Aftermath of a Wreck???

[40_Acre_Mule]

I need advice.

Our Dodge got rearended by a drug addled moron at about 40 mph.
We were sitting at a red light. The guy who hit us was driving a little Chevy Prism (thank goodness).

Anyway, the rear bumper got curled under and the trailer hitch got bent down. The left (driver's side) rear corner of the truck bed got lifted up just a hair. The other guy's insurance is paying for the repairs.

Still, my concern is whether or not there will be any long term effects on the operation of the truck. It was a hell of a whack. Will that kind of shock cause damage or reduce the durability of the transmission and/or the engine?

What say y'all? I'm worried about the reliability of the Dodge over the next couple of years, especially while towing the Sunny on a long trip.

[clueless campers]

I'd have a frame shop (not just a body shop) do a thorough check on it. How is the fit of the doors? I'd think a hit hard enough to bend the hitch would radiate forward quite a bit. When ours was rearended, one side of the bumper got pushed forward an inch or so and the mounting bracket broke. The hitch was ok and the bed didn't move.
When my mom was at a red light and got rearended, it didn't take long to find that the transmission was messed up. Dad thought he was going to back out of the drive to go get estimates for body work and almost ran into the shed in the backyard when he went forward.
It's amazing the damage something so little can do to something so much bigger - but speed does play a great part.
Hopefully, your truck can be repaired to safely tow and your back heals so you are soon enjoying your Sunline again.
It really is a shame that innocent people have to suffer because of idiots.

[Jim-Bev-2363]

Sorry you had to be in front of an idiot like that. The main thing is your healing and I hope that goes well.

I think the damage to your truck is whatever you get the repair shop to say it is. Just taking the truck to any shop isn't good enough since you have a special use vehicle there. I think I'd not stop until I had a good truck shop inspect it, not just some body shop. Might even need a lawyer to help with getting you back on the road. It is a shame that happens but insurance companies are not your friend.

[40_Acre_Mule]

So far the other ins. co. is appearing to be very accomodating. Especially since the police report stated the guy was driving impaired by drugs. (He admitted it to the cops).
I insisted the truck be checked by the Dodge dealer here. They have a complete service department and a full body shop.

They are supposed to check the engine mounts for cracks or stress, plus they will measure the frame.

I drove the truck for a week before I brought it in. It tracked straight, no pulling to one side or the other. The tranny shifted smoothly enough. The engine started up as usual.

[Jim-Bev-2363]

Then it sounds like you'll have no problems at all. You've covered all the bases with the dealership and I'm sure they'll do everything right for you and the insurance company is going to do what they should do. No problem.