To all those with Fontaine conversions.

[Rick C]

Geez...i'm feelin like i've been smitten by the bad luck monster. Coming home from the son's house last week, no trailer in tow thanlfully, 65mph on the fwy...BOOM...rear out side tire explodes and basically rips/bends everything that supports the fender to the box on my Fontaine bed. To all those that have one of these bed coversions keep a check on those rear tires. Any damage to the exterior fender panels will require fiberglass repair as no replacements are available. Thankfully it just got the supports, liner and all of the marker lights and harness. Very little outside damage except for a few chips in the edges of the fiberglass.

[late_99_PSD]

My dad had a tire blow out on his 550. Glad it didn't do too much damage, just bent the metal support for the mud flap.

[ThirdCoastStroker]

i might sound like a but what is a fontaine conversion

[Evil Eye]

Rick,
Maybe check with your insurance company and see if it would be covered. I know that most body damage (like in your case) is covered even though they often don't cover damage resulting from blowouts. Sometimes (depending on the amount of damage) they will pay for your claim and then subrogate (means try to get their money back) from the tire company or warranty company. Just a thought.

[351fifty]

Originally Posted by ThirdCoastStroker

i might sound like a but what is a fontaine conversion

I was thinking the same but glad you beat me to it.

[alberta 7.3]

Pretty sure those are the 450/550 haulers with a custom made bed.

[351fifty]

The bed that makes it look like a gargantuan pick up?

[Rick C]

A Fontaine conversion is asothers have stated. Fontaine (think semi-truck)is a type of outfitter that from I think 1998 to 2007 made a pickup type bed for F450-550's which, until2008, only came with straight frame rails behind the cab, unlike most pick-up's which have contoured ones. A standard bed will not fit unless it is highly modified. These beds are a composite of a steel box with one piece fiberglass fenders. The box is only like 17" deep and it is some what longer than 8' to accomodate the 200" wheelbase. Most of these trucks also either had Link air suspension (like mine) or Greyco (which had some recall issues...cracked track bar mounts I think). It is actually a nice setup but is no longer in production and no fiberglass fenders are available. Thankfully I had no fiberglass damage other than a few big chips in the edged inside the wheel wells.

[Rick C]

Originally Posted by Evil Eye

Rick,
Maybe check with your insurance company and see if it would be covered. I know that most body damage (like in your case) is covered even though they often don't cover damage resulting from blowouts. Sometimes (depending on the amount of damage) they will pay for your claim and then subrogate (means try to get their money back) from the tire company or warranty company. Just a thought.

Yeah. Thankfully not much fiberglass damage...mostly mechanical stuff, steel angle iron supports and stuff. $1000.00 deductable and probably not that much in damage (I HOPE!!). The tires were OE with only 50K on them so no hope of a tire claim. They had >50% tread but were pretty hard. I actually had ordered new ones to be installed the next weekend. You know the old saying Day Late Dollar Short.