Hail Damage Repairs

[lkeniley]

Hi
Does anyone have experience with hail damage repairs? I have considerable hail damage on five rear panels. I am waiting for insurance adjuster to contact me:
1. It seems like it would be a huge job and is it worth doing? Has anyone had this done?
2. I typically use the Albuquerque dealer. Anyone have experience with this dealer or any other dealer in the Southwest ie Tucson, Phoenix, etc?
Thanks

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Just as with a car or truck, you may find that the damage is enough for the insurance guy to "total" the vehicle.

Repair wise, there are three basic alternatives:

1) Ignore the damage and move on (likely getting some sort of check from the insurance)
2) Pull the panels and replace them (yes it's a lot of work and cost)
3) Play with dent pullers to minimize the damage.

Insurance wise what's likely to happen:

1) You get a check for the total insured value of the trailer and hand it over to them.
--or--
2) You get a partial check for the trailer and keep it with a salvage title on it

Depending on your insurance policy and the company involved, the checks might be pretty substantial or a bit of a disappointment. Best to do a bit of research on what your trailer is likely worth. If they are a disappointment, you likely saved quite a bit of money on premiums over the last decade or so

There are a lot of threads here on the forum with owners in similar situations hashing out the "which option do I take". That is very much up to you. It's quite easy for the "rest of us" who have zero attachment to *your* trailer to suggest this or that. If it was *my* trailer, indeed there would be a bit of a tug on the heart involved.

Bob

[Halford1]

Was the AS parked under a roof or trees? How are the damages concentrated only on rear panels?

[SilverWind]

We were in an RV park south of Santa Fe just north of you on the 14 a couple of weeks ago and encountered hail. It was kind of nerve wracking watching it come down and hoping that it didn't grow larger than pea size. We really see hail in coastal California.

[Halford1]

Originally Posted by SilverWind

We were in an RV park south of Santa Fe just north of you on the 14 a couple of weeks ago and encountered hail. It was kind of nerve wracking watching it come down and hoping that it didn't grow larger than pea size. We really see hail in coastal California.

Mid-California coast to north? Never seen hail in SoCal. Had a lot of hail in southern states when I lived there.

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by Halford1

Mid-California coast to north? Never seen hail in SoCal. Had a lot of hail in southern states when I lived there.

TYPO...... We RARELY see hail in coastal California.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Something I left out .... (sorry about that ) :

Rivet trivia:

There are two basic types of rivets you can use on an Airstream. The first are the familiar / buy them at Home Depot Pop Rivets / Olympic Rivets. They have a "pull shaft" in the middle and you can put them on from one side of the panel. The other are what's called buck rivets. They are stronger and have no hollow middle part. You need to have a tool on both sides of the panel to make them work.

To be 100% correct replacing the panels, you put them on with buck rivets. Since you need to get to both sides of the panel, that means taking everything out of the inside of the trailer in that area ( including the inner skin). That's a lot of work and the "lowest price" on the job likely will not include buck rivets.

Why does this matter?

1) The hollow core of a Pop Rivet is not going to block water entry ( yes you can seal every single rivet .... good luck five years from now ...). On the roof this matters.

2) They don't look the same so your trailer is a bit odd if you look at it for a while

3) They aren't as strong so some sort of ongoing work on then may be required. (yes you are already up on the roof resealing them every few years ....).

Assuming this is all headed into an insurance adjustment *and* the policy does cover the real value of the trailer .... you want to be sure they are looking at the right repair. If it's your money and there is no insurance, the decision is very much up to you.

Bob

[n2916s]

Andrew at Airstream of New Mexico (Holiday Trailer),is a superb technician. Very busy, though, at this time of year. The dealership is a family affair with three generations on site. Honest and fairly priced.

He’s done my axles, replaced my awning and did a massive repair when I tried to pass my 9’ 6” trailer under a 9’ overhang...

I’d call him and discuss your situation.