Idiot Backed Backed Into My Trailer

[pedalmike]

Brian Dale-

Sorry that you had to experience this. Try to keep things positive with the responsible party and avoid making it adversarial. If you have an email and/or text address for the responsible party start documenting his agreement to take care of the repairs to your trailer. Include dates when significant things were said. Send him photos of the damage. That will all help you if the responsible party starts getting amnesia about what happened, what was said, etc.

The fact that you have no insurance on your trailer should not prevent you from seeking recovery from the at fault party.

Agree with the others...get a repair estimate from a quality boat shop that has deep experience in fiberglass repair. Some auto body shops that specialize in repair to Corvettes (they have fiberglass bodies) are possibilities too.

[drdoyle]

Pain in the asbutt. To do it right full acess to the inside is required. Grind/sand to raw glass 6 to 10 inches back on each side of damage and glass cloth 3 or 4 layers, use epoxy resins. Feather fill skim international waterproof epoxy filler (two part 1:1). Sand flat/smooth. Paint with interprotect 2000 epoxy primer. Finish paint as necessary. Move to outter side. Sand a squared section 12 inches for and aft if the cracked areas. Sand to raw glass. Epoxy glass 3 layers cloth with 1st (24 inches ) then 20 inches and 3rd 16 inches. Feather fill with epoxy two part waterproof filler (international), sand cosmetically smooth. Prime with 2 coats of interprotect 2000. Sand and paint finish coat to match. You will probably have to paint the entire side lower panel to get a match. Glass, paint, filler, epoxy resins and sanding supplies about $600. 15 to 20 hours labor. Before finish paint by auto shop the repair should be about $2500; add another $500 for the finish painting. Total estimate about $3000. I work on boats for a living. Also own a Trillium 4500. Nothing is cheap nowadays, especially if you want it done correctly.

[garbonz]

fiberglass repair is an important skill to learn and pretty easy to do, but takes a bit of time to get perfect.. read up on it and do it, you will be happy. You will need some fiberglass cloth, west epoxy and filler, sander and various grits of paper...

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by CPW

It has been my experience that small claims court rulings can be difficult to enforce if the defendant ignores the ruling. The best you can sometimes do is to put a lien on his vehicle or his home. First, I would get a police report and ascertain who insures his vehicle. If he balks, call his insurance company and deal with them. Hopefully, his word will be good. But as Raz says, boat marina is probably the best place to go. This isn’t boating season in Kansas. You may be able to get it fixed relatively fast. And any body shop that repairs Corvettes would be a second choice.

Done the small claims thing a few times. And provided you live in the same state as him and that is the state where the event occurred generally it ends up working out. Now you will need to get a judgement. Then probably file for proceedings suplemental. If he ignores those they will put in him jail on a bench warrant. Provided he has something to collect from it really is not that hard once you get him in court.

But collecting from his insurance would probably be easier. Contact your insurance agent. Even if the camper is not insured I am sure you have your vehicles covered therefore have an agent. Most agents will at least help you through the process on something without coverage as a way to keep you a client. They won't do much, but they generally will do enough to get it done.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by garbonz

fiberglass repair is an important skill to learn and pretty easy to do, but takes a bit of time to get perfect.. read up on it and do it, you will be happy. You will need some fiberglass cloth, west epoxy and filler, sander and various grits of paper...

Try getting some boards and practice doing some "repairs" on those. Then remember the stuff makes kind of a mess. It has a short work time. Like mask off everywhere you don't want to "repair" Dry fit everything before trying the real repair at each step.

And the tools kind of make the man. Get good tools especially the sander. And remember that you don't want to breath the dust. Get a GOOD mask.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by mchalewj

Because his automobile insurance company would take one look at it, total the trailer, and hand you a check for $100.00!

They will sure offer that. But you don't have to take it. May have to go to court. But if you have a good set of estimates AND a good set of data on what it really is worth without the damage, and you should be set. That is one reason to go through your insurance agent. They will pay more attention if the agent just faxes this stuff over to them with an insurance agent fax cover sheet. If you have it well documented and then they don't pay what is reasonable the regulators can land. And that can cost them big time. But only if it is well documented.