Am I getting hosed?

Hello, first post here...

Went skiing in the mountains this past weekend in a snow storm and my chains failed and chewed up my inner fender wells pretty good. Not sure how I didn't hear this going down the road. Anyway damage is done and I went to a body shop to see what it would cost to get it fixed up. There are quoting me around $6k and telling me to go through insurance. Seems really steep to me.

There's a hole in the composite bed which they probably want a whole new bed. I would think you might be able to patch it? Then it looks to have cut through the side panel brackets that hold the panel to the bed and obviously the splash panels.

Here are some reference photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10zCdYiFpEwUIJkaNXwLcRvkXSOH73iZI?usp=sharing

Anyone have experience with this? Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Dang that’s bad … 6k seems reasonable for a fix of that magnitude. You can probably go cheap tho … and get a low key fix

 

Unbolt the bed and put it to the curb. It’s flatbed time!

 

Find a used bed and slap it on.

 

File the claim, pay your deductible, move on with life. Welcome to TW.

 

Actually not a bad idea, I would sell my shortbed for a flatbed FW camper tomorrow if I could afford one.

 

$6K is less than I would think. You can patch the bed but you lose most strength. You know our trucks are not supposed to use chains right?
No hose. Just a dose of reality.

 

Sounds like a deal, quite honestly. Composite bed replacement is easily in the $1000s

 

What????? thats a crazy statement.

Page 324 of the owners manual tells you how to put the chains on. You ever have a truck before and take it off the pavement or in snow??

 

Does it say front and back or just back?

 

Any 3rd gen is fairly new, if decent-low mileage, I'd just use insurance. Only way I'd cobble it together if it was really high mileage nearing end of life situation.

 

I get it, I hate insurance too. Ive been hunting down a replacement hood for my car.

But life happens sometimes. Pay the deductible and get it fixed right.

 

Looking at your photos, they are likely gonna replace the whole painted bedside/fender assembly, which is a bolt-on part, as well as the entire composite box. I would go through insurance unless you have a reason not to do that.

One of the major flaws of the composite bed is that it has no protection from the wheel wells. There should be a guard to stop abrasion like this from being such a costly repair. Also the way they mold the fender supports into the composite is lame. If you snag a fender support on a big stick, you need a whole new box (don’t ask me how I know this).

 

My mistake lol. Getting vehicles mixed up.

 

If that was mine I’d just patch it.

Until I saw the photos. Looks like you hosed the bedside too? Wheel well liners are easy. Just the beside would be tough.

I have two giant holes and a few small holes in my bed. It’s holding up just fine.

 

I mean… I would probably just drive it. It’s a great story to share.

This being the visual worst of it? Just cut this little section out, and send it.

 

I’d just fix the bedside and patch the bed.

 

Year built and mileage would factor into my decision making process on this one. If she is getting kinda old with a lot of miles on it; I would patch her up the best I could and learn to love the battle scars. On the other hand, if a later model truck with low miles - I would bite the bullet and file an insurance claim. Hell, that's what you buy insurance in the first place; to fix your fuck ups!