would not reuse anything from that truck. Too hot. I feel bad for you having to go through this.

They won't even consider any components for core / rebuild use when stuff has been that hot.

You may find something that survived, but there will always be that doubt.

Mike.

X3 on what they said, that got very toasty. Hopefully insurance didn't hold much for salvage, I would've let them have it all.

 

[Wayne M.]

X4, and that propane tank nearby...:--)

 

[TJJEEPER]

X5
Hot and slow cool take the temper put of any steel. The cast iron MIGHT be OK but I wouldn't trust it. The Diffs have rubber seals plus the oil cooked. The transfer case is most likely melted under that pile.

That propane tank is the first thing I noticed in the pictures.... very lucky!

 

[rscurtis]

I once salvaged a lot of equipment from a business fire. You would be amazed at what's still good on that truck.

 

[mwilson]

What turned me off was the big smudge spot on the rh fender. Can't tell if it was from the tire or under the hood.....

 

[AH64ID]

It would never be worth the doubt to me, let the insurance give you the money and run. A buyback would be a waste of time and money.

 

[RustyJC]

We normally evaluate our large industrial engines that have been involved in plant fires (beyond the obvious cracking, warpage, etc.) with hardness checks to see if the iron or steel has been affected vis a vis its original state. Of course, if you don't know the original material specs, this would be tough to do.

When in doubt and it's covered by insurance, scrap it!!

Rusty

 

[shorthorn]

Wow... sorry for your loss!

I am with the other guys.. I wouldn't keep anything. With as hot as that metal got, its hard to say what issues could arise... As someone else mentioned, the Cast iron might be ok, but anything steel, especially anything hardened or spring tempered would have its crystalline structure all screwed up.. Cooling slowly, as an example for spring steel, from a temperature over 1300 degrees, would completely ruin spring steel....

Yep.. not worth keeping any of it in my opinion.

 

[crispyboy]

Big question is what is still good. I bought back the salvage.

The OP said he bought the truck back...........:--) I think you bought a bad memory........... Scrap it!

 

[AH64ID]

The OP said he bought the truck back...........:--) I think you bought a bad memory........... Scrap it!

Oops.. missed that.

I wonder if the Insurance Company would reconsider?

 

[JBallou]

Sorry about the truck. The RV is like a boat. Only 2 good days with an RV. First and last. They all leak, just a matter of how much.

The engine and all of the internals should be ok. At least as a core.

 

[goodguys75]

sorry for the loss..noticed you have an after market bumper on your truck..do you happen to have the factory fog lights that came on the truck...I need a right sided one..but would buy both? having a hard time finding one...thanks andre

 

[AH64ID]

I just noticed the OP hasn't been back since posting the photo's.

Hopefully we didn't scare him off with suggestions of ditching the truck.

 

[seafish]

sorry for the loss..noticed you have an after market bumper on your truck..do you happen to have the factory fog lights that came on the truck...I need a right sided one..but would buy both? having a hard time finding one...thanks andre

Genos sells the fog lights individually, though I am not sure that they are oem.

 

[goodguys75]

they are not..and dont want the light to look stronger or weaker because of that...that is why i have not bough one from them...I just need to find someone who took them off of there stock truck...thanks for the input though..andre