Forum Discussion
- Oh but it does matter. In my case, the antenna was the only thing damaged. It's pretty common too, hence the standard warnings. That aluminum tearing type of damage could happen in various other scenarios too. That's a weakness pure and simple. They'll figure it out.
- Ripped out, snapped off, doesn't matter.
The problem was the car wash or leaving the antenna on, not what the trucks fender was made of.
This is better than the dumping rocks in the truck bed add on TV!! BillyW wrote:
I had the antenna snapped off my '97 F150 by a brush carwash. I learned and always remove it before going through now.
I think that this has shown that maybe aluminum trucks aren't quite ready for prime time. Maybe another year or two. :)
Was the other fender steel? Or just useing which facts fit the hypothesis. :B- For the last two years, I have bought a car wash card that allows one wash per day through an automated, no touch carwash. Use it probably 5 times per week. I don't take my truck through it, but the Yukon XL goes through it regularly. Never had trouble. Seem like an aberration, and I wouldn't use it as reason to not have an aluminum body car.
- I had the antenna snapped off my '97 F150 by a brush carwash. I learned and always remove it before going through now.
I think that this has shown that maybe aluminum trucks aren't quite ready for prime time. Maybe another year or two. :) - Sorry to hear about your incident. I use automated car washes all he time because at my age I'm not a fan of getting out a ladder to wash my truck. That being said, every car wash I have been to has a prominently displayed sign warning drivers to remove their radio antennas, all loose items, and fold in their "tow mirrors", because what happened to you is a common issue.
- Took a Titan through the local car wash many times. On one occasion all the equipment was operating normally. When I went through the right side wrap (goes from the front bumper, down the passenger's side and around the back didn't retract. It went up the hood, over the top and landed on the bed cover. Of course it creased the top of the truck from the windshield to the back edge.
Made a claim through my insurance and paid the deductible. Truck got a new roof, the car wash paid the over $6,000 damage and my insurance refunded the deductible. We pay insurance for them to worry about things. The car wash wanted me to use their recommended shop, which was about 1/2 the price but I used the one I always use.
Having worked at one of these type car washes my advice is fold all the mirrors in (cars and trucks), remove the antenna and take everything out of a truck bed (it is amazing to watch tornado strength winds blow stuff out of a truck) - Went through one of these panel beater warshes in about 1985. Ordered a new driver side mirror afterward and never been back to one since.
- I was going thru a brush type car wash with my Caddy when all of a sudden the right side of the car was being thrashed with an antennae from the car ahead,their insurance covered it.
- That reminds me of what the Autonation Chevy delaer in Spokane did to my truck, and didn't tell me about it. When I brought it to their attention they said "take it to our Collision Center up the road."
There's a reason they call it Collision Center!
The "collision center" trashed the dually fender on the truck because some azz-hat lot-boi didn't know how to drive a dually, and crashed it in to the side of the building pulling it in to the shop. When I discovered that repaired damaged on the bed, the entire shop staff lied about it and to this day they still deny doing it.
I forced them to install a new bed side. I told them a "repaired bed side was unacceptable"
