[DutchmenSport]

A car clipped the passenger side rear corner of my High County and then ran while I was pulled into a gas station. He left me with a really nice bent up J panel skirt and the end cap pulled out slightly. The red marker light was broken also.

There wasn't anything I could do at that time except get mad, which didn't help anything. And I did not want to claim it on insurance with the deductables, a hit and run with law enforcement and insurance, and really screw up the trip we were on. After looking at it more careful, it wasn't so bad after all. I did pick up another red marker running light and got it working again and just left the dent.

Once home, I removed the marker light and used the hole to help pull out the dent. I found out there was plywood on the end cap that was shattered and swelled up. I was able to push the plywood back in place the best I could, I replaced the J trim on the end, and was able to pull the aluminum out using the hole for the light. And then, because it wasn't perfect, I pumped a ton of caulking, putty into the plywood on the corner and screwed it all as tight as I could. I put a new piece of the J trim on. I then spray painted the brown looking aluminum with Rust-o-lium black. It blended in very well, hid all the scratches, and cleared up the dent look that remained. After a few days, the black spray paint blended in with the brown (fading) and 3 years later there is absolutely no difference in the paint color now. The dent is still there, but it's all, pretty much, vacuum sealed tight.

I figure, if I ever get hit again, THEN I'll claim that corner on insurance. My makeshift repairs probably would survive a second time.

So yes, you can fix it yourself. If you are so inclined, you can remove the J panel and hammer it back out. But that will mean taking things apart. I did not want to do that.

Now, when you look at my camper's corner, unless you are standing right up to it, it's not noticeable at all.