Dang you Okie!!!!

[danandamy]

I thought it was enough that at the Tx Rally I camped clear out on the back 40 of the Rv park away from you but NOOOOOOO! Your truck luck rubs off on me ANYWAY Pasted a huge buck with the Ram today I was fine, of course but the Ram sustained heavy damage. The tinfoil bumper caved, of course. He took out the left hand blinker assy. Wierdes thing, somehow, a horn or something got in there and actually bent one of the fan blades FORWARD, of all things. Jammed it right into the radiator. I drove seven miles smoking the fan clutch because the fan was held fast and couldn't turn. I think the worst part of it all was the #%^$%& air bag went off It's not like I was in danger of flying into the windshield or anything. So this stupid airbag goes off and I'm holding my coffee mug in front of me Needless to say, it was raining coffee and airbag powder in the Ram. I was able to slow down and pull over even though I couldn't see anything thanks to the stupid airbag. Grabbed the 45 but the deer fared worse than the Ram. Dang. I was hoping for a little bit of retribution. So, right now the Ram is on my car hauling trailer with antifreeze gushing out of it, hooked up to a borrowed Super Doody. Hope the rest of the week is better.

And one last thing, if any of yall go to a Tx. Rally, STAY AWAY FROM OKIE!



Dan

 

[Cooker]

Sorry about the bad luck



I don't know how bad it is down your way, but I think Michigan is the number one state for vehicle/deer crashes. Last year the number reported was 77,000



-Ryan

 

[Fireman Dave]

Sorry to hear it Dan, but glad you're ok. Hope your ins. steps up to the plate.



Cooker, I know what you mean. In WI, it seems like it's just a matter of time before you get one.

 

[willyslover]

Dan. . sorry to hear 'bout your rig... tooo bad it's the left side. . I have a good right side [sport] in the driveway off ol#1. . but that might cause ya to be a tree hugger

 

[Straight6Jeff]

Bummer about the truck. does insurance cover thigns like that?



BTW, what did you do with the meat? Hopefully it was /is dinner.

 

[hammong]

Insurance covers deer hits here in Maryland, I don't see why it wouldn't in other states.



I've considered getting a HEAVY DUTY brushguard for my truck, just for that particular reason. The deer are plentiful here, and I'm driving fairly fast on the back roads often enough to increase my chance of an encounter. When it's dark, I slow down - but you never know when one of those critters is gonna make a run for it at the last second!



Sorry to hear about your truck. Best of luck getting it back on the road!



Greg

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Insurance has covered BOTH (yes BOTH) my truck/deer collisions in my Ram. I've lived in Michigan for 10 years now, never hit a deer (a few close calls though) until I got my dream truck, then 2 deer strikes in two years. They got out pretty cheap both times, $1000 the first time and $2600 on the second one. There's more deer than rabbits up here! BTW, there does seem to be a connection between TDR get togethers and deer strikes, Doc Tinker (Rambi Slayer) hit one when we were caravaning down I-69 to a get together at Dave's Diesel in Indiana, I hit one returning from a different event at Dave's at nearly the same place (northbound instead of southbound though).

 

[EScott]

Originally posted by hammong

Insurance covers deer hits here in Maryland, I don't see why it wouldn't in other states.



I've considered getting a HEAVY DUTY brushguard for my truck, just for that particular reason. The deer are plentiful here, and I'm driving fairly fast on the back roads often enough to increase my chance of an encounter. When it's dark, I slow down - but you never know when one of those critters is gonna make a run for it at the last second!



Sorry to hear about your truck. Best of luck getting it back on the road!



Greg

I hit one deer a year for three years running so I got a Ranchhand front end replacement (250#'s) I haven't even had a close call since... funny the way that works out.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

I got a big a$% bumper too. . I bought my truck after my wife got a 8pt buck with my Chevy Metro. You should have seen the look on the dealers face when I drove a metro up to look at 1ton duallies !!



Fact is I hated the car. I had a long commute and bought it for the mileage that it never got. All worked for the better. I wouldn't trade a fleet of cars for my truck... I guess I could sell them for a truck.



The heavier FER bumpers make Dodges ride better and they look really cool. Try out these:

http://www.lonestartruckequipment.com/about.html

http://www.ranchhand.com/



Later,

 

[Ramboy]

With 4 - 5 million white-tails in Texas, you can almost bet it is going to happen eventually. My solution: Ranchhand.

Phil

 

[pnwradar]

After putting the Denver Offroad bumper on this spring, I finally hit a deer a few weeks ago, coming home from a late night at work. Bambi jumped out from the ditch quicker than I could get off the pedal -- hit her going about 45mph. Didn't even bother to get the pistol out, I could see there were too many insides on the outside.



Got blood & fur in the plastic honeycomb grill and all over the hood. Couldn't find any dents or damage that didn't come off with the garden hose and scrub brush. I figure the bumper just paid for itself, the next deer is free.



-jon-

 

[Cooker]

Let me get this stright. You hit Bambi at 45mph and the truck and bumper were both unharmed



I might just need one of these bumpers.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

I called on the Denver Bumper(aluminum). . cool product but over twice as much as a comparable steel bumer 650-675 vs 1300-1500



It looks good and its light though... .

 

[Mactruck]

Check my sig,

After reading some posts about DOR from PNWRADAR, I inquired and got one. Id feel bad about anyone who gets in front of mine



Layne at Denver offroad told me someone totaled his truck once bought a new one and put the same bumper on.



I find them to be pretty resiliant.

 

[pnwradar]

Originally posted by Mark_Kendrick

I called on the Denver Bumper(aluminum). . cool product but over twice as much as a comparable steel bumer 650-675 vs 1300-1500

If you live in deer country, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than fixing the front end (or the insurance increases) when you hit one. Plus, you get cut off a lot less in traffic.



Click Here for pics of my bumper install. (No pics w/Bambi guts on it).



The only comparable steel bumper I've seen is the Reunel -- a little more $$$, and heavier than the DOR. The $500-700 bumpers I've seen are significantly lighter duty than either the DOR or the Reunel, and the welds look like the "field-expedient" welds on my old IHC Scout. Not something I want to see on my beautiful $30k+ truck.



-jon-

 

[JConley]

On the way back from the Texas Rally Sat night, I almost nailed 2 deer in about 30 miles. One ran out of the ditch and stopped right before it would have been creamed, and the other was standing in the middle of the road. I was lucky that it ran to the other side of the road. My wife has already signed off on a grill guard for her new Excursion. The grill guard on my Ram is solid, and I should be able to drive home after nailing Bambi. I figure you can pay $380. 00 for a good solid grill guard, or you can pay the deductible + towing.

 

[danandamy]

Oh yes, the insureance covers deer hits (even runaway exotic deer)

So far the estemate tally is up to $6,000 bucks Ordered my "Southwest Body Gaurd" grill gaurd already. I agree the full bumper replacements are more deer proof but I just don't care much for the way they look. The deer I hit last year in what is now my wife's truck did considerably less damage since it had the grill gaurd on. Just wish I would have done it sooner. Hope I don't get too spoiled driving the boss' Super Doody

 

[FFutch]

Don't build 'em like they used to!

Sorry to here about your Ram,I too live in deer country and worried about "Bambies". Have been thinking about a grille gaurd for all that plastic up front. I've got a '73 powerwagon and don't worry too much about making deer burger . H*ll I don't even worry about plowing over trees unless they get over 3" . We've got a f-350 at work and I can push the side of the door in 2" with one finger and the bumper is also made of tin foil . Doug

 

[KennyM]

I used to drive a Sentra. Until a Deer tried to jump it and didn't make it. He smashed the passenger fender, caved in the winsheild, and buckled the roof. And here I was driving this car to preserve my 92 CTD Ram. After the car was fixed I sold it and will only drive my truck. I figure if that Deer weighed another ten or twenty pounds it would have been in the back seat

Ken

 

[Okie-Go]

I might as well get blamed for this. You were the one that came over to my camp place, I didn't come over to yours. At the campout Rusty had his fridge go out. You hit a deer. Gosh at the next get together I may have the whole end of the campground to myself.