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This is the real bummer. No monetary value on this one, PRICELESS.
Can you get them to just let you finish the repairs? Or have another shop finish?
Not sure I would want to finish the repairs myself. So many hacks have butchered her.
The claims guy says that all work related to the fire claim will be guaranteed for the entire time I own the truck.
Not sure how long that will be. I will keep her through the winter and put some miles down and see what happens.
Probably going to rent a truck whenever I go for long trips out of state.
The claims guy says that all work related to the fire claim will be guaranteed for the entire time I own the truck.
Many insurance companies do offer a "guarantee"
1. That it is fixed RIGHT.
2. That the fixes have proper longevity and correctness over time.
Did you pick the shop, or did the insurance company?
You *could* request a different shop "fix" the problems the first shop missed. Let the insurance company figure out how they want to handle who gets paid and charged for what.
As I see it, one of two things would happen.
A. Shop 1 would step it up, knowing they are being held to a standard and could face an unhappy insurance company
B. Shop 2 takes over and fixes the problems for whatever monies that the insurance company would likely seek to recover from Shop 1.
I would also suggest going to Shop 1 and telling them you expect THEM to provide a rental while you wait for them to fix their mistakes.
At their low rental rates, most shops wouldn't hesitate to spend so little to avoid a potentially bad situation.
The original shop that did the $17,000+ of shotty work was in Abq. New Mexico. Just had to have everything towed to the closest dealer.
Truck is now at a local dealer in Denver. Ive only had someone else work on her two times so I don't have any kind of relationship with a shop.
Im sure I could push for a rental out of the Abq. dealer but I think I will loose my cool if I have anymore contact with them. Plus if I drive a new 1 ton again I will for sure be broke before I know it.
At about mile 2000 of a spring break road trip (towing Heavy) disaster strikes. About midnight she hiccupped a little and I smelled what smelled like brakes. Look out the mirror and Im blowing tons of smoke. Gauges all looked good. About the time I hit the shoulder I had flames coming out the hood on to the windshield. All went down in about 45 seconds.
Wake up the wife when I see flames and threw it in park. Unbuckled my sleeping 5 year old twins and yank them out.
Ran to the toy hauler ripped the fire extinguisher off the wall and shot the hole thing up through the wheel well skirt. Didn't put it out. Grabbed another extinguisher out of my sand rail in the TH and was able to get it out. The hole thing only lasted 4-5 minutes. Damage is on top of motor. Everything plastic is toast.
Not sure what happened. Looks like an air conditioner line burst. Maybe secondary. Don't know. Lots of oil, antifreeze and fire retardant everywhere.
Stealerships 7.3 tech is on vacation but will be back in a couple days to put together a parts list for insurance Co.
Sad to leave her behind. I have a feeling Ill never see my baby again.
In your original post you talked about a brake smell. I believe that was your clue about what caused the fire. An overheating transmission (as already mentioned by another member) can give off that smell. The clutches when overloaded will put off that odor.
A new (larger) tranny cooler might be worthwhile.
Overheated fluid on hot exhaust manifold/up pipes probably did your truck in. My condolences for your loss.
Larry
. I check tires, hitch and look for leaks at every stop I make on the road. !
Glad to see I'm not the only one getting funny looks crawling around looking under the truck.
I have always been one to check things at every stop. It usually elicits querys of "what's wrong???" from anyone travelling with me for the first time when they see me raise the hood.
In your original post you talked about a brake smell. I believe that was your clue about what caused the fire. An overheating transmission (as already mentioned by another member) can give off that smell. The clutches when overloaded will put off that odor.
A new (larger) tranny cooler might be worthwhile.
Overheated fluid on hot exhaust manifold/up pipes probably did your truck in. My condolences for your loss.
Larry
I figured the brake smell was melting plastic. The fire did burn the booster real good.
Don't think it was tranny related. I hope not. 1st gauge I checked when she hiccupped and all was good.
She has a 6.0 trans cooler. Never seen over 195.
I have been told that fire vehicles are like flood vehicles in that they will always have gremlins that creep up, especially electrical. Any chance your insurance company would still total it out from shoddy work and continuous issues?
Was the passenger's side fuel line, that runs down the head to the rear of the head, inspected to ensure that it didn't wear through where it goes through the little clamp?
It's kinda' common that a fuel leak occurs there, but less common that a fire starts.
I have been told that fire vehicles are like flood vehicles in that they will always have gremlins that creep up, especially electrical. Any chance your insurance company would still total it out from shoddy work and continuous issues?
IDK. They have got to be close to 20k in payouts on her. Doubt they will stop now.
Ive been warned by friends that any wire that burned and went to ground could be problem now or later.
Almost Everyone Ive talked to says they should have totaled her.
Part of me is glad it didn't get totaled but a large part of me wishes they would have.
Was the passenger's side fuel line, that runs down the head to the rear of the head, inspected to ensure that it didn't wear through where it goes through the little clamp?
It's kinda' common that a fuel leak occurs there, but less common that a fire starts.
See below.
Pop
I know the line. Not sure if anyone inspected it closely. I did not. There was no investigation as to what caused the fire. I asked for one.
On the second day waiting on the side of the road behind the dealer I had someone try to break in my toy hauler in the middle of the day when I walked down the street to get lunch so I was unable to do much troubleshooting myself as I was to busy trying to get my family, all my toys and my toyhauler home 400 miles away and get home to go to work.
To be honest with a fire of this nature and the troubles Ford was having with engine fires because of the brake master cylinder switch for the cruise control, I'm surprised they didn't do an investigation. The other thing that should have happened, your rig and everything you were hauling should have been loaded on a trailer and hauled back home so your own dealership could take care of things. This way keeping you in the loop instead of all the phone calls. After all if I remember right, you had to track down all the specialty parts for the dealer to get them for installation, make sense? I remeber buying my 13 yo Expedition and the first thing I did was go to my local dealership and run my VIN, it had not been done and my switch was wet, so they ordered the kit and installed it a couple days later.
Didn't have towing coverage at the time of claim so getting my family home and toys home was on me. Plus hotel and such.
The lack of coverage was my own fault. Should have done my due diligence and read the fine lines on my policy. Would have paid the extra $5 for the coverage if I had been enlightened. I assumed I had it.
I have/had towing coverage and it covers getting my stuff to the nearest dealer or nearest authorized service center. Called my insurance co when we were stuck on the side of the road to get us towed and it was a joke. State patrol got involved and couldn't do any better. (Im sure if I woud have let the whole deal burn in the middle of the highway they would have figured it out)
My wife finally found a company 80+ miles out that had a driver and truck available. Totally awesome driver. Hooked me up. Got my family off the hwy. Way.Way. Overweight. Overloaded, plus illegal with my wife, two kids ,and myself in in the cab. Plus two dogs it the toy hauler. Put me in the best spot for what I had to deal with.
Awesome Dude! Offered to store my burnt **** at his house to work on it or store until I could come back for it. Should have taken him up on it.
10-30-2015, 09:36 AM
