Can you post pics of the front damage? I'm a estimator at a body shop. And will tell you a super duty has to be literally completely destroyed to be totaled. They just hold value so well.

 

Thanks will give them a call.

I have a couple of pics in post #4 above.

Not so much in body damage, but my prime concern is frame damage. Front axle appears to be back about 2+ inches on drivers side, steering is inop and the bed is torqued badly (see pics). So its not drivable at all and looks bent out of shape....


UPDATE: Ins company talked to the shop where its located, some guy looked at it and does not think there is any real damage. Front axle can be fixed by installing a new tie rod, was not sure on steering but thinks its minor, 'beds get torqued all the time as they are only held in by 6 bolts, no big deal.

Ins company wants the shop to get it drivable and then I take it and keep it until the shop can fix the body damage and paint it. I agreed so hoping that in the next few days I get a ya or nay on getting it drivable again.

The hailstorm we just had has every shop in the greater San Antonio working overtime on hail repairs. So shops are turning down almost all business except hail damage. Hail damage pays BIG BUCKS and you don't need to be a high end body man to repair most of it. Grab some dry ice and shrink the dent, done it many times...works as long as the dent is smooth and not creased.

I am not optimistic on this being just minor repairs, but do hope they are correct.

 

UPDATE:

FINALLY got the truck on the rack and they have confirmed serious frame damage.

CANNOT believe my Ins company said (in writing to me) they think the torqued bed and the bend in the front of the bed were "PRIOR DAMAGE" WTH???

So I fired off pic of my truck over various dates and asked who was the idiot that dreamed that up. Now they are going to have one of the adjusters look at it! I asked them if they had any idea how the bed was attached to the truck...as in FRAME DUH! So you are telling me I have been driving it around with a bent frame all this time!

Mostly I am beginning to not buy this BS that the GREAT HAIL STORM of 12 APRIL, almost 6 mo later all the shops in San Antonio Tx area are so busy still doing hail damage repairs????

Been without my truck for over a month and all we have is frame damage and nothing is fixed or even started...hail you know.

FYI for you guys on hail repair: Wal Mart sells DRY ICE, grab about a lb of it, break off small pieces and touch the center of the hail dent with it and watch the dent pop out. NOTE only works on the smooth dents, not dents where the metal is creased. I have been doing this since the 70's on my cars, WORKS!!!


On another note: All this occurred because my truck took off on its own and heading down the hill. Truck was in Park, keys in the house and it had sat there in front of the house about 15 or so min. I was outside when the truck took off, I did NOT hear the ratcheting sound you hear sometime when you put it in park, truck was silent and the truck took off as if someone was driving it!

Anyone every come across this issue, truck not remaining in Park. Truck is 4x4.

 

Didn't you buy this truck brand new? This makes no sense. Is this your company or the other persons? Once I had to just have my insurance cover the loss and then they went after the other insurance company in court (and won, and I got my deductible back). I have state farm and this was against an all state insured.

This is almost as bad as I had the manufacturer rep. tell me the new car I bought was in a previous accident and was fixed and that was why it rusted out. (he didn't realize I was the original owner) Well, I had it since new and they changed their tune when I filled a complaint because they sold me a new car with previous damage without disclosing it to me -that's a big federal no-no. I think they throw this stuff out there in the hopes that someone will roll over and go away.

Unfortunately, with serious frame damage you need this thing totaled so you can get another truck. Just my humble opinion of course.

If you mind sharing - what is the name of this insurance company and is it yours or the other parties that is saying this?

 

When my daughter's car got ran over in the corner by an 18 wheeler, we had to file against our insurance so we could get it repaired. I paid the deductible.


Insurance wanted to put aftermarket parts and I told them no...this is going to be paid by the other person's insurance.

 

Yea I bought the truck new or in this case I actually ordered it.

LOL Dak, there no other party, it happened on my property. Truck just took off, wife and I were outside and yelled the truck is moving, so thinking I had left it in drive/engine running she ran after it and could not catch it, in fact she had to dodge it, nearly ran over her. She jumped out of the way and dropped her fone...

I'll get the Ins company straightened out, been with them 49 years and they insure everything I own. Last thing they want is an unhappy customer like me. The guy who wrote the report 'Dung Le' (yea real name) has never seen the truck, just pics and the pics only show the 2 rear fenders with some scratches on them, the real damage is underneath.

iPhone run over by a Dually

 

Ohh that right, I remember your accident now...

I know you will straighten it out, it's just amazing they would try to pull something like this.

You know if that was a life proof case it wouldn't have been damaged at all... (kidding of course)

 

A new screen and it will be good as new!

 

The good news: The hell with the Ins company, wife and I have not had anything but a cell fone since the 90's, so being without is not an option. She ran down to AT&T and bought a new one, $804 bucks, I turned it into the Ins company and got a check 2 days later for $804

 

I hear you on that. I ditched land lines many years ago as well, so I have to have a cell. Glad the insurance company saw things your way with the phone. Now, they just need to fix the dang truck, AND we need Ford to figure out why or how it jumped out of park and went on a rampage. Lucky nobody was in front of the truck or in the line of fire (other than Mamma chasing the truck down to stop it), or consequences could have been much worse.

 

You are RIGHT on that Doug. Got a call from the shop this afternoon and its going on the rack tomorrow if they can get it drivable, it won't even steer or drive (engine runs etc) as the steering gear is FUBAR.

And that BIG Hellwig Big Wig sway bar I have is bent like a noodle.

 

Here's hoping they can get you squared away without further delay or issue. I know that frame pulling technology and methods have come a long way, and a frame tech that knows what he is doing can likely get the frame straighter than it left the factory.

 

The technology is there to do it, but getting your truck into the hands of the people who can do this is another matter.

 

I brought up today, what if the frame is FUBAR? EZ, they just order a new frame from Ford.

And to sort this out they have to remove the engine, cab, all the body pieces, wow, just WOW!

 

Don, I sorta assumed a new frame would be the next step as well - provided that damages to other components, or the labor of moving everything from the old to the new wasn't going to push it beyond "totalled" status.

As with most things that require talent, straightening a frame requires someone who knows how to operate the tools properly, how to test the progress, finished product, etc. Finding someone who is good CAN be challenging - but so can finding a good paint and body person, or Diesel tech.