Truck rolled

[LwnmwnMan2]

Today one of my employees put one of the plow trucks on it's side.

It's an '06 Dodge 2500, 6.7 diesel.

The adjuster is coming out tomorrow to look at it, or so I've been told.

On the phone, I was told that 9 out of 10 times they will total the truck, seeing as the diesel engine is too costly to start to dig into if there's any problems.

I have a couple of questions that I'm sure people have been through.

1. If the truck gets totaled, how will they know how much to give me? If I look online, alot of the trucks for sale by private parties like mine (55k miles) are asking about $25k. Is that the number I should look for from the insurance company?

2. Is there a set number that the insurance company will take if I want to buy the truck back? I've got a buddy that's in the body shop business that was looking for a truck to repair, so he's interested in mine.

3. Is there a 1/2 way quick test or something that will tell me the engine is still good?

I have no idea how long the engine ran, I just know the tow driver said the truck was more on the roof than on the tires, but not completely over, if that makes sense.

I also know when I went to get the valuables out of the truck, that the key was still on, so I'm assuming that either the engine froze from being upside down, or "HOPEFULLY" there's a fuel sensor in the truck that shut the fuel off right away.

4. Anything else I need to be aware of the next couple of days?

FWIW, the guy is okay. He didn't have much to say when I pulled up other than he was sore and wanted to go home.

[jeffreyd]

i would dump the crankcase to make sure any water or fuel that might have gotten in after bring it back wheels. put new oil in and try it, if you get oil pressure you might be good to go. you figure a bus engine is laying on its side will run as long as it has oil. good luck. not sure on the cost stuff.

[Macgyver55]

I have no idea how long the engine ran, I just know the tow driver said the truck was more on the roof than on the tires, but not completely over, if that makes sense.

I also know when I went to get the valuables out of the truck, that the key was still on, so I'm assuming that either the engine froze from being upside down, or "HOPEFULLY" there's a fuel sensor in the truck that shut the fuel off right away.

There is a good possibility that because it was more upside down than on the wheels that the fuel was pulled away from the pickup in the tank. With no fuel the engine would have died very quickly and likely cause no damage. However you have no way to know for sure. After it is back on the wheels for a while and all of the oil has run back down where it belongs, try starting it and see if it starts and sounds ok. I've pulled may diesel and gas vehicles out of ditches and haven't had a damaged motor yet. The lower it was on fuel the more likely it was starved and shut down quickly.

[overdalimit]

The insurance company will usually pay you the average of three comparable local vehicles. This is somewhat negotiable but you need to be proactive with reciepts and service records to get them to vary upwards from their initial offer. The buyback is usually 20% of average salvage value. I would guess that this would be dependant on condition and equipment but I would guess that the salvage on your truck with plow will be between 5,000 to 7,500. So if they think it is worth 25,000.00 subtract salvage value and any deductable on your collision policy and that is what you get if you keep the truck. Hope this helps. Be advised that often engines in rollovers will hydrolock with oil in the cyls. This needs to be removed before you try to start engine or you may be fooled into thinking it is siezed up when in fact if may only be hydrolocked. Ask a diesel mechanic how to do this. You may have to pull glow-plugs or injectors and then crank engine to pump oil out of cyls...at least that is what I have done with gas engines...and then we only pull the spark plugs , crank over, reinstall the spark plugs, reset fuel pump relay if so equipted and it should be good to go.

[LwnmwnMan2]

The truck has been towed to a body shop, the guy plows for me, and I've had other repairs there.

Today I talked to my bud that runs the body shop and they said the adjuster was there, and they checked the fluids in the engine, and he said start it up.

They started it, nothing sprayed out, nothing smelled, sounded or looked bad from the exhaust and all the fluids checked out afterwards.

It looks like they are going to go ahead with a repair, rather than a total.

[bobbymalone]

just wondering... how to does one go about rolling a snow plow truck?

[LwnmwnMan2]

My driver thought he was doing the right thing by taking the truck out of 4wd while going down the freeway.

With the diesel engine, and the V-plow on the front, this means there's VERY little weight on the backend.

It didn't take much to whip the backend out from underneath and put him in the ditch.

It's an unfortunate accident that the truck then rolled. I've looked where he went in, backwards on the right shoulder and I don't see what caused him to roll, unless there was a dip in the snow somewhere.

[broken_line]

well its good it didnt go on its roof!

[dougger222]

My dad had a 6 month old truck get totaled out a few years ago and was offered to buy it back for around $500. He decided since it was a complete loss as it was a 55mph head on to let them keep it. Another deciding factor was that if he bought it back he would have to pay full sales tax on the new truck. His truck loss was considered a trade in for tax reasons.

[Scott K]

I wouldnt be concerned about the engine, after being rolled, the insurance company should stand behind their word that it is good, I would ask them how many miles for sure. But most diesels will stop running fairly quick after being sideways, or upside down,

[LwnmwnMan2]

I wouldnt be concerned about the engine, after being rolled, the insurance company should stand behind their word that it is good, I would ask them how many miles for sure. But most diesels will stop running fairly quick after being sideways, or upside down,

After more research online, this is how I feel as well.

Hopefully I can get my truck back soon and not have to pay too many subs to plow.