I was wondering has any body any idea if you can repair dents or fill them or is is best to put something like a badge or reflector over them, as last night in yhe heavy winds my side fence blew over landing against my brand new and unuesd wyoming and now my pride and joy is tarnished with 3 horrible knuckle sized dents. thanks in advance luke
unfortunate accident
- Thread starter lukebfox
- Start date
A badge or reflector or grill or even as my friend had when he bumped his new van on the dealer forecourt an external shower
Most of the above will be cheaper than respray and if you claim on insurance the dealer may want to reskin the side which could mean 6 months delay for the panel(been there etc)
On the other hand the newer thicker aluminium should be fillable in the right hands
My Senator had some awning pole damage when traded in and the dealer made an excellent job of filling etc
It could be worth asking the dealer or specialist firms from yellow pages
Most of the above will be cheaper than respray and if you claim on insurance the dealer may want to reskin the side which could mean 6 months delay for the panel(been there etc)
On the other hand the newer thicker aluminium should be fillable in the right hands
My Senator had some awning pole damage when traded in and the dealer made an excellent job of filling etc
It could be worth asking the dealer or specialist firms from yellow pages
There are afew specialists that would repair it, but what's the problem with waithing a while for a reskin? You would have a slightly heavier van but with one side more resistant to dents!
Does a re skin not involve removal and replacement of the entire damaged side of the van, if so, why would that make the van heavier and more resistant to dents ?
The caravan wall is (as you probably know) a composite of aluminium, foam, and interior board.
A 're-skin' involves removing the sealing strips and glueing a new sheet of aluminium (one of the three original components) into position over the damaged side.
It's usually undetectable if done properly - BUT it's not the best option on a brand new van.
1/ Those sealing trims are best left alone - you're at the mercy of the dealer whether a proper job is made of applying the new mastic.
2/ Glueing the new skin can lead to problems with air bubbles forming between the two skins in very hot weather. To avoid this the new skin would have to be totally bonded to the existing panel, any air pockets will expand in heat and give a 'delaminating' effect.
If it was mine I'd be looking for some sort of accessory to fit in order to hide the damage. I've used external TV sockets and BBQ points for this purpose over the years - the external shower sounds a very handy idea.
A 're-skin' involves removing the sealing strips and glueing a new sheet of aluminium (one of the three original components) into position over the damaged side.
It's usually undetectable if done properly - BUT it's not the best option on a brand new van.
1/ Those sealing trims are best left alone - you're at the mercy of the dealer whether a proper job is made of applying the new mastic.
2/ Glueing the new skin can lead to problems with air bubbles forming between the two skins in very hot weather. To avoid this the new skin would have to be totally bonded to the existing panel, any air pockets will expand in heat and give a 'delaminating' effect.
If it was mine I'd be looking for some sort of accessory to fit in order to hide the damage. I've used external TV sockets and BBQ points for this purpose over the years - the external shower sounds a very handy idea.
I have to admit that I had no idea that was how the side wall of a caravan was built, but I do now !
Thank you.
Thank you.
We had a length of thick timber fall against the side of our Elddis and I covered the mark(hole) with a vent which looked OK
The dealer advised me to claim on the insurance and they reskinned the side on a very hot day so that the glue went off too quickly and they promised to do the job again in the winter when I didn't need the van
I seem to remember it being referred to as the rocky mountains
They tell me with new vans a complete side (inside and out) is the preferred method of repair now
I would go for a fill and spray if no other method of covering the damage can be found
I recently fitted a locker door to give under bed access and that came with the matching infill panel
Something like that might do depending on where the damage is
The dealer advised me to claim on the insurance and they reskinned the side on a very hot day so that the glue went off too quickly and they promised to do the job again in the winter when I didn't need the van
I seem to remember it being referred to as the rocky mountains
They tell me with new vans a complete side (inside and out) is the preferred method of repair now
I would go for a fill and spray if no other method of covering the damage can be found
I recently fitted a locker door to give under bed access and that came with the matching infill panel
Something like that might do depending on where the damage is
Thanks to all who took the time to reply i think a reskin sounds a bit drastic and a bit tricky im going to bring it to the dealer and see if we cant go with some sort of vent or reflector thanks agian luke had my first trip out with the van and briefly forgot about the damage. luke
A re-skin is a quite expensive repair,which would definatly be an insurance job.
It depends on how much your excess is and if you will lose any no claims bonus on future insurance to see if is worth making a claim
It depends on how much your excess is and if you will lose any no claims bonus on future insurance to see if is worth making a claim
From bitter experience I would avoid a re-skin if at all possible. Some years ago I suggered dagame to the side of a Coachman - unfortunately in an area of "corrugations" rather than the flat part of the panel. This made filling and local respray almost impossible. I took about 9 months to get a new side - there was then (and may still be) only one panel maker in UK and so the odd panel for a previous model comes well down thier priority list. Then the panel itself is very fragile and difficult to handle in other than flat calm - one damaged and more waiting. The second was damaged in transit, the third was rolled by an inexperienced fitter at the repairer but none the less fitted - a very wrinkled job resulted. The glue used accounted for nearly half the cost of the repair and is virtually impossible to remove, and obviously no point in fitting yet another side over a wrinkled base. End result: cancelled holiday in Spain, new van when I didn't really want one, lost no clam discount to no purpose.
Go and talk to a local car coachbuilder - some will take on caravan work. If not, the reflector, decal, vent even new window idea may be possible.
Sorry to be depressing but some living with relatively minor damage may well be the lesat of the evils.
Go and talk to a local car coachbuilder - some will take on caravan work. If not, the reflector, decal, vent even new window idea may be possible.
Sorry to be depressing but some living with relatively minor damage may well be the lesat of the evils.
In this month's CC magazine there is an advert for a repair franchise called 'caravanmedic'. It sounds a bit like Chips Away for cars. The advert shows a before and after picture but it refers toa continental van with the bubbly side effect. I have seen such vans repaired abroad and because of the bubble effect the repair was achived (quiet well) by sticking a section of bubble plate over the damaged area and respraying locally. I supect that the British vans with smooth areas and high polish could be more difficult but seing what the motor trade can do for cars nothing is impossible....if the price is right.
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