Rear ended with my four wheel camper

Wow.. amazing if your camper survived without damage! Especially with the frame being severely crushed after your Yakima box acted like an airbag.

 

I would. After the experience I had a bunch of years ago, I won't deal with someone else's insurance ever again. It's only gotten worse in the last few years.

 

Yes. You know what coverage you have, you don’t know what the other guy has. This is especially true if you have specific coverage for aftermarket items, stated value coverage, new model replacement, etc. Make your own claim and let them settle with the other guy afterwards.

 

Ugh, sorry OP. Hope your camper is ok.
Yeah, I go really slow down to put a lot of extra car lengths ahead of me and pull into the next lane asap to let someone pass if they’re tailgating or are not watching my ass.

 

OP was stopped in traffic. Extra car lengths not an option and watching one's ass doesn't help in some situations.

 

You absolutely need to contact your insurance. They insured the truck. They stand to lose if the other guys insurance tries to screw you. So they are incentivized to make them pay.

 

Just saying what I try to do to avoid those people - but you’re right, can’t do anything sometimes and in fact, same thing happened to us- stopped in traffic and a sheriff deputy on his phone rear ended us! It totaled our CR-V and luckily my daughter in back only had a mild neck injury. I also left room enough in front while we were stopped so we did not end up hitting the car ahead of us; it did prevent us from having a double hit.

 

You may want to read through the fine print on your insurance policy. They might have some requirement to alert them if you've ever been into an accident. As far as the frame, yeah that'd be a complete replacement if they go for it. What year is your truck? Any pictures from the back after the wreck? Just for us rubberneckers

Sorry to hear about the accident and glad you're okay!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I have contacted my own insurance. I have a seperate policy on the camper. I have the camper off and luckily the only damage is the turnbuckles stretched.

 

Yes it definitely looks like a frame and as far as I know insurance does not let frame replacements.. My advice is let insurance talk with other insurance, and see how much they will give you, then go and buy other 3rd gen. Make sure they count the rims, tires and all the good stuff, not just random bs kelly book price without them looking at details.

 

Worst part is they don’t make that color any more. Thats $10,000 just for a paint job

 

Any color can be mixed. This is why we have paint codes.

 

Had similar damage in 2018 when R/E in my 2016. Per two different Toyota shops the frame is designed to “crumple” in that area so it did its job. At fault party’s estimator wrote for a full frame replacement which did not total the Taco. Zero body damage in my case.

I’ve been around the collision repair industry in some form for most of my 50 years on earth and decided I’d rather deal with a frame repair than frame replacement so I cash settled with other insurance carrier. Found a a take off bumper/hitch assembly locally. Paid an old school body guy to straighten/reinforce the frame and swap bumper/hitch. So far, so good for the last 75k-ish miles including towing. Frame damage was isolated to behind axle because of the “crumpling” so no issues with alignment. Had the frame been compromised between axles I may have done something different, in fact probably so. Installed a lift about 15k miles ago and no issues including realignment after lift.

Bottom line, you don’t know until you know. Get the best info you can on your specific dilemma from people who know what they’re doing and do what’s best for your situation.

Dont see me getting rid of this Taco by choice so the consequences of whatever I decided were my problem to live with good or bad.

 

Was wondering the same thing. Looks like a carport. With the white mortar it looks very 80-90s style. Also wondering if that is synthetic turf. Looks very green.

 

just insult to injury...sorry about the job and truck. Hoping the courts will find all this BS illegal and hire you back(not sure if you would want to go as they will continue to find ways to dismantle the government agencies)...the Forest Service is about to be cut and this is just all the most idiotic, moronic and imbecillic presidency ever...

 

Slow your roll there brother. Dragging politics into a discussion rarely ends well.

 

Yeah that's done my friend, sorry. Beautiful truck.

 

To summarize some points from others

If you work with your own insurance, you have more control on the outcome and proper resolution. Your insurance will bear the burden of going after the other insurance company to recoup their costs.

It’s in the interest of the other insurance company to pay out the least to you if you work directly with them.

 

when was the last time you had a vehicle painted?

OP,
What do you do for NPS? I was PSAR at my last gig. Hope to go back when this all goes back to normal.

 

Not sure where you’re going with this? Any color can be made. It’s possible the OEM brand or type isn’t manufactured anymore. But any color code and be reproduced. If I take fresh batch of 4V6 paint of course it’s not going to perfectly match his truck in today’s current condition. That’s also why they have color cameras that can adjust the mix to better match the fade and wear of the paint. I’m by no means a paint guy but worked in a body shop when I was 16 and my step dad was a painter there. Also been in the automotive industry 21 years. Worked for automotive groups with plenty of body shops and now work for GM.