100 series versus Mogollon Rim cow elk - Augie’s Auto Body and Paint (1 Viewer)

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JunkCrzr89

Competent Ignoramoose
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See here: 100s are tough, but elk hurt

Short story: Nailed a cow elk at 1:30 this morning on hwy 260 just below the Rim. We were on the last 95-mile leg of our 6,000-mile roadtrip that we’ve been on...

Any suggestions for working with insurance or what my next steps should be? I had it towed home even though it still ran fine and was technically drivable, primarily because it was too dark (and dangerous) to accurately assess the extent of damage on the side of the highway.
 
My opinion (based on some experience). First step, make a report to the local law enforcement agency at the time of the accident. If possible, have them inspect vehicle damage for the police report. This way, you will have the best possible proof of how the accident happen for insurance purposes. You avoid any insurance company hassle or questions of what occurred when making the claim. If the insurance company doesn't believe your "story", they are also by default accusing you of filing a false police report - very doubtful they would do that without cause.
 
My opinion (based on some experience). First step, make a report to the local law enforcement agency at the time of the accident. If possible, have them inspect vehicle damage for the police report. This way, you will have the best possible proof of how the accident happen for insurance purposes. You avoid any insurance company hassle or questions of what occurred when making the claim. If the insurance company doesn't believe your "story", they are also by default accusing you of filing a false police report - very doubtful they would do that without cause.
Thanks for responding. That’s exactly what I did, and I have a report in-hand from a state trooper with DPS. On the bright side, the trooper also owns a Cruiser!
 
Thanks for responding. That’s exactly what I did, and I have a report in-hand from a state trooper with DPS. On the bright side, the trooper also owns a Cruiser!
You're golden. Call insurance - see if they want to send someone to inspect the damage, have you send in photos / police report or have you take it to an approved shop for a quote. A word of caution, many years ago I got a low-ball repair quote from insurance and a check. The back of the check, where you endorse it, had a clause that once you signed the check - you agreed to amount and could not make any additional claim. So, if insurance cuts you a check - make sure at a repair shop (if you are going that route) that the check covers everything BEFORE you sign the check! BTW - I hadn't signed the check and made them issue me a new one that actually covered the damage in full. The agent was not happy.
 
You're lucky an I'm glad you didn't have any injuries. Truly.

I agree with @TheDesertRat , notify law enforcement to develop a track record, pictures of the animal (if it died there), pictures of your rig, time sequence, etc.

Driving at past DUSK (anytime of year) around the rim (260 from Payson to Heber) will yield dozens of elk on the road. My wife counted 50 elk on the road or the side of the road on a ten mile stretch last summer below the rim. My speed went from 65mph to 15 mph. That was at 11pm.

I will never drive after dark on the 260 again.

Safe Travels,

Zona


See here: 100s are tough, but elk hurt

Short story: Nailed a cow elk at 1:30 this morning on hwy 260 just below the Rim. We were on the last 95-mile leg of our 6,000-mile roadtrip that we’ve been on...

Any suggestions for working with insurance or what my next steps should be? I had it towed home even though it still ran fine and was technically drivable, primarily because it was too dark (and dangerous) to accurately assess the extent of damage on the side of the highway.
 
The back of the check, where you endorse it, had a clause that once you signed the check - you agreed to amount and could not make any additional claim. So, if insurance cuts you a check - make sure at a repair shop (if you are going that route) that the check covers everything BEFORE you sign the check!
Thanks for the tip! I hadn’t thought about that.

Insurance is sending someone Tuesday to check it out. I have around $5k in receipts for all of the parts that I’ve installed over the last year, so hopefully that helps some.


Driving at past DUSK (anytime of year) around the rim (260 from Payson to Heber) will yield dozens of elk on the road. My wife counted 50 elk on the road or the side of the road on a ten mile stretch last summer below the rim. My speed went from 65mph to 15 mph. That was at 11pm.
I was well aware of the risk, as I drove that road four times a month, every month, for almost three years when I was working in northern NM and traveling back and forth to PHX. I had reached a similar conclusion as you - that I would avoid driving that road at night. However, I got greedy/lazy and just wanted to get home after logging almost 6k miles on our trip. “We’re so close. I’ll just be extra careful. That plush bed at home will sleep better than this Exped on the platform,” is what I told myself. But clearly heightened awareness and lower speed were still not enough to avoid doom. I knew better...and now know even better-er...unfortunately.
 
That sucks. Sorry to hear.
 
You're lucky an I'm glad you didn't have any injuries. Truly.

I agree with @TheDesertRat , notify law enforcement to develop a track record, pictures of the animal (if it died there), pictures of your rig, time sequence, etc.

Driving at past DUSK (anytime of year) around the rim (260 from Payson to Heber) will yield dozens of elk on the road. My wife counted 50 elk on the road or the side of the road on a ten mile stretch last summer below the rim. My speed went from 65mph to 15 mph. That was at 11pm.

I will never drive after dark on the 260 again.

Safe Travels,

Zona

Before my wife retired we would head up from the valley Friday after she got off work. Some times during the summer could make it to the cabin before dark. But rest of the time is was dark. Now we never travel from evening to mid morning in rim country. Avoid weekends if at all possible. Plus in the summer time try hard to stay off I-17 from the valley to Camp Verde after 10:00 AM. That is to avoid fires along the highway. Seems every time I travel something new has burned.
Thanks for the tip! I hadn’t thought about that.

Insurance is sending someone Tuesday to check it out. I have around $5k in receipts for all of the parts that I’ve installed over the last year, so hopefully that helps some.

If the parts you are talking are maintenance issues to show it was in good shape that wouldn't hurt. If your talking about option like bumpers and sliders don't be surprised if the insurance company doesn't include them in the value of the vehicle unless you have notified them ahead of time. When I rolled my 2000 Tundra had a hard cap over the bed, factory bed liner I purchased, factory hitch I had the dealer install as part of the deal and nurf bars. None of these were counted in the value of the truck. All they went by was the VIN. The 2000 limited 4X4 did not had a receiver hitch option. So couldn't get them to value that. Luckily none of these items were damaged and was able to remove them. Friend had a new 88 Nissan kingcab hardbody. Bought a expensive camper shell and had it painted to match. Rolled the truck with a year. It wasn't totaled but his camper which was destroyed he didn't get a penny for. You can argue about the value of the truck and condition but accessories you've and haven't notified them of you will not get anything for. With out notification ahead only thing that look at the value of is the VIN. If the cruiser is totaled you can remove all your added accessories even if you don't buy the truck back. That's what I did with my Tundra. Few months later bought the Same Tundra right down to the color only a year newer and installed everything I took off.
 
Before my wife retired we would head up from the valley Friday after she got off work. Some times during the summer could make it to the cabin before dark. But rest of the time is was dark. Now we never travel from evening to mid morning in rim country. Avoid weekends if at all possible. Plus in the summer time try hard to stay off I-17 from the valley to Camp Verde after 10:00 AM. That is to avoid fires along the highway. Seems every time I travel something new has burned.


If the parts you are talking are maintenance issues to show it was in good shape that wouldn't hurt. If your talking about option like bumpers and sliders don't be surprised if the insurance company doesn't include them in the value of the vehicle unless you have notified them ahead of time. When I rolled my 2000 Tundra had a hard cap over the bed, factory bed liner I purchased, factory hitch I had the dealer install as part of the deal and nurf bars. None of these were counted in the value of the truck. All they went by was the VIN. The 2000 limited 4X4 did not had a receiver hitch option. So couldn't get them to value that. Luckily none of these items were damaged and was able to remove them. Friend had a new 88 Nissan kingcab hardbody. Bought a expensive camper shell and had it painted to match. Rolled the truck with a year. It wasn't totaled but his camper which was destroyed he didn't get a penny for. You can argue about the value of the truck and condition but accessories you've and haven't notified them of you will not get anything for. With out notification ahead only thing that look at the value of is the VIN. If the cruiser is totaled you can remove all your added accessories even if you don't buy the truck back. That's what I did with my Tundra. Few months later bought the Same Tundra right down to the color only a year newer and installed everything I took off.
98% of the $5k was maintenance parts. The cruiser had a very poor maintenance history when I bought it, but was a 1-owner that I saw an opportunity to prevent an unnecessary early demise for it. So I bought it, parked it in the driveway, and worked on it for 9 months. Including this trip, I’ve only put 7,000 total miles on it since purchasing...
 
98% of the $5k was maintenance parts. The cruiser had a very poor maintenance history when I bought it, but was a 1-owner that I saw an opportunity to prevent an unnecessary early demise for it. So I bought it, parked it in the driveway, and worked on it for 9 months. Including this trip, I’ve only put 7,000 total miles on it since purchasing...


Having all the records surely wouldn't hurt you. My 2000 Tundra was less then four years old. The cost to fix was somewhere over $16K. They totalled it and settled on $23K. When a insurance company total a vehicle they look a number of things. Figure what the auction value will be and the possibility of unexpected expenses if they repair it. Wasn't much over 2/3 of what they paid me to fix it but totalled it anyway. Not sure what year your 100 series is but what body shops charge insurance companies for repairs doesn't take a lot for an insurance company to total a vehicle that probably fifteen year old. Still carrying full coverage on our 2004 4Runner. But because how little extra full coverage cost just a free windshield would almost be ahead. But I understand could have a fender bender and pay to repair itself instead of claiming it and buying it back with a totalled title.

I know a bunch of the members have put a ton of money into their rigs. They should probably check with their insurance agent to be sure those accessories are covered.
 
Having all the records surely wouldn't hurt you. My 2000 Tundra was less then four years old. The cost to fix was somewhere over $16K. They totalled it and settled on $23K. When a insurance company total a vehicle they look a number of things. Figure what the auction value will be and the possibility of unexpected expenses if they repair it. Wasn't much over 2/3 of what they paid me to fix it but totalled it anyway. Not sure what year your 100 series is but what body shops charge insurance companies for repairs doesn't take a lot for an insurance company to total a vehicle that probably fifteen year old. Still carrying full coverage on our 2004 4Runner. But because how little extra full coverage cost just a free windshield would almost be ahead. But I understand could have a fender bender and pay to repair itself instead of claiming it and buying it back with a totalled title.

I know a bunch of the members have put a ton of money into their rigs. They should probably check with their insurance agent to be sure those accessories are covered.
All very good insight. Thank you. It’s a 2000 model year, so based on your experiences, I fully expect them to total the vehicle... The body repairs that are necessary will quickly exceed a few thousand bucks I think.
 
there's now a body shop right next to where Kevin's shop is, and they do fantastic work at really good prices - if your insurance wants to total it, buy it back and have that body shop fix it

and wishes for the best possible outcomes for your father :cheers:
 
there's now a body shop right next to where Kevin's shop is, and they do fantastic work at really good prices - if your insurance wants to total it, buy it back and have that body shop fix it

and wishes for the best possible outcomes for your father :cheers:
Thank you!
 
Quick update: Insurance did *not* total the Cruiser. They valued it at $9k (I bought it for $4k and put $8k worth of maintenance/baseline parts into it), so I'm good with that. The inspector was great - he asked me what I wanted to do, I told him I did not want it totaled and wanted to fix it, and he said he would make it happen. The key to making that happen was keeping the the estimated repair costs below 70% of the total value of the truck. If between 70 and 80%, that's a gray area in which the adjuster may just flip a coin about fixing vs totaling. If >80%, then guaranteed totaling.

He was upfront that to keep it below 70% of the total value of the vehicle that I might need to source a few used parts, which I've started doing. With @knewstance help, I was able to get a good used radiator/core support assembly, front filler panel, fender liner, and a few other parts locally for $300 (total value if bought new is $1200). I still need to find good used fender and hood, and will need to buy new OEM A/C condenser, A/T cooler, auxiliary fan, and fuse box. My biggest concern is whether or not the fender apron needs to be cut out and a new welded back in ($600 for new OEM apron), or if the existing one can be bent back into shape.

there's now a body shop right next to where Kevin's shop is, and they do fantastic work at really good prices - if your insurance wants to total it, buy it back and have that body shop fix it

and wishes for the best possible outcomes for your father :cheers:

With that said, I think I'm ready to head to a body shop. However, I don't know if I've ever met Kevin so I'm not sure what shop is his or where the body shop that you referenced is. Can you provide some detail, please? Thanks.
 
augies auto and paint.. just google it. He is a nice guy and does solid work.
 
the location is 663 W. 2nd Ave, Mesa, AZ; one suite to the left of #18
 
Good choice in body shops. He doed top notch work for a fair price. We have used him once and will certainly use him again. We currently have 2 80s on deck, in the waiting line.
 

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