Dent Removal

[Inland RV Center, In]

T Man

There are several different models of the segment protectors available.

Airstream does have a set that fits your trailer correctly. Their part # is 685274, and that model fits 1981 and down.

Andy

[ALANSD]

I used an automotive dent puller suction-cup ( less than 5 dollars at the parts store) to pull out some medium sized dents in mine. I warmed the area with a hair dryer first, then pulled slowly and the dents popped out. If I had some smaller suctions cups I belive I could also pull out the one small deeper dent in my fron area. But have not yet found the size.

[Inland RV Center, In]

ALANSD

You can easily make any size suction cup, or equal, if you wish, even one that has a irregular shape.

As an example, you can weld a washer to a hose fitting.

Attach the washer to the sheet metal with hot glue. After the glue cools, give it the test. Attach a vacuum pump to the air fitting.

The hot glue can be remove with a hair drier, when your done.

You can also make a die, whatever shape you want, and use the above process.

Results? Usually amazing.

Andy

[Foiled Again]

Andy's Idea is right on the money - however be aware that there are many kinds of hot glue on the market. You'll find very low temperature ones at many hobby and fabric stores. The really hot ones are usually used for sealing cardboard boxes, etc and maybe could damage clearcoat. Besides if you don't have to burn your little paws so much the better.

Now here's a totally untested and completely wierd idea - you may know that some women use hot wax to remove hair from their legs, etc. This is similar in texture and stickiness to hot glue and works at very low temp (it has to especially if one is using it on the bikini line!). It will go into a thick liquid at about 120 degrees. If you applied this to the end of a dowel rod, then stuck it on a hail ding or other small dimple, I'm thinking you could pull it out. This stuff would also peel off very easily if warmed by a hair dryer.

As a teenager a friend and I kept her alive by using a toilet plunger to remove 99% of the evidence that we had "borrowed" her dad's car to practice driving. By the time he noticed it he thought someone in the parking lot at the grocery store must have hit him with a cart.

Tin Lizzie

[PKelley]

I have dents in the lower (belly pan) front, left corner of my 64 Globetrotter. This area of my trailer has a heavy, aluminum, protective wrap-around. I'm thinking if I remove this I can easily access the dents to repair. Does anyone out there have experience with this procedure. Thank you.

[Inland RV Center, In]

PKelley

Dents in the banana wraps can be pushed out, but that's what they will look like when finished.

Except for an oil can type dent, dents in aluminum have stretched the metal.

There is no simple way to shrink it, especially since it's a very soft material.

You can roll out the dents, bondo it, and then paint it, as some owners do.

Andy

[PKelley]

Andy,

I removed the banana wrap and with some auto body shapes and hammers I was able to contour the aluminum pieces (left/right) back to original form. Not without some small surface dimples and concrete mares from pounding but, visually OKY-DOKY. Thank you.

[Royce]

PKelley,

You can improve on the technique using a sand box and or a piece of carpet over the concrete. I used the sand box technique to good success and the carpet technique equally good depending on the desired result.

Atb.
Royce