Got my bed shoved into my cab

Driving on the highway in the right lane a couple days ago, traffic is going about 75.

I crest a hill and the car in front me stops suddenly, so I do too.

The Jeep Wrangler and the Kia Rio behind me however, did not. The Jeep plows into the Kia as it goes to swerve around me, spinning it sideways, slamming it into the back of my truck.

I didn't get a picture of the Jeep, but it didn't appear too much worse than mine. It was gushing fluids of all sorts though.

The Kia:




My Tacoma:


(Bed hit the cab)


While I sincerely hope it's totaled (body shop is up to $12k so far without taking anything apart), I am very impressed. Damage was nowhere near what I expected based on how hard I was hit

 

More importantly, are you (or anyone else) injured?

 

I wonder if the damage would have been even less minimal
If you had a rear armor bumper, on the other hand you came out ok and that’s more important than a truck

 

Damn, glad everyone is alright. Insurance will get you a new truck.

 

It's more than likely a total loss. I see trucks with similar damage run thru the auction all the times and they're newer. The frame is toast

 

Good to see you are alright and that the damage to your truck looks nothing like the damage to the KIA. Good to see how safe the Tacoma is. If your truck is totaled, what will be your next purchase?

 

good thing you're okay. Truck is prolly totaled though

 

It would have been worse.

 

really no crumple zone huh

 

Exactly. Crumple zones help to dissipate the energy of the impacting vehicle. No crumple zone = a harder hit to the rest of the truck.

EDIT: Glad you survived with minimal (if any) body injury. Hope insurance treats you fairly.

 

So besides protecting your vehicle rock
Climbing do armor bumpers give you any protection in a crash or just make it more dangerous ?

 

My unqualified intuition is that with armor you might come out ahead in a low speed collision but everyone involved is worse off at high speed.

 

I'm fine and I believe the Jeep driver is fine. The driver of the Kia left in an ambulance, but they were walking around talking to people and were coherent at least. They did have a bloody nose from the airbag I assume.

Most likely a 21 off road access cab. Maybe double cab, but I use my bed for two 10' kayaks all the time so the extra foot of bed space makes a huge difference. I've considered an F150 regular cab w/short bed, but I'm pretty sure I'd regret buying a Ford

 

More dangerous to the occupants or the vehicle?
The following statements are good to around 45 mph. Above that, it does not matter what bumper you run, stock or steel.
If you are running most steel bumpers and have a head on 25 mph collision, steel is worse because it transmits the force without any dissipation of energy. That means that force hits you and that results in you being exposed to a higher g load.
Steel bumpers are really good for low speed bumps against immovable objects like rocks and trees, and a bit higher speeds for movable objects like deer.
OEM is hands down best for crash protection.
You noticed I limited the speed to 45mph...
If you happen to be in a crash where you go from 45 mph to 0 mph (think hitting a solid rock wall head on) without scrubbing off any speed or hitting anything that can absorb energy (like another vehicle) it won't matter because g load will be fatal to passengers.

 

An accident like this made me dislike tailgaters. I knew the fool one car length behind me at 55mph wouldn't be able to stop. Why do people do this?

 

Glad your ok.

Hope insurance all goes well, I had to get a lawyer with mine last spring. Dipshit drunk driver is how I got a 2021, even then only because I carry underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage because people run around without it or with minimum required. My CRV was a $300 and few hours to fix (drivers side rear door), me on the other hand I'm stuck dealing with back issues because the disc's messed up are in inoperable area and no more injections for 9 months. Insurance was quick to give full replacement cost for my CRV though since they totalled it. It was the medical that took about 8 months and a lawyer.

 

The get where they are going faster. Now that could be the hospital or the morgue, but they will get there faster.

 

You appear to have gotten a pretty sweet clear tail light lens mod out of the accident.

All joking aside, glad no one was seriously hurt.

 

Did your bags inflate? If not, depending on frame damage or not and state laws, it might not be a total loss.

 

Sorry you have to deal with that, that's awful.

They called me earlier... she doesn't have enough coverage. So now I'm going through my insurance and letting them go after her/her insurance. Although she didn't have minimum coverage (idk how much she did have though) the minimum coverage amounts are a joke.

No, unfortunately. That's why I'm hoping for frame damage.

KBB has my truck around $25k

Repairs are already up to $12k

The body shop knows a guy that will buy it as is. So in the event they don't total it, I might not take too much of a hit if I take the repair money and just sell the truck as is.

Again, frame damage