2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Saying goodby to second genertaion trucks

[rosebunch]

:{ Last Tuesday night, a drunk driver crossed the center-line and broke my much loved truck. I do not believe that it has any chance to be recovered.

I am currently 2000 miles from home with a 34. 5 ft 5th wheel

I took delivery of this nice ride in Jun 1995 and we have been close companions ever since. It will much missed. It was just reaching the engine break in point. It currently has 149700 miles on it.

 

[JR]

That is too bad, glad your ok though. What are your plans to get your trailer home?

 

[budnate]

dang brother sorry to hear that, don't leave the truck you can ship it home for about $1500 bucks, and fix it or part it at home. ping me if you don't want to, I am right up the road from you, I will ship it back up here to Soap lake.

B.

 

[Flying_gage]

Ugh... Sorry about the bad luck! Nice truck. Let us know how it works out with your insurance carrier.

 

[rosebunch]

looking into what is available in used or 2012 RAM not sure what I will have to work with. I was not planning on heading back north until mid April so do have some time to sort this out.

 

[mfurrh55]

Did this happen in Texas?, if so where?, Monte

 

[rosebunch]

Yes, on Texas 6 near "Hog Creek Ice house" bar north of Waco.

 

[mfurrh55]

Little over a 100 miles south of me, i live up by the red river, North east of Dallas, Sorry bout the truck, anything i can help out with?, Monte

 

[HBarlow]

Rosebunch,

Sorry about your truck. It was clearly a well kept family member. It has significant salvage value if your insurance company prices it right and someone close to you and the wrecked truck wants the engine, drivetrain, or other parts.

Texas is a truck state so dealers will have large inventories of new and used trucks to choose from. You're not far from the DFW metroplex so there are probably 50 dealers within easy travel range to choose from.

If you follow TDR current events you will already be fully aware but just in case you don't routinely follow threads, be very cautious of a late model trade-in unless you meet and talk with the owner. It is very easy to add an aftermarket junk air filter and a magic black box to the newer trucks and quickly cause serious harm then trade the truck to an unsuspecting or uncaring dealer. Many can't resist the temptation to make huge power by adding a box and turning it up but there is often a price to pay. Some may have stripped the emission control junk and traded it. Those trucks are illegal to sell and can't be inspected and registered. You probably know all of this and if you do I apologize for preaching to the choir.

 

[rosebunch]

Thanks Harvey,
I have not been keeping up with the latest trends on the trucks, I have been talking with a fleet manager at a major dealer here in Waco (Allan Samuels). My chances of being able to talk to a previous owner of a used truck are probably pretty slim. I will have to trust the reliability and integrity of the dealer. I am in a bit of a bind as I have a 2013 34. 5ft Columbus 5th wheel trailer that I pulled down here with my now wrecked truck. As you know, the new trucks are quite expensive IE 50-60K for a 2012 I have looked at. Since I just bought the 5th wheel 2 months ago, I do not have a lot of bucks available at the moment.

Bob

 

[jgillott]

Just thinking out loud here, but is there any way to buy that truck back and have it fixed? I doesn't look to be that bad of a hit from the picture you provided for us. It may just be one of those deals where the insurance totaled it out due to the cost of repair vs. market value instead of it being unfixable.

 

[rosebunch]

It has not been officially totaled yet. The insurance company will be evaluating this next week. The front axle is broken off and it did rupture the oil pan. I did shut the engine down so it is hopefully ok. I do not know if the transmission or transfer case survived but I did not see any transmission fluid on the ground just engine oil. The suspension is totally messed up on the left side and there may be some frame damage in that area. Not sure.

 

[HBarlow]

Thanks Harvey,
I have not been keeping up with the latest trends on the trucks, I have been talking with a fleet manager at a major dealer here in Waco (Allan Samuels). My chances of being able to talk to a previous owner of a used truck are probably pretty slim. I will have to trust the reliability and integrity of the dealer. I am in a bit of a bind as I have a 2013 34. 5ft Columbus 5th wheel trailer that I pulled down here with my now wrecked truck. As you know, the new trucks are quite expensive IE 50-60K for a 2012 I have looked at. Since I just bought the 5th wheel 2 months ago, I do not have a lot of bucks available at the moment.

Bob

Bob,

I understand what you're saying. It is a predicament most of us have thought about and hoped never happened to us.

TDR member Mike Mullenax, head diesel mechanic in a Dodge dealership in Athens, TX south of you, told me that an experienced mechanic like he is can read out the engine operating history in a truck ECM and see telltale bits of data that don't match that suggest a truck has had a magic black box previously installed.

I don't know anything positive or negative about Allen Samuels but have heard their name and driven by their locations many times. I think they are a mega dealer with many outlets. Don't know if they would be willing to have their top Cummins mechanic read the ECM data and do a show and tell with you.

I guess you could protect yourself from any concern about tampered emissions equipment by having the selling dealer perform a TX annual safety inspection and put a new decal on the windshield. TX does not have specific smog tests, at least not in rural area where I live, but the big metroplex areas like DFW have a little more stringent requirements. A visual inspection is probably required.

A service history by VIN could help identify a truck that has been subjected to grocery getter service and frequent service visits to correct smog issues resulted in a dissatisfied trade.

If you need any assistance or information post it here. There are many TX TDR members and all will help you if needed.

 

[budnate]

sounds like good advice Harvey, Bob maybe as part of your buyers inspection taking the truck for a nice drive to check it out for potential problems, you can swing in and have Mike Mullenax plug into the truck?

do you have to move the 5'r right away?


B.

 

[rosebunch]

Here is a better picture of the impacted wheel.

Bob

 

[Simplysmn]

Heck yes that is fixable I'm sure you could fix it fairly easy also and still end up with your Baby towing your trailer back to where ever you want it too . Sad to see it get hurt like that but just by the Picture I think you could fix it and keep going Besides That Truck is Barely Broken in .

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Bob,

I understand what you're saying. It is a predicament most of us have thought about and hoped never happened to us.

TDR member Mike Mullenax, head diesel mechanic in a Dodge dealership in Athens, TX south of you, told me that an experienced mechanic like he is can read out the engine operating history in a truck ECM and see telltale bits of data that don't match that suggest a truck has had a magic black box previously installed.

I don't know anything positive or negative about Allen Samuels but have heard their name and driven by their locations many times. I think they are a mega dealer with many outlets. Don't know if they would be willing to have their top Cummins mechanic read the ECM data and do a show and tell with you.

I guess you could protect yourself from any concern about tampered emissions equipment by having the selling dealer perform a TX annual safety inspection and put a new decal on the windshield. TX does not have specific smog tests, at least not in rural area where I live, but the big metroplex areas like DFW have a little more stringent requirements. A visual inspection is probably required.

A service history by VIN could help identify a truck that has been subjected to grocery getter service and frequent service visits to correct smog issues resulted in a dissatisfied trade.

If you need any assistance or information post it here. There are many TX TDR members and all will help you if needed.

Bob,

Harvey brings up a good point on emissions. If you replace your truck with one that is a 2009 model year or newer, and are going to register the vehicle in WA, it will have to meet the more stringent CA emsissions standards. The best of luck to you in getting things resolved.

 

[jgillott]

View attachment 84480 Here is a better picture of the impacted wheel.

Bob

That isn't bad at all. Any good body shop that has experience with full frame vehicles/trucks will be able to get that back on the road for you. A good friend of mine here in PA has a body shop that rebuilds trucks like this all the time. Trust me when I tell you that they come in to his shop in much worse shape than yours.

 

[Simplysmn]

Unless it does not state that it's 50 state legal then you will have problem's but all truck's are now Built 50 state legal so you should be good to go if you have to go that way.

 

[budnate]

I agree... unless the frame is kinked weird that can be fixed actually fairly easily, I have done a few worse looking than that... you will need a small pile of replacement parts though.

grab a few good pictures under the fender looking into the frame area and get pictures of the tabs where the trailing arms bolt on, also under the bumper looking straight back to see if it twisted.

maybe pay a local frame guy to ride over to the tow yard and give you his opinion on fixing it.

Dam nice truck you have I wouldn't give up on it without a fight to save it.


B.