Dent Pullers

[wagsrp]

Has anyone tried using a dent puller to remove surface dents, especially the smaller ones, and those across or alonge seams? Also if the dent has a crease in it, can it be pulled?

There's a puller advertised on TV that works with three small suction cups. Two of the cups are connected by a cross bar and are positioned on either side of the dent. The third cup is positioned on the dent and via a threaded bolt is screwed up through a hole in the cross bar to remove the dent.

It's not very expensive. I wonder if it would work.

[74Argosy24MH]

If there is a crease, it is there to stay without some serious metal finishing. The ones on seams are hard to remove because it is 2 layers, it took twice the hit to make it. There is also no gaurantee both pieces will pull the same and you may be inviting a leak.

The ones I have seen on TV are so small I don't know how they can pull a dent. It would have to be very small. The puller needs to span the bad area in order to work and the tv ones only look like the whole bar is 6 inches. They also use some type of glue, and if you have clearcoat it might not be compatible.

There is a dent removal system for vehicles that uses different tools to get behind the panel and pop the dent out. If there is no paint damage it is hard to see where this has been done. If the dent is relatively minor and in an area where the inner skin could be loosened, it might be possible to do this. This won't work on creases or seams.

John

[53flyingcloud]

I can't reply abt the ones on TV but, I bought a suction cup from a local VIP auto store and, tried it on a shallow dent that someone put in my front fender with their hand...presto~ it came right out..So, I guess sometimes they do work...saved myself abt 129$
Now back to "fun" things...lol


ANDY, MY AXLE IS OUTA ALIGNMENT!~!

[Inland RV Center, In]

Hope you have some good shocks that somewhat restrict a little of that rear end movement.



Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com

[airstreamcaravel]

If the trailers rockin.... don't come a knockin!

DMC

[53flyingcloud]

DMC,
You're so right~ Might be a.....who'll answer.

[ALANSD]

From my automobile dealership experience- the Dent Wizards, and Dent masters paintless dent guys can do great work. They would be able to, if they can access the rear of the dented panel, pop it out with their tools fairly easily. Their quality depends on the guy who is using the tools of course.
I had some minor success with heating a dent mildly with a hair dryer, and pushing it out from behind. I do have a golf ball sized one on my front hood that needs more than that though, it is too deep to come out with out the Dent wizard treatment.

[3Ms75Argosy]

Just FYI, at "caranddriver.com", they tried the dent puller "as seen on t.v." (see the Mazda Tribute long term test - at the end of the article, they list gizmos they've tried - the dent puller is featured). They didn't have much luck. However - I've heard of people trying toilet plungers on their Airstream dents after heating the area up with a hairdryer - they had success on panel dents. I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't work on a crease though.
Good luck!
Marc

[Rob]

I removed a large dent on the front of my trailer. It was about the size of a dinner plate. I used a 3 dollar rubber dent puller fro Pep Boys.

I tried it on a dent with a crease in it. It took most of the dent out but the crease is still there if you look close. I call it a fifty footer. Can't see it if your fifty feet away.

This type of dent puller wouldn't work on a dent over a seem though, no suction.

Rob

[brandlane]

Why not visit www.carstyleonline.co.uk and get a car dent puller. They pull out your dent with ease for a very, very small price. Just thought I'd let you know!

Regards

[waltero]

My success with a suction cup from the auto parts store was not good, perhaps
due to my abilities....however, I had Dent Wizards work on a large dent near the
rear top curved section and was very pleased with the results....it's not perfect, but
unless you know where to look, it is hard to see where the dent was..... and it
cost me about $100...

[dwightdi]

I have a Ding king. It uses hot melt adhesive to get a firmer hold on the metal. I have tried it on a number of dents in my 63. It does not work for any dent where the aluminum has been stretched, similar to what happens when a large hail stone or a tree branch hits it. It will take out slight depressed areas where no stretching has occurred. The people who do "paintless" repairs to autos work from the inside and push the metal back into shape. You can not do this with an Airstream, unless you took off the interior aluminum sheeting.

[Wingeezer]

We bought our AS used last Fall. The first time I went up on the roof to check caulking, I noticed a fairly large dent in the rear end cap that I had not noticed when we bought teh trailer - pretty much invisible from the ground.

It looked to me as though someone had committed the faux pas of walking on the end cap.

Although it was invisible from the ground it bothered me just knowing that it was there.


I had a large suction cup thingy about 6" diameter with an aluminium handle and vacuum release button that I bought from Princess Auto (A chain of stores in Canada similar to Harbor Freight in the US). I believe it was made for auto body repair.

One application and it pulled the dent pretty much completely out.

I think as long as the skin is not creased & stretched, this method should work.


Brian.