Repairing Collision Damage On Your RV
If your RV was involved in an accident, no matter how minor or major, the damage to the unit needs to be dealt with properly. An RV is essentially a large truck chassis, and damage to the chassis or running gear can be handled by a large truck shop. However, body damage is different. Modern RV's have a lot of fiberglass on the body and repairing that properly requires a shop with the right tools and knowledge.
Evaluating The Damage
If your RV was involved in an accident, the priority is going to be getting it repaired, but before any work can begin, the insurance company will require estimates for the work. Start with contacting several collision repair shops in your area and schedule a time to have the RV inspected. You need to know everything that needs to be repaired so that you can get a clear picture of the costs involved and pass the estimate along to the insurance company. If the vehicle has sustained damage to the body and the chassis, you may have to take it to several shops for separate inspections.
Selecting The Shop For Repairs
Once the estimates are complete, you will need to decide which shop you want to do the work. In some cases, the insurance company may try and tell you where to take it but they don't really have that right legally. They may only pay a set amount for the repairs but if you are willing to pay a little out of pocket, you can choose where you want the work completed. Talk to the shop to get a time frame for the repairs to be completed and to determine if they will do the entire job or if some of the work will be outsourced to another shop.
Inspecting The Completed Job
When you pick up the RV from the shop, take the time to look over all the repairs that were done. You want to be sure the work was done to your satisfaction before it leaves the shop. If you are not happy with it, waiting until you getting it home could make it hard to get the shop to fix it to your satisfaction. Most shops will ask you to look the work over before you leave anyway, and don't be afraid to ask them to go over the work with you. If you can get the technician that did the work to show you what was done, it will give you the chance to ask directly any questions that you might have.