Toaster Travels
Our adventures with the Airstream - a 2006 19' Safari SE.
Our adventures with the Airstream - a 2006 19' Safari SE.
Trips, tips...and troubles too. We learn something new each time we take our Bambi out.
Will include links to sites we think are helpful. Trip initiation date (YYMMDD) is in the blog entry title.
Will include links to sites we think are helpful. Trip initiation date (YYMMDD) is in the blog entry title.
090124a - Our First Accident
Tags accident, awning damage, dents, ding king
It is perhaps the worst day in an Airstream owner's life - the accident.
Perhaps because we had become so comfortable driving our Bambi through curvy roads, through busy and tight city streets, into crowded parking lots and gas stations, onto dirt country roads, even into Starbucks' drive-thru's. And, never an incident.
Perhaps we were too tired, at the end of a great long trip.
Perhaps I had my attention on the oncoming car not giving us right-of-way as we pulled away from the curb.
Perhaps we just got careless.
Whatever the reason, the Airstream swung a bit wide and rubbed up against a solid pole denting the passenger-side front and aft panels, breaking the side marker lights, pulling out both front and aft awning mounts, bending the awning arms, and pulling off one side of the bumper.
The amazing thing is...we hardly felt it. I thought the tires were just rubbing up against the curb. The power of our 5.7 Hemi Commander just pulled through the obstacle like a knife through butter. Until a pedestrian flagged us down, we did not realize we had just had our first accident. And not just a small dent or blemish or scratch from a tree branch, but extensive damage.
Standing beside her, inspecting the damage, MJ and I were both incredulous and heart-broken. As we temporarily taped up and then drove-off, I could not believe making this mistake. It was a very long drive home.
That night, I began searching Airstream Forum for ways to repair. Becoming even more discouraged, because unlike an auto accident or damage with other trailers, you cannot just bondo and paint to repair. The smooth, shiny aluminum is part of the Airstream allure. And "once dented, stretched or creased," I read by Andy and others, it's impossible to return to original appearance.
The repair estimates were breathtaking...$4,000 or more per panel. And, the amount of work, for example, described by one forum posting to fix hail damage...days at an Airstream repair center, removal of exterior and interior panels, reassembly and leak testing...tens of thousands of dollars! Under insurance sure, but ironically even then the owners were not 100% satisfied with the repair.
The next morning, thinking more clearly (but perhaps not), and reading about some successes posted by Aerowood and others, I became determined to attempt the repair myself. Worse case...if I got stuck, I would bring to C & G Trailer Service in Bellflower, CA not too far from our place. My approach was to take three successively more difficult steps, as necessary: 1) pull out damage with suction cup tool or the like, 2) remove inner panels and try pushing out from inside, and 3) last resort, remove and replace exterior panels.
Step 1 was easy. And, it quickly validated the wisdom by experts on Airstream Forum. At the local AutoZone, I picked up a Ding King kit for about $15. I used it on the aft dent (see before and after pictures below), applying multiple times…it did remove a large amount of the dent, but the surface was no longer smooth…damage still obvious. I also used some rubbing compound sparingly, which I'm sure affected the protective coating, but it is better than seeing the streaks of black paint.
On to Step 2, which we'll post on next blog entry.
Perhaps because we had become so comfortable driving our Bambi through curvy roads, through busy and tight city streets, into crowded parking lots and gas stations, onto dirt country roads, even into Starbucks' drive-thru's. And, never an incident.
Perhaps we were too tired, at the end of a great long trip.
Perhaps I had my attention on the oncoming car not giving us right-of-way as we pulled away from the curb.
Perhaps we just got careless.
Whatever the reason, the Airstream swung a bit wide and rubbed up against a solid pole denting the passenger-side front and aft panels, breaking the side marker lights, pulling out both front and aft awning mounts, bending the awning arms, and pulling off one side of the bumper.
The amazing thing is...we hardly felt it. I thought the tires were just rubbing up against the curb. The power of our 5.7 Hemi Commander just pulled through the obstacle like a knife through butter. Until a pedestrian flagged us down, we did not realize we had just had our first accident. And not just a small dent or blemish or scratch from a tree branch, but extensive damage.
Standing beside her, inspecting the damage, MJ and I were both incredulous and heart-broken. As we temporarily taped up and then drove-off, I could not believe making this mistake. It was a very long drive home.
That night, I began searching Airstream Forum for ways to repair. Becoming even more discouraged, because unlike an auto accident or damage with other trailers, you cannot just bondo and paint to repair. The smooth, shiny aluminum is part of the Airstream allure. And "once dented, stretched or creased," I read by Andy and others, it's impossible to return to original appearance.
The repair estimates were breathtaking...$4,000 or more per panel. And, the amount of work, for example, described by one forum posting to fix hail damage...days at an Airstream repair center, removal of exterior and interior panels, reassembly and leak testing...tens of thousands of dollars! Under insurance sure, but ironically even then the owners were not 100% satisfied with the repair.
The next morning, thinking more clearly (but perhaps not), and reading about some successes posted by Aerowood and others, I became determined to attempt the repair myself. Worse case...if I got stuck, I would bring to C & G Trailer Service in Bellflower, CA not too far from our place. My approach was to take three successively more difficult steps, as necessary: 1) pull out damage with suction cup tool or the like, 2) remove inner panels and try pushing out from inside, and 3) last resort, remove and replace exterior panels.
Step 1 was easy. And, it quickly validated the wisdom by experts on Airstream Forum. At the local AutoZone, I picked up a Ding King kit for about $15. I used it on the aft dent (see before and after pictures below), applying multiple times…it did remove a large amount of the dent, but the surface was no longer smooth…damage still obvious. I also used some rubbing compound sparingly, which I'm sure affected the protective coating, but it is better than seeing the streaks of black paint.
On to Step 2, which we'll post on next blog entry.
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