Scratched and dented my tailgate

Well...the other day I helped my older brother move his old Dodge Neon. I drove all the way down to Daphne, AL with my friend and my twin brother and we loaded the car onto the trailer and made it to my brothers new house with no problems. I was using my dads old beater trailer and when we started to unload the car off the trailer it got stuck on the frame of the car and the back end of the trailer where the ramps were. So like the idiots we are, we left the car like it was and unhooked the trailer. Well...as you can imagine with all the weight on the back of the trailer...we weren't in a good position! So the trailer finally came unlatched from my ball hitch and the weight of the car caused the front to shoot up and forward while the car rolled back off of the trailer (no damage to the crap car) and the trailer tongue slammed into my tailgate and made a decent dent and an awful scratch. Needless to say I wasn't happy but it was my fault for being in a rush to get back home so I could take my boat out for an afternoon of fishing. I was really just pissed at myself and relieved that no one got hurt...because given the position we were in, someone could have been very easily. So anyways...this all leads into my question after my novel of a redneck story. Does anyone know an average cost to get something like this fixed? I hate seeing my baby with a huge gash like this on her and I'm not one to just leave it there. I do like my truck looking nice. So...any advice on getting it fixed would be helpful. Picture is attached below. It's worse than it looks in the picture.

 

You have just completed the tailgate theft deterrent mod.

 

OP I dented and scratched the top of mine in the middle of the Tailgate. It was covered under insurance however the estimate came back at a little over $700 to replace it and have it painted from the body shop.

 

FML...an easy mod for any redneck! Bahahaha!

 

Crap! Well...I didn't want to use insurance but I guess I will since my deductable is $500! Thanks man!

 

Talk to your agent, I was able to have mine covered under a comp. coverage and ony had a $100 deductible, otherwise it would have been $500 like yourself. For me it came down to the truck being parked with the keys in my pocket while something was being loaded in the bed.

 

I say use some rattle-can so it's not glaringly obvious and just drive it. You use your truck as a truck so you're gonna get minor dents and cuts, and I say it's normal wear but maybe that is just me and your example may be pushing the definition of normal wear a little. What I'm saying is, that gash is purely cosmetic and the cost to repair it properly is not worth it IMO.

LOL -- super awesome!

 

I'm not an insurance know it all so my question is. Should I have filed a claim when it happened? It happened about 2 weeks ago.

 

My guess is they'll ask you a couple extra questions, but it'll be OK.

If you want it "perfect" insurance claim is the way to go.

If you want it to just look a lot better and not stick out like a sore thumb:

1. remove the tailgate

2. wire wheel or sand the paint around the dent down to the sheet metal

3. apply a little bondo according to instructions

4. allow to dry and sand smooth (couple thin coats may be reqd, depending on depth)

6. apply spray on "touch up" paint from local auto parts store.

Total cost around 20 to 30 bucks and a Saturday.

 

LOL..Looks like mine now. In other words, it looks like a truck should, I had a shitty trailer hitch come up and smack mine too like that- that I borrowed.

Sucks but just try and paint over it

 

I'd try and fix it myself

 

What he said.

 

hey mine looks like that too...but I backed into a rock while off roading lol...(a big invisible one)

 

Please PLEASE tell me that someone got it on video. Really that sucks. I have done things that sounded like a good idea untill the OH SHIT moment.

 

Ouch, lesson learned. At least it was your truck and you did it. You would feel a lot worse if you did it to a friend or a friend did it to you. Good luck with the repair. I have had good luck with Fix Auto and Caliber Collision for what it's worth.

 

Take it to a body shop and get a quote before you go to your insurance. If you go through insurance it can be a mark against you. A shop might do the same work for 2-300 bucks. Best of all its just a tailgate so you can take it off, leave it and not be without a truck while they fix it.