Unexpected New Truck Due to Accident - Need Advice

[monalisa]

July 4th has not been kind to my household. My beloved 2006 Dodge Diesel dually (was in perfect condition with 135,000 miles) was hit by a reckless driver and totaled. I am sick about it. Obviously this is going to cost me a fortune as I won’t get much money from the insurance company. I had never planned to replace this truck and was planning to drive it 10 more years. But obviously that is not going to happen. I also own an older model gooseneck trailer (a 2001 4-Star) that I have no intention of replacing. I see myself in horses another 10 years or so, likely not longer than that.

Just totally perplexed at what to do next. I have my horses at home so I am now unable to go to shows, to the vet, anywhere.

Any suggestions from those who have been in this situation?

I would want at least a 3/4 ton truck with a long bed due to the gooseneck. I don’t have to have a dually or even a diesel. I travel maybe 3 hours with the horses now, never further than that. I had no money in my budget to buy a new truck either. And in my state we have a very high personal property tax so a newer truck is going to likely add at least $1000 a year to that bill too. And my job is still intact but if the economy spirals out of control (and I think it could) I will most likely be laid off. Or maybe it is time just to call it quits with the horses. Not sure it is worth all this $$ and aggravation.

And I have read about the issues with the newer trucks being too tall in the beds for the goosenecks. Another worry.

[2DogsFarm]

{HUGS}
Sorry to hear about your bad luck.
Like you, I hate being forced to spend when it was not planned.

The only “good” is car dealers now are making some very attractive deals on new models, and - per the traditional sales model - will be wanting the “old” 2020 models off their lots like yesterday.

Find out what your insurance will give you for your truck, use that - all or in part - as a down payment towards the replacement.
Talk to some dealers to see who will give you the best deal.

Wishing you Luck!

[ShotenStar]

Definitely shop the used vehicle sites — CarMax, etc. People whose economic situations are stressed maybe selling things like big trucks to ease their own budgets. Do your homework so you know exactly what you need in terms of mechanical requirements to move you trailer safely; think through what options and fittings you would like or might need. Then look at what is on offer. If there is dealer near you, stop in and make friends with a sales person. If you have a specific list of requirements, they can search the country-wide inventory to help you find something suitable.

star

[goodhors]

Did the body shop give a cost to repair the damaged truck? Nothing major to be done, like bent frame, etc? We have found that the insurance will often total an old to elderly truck out, give you the money. However the body shop can make the truck safely usable (though not always attractive) for less than making truck “like new” again. Doors or panels might be a different color, dents show, but truck goes down the road fine. The kids wrecked their elderly trucks in accidents after high school. We collected the insurance, bought the trucks back from the insurance company for scrap prices, and fixed them up to be drivable again. Kids each got a couple more years of use out of the truck with minimal investment to get it road worthy. They did not have enough money to buy another vehicle, so fixing worked quite well. Mis-matched panels, one newer, different color door Their Dad said “You wIll remember better, seeing the repairs. Think twice, to not make such a poor choice again.” Seems to have worked, no more accidents, thank goodness!

My friend did the same with her beloved elderly car, which was totaled. She had a local body shop guy fix it for less than the repair estimates, after buying it back from the insurance company. Used the totaled out insurance money to pay for it. Still looks great several years later.

If you do go shopping for a new truck, check the prices on just the cab and chassis. You can put on a flatbed, maybe have a flatbed made at the local welding shop. The idea being that you can put the gooseneck hitch at the height needed on new truck flatbed for the older trailer. Not have to replace the present trailer because of height problems on new trucks with such high box sides.

We replaced our box on the elderly dually when it got crunched wit a flatbed. I have to say I REALLY liked the flatbed we put on! It was really handy for a lot of things. We had a ball that dropped below the bed, so the bed could be clear for hauling things. Husband added side pockets for putting on side gates to contain things. It was quite handy, could use or leave off the sides, depending on the load. Low flatbed made it so easy to reach things on the bed, no climbing in and out. Our next truck also has a flatbed, still love it! Watching folks struggle with the newer truck bed’s high sides, trying to get things out, is painful. Most of the ladies are not as tall as the truck side!! Even on 2WD trucks. Not easy to use.

So at least consider a flatbed if you purchase a new truck because you can’t have the old truck repaired.

[NancyM]

I will echo goodhors with the cab and chassis option. Either new if necessary, or used if you can find a good one. I did this in 1997, with a new one ton cab and chassis Dodge diesel. We had a local welder make the deck. It is my pet truck, for everything, sounds like yours was for you. Not getting the pick up box saved $10,000 in purchase price, about 1/4 of the total price if it had included the box. The flat deck is very useful, 5 th wheel hitch was put in at the correct height, and recessed under the deck, with a slide in hitch cover. The deck cost $2500 to build. If you want sides on it, you just build them out of some 2X6 rails, with 2X4s to slide into rectangular holes in the sides of the deck. So many different options. Good luck with truck shopping. Used cab and chassis vehicles tend to be turned in by businesses, have had a cargo box on them which the previous owner has retained for their next vehicle.

[monalisa]

i am pretty certain that this truck cannot be fixed. They could hardly get it on the flatbed to get it out of the road. The driver in the other vehicle was going at least 60 mph. The whole end of the truck underneath was almost separated and the front left side was destroyed. The frame is definitely bent. It saved me. I would have been dead if I had been in a small car.

Am not interested in a flatbed. If I have to buy a truck it will likely become my “car” so I will need to be able to drive it work, to the airport, etc.

[wsmoak]

Why can you not drive a flatbed to work or to the airport? (They often have short sides you can put on if you need to load stuff in the ‘bed’ so it won’t slide off.)

Newer trucks can definitely be too tall for older gooseneck trailers. My new Exiss has the axles blocked (making it a big step up and I had to add a ramp, grrr…).

My next truck will absolutely be a plain white work truck with an 8’ flatbed!

This is one I found recently, it doesn’t have a gooseneck hitch but I suppose one could be installed. What I found interesting is the VIN sticker which says “Incomplete Vehicle” – I’ve vaguely wondered how a flatbed happens… I sure don’t want to buy the complete truck and then have the bed taken off…

https://www.commercialtrucktrader.co…250-5011828487

[Obsidian_Fire]

Having been in accidents where others were at fault I’d be finding myself a good attorney and fighting tooth and nail to be made as whole as possible. A diesel that age with that low mileage and in perfect condition?? Worth a small fortune to those of us who know about these things.
I would make sure I had a candid conversation with the atty about why - financially - you are adamant about replacement value.

[Jarpur]

@Obsidian Fire

Having been in accidents where others were at fault I’d be finding myself a good attorney and fighting tooth and nail to be made as whole as possible. A diesel that age with that low mileage and in perfect condition?? Worth a small fortune to those of us who know about these things.
I would make sure I had a candid conversation with the atty about why - financially - you are adamant about replacement value.

Yes, around here that low mileage pre-2013 Dodge diesel would be quite valuable.

[fourfillies]

If you have decent credit and can live with a Ford their whole line up of 2020s is at 0% for 72 momths. Could make sense if your GN height isn’t an issue. By the time you are ready to be out of horses it should still have some decent value. So sorry this happened. Sounds like your trusty dually saved your life.

[jvanrens]

@monalisa if it makes you feel better to share your pain, this was our truck on June 30th parked in front of our house. Boom truck arm wasn’t latched properly and peeled the side off of it. The noise was impressive and got us out of the house in short order, with me dialing 911 on the way.

The insurance company should get back to DH next week on what we’ll get for it. Fortunately our shedrow neighbour at the track works in insurance and is going to deal with them if they try to under value it. We need a truck to haul the racehorses, so this will impact DH’s livelihood.

Good luck!

[B_and_B]

Personally, I would stay away from the modern diesels, ie anything that requires the DEF fluid. I have one, it is an awesome truck in the ways that should matter, but the added complexity of the emissions control system is a headache. Like all modern cars, all those sensors add cost and, in the case of the diesel emissions control, a potential performance limiting failure. Also modern diesels are very expensive and the price of diesel versus gas is so comparable now that the cost of the diesel is really only justifiable if you are doing a lot of heavy duty or long distance towing. Which you aren’t, I think.
So, I’d look for a modern gas truck coming off of a two year lease for a deal (but another note to check the height issue!) or one of those older ‘unicorns’ like your old truck, but as you are aware, they really are unicorns

[skydy]

@jvanrens that’s impressive. I can only imagine the sound of that happening.:eek:

[monalisa]

I am going to talk with an attorney but from what I have been told I am totally screwed. You can get “replacement value” insurance (if I had known about this I probably would have carried this on my truck). I did love this truck and it probably saved me from very serious injury. I am going to let hubby negotiate with the insurance company (I am too angry to deal with anyone) but we may have to go with a Ford to get a lower truck. I just don’t want a flatbed. I’d sell my trailer and get a bumper pull trailer before I’d do that.

[monalisa]

@jvanrens So sorry for your loss too. That is terrible. Hoping you are made whole.

[rothmpp]

Don’t take your insurance company’s first amount for your truck. I know several people who have dragged their insurance companies into a much more favorable payout rather than the model/year calculation that they want to use on older vehicles.

Go to used car sites and find vehicles as close to yours as possible and have that information at hand when they give you the payout number. Have all of your service records available to show the excellent care and condition that you took of this vehicle.

Depending on what state you are in - consider going after the other driver in court to make you whole.

As far as a new vehicle - once you know how much money you’re going to have to work with, start looking for a newer, but still used truck that has been well cared for. Measure the height of your gooseneck and/or your truck rail height (if it is still somewhat accurate) and do some research as to which year is the breakpoint for the height of the rails being too tall for your trailer. Since your old truck was a dually diesel - you might find the newer truck height might not be such a problem.

Does your gooseneck have a tapered nose or a square nose? I have a friend with a 4 Star gooseneck about your age and hers has a tapered nose. You’ll be able to get away with a shorter bed with a tapered nose. Though you’ll probably not want to go shorter than 6.5’.

[monalisa]

@rothmpp Mine is a square nose. I do not think that a short bed will work with my trailer. I ended up buying the dually for that reason in 2006 when I bought that truck - my old old truck (which my dually replaced) was a 3/4 ton with a long bed. In 2006 I could not find that. I knew that I would destroy a truck with a short bed with my trailer.

[goodhors]

So sorry truck was damaged so badly. Glad you were not badly damaged!

Darn, I thought the flatbed would make things easier for you and the older trailer. I see them with professional horse folks at competitions, really nice looking plain or with the farm name on the side. I find mine so very versitile to use. But I know some folks just can’t think of owning one, though they are not specific about why not. I am guessing it is too “commercial work truck” looking for many people.

You do have to be happy with your truck when you drive it! Best of luck finding a good replacement truck!!

[jvanrens]

@skydy

@jvanrens that’s impressive. I can only imagine the sound of that happening.:eek:

Impressive would be a bit of an understatement I think. The truck was sitting about 30 feet from where I was sitting in the living room, right in front of the picture window. There’s still bits of plastic and paint chips all over the shoulder of the road and the sidewalk. It sure attracted a lot of attention as we live on the main street of the village.

We are hopeful. My DH has been doing online research and the same truck is posted for $7-10k, which would be handy to replace it.

[skydy]

@jvanrens

Impressive would be a bit of an understatement I think. The truck was sitting about 30 feet from where I was sitting in the living room, right in front of the picture window. There’s still bits of plastic and paint chips all over the shoulder of the road and the sidewalk. It sure attracted a lot of attention as we live on the main street of the village.

We are hopeful. My DH has been doing online research and the same truck is posted for $7-10k, which would be handy to replace it.

I imagine it would catch the eye of everyone passing by. :yes: Good luck with the replacement hunt.