Road debris damage to trailer - I need advice on repairs?

Corfu

Hi all. Well, I took a week long solo trip to West Virginia and then to St Louis, then back to Maryland. Everything was amazing. Tows like a dream and for the first time on one of these adventures I felt like I was always home, not stuck in a hotel. Wonderful! On the way home on I-70 I ran over a large chunk of shredded truck tire. It ended up putting a nice dent in the front left diamond plate, and the black tank drain pipe now moves freely around the vertical pipe down from the toilet.. I have insurance, and have filed a claim. Any advice on where to go or how to get estimates? I think the pipe just needs to be reglued onto the bottom, and the diamond plate removed and replaced. Hopefully it isn't much worse than it looks. I'm afraid this is going to take weeks and weeks. If this were my car, no prob and it would probably already be in the shop. I just am not quite sure what to do with RV repairs.

DurangoTaB

I always worried about this issue if we'd bought a Casita... Do you have an RV dealer nearby you trust? Does your insurance mandate who/where the work gets done?

XPADREX

Installation of diamond plate is fairly straight forward, and any competent RV repair facility should be a ok. Be sure to have a thorough inspection of the underside of the rv. The drain tubes moving freely indicate a damaged mount... again, not a huge deal.

If I might ask, who is your insurer? Many insurers offer programs that provide warranties for repairs performed as preferred vendors. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn't mean they "have a hookup", only that they charge industry standard pricing and provice work that will result in high customer service metrics.

If there are extended delays before a repair can be completed, have the unit inected and look for temporary repairs that can keep you going until the repair schedule pairs up.

Finally, hit some shops you are considering and walk through them like you would any other purchase. Is the work area busy, and clean? Did the counter person seem friendly and knowledgable? I've found that a lousy first impression rarely gets better once you are mid repair, or after the money has changed hands.

Good luck, and sprry to hear of it.

Michigan_Mike

I agree, a local RV dealer can repair the damages noted.  You might also try calling Little Guy as they might have a local dealer nearby they can recommend.  I hit a large truck cowling one night out near Tucson on I-10 and it rocked the 5-wide and rattled my teeth.  I also saw severl vehicles pulled over to the side too who had also hit the object which blended in with the asphalt surface  Scary event for sure, but I never sustained any noticeable damage and was able to complete my trip and drive back to Michigan without any further incidents.  Road hazards ARE scary for sure!  

Corfu

Thanks all. Xpadrex, it's State Farm.