Caravan repair

Carb

Hi,

A rookie mistake by me today resulted in the damage in the attached photos. Returning from my first trip and didn't allow for the tail swing when turning into my driveway. Really annoyed at myself.

Knowing nothing about caravan repairs, is this a difficult repair and will it make my wallet weep. Even managed to crack the light cluster. Any recommendations for somebody in the northeast that could fix this. Thanks.

(Sorry about the size of the pics. Posting from my phone)

bridster007

Carb wrote: »

Hi,

A rookie mistake by me today resulted in the damage in the attached photos. Returning from my first trip and didn't allow for the tail swing when turning into my driveway. Really annoyed at myself.

Knowing nothing about caravan repairs, is this a difficult repair and will it make my wallet weep. Even managed to crack the light cluster. Any recommendations for somebody in the northeast that could fix this. Thanks.

(Sorry about the size of the pics. Posting from my phone)

Not cheap ( none of them are) but good job guaranteed.

https://www.facebook.com/leisurecareni/

Carb

bridster007 wrote: »

Not cheap ( none of them are) but good job guaranteed.

https://www.facebook.com/leisurecareni/

Thanks, I'll contact them on Monday. Have you any sense of typical costs for damage like this - am I in 4 digit territory.

bridster007

No idea.
And problem is, they will probably want to see it before a definitive quote.

Rows Grower

Carb wrote: »

Thanks, I'll contact them on Monday. Have you any sense of typical costs for damage like this - am I in 4 digit territory.

It looks like a small bit of cosmetic damage to me unless I'm missing something.

Are you thinking it's going to cost over a thousand euro to repair?

Carb

Rows Grower wrote: »

It looks like a small bit of cosmetic damage to me unless I'm missing something.

Are you thinking it's going to cost over a thousand euro to repair?

The garage door is punctured, the door frame appears to be bent in as I can see day light, the awning rail is damaged, light cluster cracked, and then the tear/hole in the rear panel. Managed to damage just about everything in that corner. The only positive is that looking at where I caught the hedge, I was lucky not to do more damage.

No experience of this so just fearing the worst.

Rows Grower

Carb wrote: »

The garage door is punctured, the door frame appears to be bent in as I can see day light, the awning rail is damaged, light cluster cracked, and then the tear/hole in the rear panel. Managed to damage just about everything in that corner. The only positive is that looking at where I caught the hedge, I was lucky not to do more damage.

No experience of this so just fearing the worst.

Doesn't look like any big deal, any decent panel beater should be able to fix that as good as new.

runner2011

Getting the job done right is the most important thing. A bad repair may look ok initially but shortly enough you will see what you saved the money on.

enricoh

Do you need to go to a specialist caravan repairer? I doubt it, any panel beater should fix it. Print out a few photos and call to a few places

CJhaughey

enricoh wrote: »

Do you need to go to a specialist caravan repairer? I doubt it, any panel beater should fix it. Print out a few photos and call to a few places

Caravans are not steel structures they are lightweight and made from alloy wood fiberglass and polystyrene insulation and plastic moulded bumpers, a panel beater is not suitable for this kind of repair as they are completely different to a car repair, leaks in the future can lead to the caravan rotting in places that are inaccessible.
It’s a specialist type repair that is needed.

Carb

Thank you all for the replies. I've just bought it and don't want to take any chances with the repair. The new awning may have to wait.

I've sent a few enquiries with pictures and will make a couple of calls on Monday. I don't want to look out the window at it any longer than necessary.

Rows Grower

CJhaughey wrote: »

Caravans are not steel structures they are lightweight and made from alloy wood fiberglass and polystyrene insulation and plastic moulded bumpers, a panel beater is not suitable for this kind of repair as they are completely different to a car repair, leaks in the future can lead to the caravan rotting in places that are inaccessible.
It’s a specialist type repair that is needed.

In my opinion any good panel beater would have no problem repairing that damage, trained panel beaters don't just deal with steel structures and one of the first basic things they are taught is to seal all repair work properly.

listermint

That doors had paint before it's not immaculate.

Frankly I'd have an aluminium shaped to fit the end of the door until it covers the dent.

It would look oem and would cover the poor paint repairs already on the door.

Then polish out the scratch on the bumper. The frame rail just needs some like working back into position.


There's small money in this very small.

Carb

listermint wrote: »

That doors had paint before it's not immaculate.

Frankly I'd have an aluminium shaped to fit the end of the door until it covers the dent.

It would look oem and would cover the poor paint repairs already on the door.

Then polish out the scratch on the bumper. The frame rail just needs some like working back into position.


There's small money in this very small.

I think the bumper needs a bit more than a polish in fainess. That split is about a foot long with a lump missing.

Curious about your comment on the door though. What makes you think it has had paint/poor repair before.

Rows Grower

Carb wrote: »

I think the bumper needs a bit more than a polish in fainess. That split is about a foot long with a lump missing.

Curious about your comment on the door though. What makes you think it has had paint/poor repair before.

Piece of cake to a good panel beater to leave that fault invisible.

runner2011

I feel your pain as I have done it before to a Motorhome ... wise decision to get it repaired by a specialist company. Best of luck with it and happy camping.

Carb wrote: »

Thank you all for the replies. I've just bought it and don't want to take any chances with the repair. The new awning may have to wait.

I've sent a few enquiries with pictures and will make a couple of calls on Monday. I don't want to look out the window at it any longer than necessary.

Carb

It would be rude not to provide an update.

Got a couple of quotes in and it ain't pretty. Both pretty similar and there isn't going to be much change out of 2.5k. It seems on inspection that the timber has been pulled on that corner so it is going to be a labour intensive job to put all of it right. Gutted would be an understatement.

Rows Grower

Carb wrote: »

It would be rude not to provide an update.

Got a couple of quotes in and it ain't pretty. Both pretty similar and there isn't going to be much change out of 2.5k. It seems on inspection that the timber has been pulled on that corner so it is going to be a labour intensive job to put all of it right. Gutted would be an understatement.

Two and a half grand?

Carb

Rows Grower wrote: »

Two and a half grand?

Yes, both have indicated about 2k sterling.

_Brian

There Must be a fair bit of hidden damage, €2500 is a wad of cash for something that looks so cosmetic.

Rows Grower

Carb wrote: »

Yes, both have indicated about 2k sterling.

Okeydokey.

Carb

_Brian wrote: »

There Must be a fair bit of hidden damage, €2500 is a wad of cash for something that looks so cosmetic.

Whatever about the amount of it, the work to get at it seems to an issue - referenced having to take the rail off a couple of times. Something is definitely out of shape as the door is not sitting flush and there is a very uneven gap the whole way around. There is also a space between the two wallboards in the rear corner.

The cosmetic piece seems to be the easy part based on both conversations.

runner2011

Ouch ... most important thing is to get it repaired properly which is sounds like you have gone to the right places.

SixtaWalthers

You can also check any DIY remedy to get rid of this problem.

autumnalcore

Sanity check, has the damage taken 2500 off the value of the caravan, will the repair add 2500 value to the caravan.

Caravans are made of tinfoil and toilet roll inserts, if it was mine and I was planning on keeping it then as long as the repair is watertight I wouldn't worry about returning it to original state and would get someone to expoxy and fibreglass it. Fibreglass is xx times stronger than original.