Rear Ended!!

[RDeFayette]

Glad you are ok,

went through this back in March. Got t-boned in the pass side of my cab ('03 qclb 4x4) by some nit wit in a Ford F-350 doing 60. Totaled my truck. Look at the frame/bed mounts, frame/cab mounts, frame rails and look from the center of the rear diff to the transfer case.

Driveshaft should be STRAIGHT, no dog leg at the center support!

Look for signs of material flaking off of the frame this will be where it bent.

I'd be willing to bet that because you were pulling with a bed mounted hitch that the forces involved (that why you can't find your cough drops, just like pulling a tablecloth out from under dishes, 0-??? mph in 1 foot think about it) probably bent your frame up in the rear and down in the center.

That's why the top of your cab got hit by the headache rack.

1st thing to put the other insurance company on notice that because it was their clients fault that you will NOT crack open your wallet for anything.

Finally got mine settled but it took 6 weeks.

 

[RDeFayette]

One more thing, if they total it find out what the buy back is.

You would be surprised.

By it back and sell off all the good stuff.

I bought my '03 back(3500 dually 4x4 QCLB. 5. 9 HO auto) for 3600. 00

You can get at least that for the engine alone.

Save it from the scrapper, put it to use.

When mine went to the yard the ONLY parts that went were the pass side door, the cabshell and the frame.

took EVERYTHING off, and I mean everything. Just messing around 1 or 2 hours a day had it apart/stripped in 2 weeks. and that was taking everything off by hand, too lazy to dgar out the air hose!

 

[Barry]

Thanx a bunch Mr. Fayette, that gives me an idea of where to look for damage. I have also been looking for another truck but trying to find a 3500 SRW 2X4 bolt action is hard.



If and when I find one, I would buy it and pull it along side my truck and swap everything that fit.

 

[RDeFayette]

Mr Fayette?

How about Bob? yikes I ain't that old yet!

Exactly what I did then sold the rest!

BTW, when selling the parts, unless you have WAY too much time on your hands, I found it easier to sell the parts as assemblies rather than taking every single single little do-dad apart.

Hope you had a great 4th.

 

[Barry]

I drove the truck home. It seems to drive fine but I have noticed there are little gremlins that are starting to show up.



I have looked under the bed at the mounting brackets. I also looked at the brackets for the Reese Hitch system. The fact that the bed and headache rack moved forward 3 inches to impact the back of the cab, and then return to near original position, puzzles me.



I am amazed.

 

[ChrisOlson]

Another reason people using cell phones in vehicles should kneel at the side of the road and gat a double tap to the back of the head.

Really!!!! and you have NEVER done ANYTHING stupid while driving?? A little extereme dont you think??? Kneel and a Double TAP to the back of the Head??





Barry very sorry to hear about your Accident Glad no one was hurt. and glad no horses were in the trailer. I dont much care for horses either but glad none were in the trailer none the less.



I love the crystal river area I was raised in hudson next time i am in that neck of the woods i will look you up.



I hope all comes out well in the end.



chris

 

[Barry]

THEIR adjuster came by today... ... ... ..... low balled me with a $1300 estimate... ... ... ... but without the bed off, it is all he could see.



I did however see that both rear doors are sprung out at the top!



Then I took it to the body shop for them to start disassembling the truck so we can look. I also told him I wanted all the bolts replaced in the Reese Hitch. He too thought that would be a good idea.

 

[BLoging]

do you have any pic of the damage to the truck and trailer?

 

[mwilson]

THEIR adjuster came by today... ... ... ..... low balled me with a $1300 estimate... ... ... ... but without the bed off, it is all he could see.



I did however see that both rear doors are sprung out at the top!



Then I took it to the body shop for them to start disassembling the truck so we can look. I also told him I wanted all the bolts replaced in the Reese Hitch. He too thought that would be a good idea.

$1300. 00 bucks???? Nice try Mr. Adjuster Man...



I know that insurance varies from state to state but here in Maine it would be procedure to call your own insurance company. They will make sure that the policy holders (your) vehicle is fixed, then they battle with the responsible partys insurance company for payment. That way you are out of the middle.



Make sure that they check everything, had to have been a mighty impact.



Mike.

 

[RDeFayette]

Sprung at the TOP!

Frame probably looks like a McDonalds arch!

You might want to suggest to the adjuster that the frame is UNDER the truck and that he might want to get a little closer to terra firma in order to actually see it!

What is this crap about "without the bed off"? You don't need to take the bed off to toss the truck on the rack or a frame jig and check the frame!

Watch this guy, he's gettin' ready to try and put the screws to you. He's already started by the I can't see, 1300. 00 estimate and I pretty sure that even Stevie Wonder could FEEL if the doors are sprung and realize that this is not right.

I am guessing but the doors are NOT sprung as they are NOT connected to the frame the CAB is hence the frame bent and passed this along to the cab NOT the doors. Usually what'll happen is the door latches and hinges will bend before the doors are bent.

Get under the cab and look at the seams to see if anything moved and also get in the bed and look at the roof to see if there is any oil canning.

What is his insurance company? Does it begin with the initials SF?

 

[MuddFlapp]

I don't know why you don't want to involve your own insurance company. They can usually help you get this settled. I also wouldn't sign off your not feeling injured just yet either. My $0. 02

I agree completely, that's why you pay such outrages Premiums. Its part of there job to help you sort this stuff out and make sure that the other Insurance Company doesn't take advantage of you.

 

[Barry]

NO, not SF, it is that TV General Direct, no credit check, minimum we let you ride insurance.



Yes, one of the first things I did was have my wife take lots of pix at the scene while I was directing traffic to keep idiots from hitting us again.

 

[HBarlow]

Barry,

The truck probably won't be declared a total but just in case, the earlier advice to consider buying it back at salvage value might be excellent advice. Some states don't even require the insurance company to retitle it with a salvage title and some are lazy or careless and don't even though they are supposed to.

I had a very nice 34' Airstream hit by light hail all over, every panel dinged, a few years ago. I received a large settlement then bought it back and sold it at an excellent but discounted retail price.

 

[Barry]

NEW Ball Game:



I could not figure out how a pick up bed, bolted to the frame and then have 4 big steel L brackets for the Reese hitch, could move 3 inches forward and impact the back of the cab. It didn't.



With the truck up on the lift, I just inspected the frame and attach points under the bed. There is no way that bed moved. It was the cab. The cab is mounted on rubber mounts/bushings to give a smoother, softer ride. The impact caused the entire cab to move backwards impacting the bed and headache rack.



Now I have a whole new area to look for hidden damage. Adjuster on his way back to the body shop.

 

[RDeFayette]

Makes sense to me I forgot about the new style mounts.

Now he'll say he can't tell unless the cab is off.

Maybe you should trot down to the local shelter and borrow a seeing eye dog for a little while!

Bet it's more than 1300. 00

Good luck!

 

[AH64ID]

I can't imaging the acceleration "G" forces that would be required to move the cab that far aft. The body mounts are rubber, but have a vertical bolt and moving 3" doesn't seem right. You would have suffered massive whiplash. It's far more likely the frame flexed and snapped back to appear straight.

While its a different style frame I once saw a semi roll over and the cab was on its side but the rear end was nearly level. The drivers side tires were only 6" off the ground, so greater than 85° of twist to the frame. When they righted the truck it looked like it had never been tweaked, only a crushed cab.

 

[HBarlow]

Barry,

No, I don't think so. I with the post above on that. The cab did not move like that, the frame flexed. The frames are designed to flex some without harm.

 

[Barry]

Well, like Bo Pilgrim from East Texas would say; "Its a mind boggling thang. "