48" Carpenters Level

[Foldbak]

Cruising down the freeway minding my own business when I ran this dam thing over. I was changing lanes when my wife looked in the camera and said "what the hell is that?"
Can't access from the rear. How do I fix this?

[C&P RV]

Yikes!! That might have to be an insurance claim if you can't get a tool in behind it to push it out.

Maybe a suction cup or a couple of suction cups to grab it and pull it forward, but you still have to deal with getting it reinforced before you can patch with fiberglass and repaint. Look on Amazon for Paintless Dent Removal tools.

(I hit a 3-step ladder at 60 mph that fell off a truck in front of me several years ago. Hit it square on after seeing it bounce off the pavement. I was in my car - took out the headlight assembly and entire skin of the front bumper. Definitely an insurance claim in that situation.)

[RMcNeal]

Had something similar happen to our old TT with extruded metal on the bottom of the front section. I ended up covering the bottom 18 inches with diamond plate aluminum glued and screwed to the metal and frame. Permanent fix and it shouldn't happen again.

[Mikendebbie]

I looked at my corner and you are correct...no access.
If it was me - I would push the easy button and file insurance claim.
I think it is a single piece of filon from the hitch wrapping all the way to the bottom where your ding is. Will the shop replace the whole piece or will they fiberglass patch the corner?

[Lee-CI]

Dang Tony you sure got snake bit on that one! Appropriate anoint of Gorilla.tape after taking copious amounts of photos for your insurance agent for this one. Your agent might well have seen this before and have suggestions as well. Good luck and let us know how you come out. Ouch!

[DutchmenSport]

Ouch! Now that hurts!

Bondo Fiberglass repair kit, a lot of sanding, and hope you can color match. Good luck with that one.

You are going to have to remove the J-panel (skirting) that wraps under your camper to gain access. You might be able to just remove the screws underneath and be able to gain access without removing it from the side. That would start to get messy, removing the trim, and then you are getting into the upper skin. But I'd start with just the screws on the bottom and see how much room that would give you.

Yes, push the broken fiberglass back into place. You'll need to put a backer on the "ouch" spot and get it sealed and glued real good (The Fiberglass Bondo repair kit will do that too, mix enough to bond a backer.

After it sets up, begin working the Bondo into the "ouch" a little at a time, working it in and smoothing it out. When done, you'll need to sand it smooth. That is not easy. That fiberglass stuff is really, really tough. You'll spend more time doing that than anything else.

Get it nice and smooth and then repaint.

I cracked my nose cap when it came in contact with the bed rails. Nothing was broken completely out, as it was just cracked. But I could not color match. So I picked a color that seemed to fit the color scheme and then repainted a new trim. It's not even noticeable unless it's pointed out.

Can you find the crack(s)....

Look Close:



a little closer:



Still can't see it:



Right there:



Yep, you can't find it can you. But you do see the difference in color I had to use.

Good luck.

Sorry for your "ouch". That is no fun at all. I know.

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by RMcNeal

Had something similar happen to our old TT with extruded metal on the bottom of the front section. I ended up covering the bottom 18 inches with diamond plate aluminum glued and screwed to the metal and frame. Permanent fix and it shouldn't happen again.

That's exactly what I'm going to do. An 8" wide piece of aluminum diamond plate from Amazon. Cut he ends, screw it and glue it. $1500 quote from the dealer. They would have to replace the entire panel.

[DutchmenSport]

I think you'll be happy with the diamond panel. Good choice! And not too hard to do. And all you need to do to the "ouch" spot, is just cover it with the Diamon Plate.

I would suggest, trimming the hole out first nice and smooth in order to keep it from splintering, splitting or cracking off in a haphazard direction.

That really bites! So sorry this happened to you.

[BB_TX]

You can get a hook and pick tool set and pull that flap back out to a flat surface and caulk around it to keep water out. Then diamond plate if you want.

https://www.northerntool.com/product...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[RMcNeal]

Tony,
Our local Lowes and Home Depot carry the Diamond Plate in a size you can work with. If you'd prefer, you can order it online and get black diamond plate. It probably won't stand out as much as the shiny aluminum, and should blend better with the trim around the hatches.

[Foldbak]

I really like the diamond plate idea. I went out and measured and I got a couple of problems. The bottom frame rail is covered with the black edging. I'd have to cover the black edging on the bottom to hit the rail, which I could live with. The bigger issue is the compartment doors are not square so I'd have to cut about 1/8" to zero off the bottom of the plate. I'm not equipped.



So my plan is to get a locking 6"x6" white compartment door and cut out the hole and mount it. Voila! A custom door to nowhere.

[BB_TX]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Or so they say.

[Rich Lazz]

if it were a house and a sheetrock repair, I would cut it out as a rectangle, cut a bigger piece of glue to the inside, let that dry and now you have a surface to set in a new piece to match up the edges, bondo and sand with paint

[RMcNeal]

Tony,
If you can use a piece of thin Luan or similar to make a template to follow, you could use a small handheld router to trim a piece of diamond plate to the exact specifications you need. I used a Rotozip to cut mine with a metal cutting bit. I wish I had thought before I jumped in and bought the materials last time, but a black powder coated diamond plate would have looked better and I could have dressed the cut eges with spray paint.

[Foldbak]

Done. $25 and 2 hours


Why are my attachments sideways

[Carl n Susan]

Originally Posted by Foldbak

....Why are my attachments sideways...

'Cause the picture was taken in portrait mode. It is a "feature" of the forum software to do that. The link may help you. Why Are My Pictures Rotated?

[DebNJim B]

Tony,
That is a very clever, simple and inexpensive fix.
Looks like it belongs there. You're a genius.

[Theunz]

Now that’s thinking with a box!

[Mikendebbie]

It does look nice - but on a selfish level - I was looking forward to your blow-by-blow description + pics to show how you measured, cut and mounted the diamond plate (just in case I needed it someday)! It's better for me if I follow other people's experience rather than me wade thru the abyss trying to figure it out on my own. Usually my third attempt works.

[DutchmenSport]

Very creative! And it looks really good. Too bad you couldn't figure out some way to use that space behind the new door though. You still have potential there for something in the future.