Hail damage pictures finally♦

[Nightwind15]

Here is the damage I encured on April 10th 2009

[InsideOut]

Ouch!

[68 Overlander]

That looks like meteorite damage. Sorry the see that.

[Airslide]

I never really thought about hail damage until i got the airstream. The SOB's do pretty well i would guess. These pictures just make me sick to my stomach.

Sorry this happened. Maybe they will miraculously pop out on a hot day!

Vinnie

[Silvertwinkie]

From what I've seen some of the smaller dents will fade slightly, but the larger ones.....

Someone just took a 19 footer to JC last year. I think it was about $10k to $12k to repair. Sorry to hear about the damage. I too am always concerned when a bad storm is on it's way cause it doesn't take much to make it look like a baseball bat hit it.....

How big was the hail? Mine survived pea sized hail unscathed, but anything larger it would not have been pretty.

[3Ms75Argosy]

I say try the suction cup on the big one.. it might just pop out... and look a bit better than before.... nothing to loose ...
Marc

[tinman1]

I empathize with you - experienced almost same type damage in April 2006 - hail was over 3" diameter. I had several suggestions given to me and will pass on the one that worked.
The larger dents in the corner curves will possibly pop back out if can apply pressure from inside the unit. I had two rather large dents similar to yours and neither is noticeable, however, the smaller dents remain.
Someone told me to look at those as dents of character, (kinda hard to swallow) however, I must say, it's been three years and although I would rather be dent free, it doesn't bother me as much now.
Hope this will help some.

[kevin242]

I have seen paintless dent repair services for automobiles before. Can this work for our trailers? Paintless Dent Removal | Hail Damage Repair

Try a google search in your area. It can't hurt to ask around.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Nightwind15

Here is the damage I encured on April 10th 2009

Your insurance company will gladly pay to have the segments replaced. The average cost is about $1200.00 each.

I would suggest that you leave the roof alone and ask for a "loss of value" settlement.

Depending on the insurance company, that loss of value is about $1500.00, since the roof is only 9 feet long, from what I can see from your photo's.

Andy

[Guido]

Isn't that the trailer that the insurance company totaled?

[mapley3]

Brings back memories of the Bismark International - over 2000 Airstreams badly damaged by large hail. Use your insurance & good luck.

[whitsend]

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

I say try the suction cup on the big one.. it might just pop out... and look a bit better than before.... nothing to loose ...
Marc

I saw the suction cup method demonstrated at one of my local unit's rally several weeks ago ~ on a basketball size dent in the upper right front curved panel. The trailer was 10+ years old and had been all over the US, Canada & Mexico, meaning it had well used and more than paid for itself in pleasure & joys, but at the same time had not been "baby'ed (sp?). The suction tool removed something like 98% of the dent. You had to really look, maybe even want to see something, to see any evidence of hail damage. Same is true on an AS that had been backed into a tree limb. The tool removed about the same percentage of damage, and again - one would have to be looking to see there had ever been any damage. Both owners had been given "estimates" by AS dealers & insurance companies (read that as getting rudely screwed by both parties). In both cases, I think the owners took the money and smiled all the way to the bank.

The long & short? Unless you are really concerned with the perfect / factory (?) unblemished look ~ I strongly suggest those with hail damage find a local auto repair shop with a tech trained to use the suction cup method of dent repair.

Please do let us all know how your damage gets resolved.

[Nightwind15]

Thanks to all for your comments. Concerning the "totalled" comment. On paper it was totalled but the insurance people reduced the damage estimate to 15K and we settled for that amount. I kept the Bambi and it is no listed as totalled. The funny thing is that I am still insured for the same amount against loss of 29K. I asked what if there were another hail storm and the agent said, you are covered. Go figure. I will talk to the Dent Doctor on Monday! Thanks again! Off to the camp ground after work today!!

[Jim J]

I have had some good results and poor results using the paintless dent removal technique. A tree blew over onto my Airstream and the previous owner replaced the most seriously damaged panels but not one of the minor damage panels (front right corner above the stone guard). I was able to pull out about 90% of that dent using the Ding King dent removal tool.

This tool glues a puller to the panel and then you pull out the dent using a pulling tool supplied in the kit. The glue is a hot melt plastic adhesive that is easy to apply and remove.

I tired the same tool on some recent hail damage and got nothing for my efforts.

I have also tried using the freezing cold spray on the hail dents with no results,

I have not tried rubbing with dry ice method yet but it will be next. My local airstream dealer wants more that $1000 per panel to replace them so I am willing to try these remedies before I do that.

[BigAl]

And if you have a dealer replace a panel it will likely be applied over the old one with Olympic rivets.
Al

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by BigAl

And if you have a dealer replace a panel it will likely be applied over the old one with Olympic rivets.
Al

A select few dealers do "lay over" metal replacements.

Those same few dealers pad estimates and charge insurance companies for things they will never do.

How do I know?

I review estimates for several large insurance companies.

That does not put "all" dealers in the same category.

Most insurance companies are not real smart when it comes to Airstream repairs, but they are not dumb either.

The most interesting part, is that the factory is usually aware of those shops, but does little to nothing about it.

They say they cannot tell a dealer "how to run their business".

Sad indeed, but very true.

Andy

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

If owners who had those type repairs, would post that kind of information on these Forums, then in a short period of time, those same dealers would close up shop.

I'm not sure how this follows from what else has been said here. In selected situations (right front corner on my Argosy for instance) an overlay is fairly commonly done, indistinguishable from original, and totally watertight. See http://www.airforums.com/forums/f381...tml#post664568. Not many would expect it to be done for sections in the end cap. Just sayin'.....

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

I'm not sure how this follows from what else has been said here. In selected situations (right front corner on my Argosy for instance) an overlay is fairly commonly done, indistinguishable from original, and totally watertight. See http://www.airforums.com/forums/f381...tml#post664568. Not many would expect it to be done for sections in the end cap. Just sayin'.....

Bob.

Overlaying, if done properly, is not really the issue.

The real issue is that some shops charge for R & R (remove and replace), but instead overlay.

They charge the insurance company to R & R and then overlay.

That, in itself, is dishonest and fraudulent.

Why, some ask?

Because an overlay takes, ball park, 50 percent less time than a replacement. That typically reduces the labor charge, by half, which is very significant. Who pays for those abuses? We, the public pay for it.

Insurance rates are already too high for many people. It's those shops, that bend the rules, by charging money for things they did not do, that causes some of that problem.

Labor rates and hours are already out of sight when some estimates are reviewed for Airstream work.

It's getting close to the point that a few insurance companies may take shops to task, for such nonsense.

Auto repair shops are closely monitored.

Not so, with RV repair shops.

Those same shops, use the same tactics, on customer pay as well.

Now, how fair do we, as a group, feel those shops are running their businesses?

Andy

[RF-BOOMER]

I have 2006 16ft bambi... Purchased in nov. 09' off of ebay... It was in a hail storm near denver... Not sure how 2 post pix, this is my 1st posting...

[blmitch5]

Originally Posted by RF-BOOMER

I have 2006 16ft bambi... Purchased in nov. 09' off of ebay... It was in a hail storm near denver... Not sure how 2 post pix, this is my 1st posting...

Go to advanced and you will see a paperclip hit that and you can choose a file to upload. It works very well.