Someone Just Hit My As!!!

[tin can luv]

OK, it's sad that I don't have anyone to scream at, so I'm here, just ten minutes after it happened. A truck with mirrors sticking out some five feet from the truck hit the back of the airstream litteraly as I was standing in the door telling the mailman that the value is in the perfect skin!!!!

I AM SO MAD....it's really not all that bad, the big dent popped out, but the little one, and the big scrape may never go away. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I feel a little better now.....

Here's pics.

It's illegal to have this parked out front, not to mention that it isn't liscenced...he said he'd pay for the damages....what does one charge for such a thing...??????

THanks.....
Ron

[smily]

Send the pics to Inalnd Andy and or Airstream and get a quote.

I am speculating that it will be in the four digit range and I am not talking about .00

Smily

[Condoluminum]

Guys-

I'd be sure and get info from driver, and start checking a number of sources to see if "amost nearly as good as new, sort of.." is possible as repair objective.. As long as skin not torn or cut, there may be opportunity to regain original appearance and surface... In big city like St. Louis, I'd try (an any particular order..)

1. Paintless Dent repair guys, who promise to repair body denting using heat and pullers and buffers..

2. High end auto body shops, to find one that works with Aluminum car bodies, and has experience doing similar things (Cobra's, Audi's and other exotics are aluminum...)

3. Aircraft repair and restoration shops (check local FAA "FSDO" office) to see if any local aircraft mechanics (remembering ex TWA mechanics should be all over greater St. Louis..) have an interest in trying it.. Some who assist home-builders or do restoration work are awfully skilled. [ You might also check to find chapter of EAA (Experimental AIrcraft Assn) in area for referral to aluminum wizards, as there are probably several chapters and it's likely to find good leads on them through others who have built or rebuilt aluminum aircraft.. If not listed locally, try eaa.org web site..]

4. Finally, trying Jackson Center and Airstream shops to see if they'd like to try and resurface (and maybe this should not be final step..)

Last thing I'd worry about is truck driver's feelings or wallet... Assume he has insurance and cares about keeping it and his job...

JB McG

[mtpalms]

I feel your pain. You're fortunate that the guy stopped, so you didn't have to hunt him down, and then remember where last you left the rope, lime, and shovel.
Best of luck with the repairs. It's one thing to buy a trailer with blemishes, or even inflicting them yourself, but seeing it happen in front of your eyes? Aaargh!
At least the damage isn't as bad as Bruno's. Poor Bruno.

[tin can luv]

I just emailed Andy, adn will hit the other suggestions after i get it off the street. Living in the city, it's hard to fit these things anywhere. But if it's parked at the warehouse, I don't get anything done....GRRR>..


Thanks, I appreciate it, and keep any other suggestions comming....

[tin can luv]

Originally Posted by smily

Send the pics to Inalnd Andy and or Airstream and get a quote.

I am speculating that it will be in the four digit range and I am not talking about .00

Smily

Yep, Estimate from Andy for the guy who hit it.....$1100.00

That guys gonna crap his britches......(can I say that on the forum???)

[silverlassie]

Ron know you are just sick...Airstream nightmare. Like JB said thank goodness the skin is not torn. Andy has seen and repaired a lot of wounded Airstreams hopefully he can offer you some solutions. As one who owns a vintage with several blemishes, I can only guess at how horrible you must feel, having a rare one with an almost perfect skin. Hang in there...

[tin can luv]

I had so much on my mind today I just went on with what I had to do without getting too mad that it happened. Now that I have had time to think about it, and I have talked to a few people, I'm livid.....Thanks for the support all...I'll keep you posted, just like everything else!!!

Ron

[Tin Hut]

There's several places that can repair or supply the panel/skin. North Dallas RV is an Airstream Service center and they repair older trailers including skins. Additionally, they have a good reputation for service and customer interaction. Sorry you have to deal with the headache.

[67caravel]

Originally Posted by tin can luv

I had so much on my mind today I just went on with what I had to do without getting too mad that it happened. Now that I have had time to think about it, and I have talked to a few people, I'm livid.....Thanks for the support all...I'll keep you posted, just like everything else!!!

Ron

Ron,

A week after I took delivery of our new Touareg, I noticed a pretty good little dent in the passenger door - more than a door ding - this was a dent. I thought, "Oh Gawd! Not that already!!! The first one is always so hard. At least now the rest will be easier." Anyway, I was at the dealer and they said they would have their dentless repair guy fix it for me. I brought it in and within an hour it was "gone" - literally. Sometimes they can work miracles. They did for me - no trace.

It's worth a try. Might cost all of $65 or $75.

My thoughts are with you. This was a BAD day for you my friend.

X

P.S. Vintage folks call them "Beauty Marks"...

[bredlo]

Dang, Tin - sorry to hear you got "spanked." Well guys, he did say he got hit in the AS.

Hope you can get that fixed up soon. I hope that if I become proficient enough with the rivet gun, that if I had a similar problem I could replace it myself, so long as it wasn't a dent on a crown piece, which has to be vacuum-formed.

Hell, for $1100 I'll learn to do it and travel around the country fixing everyones scrapes!

[summerkid]

ESPECIALLY if he was talking on a cell phone, as you say, don't be shy about making him pay up.

I'm sure drivers on cell phones are quite happy about their ability to yak endlessly while endangering everything around them, but this is a prime example of why that's stupid & wrong.

He cost you the beautiful Airstream that you laboriously hauled home in one piece. The repairs should be HIS problem, not yours.

[David Morgan]

I have a 2002 28 ft classic. 3 months after I had it a small dead tree limb fell about 15 ft onto the left rear crown. The damage was not as bad as yours looks. Airstream dealer said it would be repaired only with a new skin. $1700.00 later we were on our way.
Good Luck David WBCCI #3456

[InsideOut]

I was at the dealer and they said they would have their dentless repair guy fix it for me. I brought it in and within an hour it was "gone" - literally. Sometimes they can work miracles.

Unfortunately, the paintless dent removable doesn't usually work on this type of dent in Airstreams. Aluminum is very soft and it stretches so it can't just be pulled out.

Once it has a crease, the panel is usually history...or the crease becomes a "beauty mark", if you did it yourself. But with someone else doing it....yikes! Replace the panel...

Shari

[greg176]

Looking at the photos I would think that the dent could be burnished out, the difficult part is getting to the inside of the skin.
I have several similar dents on my 61 and will be taking on that job as soon as I have finished floor and frame replacement.Does anyone sell replacement panels for the older Airstreams.

[Silvertwinkie]

Ron,

Sorry to hear about the damage. I'm kind of leaning with Shari on this one. To get it totally gone, a replacement panel might be needed....however, when I look at the different photos, it looks to me like the dent from the side view is almost non existent. I would say that since you have exp pulling the insides apart, you could pull the inner skin and try to slowly and with very little force start to pound it out from the inside. This won't get it to 100%, but it will get it a bit closer than it already is......

What a shame.....I also agree with Summerkid, if the person was gabbing on a cell, I'd have no problem hitting them with $1,100.00. The only problem I see is that if the driver understands the fact that the coach was illegally parked, not licensed to be on a public street, I could see that persons insurance company playing games as they always try to pay the least they can......

Is your coach insured? I might be inclinded to get them involved too since they will beat on the other insurance company for you. I had a similar issue when someone hit my car. The other driver's insurance company wouldn't pay squat cause it was an older car. At the time I still had full coverage and told my insurance that I was going to file a claim if the other company wouldn't pay. My agent told me that I should file a claim with with him, and my insurance in turn will fight it out. I had to pay my deductable, but about 4-5 months later, it came back in the mail.

Eric

[Over59]

Let his insurance pay. Don't forget the cost of to and from the appropriate repair shop. Hope you got the name, lic number ect. There are many story of guys who later say never happened and that's it. You can use small claims court if he doesn't pay. But it is a hassle.