Repair or Replace
At the panel level
This is the decision that comes up most, usually on a delaminated sidewall.
- Under about sixty percent debonded with sound substrate: repair by injection and vacuum bagging.
- Over sixty percent, or any soft or rotted luan: replace the panel.
- Already repaired twice: replace, because the third repair will fail too.
- Framing behind the skin compromised: replace, since there is nothing to bond to.
At the vehicle level
Carriers total a unit when repair cost plus salvage value exceeds actual cash value. Their threshold is usually seventy to eighty percent, but the valuation itself is frequently the disputable part rather than the repair estimate.
- Get an independent structural assessment before accepting a total on a repairable coach.
- Aftermarket work is often missing from the valuation unless it was declared.
- Retention plus repair sometimes beats the settlement, particularly on older coaches with strong bones.
- A salvage title materially reduces resale, so price that into any retention math.
Questions
Common questions
When is delamination repair better than panel replacement?
When the substrate behind the skin is dry and sound and less than about sixty percent of the panel has debonded. Past that, replacement costs less over the life of the coach than repeated re-bonding.
Should I keep a totalled RV and repair it myself?
Sometimes. It works when the structure is sound and the total was driven by a low valuation rather than by real damage. It does not work when the frame is compromised. Get the assessment before deciding.
Have a claim open right now?
We bill 16 carriers directly and write the supplement documentation that gets hidden damage covered.