Replacement for Old Faithful

Well the insurance company finally heard me.  I stated quite clearly that it was not fair for a drunk driver to smash into my vehicle and then I have to fork out over a thousand dollars just to replace it.  Apparently something clicked, because the offer saw a 33% increase.  I was satisfied that it represented a value close to what my vehicle was worth.

Friday, I picked up my replacement for Old Faithful.  You may have read the previous installment where a drunk driver smashed into my pick-up truck and pushed it into our tree and across the sidewalk.  To honor my long history with Dodge trucks, I decided to purchase another one.   With as little as I drive and as long as I usually keep a vehicle, we bought the extended warranty that reads 99 years, 999,999 miles. The coverage is for most everything on the vehicle, except wear items such as:  brakes, tires, and spark plugs.  All the electronics, seats, and things like that are covered for as long as I own the vehicle (not transferrable).  For us that is quite good, we usually hold a vehicle 12-15 years.  This is the best warranty I’ve heard of for a truck.

We bought a two door with a V-6 engine and an eight speed transmission. The EPA sticker announces 25 mpg. The paint is a silver (light grey). The shorter truck swings around much easier than the longer Quad cab did. I find the eight speed transmission very smooth, and a bit odd. The shifter is below the radio on the dash – it’s a knob you turn to P-R-N-D with no other choices, if you want to upshift or downshift you do that by pressing the + or – on the steering wheel.  So far,  I’ve only driven 50 miles so there is much to experiment with – interestingly, the tachometer stays near 1500 everywhere except when driving over 65 mph.

An interesting sidelight to the accident is the tree.  You will remember all the hassle I’ve gone through with the estimates for the truck’s value, well the tree is done completely differently.  I find a nurseryman (or woman) to estimate the value of the tree replacement, and submit the estimate.  Here was my opportunity to go to Beverly Hills and gouge the eyes out of the insurance people, but instead, I went to our favorite nursery, Moneta Nursery in Gardena, CA.  Where we were provided a fair estimate of the replacement costs.  The insurance company took almost no notice of it.  I find this very odd.   I could have easily improved the price by a couple thousand dollars and been the beneficiary of a small windfall, well not exactly a windfall, but enough for some extra wine. 

If you have any questions about the truck or want to know more about dealing with insurance companies, please add a comment, or send me a note.