Documented Repairs

Scope performed

• Teardown of the affected sidewall to expose cage framing and wiring
• Two cracked aluminum uprights sectioned and welded at load appropriate points
• Laminate rebuilt with a stepped scarf and biaxial reinforcement, core boundary cut back to dry material
• Both compartment door frames rebuilt square and rehung
• Sectional refinish with a planned blend across the adjacent panel

Outcome

Teardown found the impact had traveled about eighteen inches past the visible tear, which the first estimate did not include. A documented supplement with photographs of the cracked uprights was approved without a reinspection delay. The rebuilt section measured within a sixteenth of the opposite side across the bay openings, and the blend reads clean in raking light. The owner traveled from Eastvale for drop off and picked up on the scheduled date.

Scope performed

• Moisture mapped on a grid and recorded before any material was removed
• Delaminated area bounded by tap test and confirmed with a pinless meter
• Wet lauan removed, framing dried and inspected, replacement substrate bonded in
• Laminate reconstructed and vacuum clamped through cure
• Cap seam reworked with correct sealant chemistry and the front graphic panel reproduced

Outcome

The failure had been progressing for at least two seasons, and the substrate behind the bubble was soft well past the area that sounded hollow. Cutting to sound material added square footage but removed the reason it would have returned. The finished cap holds a straight reflection along its full width and passed a sustained water test with the interior ceiling panel open. Deck and framing readings came back dry at reassembly.

Scope performed

• Old membrane and all roof mounted hardware removed
• Deck probed across the full length, with roughly twenty square feet replaced at the rear corner
• New membrane installed with correct adhesive and open time for shop temperature
• Every penetration reset on fresh butyl and topped with self leveling lap sealant
• Edge trim replaced and the interior ceiling panel section renewed

Outcome

The owner had been resealing the same corner annually, which is a common pattern once decking is wet. Pulling the membrane showed the rot extended under the rear cap seam where no amount of surface sealant would have reached. Replacing the deck section was the difference between a repair and another year of the same problem. A sustained spray test with the ceiling open showed no ingress anywhere along the roof.

Scope performed

• Systems diagnostic at the posted diagnostic rate, credited against the authorized repair
• Both drive columns inspected, one motor and gear rack replaced
• Room shimmed and re-timed, then cycled repeatedly under observation
• Wiper and bulb seals replaced on all four sides
• Slide topper fabric inspected and its mounting hardware resealed

Outcome

The binding was mechanical rather than electronic, which the controller fault code did not make obvious on its own. Worn teeth on one column let the room walk out of synchronization, and each cycle made the next one worse. After re-timing, the room seats evenly on all four edges and the seals compress uniformly, which is the actual point. The owner was shown the worn rack alongside the replacement at delivery.

Scope performed

• Interior cabinetry and wall panel removed and catalogued for reinstallation
• Unibody measured, aperture pulled back to reference on a rack
• Rear quarter section repaired and the door adjusted to consistent gaps
• Disturbed twelve volt circuits and the rear camera lead tested energized
• Refinish with blend into the sliding door and roof edge

Outcome

Upfitted vans complicate collision work because the build hides the structure. Removing the interior added labor but was the only way to measure the aperture honestly and to confirm no wiring was pinched during the pull. Door gaps came back within a millimeter side to side, the rear doors latch without lifting, and the reinstalled cabinetry sits on its original mounts. The camera and lighting circuits were verified under power before panels closed.

Scope performed

• Flooring and lower wall panels removed to expose framing and subfloor
• Subfloor sections replaced where probing found no remaining structural value
• Ramp door hinge line rebedded and its fastener pattern corrected
• Wall cavity dried and verified with meter readings before closing
• Interior panels, trim and flooring reinstalled and the area repainted

Outcome

The leak entered at the ramp door hinge fasteners, which had been sealed over rather than pulled and rebedded during an earlier repair. Water tracked along the subfloor and surfaced eight feet away, which is why the owner had been chasing the wrong wall. Removing the flooring made the actual path obvious in ten minutes. Meter readings were documented at teardown, mid dry and at close so the file shows the progression.

Scope performed

• Corner post cut out and a new post fabricated and welded to the original section
• Roll up door track straightened and the door retensioned to run without binding
• Liner panel section replaced and the seam resealed
• Liftgate platform straightened, hinge pins replaced and cylinder function verified under load
• Conspicuity tape and rear lighting restored to their original layout

Outcome

Fleet downtime was the governing constraint, so the post fabrication started the same day the unit arrived rather than waiting for a parts quote that would have taken a week. The rebuilt corner measures square to the opposite side and the roll up door runs its full travel without a catch. The liftgate cycles to level and holds position under a loaded pallet. The unit went back into route service the following Monday.

Scope performed

• Full photographic damage map with a scale reference for the carrier file
• Roof surface repaired and refinished after crazing depth was assessed by section
• Two air conditioner shrouds and one skylight dome replaced
• Upper sidewall panels refinished with blends carried into the body break line
• Sealant renewed at every penetration disturbed during the work

Outcome

Hail files live or die on documentation because the damage is diffuse rather than concentrated. Mapping every dimple field with a scale reference let the adjuster approve the full roof and both upper panels in one pass instead of approving a section and returning. The refinished surfaces hold an even gloss across the length, and the reset penetrations passed a sustained water test before the unit left the delivery lane.

Scope performed

• Load audit performed and an amp hour budget built from measured draw
• Main positive path refused with a class T fuse and cable sized to correct the voltage drop
• LiFePO4 bank installed with a DC to DC charger on the alternator path
• Solar array rewired in series to an MPPT controller
• Transfer switch and shore inlet corrected, then the whole system commissioned under load

Outcome

The original problem was described as a bad inverter. Measurement showed the inverter was fine and the cable between the bank and the inverter was dropping enough voltage to trigger a low input shutdown whenever the induction cooktop started. Correcting the conductor size and the fusing solved the shutdowns outright. Charge acceptance improved sharply once the alternator path went through a proper DC to DC charger instead of a relay.

Scope performed

• Roof vent removed, flange rebedded and the surrounding deck verified dry
• Cabinet bases and face frames rebuilt in matching material
• Dinette platform reconstructed and reupholstered in a matched fabric
• Wall panel replaced and refinished to the adjacent surfaces
• Twelve volt lighting circuits in the affected wall tested and reterminated

Outcome

Small units concentrate damage. Eleven feet of camper does not give water anywhere to disperse, so a slow vent leak reached three separate assemblies. Rebuilding the cabinet bases in matching material rather than patching them kept the interior looking original rather than repaired. The vent flange was rebedded on fresh butyl and the deck around it read dry across the full grid before anything was closed up.