Crunch! Mashed right hand quarter - Is the Caravan written off?

[MagicalArmchair]

My sisters GT60 Ranger caravan looked like it was hitched up properly - to cut a long story short, it really wasn't and it decided it would have a fight with the railings outside her house (the caravan lost!). It is an easy error to make apparently.

She has had a few quotes from caravan repairers, one has suggested the caravan is a total loss.

I have a boat (I write for Practical Boat Owner! ), and with this kind of repair of a boat, especially when getting trades in to complete the work makes it cost prohibitive, we make do and fix it ourselves.

Does anyone have any write ups on a repair this extensive? Clearly there is some damage here to the softwood frame and the plastic (glass fibre?) shell. My sisters husband is a carpenter, she he is handy with fixing things. Would there be any ramifications for getting the caravan "licensed" (if there is such a thing?) with a DIY fix? It wouldn't need to be perfect, just safe and tidy enough to keep caravanning.

Thanks for your help!

 

[otherclive]

Caravans in this country are not licenced so no ramifications there. What does the caravans insurance assessor say? Could obtain a settlement and buy it back if they see it as total loss. Which given its age and condition it would be. Is it grp sidings or aluminium?

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Caravans in this country are not licenced so no ramifications there. What does the caravans insurance assessor say? Could obtain a settlement and buy it back if they see it as total loss. Which given its age and condition it would be. Is it grp sidings or aluminium?

Thank you for your quick response. My sister phoned the insurance company and they have asked her to get quotes and contact them again. Two quotes have said it's a total loss, there is one more company that remains that could possibly help (awaiting reply).

The caravan was new in 2010 and the condition is good. The sidings are aluminium and the front is GRP.

The value of the caravan is around £6,500 - so if the insurers write it off, hopefully we could buy it back?

Would the method be:

1. Shore up the softwood frame to restore structural integrity.
2. Bend back the aluminium sidings as best as possible.
3. Make good the GRP.
4. Make it look as least bad as possible .

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Dustydog]

What model and year is her GT60 Ranger?
Roughly where in the U.K. does your sister live?
There are a few specialist caravan repairers around the U.K., not to be confused with main Dealers.
Looking at the waist seam indicates to me it is an aluminium wall, typical Bailey.

I agree with Clive it may be worth costing it all out , chat with her insurers and s ow the numbers stack up. In the right hands I believe this is repairable, but hard to judge from photos only🙀

Sorry I posted this before your last post.

Don’t touch it until you are sure the repairers involved can do the job..Aluminium stretches and trying to bend it bp back is not as easy as steel.
The front panel is ABS . They can be fixed by specialists.

 

[Steve1962]

So sorry to see this.
If it’s not too far away then MJ LOVELLS of Highbridge are excellent at this sort of work.

Steve

 

[Dustydog]

So sorry to see this.
If it’s not too far away then MJ LOVELLS of Highbridge are excellent at this sort of work.

Steve

Fully agree Steve . Sam and his dad Martin sorted mine out. Fantastic job👏👏

 

[MagicalArmchair]

She lives near Rochester in Kent. If they are that good it might be worth the trek!

Any suggestions for more local to Kent for reliable repairers? Or alternatively the steps for a repair if we do buy the caravan back?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Mr Plodd]

My advice would be to contact a local coach firm and ask them who repairs their coach bodies. They will be experts in such matters because coaches and caravans are very similar in construction.
I had a repair done by a coach repair company to the GRP back panel of a MH some years ago.. I reckoned it was going to be an entire back panel due to the extent of the damage.. The repair cost was less than my policy excess! So it's certainly worth investigating as it may be a lot less than you think.

 

[Hutch]

I certainly don't think it is a write off. Anything can be repaired. The insurance company will give a good indication of cost.

 

[Beachball]

This one is near to your sisters place at Rochester Kent
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