Wife tried to kill my truck!
 

Not really but thats how I felt when it happened. She didn't tell me she had put the tailgate down when I had the gooseneck horse trailer hooked up.

We had just unloaded our horses at the new house, she went to the truck and took a couple of bales of hay out of the bed, left the tailgate down and didn't close it. The barn was in front of the truck so I only went to the drivers door. We got in, backed up to turn the trailer around to go back for the other horses and being on very slick surface, I seemed to be sliding a little more than usuall. So I put it in drive, and pulled forward turning the other way, and thats when I heard the CRUNCH!! I stopped and looked back...seeing the tailgate down.... I had my fit...then calmed down and checked out the damage....

Bed damage....bent the lower section below the taillights in...and cracked the passenger taillight.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...mage/photo.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_2.jpg

Tailgate damage

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...e/photo_10.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...e/photo_11.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_6.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_7.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_8.jpg

And the trailer...Tough to see but the mount is shoved to the left against the edge of the trailer...and the tire sidewall got sliced open. The tire mount is welded to the front of the trailer and the welds ripped about 1/3 the way across.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_4.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_5.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ge/photo_3.jpg


OK So enough of the pics...and thinking my wife needs to detail the truck with a diaper and toothbrush......

I just have to pay my $100 deductible and everything gets repaired. But my thought is, I have always wanted one of those louvered gooseneck tailgates, or a tailgate from an SD with the built in step. Getting the louvered new OR a used SD tailgate has got to be cheaper than replacing the tailgate with a new one and painting to match.....

Thoughts on which way to go?

hate to hear that, hope it works out for ya! its always something.

Sorry to hear about the truck. I have one of the 5th wheel tail gates that came with the truck. I still have to put down the tail gate to load our 5th wheel. I would rather have a regular tail gate myself. If you have small stuff in the back of the truck it can fall out with mine.

ouch!! sorry to see.

Don't be too hard on the wife, last summer we where picking up hay out of our field...stopped by the house for lunch. I just pulled on to the driveway apron with the trailer sticking out in to the driveway....came out after lunch and completely forgot I had a trailer (bumper tow)hooked up...threw it in reverse and promptly jacknifed it crushing the bed behind the rear wheel on the drivers side.

My wife was very sweet about it, just put her arm around me and told me "if you wanted to repaint you truck thats all you had to say"

that being said, I like the idea of the late model tailgate with the step, partsguyed has em for a lill less than $600 new

www.partsguyed.com link to tailgate's

they are from the "collision catalog " so I imagine they come primed so it souldnt be more that $100 to get it painted. I don't know what else would be required for hardware etc.

Good luck

Hmmmm I am scheduled to drop the truck at the body shop on the 24th.... I may have to swing by there before hand and see what they say.... I guess it depends on the replacement price to the original type.

our tailgate lists for 1/2 the price so they might want you to come up with the difference. If they plan to buy a used tailgate and paint it you might be able to push for a new from ed due to the fact after they put the work in to a used gate to sand and paint it might be cheeper to purchase a new that dosen't need any body work or prep.

Time for a new wife if you ask me











lol. Just kidding accidents happen no one was hurt that is the important part.

I gotta admit....I blew up at first...but it only took me a few seconds to settle and start looking at things differently. Although I did apologize for blowing up. Couldn't stay mad.... never could with her.

Just need to figure out which way I want to go with this tho.

Sorry about the damage, but the driver is responsible. You should have checked the truck before moving it.

You would be suprised how often i circle my truck and/or trailer checking it.

I was stuck in the snow the other day. too short of a chain and rammed into the guy pulling me out. We both got tailgate damage. Later that night, I was backing up with my garden trailer loaded with snow thrower and 600lbs of salt. I slid in some snow and jack knifed it into my newly repaired (someone hit and ran me on mothers day when I was in the supermarket) side of my bed. It was a bad day for sure. I feel your pain. Check around for the new SD tailgate. It's an easy upgrade and if you get it with the step, it is even more functional.

I love the look of the '08 tailgate but never use the step, so I took off all the hardware and put on a flat access panel cover. I could still use the step if I wanted, but just don't. It looks pretty sweet though!!

Time for an 08 tailgate! Dunno if you tow alot a louver would probably be a better for your application

Dang man, sorry to see the damage.

360 degree walk-around always helps. I don't know how many times this summer after walking the dog at a rest-area I almost pulled out (towing the 5er) with the dang tailgate down. At one point I was thinking I needed a bright red sticker on my driver side door saying "TAILGATE".

Can happen to any of us. And for the most part, our wives rock. That is why they keep us around :-kneeslap

Bummer dude. Getter fixed. One of those things I guess.

I love my 5'ver tailgate.

She took a few bails of hay out of the bed. 5er gate wouldn't have helped.

sad deal
 

Hate it when things like this happen.

I tend to lean with the driver guys tho, working in mining for 12 of the last 20 years, its been beaten into me, walk around the rig and do a visual inspection before starting the truck...

Wife hates it, I circle our rigs like a vulture all the time looking for a weakness, annoying, but a good habit I suppose...

Even helped a lady at the truck stop tonight when fueling my yota, 11 lbs of air in her rear tire I couldn't help but notice.

Guess i am possessed by the weekly safety meetings etc..........

This is one of those things that "assuming" bit me in the ass.
I should of checked myself, but being that we train horses, run a rescue ranch, I trailer all over for mounted patrols with the local LEO's, etc etc etc, I assumed that she wouldn't do something like that, but since I am the one usually hauling.... should of checked...and you are right....

A 5er gate would of done the damage too.

Like I said, I came soooo close a few times last summer to poking a corner of my tailgate through the front storage area of my brand new 5er...

This is a cool place to vent though. :-X22

considering
 

Forgot what yall do, you ever consider a flatbed and just be done with it all? I have been looking for 6 months for the deal of the century on a used flatbed for mine, as 90% of what i use the truck for is hauling my goose neck and hay. If the insurance pays half decent, maybe a used flatbed would be your best option.

Yea I thought about a flatbed...but I haul too many "things" that a regular 8ft bed is needed. I looked into the flatbeds that have the fold down sides, but then my wife would look at me funny when we take the truck into town for the "night outs" and we pull up somewhere in the "farm truck". She still shines up pretty good and looks good enough to take out on the town...The truck that is. ;):-dancing1:-kneeslap

Such A dilema.....
 

Hmmm, I think I am feeling your pain here, when she shines up and wants to go out on the town in something shined up, the soon to be flatbed isn't considered a cowboy cadilac so to speak.... Neither is my beat to death daily mine commuter tacoma. So..... Sadly.... I put my cowboy hat in the trunk and scrunch down in "our" "her" clean civic.... How degrading.........

Now that is funny :-kneeslap. But you do it cause you love her!

hmmmm
 

"You do it because you Love her"

I would suppose you have a point, ill married 5 years come June. Thinking back, I remember going to Bull Whackers Pool hall in the civic, then to the PBR in Billings MT, then to the Wild West dancing after one day when were dating, all in the CIVIC..... With my best friend as a witness in the back seat :-X19 Guess I have been hooked for a long time now........