I think there's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to safety with something like this.

As things get bigger strength gets lesser and lesser as a proportion to size. It's a concept called scaling, and it requires sacrifices as things get bigger.

So you have an already top-heavy truck with a tendency to roll, which would make adding more weight to the top of it counterproductive. It would take a LOT of metal to get the cab to the point where it wouldn't deform in a rollover, as 8,000 lbs is a LOT of weight to put on a cab. This would raise the COG to the point where rollovers would be come much more common. This seems counterproductive!

 

B.S. I think they could do it with a small roll bar, it does not have to encompass the whole cab just make it more survivabable for the occupants.

 

Tom,

Its a "catch 22". I'm not dead Weigh your options.

I do agree, though - over 8000lbs tried to fold me in to an accordian. I felt the roof collapse after the truck stopped. I still don't know how I got out. There is more to the story than anyone will ever know. How much more the truck settled after I squeezed out the window I will never know. I'm OK and I am very thankful for that. Whether or not I will ever find the reasons why at least I have a story to tell. The world never stopped, life moves on.

I don't hold any bitterness towards anyone, anything, or any condition. My accident was just that - something bad that happened "out of the blue". If I could go back and re-do the drive home there isn't anything I would change. I am a very experienced driver, drove commercially (long haul), and have extensive experience in the snow. The snow doesn't scare me but it does deserve respect. One must know their vehicle and how it behaves to fair the best in foul weather. All the variables weighted in this case, I can't and would never have been able to change what happened. Even if I was going 10mph slower I am certain I would have still slid. The initial loss of control still doesn't make sense as the rear end went IN to the turn, rather than OUT. The drop off down in to the ditch was too far to coast down and not gain enough momentum to roll. All around it was a bad scenario and just happened. I'm ok and the truck will be replaced.

 

And that's exactly my point. You aren't dead, meaning the truck did it's job. Wouldn't have been so fortunate had there been any passengers though. I'm just not sure that adding more metal up there would be a net benefit across all accidents. Less fatalities per rollover, but there certainly would be more rollovers.

Man...the thought of that is just scary. I've never been in a rollover before, and the cab survived in every accident I've ever been in. Really glad that things worked out for you. Also glad I wasn't in the truck when it happened!

 

Just be glad you are unhurt in an accident like that. A couple of months ago a teenager flipped a truck like that around here and landed in the canal, four kids drowned in that one. I blame the dad for letting a kid drive a truck like that. I won't let my wife or kids drive mine, when my wife insists she can handle it I tell her that is why not because she thinks she can.

 

If you look at the right-side-up picture of the truck only the front of the cab was squashed. The rear of the truck was OK - in fact, the cap on the bed never really touched the ground.

The energy that the said roll bar would have to dissipate must be transmitted down the A pillars. I do think that they need to be strengthened, but the process of strengthening them will certainly add more weight to the top of the truck as Tom pointed out. The stability would diminish in that case.

I really don't know what the answer is. The Super Duties are very robust trucks. They drive like trucks and are the heaviest in their class. That is a benefit in most circumstances, however in a rollover such as I experienced it becomes a drastic negative.

I don't have much of an issue with getting a replacement Ford. I am still not crazy about the DEF system on the 6.7 but I think I can live with it.

I may be one of the few people that actually liked the 6.0. I drove a 2005 F350 DRW long haul with a 2 car gooseneck trailer for a year. I never saw one problem. At the time I drove a 2003 chevy silverado z71 crew cab short bed. I always liked coming home and getting to drive my chevy to school every day. However, the super duty really made an impression on me. My 2010 was 100 times more comfortable than the 2005 I drove. As we saw in Millersburg the crew cab short bed F250 could still pull just fine with 3.55's. For how I use a truck and what I want out of a truck the 2010 F250 was plenty and I loved every minute I drove it. If insurence is good to me and I replace it with a 2011 I expect it to hold up to the same standard.

 

I would think that camper top would have come off, you must not have been going too fast when you flipped.

 

It can be replaced.

 

Fixed it for ya.

 

Thanks Dave.

Totaled. I have a feeling the fun is just beginning with insurence too . I don't know any numbers just yet, but I am going to be very careful with the settlement. It sounds like there might be a lot to the rest of the story.

My goal is to end up with a 2011 6.7. As to how that happens or when I will have to go for the ride on insurence and see what beach I land on. In a worst case scenario I won't get a whole lot of money back. I put about 46% down when I bought the 2010, so what percentage of that down payment I end up with after my loan is paid off and my deductable I do not know. If it is too low and theres no other way I may have to buy a cheap used truck for now and save up the same way I did while I still had my chevy. Then sell the truck back for at least what I paid. It can be done - my brother got more for his car than he paid for it. Its one of the many games of the auto industry. If things go well then I may be able to jump right to a new truck. We'll see.

 

I hope for the best for you. It is snowing like the dickens here right now. that could be any of us.

 

Another quick update. Things are looking a lot better off than I anticipated with the settlement. Things will probably hold off through the weekend but I know where this is all going. Without putting any numbers on the table I am getting back more than my down payment last time. That means a new 2011 6.7

I have a dealer that has located a few trucks for me. One is just like the one I rolled - green/pueblo gold F250 CC SB, with a few more options. I will let them play the deal now that I know about where I stand.

More to come as I know.

 

Awesome news Steve!

Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home. Serious injury or death may occur.

 

Good to hear that. Tell your ins. guy I'll buy the leather seats out of your old truck.

 

Theres a silver lining to just about every situation, if i total my truck i might get enough to cover the diesel option in a 2011 haha