Hail damage repairs?

gjc-99 · 07-24-2007, 07:24 AM

We found ourselves in a nasty hailstorm on our way to the Grand Tetons last month. Nothing was broken, but we have many hail dings on the exposed portion of the roof. Repairs should be covered by insurance (minus the deductible). I would like to know if anyone has had hail damage repairs, how it was done, and if the repairs have held up ok. Thanks!

**fcatwo** · 07-24-2007, 05:37 PM

This has been asked before but it has been a couple of years. We were back at the factory in the fall of 02 having a few things added to our 2619 and there was a hail damaged TM sitting in the next stall. I asked about it and they said they were replacing both tops and it would cost most of the price of a new trailer. Some hail damaged new TMs have been sold by dealers at steep discounts to people who were willing to live with the dings so they do retain some value but how much would have to be negotiated with the buyer.

We've also discussed the old wives tale of letting them sit in the hot sun for several hours and then hitting the spots with dry ice to pull the dings out but no one has reported doing that.

07-24-2007, 05:51 PM

I am not sure it will work on aluminum, but I know it works on steel. A guy at work's wife works at the Ford plant. They bought a new car and got a dent the 2nd day they had it. She said they use heat guns and dry ice to remove small dents at the factory. He borrowed the heat gun from work and picked up dry ice on the way home. The next day the dent was gone. He said she heated the fender warm to the touch and then applied the dry ice and it popped right out.

**rimartin58** · 06-11-2008, 06:58 PM

I just bought a 2001 3023 that looks like it's been attacked with a ball peen hammer. All the damage looks cosmetic (no places where the dents have cracked the aluminum). Anyone out there with advice on hail damage? I'm inclined to live with it if it won't leak.

Thanks in advance.

06-11-2008, 07:32 PM

There should be companies in the phone book where you live. I know that they can using vacuum to pop out the hail dings on cars, I assume it works on aluminum too. Yeah look for the dentsquad:

http://www.dentsquadusa.com/

06-13-2008, 06:26 PM

We bought ours looking like yours and we just live with it, since there are no leaks.

**rimartin58** · 06-13-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubydoodle

We bought ours looking like yours and we just live with it, since there are no leaks.

Yeah, if I think about what I paid verses new, it probably works out to a couple of hundred dollars a dent!

06-14-2008, 10:41 PM

Just keep in mind that the aluminum is bonded to styrofoam. Maybe bondo and some paint? Depends how bad it is. Just use the trailer. It'll be getting other dents too.

07-15-2008, 10:08 AM

Our 3124 KB was hammered by a hail storm in SD last summer (the top-front and all exposed roof). After much research, the only real repair would be sending it back to the factory in TN for a complete new roof. After getting an estimate from the factory, the repair was about as much as our 2000 3124 KB was worth. In the end, our insurance company listed it as a total loss. They gave us a check for the value minus the salvage value buy-back price. This was sort of an advance to cover the loss in equity should we sell it with the dents.

When we go camping, we never see the dents after we put the trailer up. We joke with each other that it is more aerodynamic now with the dents (like a golf ball!)