i am reaching the end of my rope.

[labman]

Most of you regulars know I have had trouble with a capital T with my tow vehicle on the way to Arizona in January, expensive trouble.... Now, somewhere in my journey I must have taken a "too sharp of a turn" and put a crack about a foot long on the cap of the 5er.:banghead: I talked to a rv repair place near me and the gentleman giving me an estimate asked if I was going to be keeping the rv or getting rid of it in the next 2 years. The reason he was asking is that if I was planning to rid myself of the 5er, he could repair the crack and match the paint and only clear coat the area around the repair rather than having to remove/replace the decals and clear coat the entire cap. He said if he only did the local area surrounding the damage, he could not stand behind the work. I wonder why that is. Why would you have to clear coat the entire surface of the cap? I am starting to think renting a vrbo would be way cheaper than this rv'ing. Off the cuff estimate was $1,500.00 for the local area job and around $4,000.00 for the whole cap clear coated and new decals

[travelin texans]

Call your insurance company, that's why you pay premiums.

[sourdough]

Insurance....and learn from the accident.

[notanlines]

Yep, what Danny and Danny said^^^^. Insurance is a tool. Use it and don't abuse it.

[TJO]

Yep, what Danny and Danny and notanlines said. It's why we all pay them.

[labman]

Thank you all, I get the insurance advice and I certainly will be utilizing them. My question regarding why the decals have to be replaced and the entire cap clear coated wasn't addressed by anyone yet. I am still curious as to why that would be necessary.

[gearhead]

I'm not sure why but body shops want to clear coat the entire panel. I jack knifed my utility trailer into my new dually fender and put a 1 inch cut in it. The body shop said they had to re-clear coat the entire panel. I didn't ask why. Maybe it doesn't blend well.

[rhagfo]

I'm not sure why but body shops want to clear coat the entire panel. I jack knifed my utility trailer into my new dually fender and put a 1 inch cut in it. The body shop said they had to re-clear coat the entire panel. I didn't ask why. Maybe it doesn't blend well.

Clear coat doesn't fog well, within a couple years the spot that was repaired will stand out like a sore thumb.

[JRTJH]

We've got a "forum resident pro master color matcher" that hasn't weighed in yet....

Tom, what can you add ????