Oops, slid in a hail storm into a cliff face - frame bent!

[PatBarb]

Front passenger corner got pretty well messed up including front frame member getting bent back a foot. That happened yesterday in the eastern Sierras of California. I'm on a long road trip and I managed to continue towing the pop-up to the next campground, where I was able, barely, to get the pop-up up. The front, passenger telescoping roof post is clearly damaged and didn't quite go up all the way, so the door doesn't quite fit and other little problems like that.

Where do you get such a problem fixed? I called a trailer place and they suggested an auto collision business, and an auto collision business suggested an RV or trailer place. Note that this is an older pop up that I paid $4,000 for 2 months ago, so not willing to spend incredible amounts of money on it.

 

[Tonya Harding]

Pint of gas & a Zippo...jk...is it insured? If you know anyone that does frame work on the side, or a high school shop program that does frame/body work, they may be able to help...

 

[1380ken]

Go to a welding shop. They will cut that out and weld in new steel. That doesn't look that bad.

 

[PopUpSteve]

I fear it would cost more than you paid for it a few mounts ago. If you were to ask an insurance adjuster, they would most likely say that it is totaled.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

A work-truck/trailer service shop can fix the metal outrigger, but not the wood stuff

 

[Ed Llorca]

Your frame is good. The bent part is more of a "sub-frame". I'd say it is quite fixable, talk to your handiest friends and keep calling RV repair places ($$$).

 

[J Starsky]

IF an older auto body place could be found, like BEE LINE Frame Service or similar somebody would consider giving a few pulls to the frame before turning you loose to finish up your repair you could start to plan out the job. Nobody is going to take that job w/o $3k easy into it. IF the frame is shaped like a diamond, I'm not sure how you'd get it back to straight. They never meant to move the frame points...

A few hundo to have it pulled, a few hundo to the welder to burn in a new corner, then I'd have to finish the body/wood/lift repairs. You'd need another few hundo for sheet / column parts IF needed. You look like you have all you need. I'm pretty good, but don't know if I'd be talked into this job. I fully support you IF you try. Take the INS payment and see what you can do with their money.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

Unless the owner has full insurance coverage, insurance is a moot point. Our campers are "neither fish nor fowl" as far as being a thing. Which makes repair options limited.

 

[santuitman]

Bent corner piece might be able to be pulled back into shape with a come along to some extent. Looks like the lift tube/support would be more the issue. I’d try to see how the other corner is put together for better reference to how much stuff has moved. You made need a welder to put the support back into the correct alignment. The rest you might be able to fix yourself

 

[theseus]

This is why I always carried full coverage on my PUPs. Any damage is likely to cost more to repair than just going out and finding another one.

 

[Patrick w]

Front passenger corner got pretty well messed up including front frame member getting bent back a foot. That happened yesterday in the eastern Sierras of California. I'm on a long road trip and I managed to continue towing the pop-up to the next campground, where I was able, barely, to get the pop-up up. The front, passenger telescoping roof post is clearly damaged and didn't quite go up all the way, so the door doesn't quite fit and other little problems like that.

Where do you get such a problem fixed? I called a trailer place and they suggested an auto collision business, and an auto collision business suggested an RV or trailer place. Note that this is an older pop up that I paid $4,000 for 2 months ago, so not willing to spend incredible amounts of money on it.

I wouldn't be worried about the integrity of towing, the frame damage itself is pretty minor. There is of course some wood damage, but isn't the worst either. You could try a ram between it and the axle, and a come along and a welded tab to pull, it it will probably straighten out without too much fanfare. Little zip wheel to v notch the stretched metal and it should be way easier to move it back. Once back a little section of angle iron will fix er right up.

The harder section seems like the channel where the roof support is.. I don't know if that was damaged enough to cause problems. Also the new metal for the siding... That's another issue. You could just get a piece of aluminum flashing.. won't match though. As far as the wood, cut back to solid wood, make new wood pieces, and reinforce it with some fiberglass and epoxy.

 

[Dingit]

Are you trying to salvage your trip? Or trying to fix it up properly?

If it's the first (with proper fixing to be done later), I would

1. make sure it's safe to tow--secure any loose bits, get the frame checked out if needed
2. make sure it's safe to camp--yeah, I'd be sticking in a 2x4 or two of the correct new height in the corners while camping. Also verify gas line integrity.
3. make a new temporary door--peel and stick Velcro and a beach towel? Bed sheet?

 

[theseus]

If you can fix the frame, Colemanpopupparts.com may have the panel.

 

[daklein]

You could try heavy winch strap, under the back wheel of the tow vehicle (especially if you or a friend have a 4wd truck with low range), up to the rearward bent ear of the frame. Something like described in pictures here: https://intothetransporter.blogspot.com/2016/03/rockets-and-truth-or-consequences-of.html

 

[Sabotsailfam]

I would agree that this is likely to be technically totaled from an insurance standpoint, but it also appears to be potentially salvageable for a handy/patient person. If you are trying to keep the current trip plan moving along, consider looking carefully at the cable at the bottom of the lift tube. It looks pinched, so you would want to make sure it can move freely with minimal drag. (Use safety bars if you have them or even 2x4 as suggested)

This section of the "frame" isn't as structurally important to the trailer as the full tube framing you see behind it. If you google popup lift systems, you will see that this c-channel sticks out from the main frame and supports the lift tube and surrounding superstructure plus wood/skin etc, but not the main weight of the trailer. So if you confirm that the pieces that are jamming the door and other harder to find problems look recoverable, you might be able to piece it back together. It won't ever be the same tho. This kind of stuff can happen to anyone. Best of luck to you.

 

[Davylee]

As some others have said. The frame that is bent is not the true frame. The rest is DIY in my opinion, some sheet metal to fix the crumpled part, some wood repair, maybe a new post for the curbside front for the roof. If you are handy at all shouldnt be too bad. If you are on a long trip, that bend it back shore up what you can and get through the trip the best you can.

 

[PatBarb]

As some others have said. The frame that is bent is not the true frame. The rest is DIY in my opinion, some sheet metal to fix the crumpled part, some wood repair, maybe a new post for the curbside front for the roof. If you are handy at all shouldnt be too bad. If you are on a long trip, that bend it back shore up what you can and get through the trip the best you can.

Yes, I see what you mean that it's just the subframe and not the main frame of the pop up. Tomorrow I'll stop in Redding California, a trailer shop there said they would look at it.

 

[PatBarb]

I wouldn't be worried about the integrity of towing, the frame damage itself is pretty minor. There is of course some wood damage, but isn't the worst either. You could try a ram between it and the axle, and a come along and a welded tab to pull, it it will probably straighten out without too much fanfare. Little zip wheel to v notch the stretched metal and it should be way easier to move it back. Once back a little section of angle iron will fix er right up.

The harder section seems like the channel where the roof support is.. I don't know if that was damaged enough to cause problems. Also the new metal for the siding... That's another issue. You could just get a piece of aluminum flashing.. won't match though. As far as the wood, cut back to solid wood, make new wood pieces, and reinforce it with some fiberglass and epoxy.

Yep, this morning when I tried to pack up, that post would not go down more than halfway. I ended up being desperate enough to just get out the hacksaw and amputate that support post so that I could close the pop-up. Looks like I'll be using a piece of 2x4 to hold up that corner for the rest of my trip.

 

[PopUpSteve]

Looks like I'll be using a piece of 2x4 to hold up that corner for the rest of my trip.

Hope you don't have any reservations at some of those High End campgrounds!

 

[Dingit]

If you put the 2x4 inside the tenting, it'll look slightly less bad.