What every Texas RV owner needs to know about RV Hail Damage Repair
We just got hit with a major hailstorm in the Dallas Ft. Worth area. As a result the phones are lighting up and the email box is filling up with requests for estimates and repairs from Hail Damage to Dallas area RV’s.
As you can imagine, the number one question is always how much will it cost to fix it, followed by how soon can we get it fixed? Well here to answer some of those questions are your favorite Dallas – Ft. Worth RV repair specialists- Coach Specialists of Texas.
When your car gets hit with hail, you get dents and maybe some broken glass. Really bad hailstorms will cause a golf ball like appearance to your car because it is made of steel or possibly aluminum. But what about an RV which is made of fiberglass, wood sheathing and in some cases an aluminum skin?
Hail damage to cars can often be fixed using a process called PDR or Paintless dent repair. This technique involves the use of picks and metal stretchers that raise up a dent from behind without the use of tools. The work is time-consuming, but it is cheaper than having to have the car re-painted. With an RV, you do not have that luxury. When a hailstones hit roof top air conditioners, vents, and the rubber coated wood roofs, the damage is much more extensive ad similar to hailstorms on houses. Fiberglass beings to spider web crack allowing moisture inside and very soon that leads to delamination, sagging roofs and other trauma to the RV. This is more than just cosmetics, this repair cannot be put off unless your RV remains unused and completely covered or enclosed in a garage, which not everybody has..
RV hail damage repair costs.
For those with aluminum clad RV’s travel trailers and coaches, the cost to replace the sheet metal on an RV is about $9.50 to 13.50 per square foot. You can’t subtract out windows or doors as no deductions apply for any openings unless they are over 40 square foot. The reason for that is the material must still be purchased in full sheets and the small window or door sized pieces that remain after trimming is useless for other RV repairs. This cost typically includes parts and labor. In addition, replacement costs would still remain for items such as AC covers, awnings, windows, tail lights, etc that sometimes get hail damage as well
Airstream trailers are figured a completely different method.
The salvage value on hail damaged RV’s is very high so an insurance adjuster will always consider the salvage value of the aluminum travel trailer before agreeing to pay out the RV hail damage claim in full.
As to paying an appearearance on the whole claim. If the hail is very light, or the trailer is not new, and you decide that you do not want to repair the damage, the insurance company might consider totaling it rather than paying to have it fixed. Of course we would always rather perform the repairs, but we also understand the desires of our customer. In Texas there is no coverage for awnings or TV antennas on travel trailers but they are covered on motor homes with the same insurance levels.
Travel trailers with aluminum siding require removal of all the siding and replacement. In order to do that, everything attached to the outside will have to be removed including windows, entry doors, pass-through doors, furnace, water heater, awning, lights etc.
Just Live With The Damage, But Keep The Check? Bad Idea.
Some customers think they might be getting a deal by not getting the hail damage repair work done and instead pocketing the claim check, however, if the travel trailer ever had any additional hail damage, the insurance company would likely deny the claim based on prior damage. The same goes for any water leaks or other damage that can be traced back to not getting the original hail damage repaired. You do not want to be put in that position and the risk is too great. If the insurance company is paying for the repair, get it fixed right away. Also should you ever decide to sell the travel trailer, you will have a harder if not impossible time selling it.
Typical signs that the RV roof needs repairing immediately following a hail storm:
– Mild to significant bruising and spider cracks to the gelcoat.
– Damage to vent lids and AC units
– Small bubbles or spots in the rubber membrane These occur where the membrane comes un-glued to the underlayment, and bubbled up maybe a 1/8 of an inch.
RV roof repair I for these types of materials can usually run about $300.00 per linear foot.
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