Body Damage Repair Options

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Oct 20, 2017
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Newbie questions...
We have a 2007 Damon Challenger we rent and a renter ripped off the driver side wheel skirt. His insurance company is saying the part is obsolete so they are only going to pay $140 for the panel even though it can't be ordered or made. The part is considered obsolete so Thor can't even manufacture it. I can't find it at any salvage yard in the country. So I have a couple questions:
1. Can the insurance company do this to me?
2. What do you guys do when you cant find a body panel? I can't even find anyone to fabricate one for me.
 
What do you guys do when you cant find a body panel? I can't even find anyone to fabricate one for me.

I don't know the answer but I do know of a good RV body shop in the Phoenix area that could probably help you.
 
I think you should talk to your insurance agent, and let him handle the situation for you. There's a list of salvage yards under the "resources" tab above. May be one there you haven't contacted. There was also a recent topic on here that had a sizeable list of salvage yards in Florida.
 
Here's another list:

http://dearmissmermaid.blogspot.com/2017/10/used-and-salvage-rv-parts-florida.html
 
Negotiate with the insurance company - they are obligated to "make you whole", but they don't always make a reasonable offer up front. And consider making a claim on your collision insurance and letting them deal with the other guys insurance. However, the fact that you were renting out the RV at the time is maybe going to be a sticking point on your own insurance.

The difficulty here is that there is no part available to establish a price. I can assure you, however, that no salvage yard would sell it for as little as $140. Rv parts cost a LOT more than car parts - there are few, if any, of any given part available and the price is (or would be) commensurate with rarity. Maybe you could identify a similar part for another rtig that is available and get the price on that. Helps establish the value if it is reasonable similar in purpose and type.

A good fiberglass repair shop could probably reconstruct it almost from scratch, but again, the repair cost will be a lot more than $140.
 
Most of the repair shops I have requested quotes from will charge $6-800 just to install and paint a panel to match your paint.
 
Good point, Jeff. There is no way to get a matching panel for that $140 price tag. Even if the wheel skirt is not a full-body-paint type, it probably would need to be something other than raw fiberglass color.
 
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