The damage looks bad, however, it really isn't as bad as it looks, nothing structural that will impact the truck down the road. Yeah, its going to be expensive but so is a scratch anymore. The repair will probably go one of two ways. Either they will replace the cab, or cut and replace the damaged area and roof panel. I'm guessing they'll replace the cab as the roof appears to be buckled. That's what I would ask for if it were me. Your biggest concern will probably be if the paint matches correctly. Ruby Red is a "pain where a pill won't reach" to blend.
Be glad that there wasn't an accident report done as this won't show up on Carfax and kill your resale value.
Well Don, look at the bright side, you've got your first ding out of the way now. It should be smooth sailing from here on out! At least its not damaged so bad that it compromises the integrity of the truck down the road.


One last thought. If they do replace the cab, it'd be a real good time to have the body shop install some sound deadening material on the cab floor, roof, firewall and back wall. I did this to my old 7.3 and it made a huge difference. These trucks are already quiet. With all that done, it would be like riding in a 4 ton limo.
Sorry for your misfortune. Made me think about a tree in my driveway...

 

The aluminum is more dent resistant than steel but only to a point. The steel would also have been damaged but it would not have torn. Either way, an expensive fix.

 

Yep, more resistant to plastic deformation (dents) but the ultimate tensile strength of the aluminum is less than the outgoing steel. It shears more readily.

 

The shearing doesn't bother me since either way it's going to require a significant repair...steel or aluminum. Only thing I care about is crash safety, and these trucks do very well at that.

 

In Ca. any repair by your insurance company over $1,000 or with any injury must be reported to the DMV. Just went through that. Our ins. co. sent the report to the DMV and it was on CarFax a few weeks later.

 

DANG! I am sick for you

 

Note to self: Never move to California!

 

I dropped a canoe next and it rolled up, twisted, and landed right on the fender of my brothers very nice 1967 Spitfire... needless to say, I know how sick you felt after that one!

As for CarFax... I don't see the complaint. I mean, you look at a CarFax when buying a used car... if you could easily cheat the system wouldn't that completely devalue the CarFax? Generally a "bad" CarFax doesn't kill the value unless it's structural. Actually there have been very few deals I've ever lost because of a CarFax (we show them on every single used car). It's just risk mitigation for future owners, but the real value difference is minimal. Not too many customers mention seeing the CarFax ahead of time, even though we post it on the website too and most shoppers do visit the website before coming in. I'd rather sell a used car with a bad CarFax than selling one that doesn't have one at all.

 

When my F-150 was wrecked, I had a chance to talk to the Production Supervisor at the body shop, as there was an aluminum bodied F-150 in for repair. He indicated aluminum repairs are much more expensive, because it takes a special skill set to weld aluminum, it warped easily when heated, and needed to be done in a clean room to prevent weld contamination.

I think that bears out when I got an insurance quote on a 2015+ F-150, vs the 2012 I had, the price was nearly double. Insurance on a 2017 F-250, was slightly less than an F-150, I'm guessing only because there are less of them on the road, and consequently, less of them involved in accidents.

After my agent told me about the costs, I stated paying attention to 1/2 ton pickups on the road, and by far, the majority were the aluminum bodied F-150s.

 

Most folks have NOT seen a significant increase to insurance cost. It's been a fairly well covered topic. The Al trucks are cheaper to fix for minor accidents but can be more on materials for major stuff. However, Ford also made the panels more modular that cuts down on the labor. Insurance companies don't base their figures on the number of F150s on the road... it's cost per unit.

 

My wife's new at the time, 87 E-250 Van Conversion was hit on the street while she was in her office in Los Angeles. She reported it to the insurance company but not the DMV. They suspended her license and I had to pay a lawyer $1,000 to have it reinstated.

Mark

 

Big government out of control right there.

 

Military Grade....


Ford may want to reconsider the adhesive they're using too. The aluminum skin doesn't bond very well to the sub structure.

 

The video showing the 2016 f150 rollover helped me in making my decision to buy a 2017 super duty. The extruded aluminum structure of the cab held up very well. The cab didn't smash flat. The skin shredded but that doesn't effect occupant safety until you exit the vehicle.

 

The ignorance in the second video is astounding. Crash protection is all about energy dispersal and keeping it away from the occupants. Every bit of energy that the truck can absorb including tearing and separating panels is a good thing. It was pretty obvious by the bio hazard sticker on the Chev that the occupants didn't fare too well. Why is everyone so freaked out by aluminum tearing?