Short story, wife backed into my truck and hit the area between the wheel arch and rear bumper on the right hand side of truck. The bedside is wavy to almost the top of the taillight and pushed in at the body line above the tailpipe. I'm of the opinion that replacing the bedside is the best solution given that the metal is so flimsy, if they try to hammer out the dents and skim coat with filler, the filler could crack. The body shop quoted me $1400 to bang and fill and $2400 with a OEM bedside replacement. They feel I will be most satisfied with the new bedside to which I agree. I will have to turn the repair into the insurance company either way, I'm hoping I don't have to fight to get a bedside replacement. Anybody else had a similar situation?

 

Let me put my damage adjuster hat on... I'm going to repair that... or at least write for it and make them tell me I cant...

Now... let me put my obsessive truck owner hat on... replace the bedside all day...

Bottom line is the insurance company will always write for the most cost effective way period. However... There is always the option of paying the difference out of pocket for the bedside. Don't pay too much attention to the numbers between the body shop estimate and insurance estimate. they'll be different thats why they call it an estimate, they meet in the middle and come to an agreement.

 

find a salvage bed the same color and replace the whole bed

 

Nah...the truck is pristine ( or was). I'm probably one of the only owners in NY that gets there truck Krown under coated each year....I will never find as clean of a bed to put back on it.

 

I may be off base here, but from what i'm seeing i wonder if a good paintless dent removal guy could take care of it.

Have you tried visiting or calling any?

 

Not off base at all. I have experience with the paintless dent removal guys in the past removing door dings ( people suck). This has some subtle creasing and that usually doesn't work out well in my experience. But, maybe I will call. This all happened yesterday. Still in shock that I have two damaged vehicles
from a collision on my property and both vehicles are on the same insurance policy.

 

looks way to big for PDR however it is very repairable a tech with a pogo stick should be able to get it out

 

I looked up the PDR I used a few years back on my old truck, he is still in business so I will call him today, send a photo etc..


I'm making a big deal to myself about removing the OEM bedside, it will never be sealed up as well as it was from the factory and up here you see rear fenders rotting out on 7 year old trucks, but replacing the bedside will be the most visually appealing for the time that I own the truck. That said, probably 7 years would be the maximum I would keep the truck....might actually be only 5 now.

 

Disagree. Having repaired/replaced and painted countless boxsides in my near 20 year auto body career. If you take it to a really reputable shop, it will be better than factory. The combo of adhesives and welding is far superior to factory in my experience.

No matter how much you rust proofed it. Maybe, maybe not. But you more than likely have a bunch of rust directly over your wheel. Probably hasn't come through yet. Mine just started, and mine is a 2010. Factory uses a foam adhesive there between the outer panel, and inner panel, that soaks water. And it just sits.

Every shop I've worked at, we replace with a better adhesive there, and clean up the rust. Use epoxy primer on everything, and give the entire boxside the proper amount of paint. Food for thought if you are worried about the repair. Again, this is what I do. I can't speak for others.

 

I had to have my bedside on my 2013 truck in January of this year. Hit and run in a parking lot unfortunately. I have an OEM rider on my Nationwide policy that requires them to use Ford parts if they fix anything and I used a preferred shop that my insurance company wanted me to use.

It was fixed in 3 days and looks perfect. No way I would be able to tell otherwise. The only issue they ran into was the new bedcap plastic got wavy from the impact so it wouldn't go back onto the new one correctly and that was ordered later when you could see the discoloration from the bend. That was it.

I was a bit skeptical about having it replaced as well, but there is no way you can tell or notice any difference. They left the gas tank door alone but replaced the bedside, the fender flare, two trim pieces, etc. Even if I look at the gas door and compare the paint or the rear door and compare, no way to tell. I haven't even really thought about it until today and saw this thread. That's how good it was done.