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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor rmcarter96's Avatar
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    To repair and tow again or not?

    I'm looking for some advice from the community.

    My tow vehicle and daily driver was involved in an accident this week. I was the only occupant at the time and came away pretty much unscathed other than being a little bit sore. I can't say the same for my truck. My main question for feedback is whether to allow the insurance company to repair it rather than totaling it. Or to just have them repair it and trade it in afterwards. I'm thinking of safety after having this extensive amount of damage.

    It hasn't been looked at to determine whether it has frame damage since the body shop says it will need to be torn down before determining if it had.

    I have attached the pictures of the damage.

    Thank you all in advance!

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by rmcarter96; 07-31-2021 at 09:24 PM.
    Ron and Marcia
    2021 Imagine XLS 23BHE
    2018 RAM 1500 3.0 Eco-Diesel (GDE Tuned) 4x4 Laramie w/Factory Tow Package
    Equal-i-zer 4 Point 1K/10K Hitch
    Half Retired!

  2. #2
    Fireside Member Jefferson Beifuss's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcarter96 View Post
    I'm looking for some advice from the community.

    My tow vehicle and daily driver was involved in an accident this week. I was the only occupant at the time and came away pretty much unscathed other than being a little bit sore. I can't say the same for my truck. My main question for feedback is whether to allow the insurance company to repair it rather than totaling it. Or to just have them repair it and trade it in afterwards. I'm thinking of safety after having this extensive amount of damage.

    It hasn't been looked at to determine whether it has frame damage since the body shop says it will need to be torn down before determining if it had.

    I have attached the pictures of the damage.

    Thank you all in advance!

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Hi Ron! Glad you are physically OK. Sorry about your beloved truck. A few observations that will hopefully assist you as you proceed with the repairs and a couple of questions. Did any of the airbags blow? I don't see any in the photos.
    Also, you have discovered a secret that all of our pickups, Dodge, Ford, Chevy or GM have a lot of plastic and aluminum in the front end, to save weight. It's a lot of cosmetics up there, trying to move the air around. The fender probably moved on the bolts to tuck in behind the door, so that may or may not be frame damage. Again, till the shop gets it dismantled, they won't know for certain. Hang some gauges, get it measured.

    One thing to keep in mind, you get to pick the body shop. So, if there is someone you like, insist on them and make the insurance company work with them. I spent 41 years as an insurance claims adjuster, I should know. Let me know if there's anything I can do to assist.
    Jeff & Jean
    2015 GD Reflection 337RLS, Goodyear Endurance tires, JT Strongarm stabilizers
    2015 Ford F-350 SRW Lariat, w/ Sulastic spring shackles, Rancho shocks, airbag, 80 gal supplemental fuel tank, Curt Q20 hitch, Access rollup cover

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor rmcarter96's Avatar
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    Hi Jeff,

    No, the airbags did not deploy which also surprised me since there was that much crush in the front. I was planning on having it taken to a well reviewed shop to get it properly estimated. Since it wasn't my fault, I am also insisting they use OEM parts and not aftermarket if it is to be repaired.

    I'm just concerned about the structural integrity after taking a lick like that and being able to still tow safely.
    Ron and Marcia
    2021 Imagine XLS 23BHE
    2018 RAM 1500 3.0 Eco-Diesel (GDE Tuned) 4x4 Laramie w/Factory Tow Package
    Equal-i-zer 4 Point 1K/10K Hitch
    Half Retired!

  4. #4
    Fireside Member Jefferson Beifuss's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcarter96 View Post
    Hi Jeff,

    No, the airbags did not deploy which also surprised me since there was that much crush in the front. I was planning on having it taken to a well reviewed shop to get it properly estimated. Since it wasn't my fault, I am also insisting they use OEM parts and not aftermarket if it is to be repaired.

    I'm just concerned about the structural integrity after taking a lick like that and being able to still tow safely.
    Again, just working off 2 photos, the airbag sensors in the front are located on the frame rails left and right and again in the dash. Your point of impact was dead center, but off center it looks like an angle impact? If that is the case the sensors would not allow the bags to deploy; they do you no good unless it is a direct frontal impact. Direct side impact would blow the side curtain airbags and/or the seat bags. The sensors and the computers instantaneously figure it all out.
    Jeff & Jean
    2015 GD Reflection 337RLS, Goodyear Endurance tires, JT Strongarm stabilizers
    2015 Ford F-350 SRW Lariat, w/ Sulastic spring shackles, Rancho shocks, airbag, 80 gal supplemental fuel tank, Curt Q20 hitch, Access rollup cover

  5. #5
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=rmcarter96;385186]I'm looking for some advice from the community.

    My tow vehicle and daily driver was involved in an accident this week. I was the only occupant at the time and came away pretty much unscathed other than being a little bit sore. I can't say the same for my truck. My main question for feedback is whether to allow the insurance company to repair it rather than totaling it. Or to just have them repair it and trade it in afterwards. I'm thinking of safety after having this extensive amount of damage.

    It hasn't been looked at to determine whether it has frame damage since the body shop says it will need to be torn down before determining if it had.

    I have attached the pictures of the damage.

    Thank you all in advance!
    snip

    Glad you were not injured, except for your wits. Just from the pics the damage doesn't look too bad, except the center punch to the lower bumper, cross member damage, but can be replaced. Then again the fronts of vehicles these days are filled with crash impact spaces. My wife hit a deer with our Durango a while back and it took out the whole front. Once repaired you could never tell it had damage. When the damage and repair was completed it was recorded on the vin record.
    Same with our Hemi Challenger when I guy hit her, was repaired and you could never tell it had been in an accident. Again it was recorded on the vin record and when we traded it in a few years later the trade in value was heavily discounted even though the accident wasn't really that bad. And we had to fight with the insurance company because they wanted to use aftermarket and salvage yard parts. If the monkeys at the salvage yards are not careful removing a part, like a plastic nose, the mounting tabs molded into the plastics are broken and it will never have the fit and gap finish it once had. What parts are used for the repair all depends on what's written in the insurance company contract.

    Hope everything turns out ok for you
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  6. #6
    Site Team Ynot4me2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcarter96 View Post
    I'm looking for some advice from the community.

    My tow vehicle and daily driver was involved in an accident this week. I was the only occupant at the time and came away pretty much unscathed other than being a little bit sore. I can't say the same for my truck. My main question for feedback is whether to allow the insurance company to repair it rather than totaling it. Or to just have them repair it and trade it in afterwards. I'm thinking of safety after having this extensive amount of damage.

    It hasn't been looked at to determine whether it has frame damage since the body shop says it will need to be torn down before determining if it had.

    I have attached the pictures of the damage.

    Thank you all in advance!

    Click image for larger version. 

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Views:	75 
Size:	79.4 KB 
ID:	35792
    Click image for larger version. 

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Views:	65 
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ID:	35793
    Glad you were OK. I had a very similar accident to yours in June 2020. Air bags didn't go off but still ended up with 15k in damages. Truck was 65k at purchase and was only 1yr old. I didn't have the choice of right off or fix. If I had, I might have strongly leaned on right off as I have exact replacement insurance. Now I'll take a hit on depreciation. On the other hand, the truck runs really great and you can't tell it was ever in an accident.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk
    Steph & Lise
    2019 F150 Lariat 2.7 EB
    2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE

  7. #7
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    If you need another truck it may be tough right now to find a good deal on one. That being said latter down the road when you do decide to get rid of it you're stuck with a repaired vehicle and it may be tougher to sell or trade without taking a bigger loss.
    Whats the value the ins will put on the truck? In the current market used truck values are through the roof. If you can get a through the roof payout from the ins company then I'd do that and go truck shopping.

  8. #8
    Seasoned Camper That 1 Ron's Avatar
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    Glad you’re ok! If I had the choice of fixing or totaling it, I would total it and start over with something new (provided you have the budget for it). I’ve had a few bad experiences with trucks that probably should’ve been totaled but were fixed instead. They looked great but never rode the same afterwards and they just seemed to have problem after problem that I was always fixing. I also worked at a body shop many years ago and saw firsthand some of the shortcuts the other techs would sometimes take. Unless you have a sentimental attachment to that truck, or know of a truly first rate body shop that’ll actually stand behind their work, I’d total it.
    2020 Grand Design Imagine 2400BH
    2017 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Double cab

  9. #9
    Site Team Redapple63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ynot4me2 View Post
    Glad you were OK. I had a very similar accident to yours in June 2020. Air bags didn't go off but still ended up with 15k in damages. Truck was 65k at purchase and was only 1yr old. I didn't have the choice of right off or fix. If I had, I might have strongly leaned on right off as I have exact replacement insurance. Now I'll take a hit on depreciation. On the other hand, the truck runs really great and you can't tell it was ever in an accident.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk
    First, glad you are ok!
    I agree with this, I also had a similar accident on my then 9 month old truck. Outward damage didn’t look bad, and airbags did not deploy. Damage came to a tad more than 10k. But I will say, my truck runs strong and just as good as the day I got her. I am in day 2 of a 7 day trip. Average so far towing is 12.7. I will take the depreciation hit, but I love my truck and looks great and is just as strong and straight as day 1.
    2019 GMC 3500 SRW Sierra Denali Duramax
    2020 Reflection 315RLTS

  10. #10
    Fireside Member Jefferson Beifuss's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ynot4me2 View Post
    Glad you were OK. I had a very similar accident to yours in June 2020. Air bags didn't go off but still ended up with 15k in damages. Truck was 65k at purchase and was only 1yr old. I didn't have the choice of right off or fix. If I had, I might have strongly leaned on right off as I have exact replacement insurance. Now I'll take a hit on depreciation. On the other hand, the truck runs really great and you can't tell it was ever in an accident.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk
    I guess that is a critical issue for this whole discussion. The insurance company makes the decision on whether or not to total a vehicle, not the owner. And it is a purely mathematical one. Value of vehicle less salvage value compared to the repair costs. Steph, using your example, let's assume your 1 yr old 65k truck was worth $50K at time of loss and salvage value was 50% of value or $25K. Insurance in your case appropriately paid $15K, which was less than their net outlay of $25K in the total loss scenario. The choice you, as a customer have, is where to get the repairs made. If you purchased an Original Equipment Endorsement on your policy, or, depending on how your policy reads, you can also insist on factory original parts in some instances and in some states. ymmv
    Jeff & Jean
    2015 GD Reflection 337RLS, Goodyear Endurance tires, JT Strongarm stabilizers
    2015 Ford F-350 SRW Lariat, w/ Sulastic spring shackles, Rancho shocks, airbag, 80 gal supplemental fuel tank, Curt Q20 hitch, Access rollup cover

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