Early Summer Ending

[Rx79394]

This post is really just a few pictures from what happened over the weekend - Mostly as a way of coping with what is almost an early end of our summer.

This last Friday night, I was sitting at home and drinking a few beers and had a case of the midnight munchies. Well the wife offered to go to the McDonald's drive through which is located literally across the street and pick me up a few things. Well a few minutes after she left, I receive a phone call from her. It went a little like this, Her: "The truck is on fire", Me: "Ok, I'll be there".

Well I figured it wasn't actually going to be on fire, I figured it was smoking from overheating or smelled funny. Well I walked across the street and sure enough the truck is on fire! She got out of the truck early on, and the fire department was called very early in the process. However, I was/am still a little upset it took the FD about 10 minutes from start to finish to arrive on scene (they live also right next to me). In hindsight, she mentions she did smell fuel in the cabin, but wasn't sure if I spilled something (as I am always working on our vehicles).

Luckily, everyone is safe, and after some calls with the insurance company it looks like I am in the clear financially from the McDonald's damages.

Unfortunately, as the truck was an older truck (1999 Dodge Ram, 110K miles), we only maintained liability insurance. So we are out the value of the truck and all of the other items. We lost quite a bit of boating stuff - as we just came back from boating and was planning on going back out the next morning: Slalom Ski (we just started to learn), Wakeboard Tower Speakers, Life jackets, and other boating gear. Furthermore, there were other odds/ends(tools, stereo, etc) in the truck we lost, that I haven't quite accounted for.

All-in-all it looks like we are swallowing about 8-9k, (6k truck, 1.5k in items, 1k towing). Which is clearly not a fun thing to do, but our largest concern is with the McDonald's damages as we are just looking to graduate college and prepare for a home purchase within the next one year.

Guess the silver lining is I get a new truck (minus the car payment part of that). We are currently looking at purchasing a newer truck and we might get a few days on the lake before school starts back up again. However, the truck I am looking at I am worried about how it would handle the load of the boat as it is only a 4.3L V6. It is a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 - does anyone have any experience towing with this truck or the similarly equipped silverado? We saw this one today and is extremely clean and we may actually go to the dealership tomorrow to work out a deal. https://www.lunghamerbuickgmc.com/Ve...-MI/3265075883


Here are a few of the pictures, and a video that was randomly posted online.

[UNSTUCK]

Those Hot and Spicy Chicken sandwiches will get you every time.

Sorry for the loss. That stinks.

[cltTige]

Man I am sorry to hear this. I am glad everyone is okay! Hope everything gets worked out with insurance, I know that's a pain to deal with.

As far as the truck goes, that should be fine, I looked up the specs and its really close to my vehicle ('06 LR3) in terms of HP and torque. I have a little more HP and torque, and about an extra 1k lbs so it prob evens out. Similar boat as well. I def know the boat is back there, and it feels heavy, but never have I felt it couldn't tow it anywhere. Mine requires a lead foot at times, especially when going uphill. But overall its very capable of towing the boat.

Also, I read (can't remember if it was this forum or another) one guy took the vehicle for a test drive towing the boat, but he was able to get his boat to the dealership.

[chpthril]

Sorry to hear, glad it was only property damage.

I think your liability policy should cover McD's damage up to your PD limits, - deductible.

[freeheel4life]

WOW! I am glad everyone is okay. Sorry for your loss. Good luck hunting for you next vehicle. If you are spending money on newer trucks and are concerned with towing I wouldnt throw out looking at an 3.5L Ecoboost f150 (unless you are anti blue oval). These things are tow beasts in the half ton segment, are great around town when not towing, and in my opinion put even the 5.3L GM to shame. Only thing that gets close to me is 5.7l HEMI in the Ram 1500s.

[TeamAllen]

Sorry to hear about the fire. Glad your wife was able to get out of the truck in time!
It would be interesting to know what was leaking fuel.

How far do you typically tow your 21i?
Glad to see you're learning how to slalom ski. That boat should be great for that

[KoolAid]

That's very scary! So glad to hear no one got hurt!

Please PM me your address. We would like to send you a few things to get you back on the water.

[UNSTUCK]

^^^ Awesome!

[NICKYPOO]

Man. That sucks. Sorry to see that. As long as everybody was Ok, it’s just stuff. Good luck on the new truck.

FWIW, my life long Toyota buddy just bought his first GM. ‘17 GMC 1500 crew gasser. He’s in love. I’ve followed him towing his 21v twice now and it has no problem dragging that thing up and down the mountain at 70mph. Getting 14mpg towing.

[NICKYPOO]

^^^Oh ya, V8. Not sure what is even available anymore on those. I assume some sort of 5.7 LS type setup?

[freeheel4life]

^^^Oh ya, V8. Not sure what is even available anymore on those. I assume some sort of 5.7 LS type setup?

It's been a 5.3l v8 for a while. The v6 option is fairly new in the 1/2ton. I didnt realize OP is in Michigan. I always am thinking about towing in the hills, 3k feet of elevation in 90 miles is a tow I do often. Hence the more power thing. I bet in some flatter countey even the v6 could cut it and would be better on fuel when riding around town.

Keep looking back at those pics. Such a heartbreaker.
Best of luck, and hopefully you are back on the water before it cools down in MI. Also, that Koolaid guy got me thinking, we have a fair of amount of stuff that people just left in their trade ins/consignments lying around. Shoot me a PM as well as it's just sitting around on gathering dust.

[Rx79394]

Sorry to hear, glad it was only property damage.

I think your liability policy should cover McD's damage up to your PD limits, - deductible.

That is the main thing, no injuries all around. Our property damage limits are at 50k, which it appears that as of today, the store just opened back up - however not all exterior repairs have been corrected. 50k sure does disappear quickly when someone else is spending the money - and especially on a commercial property. I would assume that most of that amount would be used for lost profits (if those are even possibly covered under the policy).

However, after speaking with the insurance adjuster there are a few things that are going good for us, and makes us nearly in the clear.

1) The vehicle was well maintained and there is no negligence on our behalf (i.e. keeping a cigarette butt lit).

2) The state of Michigan requires all residents to also maintain an additional $1,000,000 insurance for property. How is this different then just regular 50k property liability - I don't know. Will it cover property damage like this - I don't know, but it is there.

This is where my insurance adjuster left us at:
1) Their insurance should cover all of their damage, due to non-negligence (90% chance of happening).
2) If we do get sued for damages, it would be sent to our insurance on our behalf and they would end up handling it. Which "handling it" means, that they would go to their insurance company and basically say "nope, can't pay due to non-negligence". Then what happens after that, the adjuster says it's done. It all sounds weird/off to me.

WOW! I am glad everyone is okay. Sorry for your loss. Good luck hunting for you next vehicle. If you are spending money on newer trucks and are concerned with towing I wouldn't throw out looking at an 3.5L Ecoboost f150 (unless you are anti blue oval). These things are tow beasts in the half ton segment, are great around town when not towing, and in my opinion put even the 5.3L GM to shame. Only thing that gets close to me is 5.7l HEMI in the Ram 1500s.

I am anti-ford, but I did consider them for quite a bit, but have tended to shift away from them. I have heard great things about the Ecoboost - the power around town, and even towing. However, since they recently have been redesigned, they got their new set of problems - I also don't think I want to deal with the turbo either. I actually do love the Aluminum for the corrosion resistance, Michigan salt! I think they also moved to a Al frame? However, the Al beds do seem a little silly to me. Trucks are so much better to look at the dealership because it's so easy to see the underneath!

We took a test drive in a 2014 5.7 Big Horn Ram yesterday, and we loved it! However, it would feel kinda silly jumping back into another Ram after the last one caught on flames, however, the interior was EXCELLENT!

It would be interesting to know what was leaking fuel.

How far do you typically tow your 21i?

I too am curious as well what caused the fire. The Auto industry is such a large part of my life (HS Job, Vocational School, Temp Jobs, etc.), that is why I am at school at Michigan to try to enter that engineering industry. This truck was nearly in perfect condition mechanically (the paint was notoriously bad on these dodges) - that is is what makes it so weird.

We typically take the boat about 30 minutes away, and about once a year we take it about 4 hours away. There are other lakes that we would like to visit as well, just haven't ventured out that way yet.

[Ruger761]

Sorry to hear that one, that's a rough deal.

I had a 92 1500 a while back, so granted a lot has changed since then, it had a 4.3L in it. Had a older boat then boat as well, I pulled it all over the place with it. Will it pull like a V8 no, but will it pull the boat you have yes or at least my old truck would have.