Collision and Structural
RV, Van, Trailer and Fleet Collision Repair in Southern California
Typical range
$1,000 to $150,000+
Shop hours
5 to 800+
Labor rate
$210/hr
The short answer
Collision repair restores a vehicle to pre-loss structure, fit, and finish after an impact. On RVs and vans that means laminated sidewall, fiberglass cap, and frame work rather than sheet metal. Jobs run $1,000 to $150,000 and up, or 5 to 800 plus hours at $210 per hour.
01
What this work actually involves
A collision on a motorhome is not a scaled-up car accident. A Class A coach carries load through a steel or aluminum cage with a laminated sandwich panel bonded to it, and a fiberglass cap that is structural in some places and cosmetic in others. When something hits it, the energy travels along the bond line and through the cage in ways that leave the visible damage looking far smaller than the actual damage. We have opened up units where a two-foot crack in a front cap turned out to sit above eight feet of separated laminate and a bent cage member.
That is why every collision job here starts with disassembly before it starts with an estimate revision. We pull the interior panel, the exterior skin, or both, and we look at what the load path actually did. Then we write a supplement with photographs, and we send it to your carrier before we cut anything. This is the single biggest difference between a coach that comes back right and a coach that comes back with a wavy sidewall and a door that will not latch in July.
We work direct with every major carrier. Insurance-billed jobs may be billed at carrier-negotiated labor rates that differ from our posted retail rates, and we will tell you which applies to your claim before work begins.
Location: All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside, or fleet route service.
02
What the job includes
- Full teardown and hidden damage assessment before any repair decision
- Structural cage, frame rail, and outrigger repair or section replacement
- Laminated sidewall repair and panel replacement with correct core and adhesive
- Fiberglass front and rear cap repair or full cap replacement
- Aluminum skin and framing repair on stick-and-tin construction
- Bumper, fender, and body panel repair or replacement
- Glass, door, and opening realignment after structural correction
- Full or partial refinish with color match and panel blending
- ADAS scan and recalibration where the vehicle is equipped
- Post-repair water intrusion testing before delivery
03
When you need this service
- A door, slide, or compartment that latched fine before the impact and now binds
- A visible crack in a cap or sidewall, however small, after any contact
- A panel seam that has opened or a bond line you can see from the outside
- Any impact at the corner of the vehicle, where the cage and cap meet
- A roof line, drip rail, or trim line that is no longer straight
- Water appearing inside after an impact that seemed cosmetic
04
How we do it, step by step
- 01
Intake and documentation
Vehicle in, photographed from every angle, VIN and claim number recorded, and a walk with you so we both see the same damage before anything moves.
- 02
Disassembly and hidden damage discovery
We remove trim, skin, or interior panel as needed to see the actual extent. This is where most of the real damage is found and where most estimates change.
- 03
Supplement and carrier approval
Photographed supplement written and submitted to your adjuster. We handle the back and forth. Nothing structural gets cut until it is authorized in writing.
- 04
Structural repair
Cage, frame, and substrate corrected first. Squareness and load path are restored before any cosmetic panel goes on, because a panel hung on a bent structure will not stay right.
- 05
Panel, cap, and skin work
Laminate rebuilt with correct core, fiberglass laid up and faired, or aluminum skin replaced. Bond lines are prepped to the manufacturer spec, not scuffed and glued.
- 06
Refinish
Color matched against the actual panel under multiple light sources, sprayed, and blended into adjacent panels so the transition disappears.
- 07
Reassembly, alignment and water test
Everything goes back, every opening is checked for operation, and the unit gets water tested before it is called done.
05
Pricing and posted rates
| Item | Rate or range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job range | $1,000 to $150,000+ | Varies with extent of damage and parts availability |
| Shop hours | 5 to 800+ | Quoted after teardown, not before |
| Body and paint labor | $210 per hour | 2026 posted rate |
| Paint supplies | $55 per paint hour | Calculated automatically on every estimate |
| Body supplies | $5 per body hour | Calculated automatically on every estimate |
| Parts | 100% markup under $100, 35% over | Special order parts require a non refundable deposit at order |
| Deposit | 50% at authorization over $2,000 | Additional 25% when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% on parts and materials | Labor is not taxed |
Insurance billed jobs may be billed at carrier negotiated labor rates that differ from the posted retail rates above. See all posted rates.
06
On the insurance side
We work direct with every major carrier and handle supplements, photographs, and negotiation on your behalf.
07
Vehicles we do this work on
Vehicle
Class A Gas Motorhomes
A Class A gas motorhome is a flat-front coach built on a Ford F53 or Workhorse front-engine chassis, typically 28 to 38 feet. Rear
Vehicle
Class A Diesel Pusher Motorhomes
A diesel pusher carries a rear-mounted diesel on a raised-rail air ride chassis, usually 34 to 45 feet with full-body paint and pa
Vehicle
Class C Motorhomes
A Class C is a coach body built onto a cutaway van chassis with a sleeping or storage cabover extending above the factory cab. Tha
Vehicle
Standard Fifth Wheels
A fifth wheel couples to a hitch in the truck bed through a kingpin and pin box, with a raised forward bedroom over the truck. The
Vehicle
Travel Trailers
A travel trailer tows from a ball hitch behind the tow vehicle rear axle on an A-frame tongue, which makes it the most sway-prone
Vehicle
Sprinter Vans
Mercedes Sprinter vans run last-mile routes, trade service, and camper conversions across Southern California. Sliding door tracks
Vehicle
Box Trucks
Box trucks put a separately built cargo body on a cab chassis, and the joint between them is where most failures start. Rear frame
08
Questions about collision repair
Frequently asked questions
How long does RV collision repair take?
A minor cap repair can be two to three weeks. A major structural job with carrier supplements and back-ordered parts can run three to six months. The two variables that drive it are how long the carrier takes to approve the supplement and whether the parts are still in production. We give you a real schedule after disassembly, not before, because a schedule written before we see hidden damage is a guess.
Do you work directly with insurance companies?
Yes. We work direct with Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, AAA, Mercury, Allstate, American Family, Wawanesa, National General, CSAA, Foremost, Liberty Mutual, Tesla, Cincinnati, AGWS, and others. We write the supplement, submit the photographs, and handle the negotiation. Insurance-billed jobs may be billed at carrier-negotiated rates that differ from our posted retail rates.
What does a collision estimate cost?
A collision estimate fee applies and is refundable as a credit against an authorized repair. Call for the current amount. We do not do no-charge estimating, because a real estimate on a laminated structure requires time and access, not a walk around the parking lot.
My insurer says the damage is cosmetic. Is it?
Sometimes. Often not. On a laminated sidewall, the difference between cosmetic and structural is whether the bond between skin and core is intact, and you cannot determine that from the outside. If we open it up and find separation, we document it and supplement. That documentation is what changes a carrier position.
Can you handle a total loss evaluation?
We can produce the documented repair cost that a total loss determination is based on. Whether the unit is declared a total loss is the carrier decision, driven by repair cost against actual cash value. What we control is making sure the repair estimate is complete and accurate, so the decision is made on real numbers.
Do you repair collision damage on modified or custom vehicles?
Yes, and this is where a lot of shops fail owners. Aftermarket solar, lift kits, custom bumpers, roof racks, and interior build-outs all have to be documented as part of the loss or the carrier will not pay for them. We photograph and itemize modifications during disassembly specifically so they end up in the supplement.
09
Related services
Service
Frame and Structural Repair
Frame and structural repair corrects bent rails, cracked welds, failed outriggers, and out-of-square cage on RVs, trailers, and co
Service
Fiberglass Cap Repair
Fiberglass cap repair addresses cracks, punctures, and impact damage on molded front and rear caps. Repair runs $750 to $12,000 an
Service
Paint and Refinish
Full paint and refinish strips, corrects, primes, and resprays the exterior of an RV, van, trailer, or fleet vehicle in single-sta
Service
Aluminum Skin and Sidewall Replacement
Aluminum skin and sidewall replacement covers panel replacement on stick-and-tin trailers and riveted monocoque trailers including
Service
ADAS Scan and Recalibration
ADAS scan and recalibration restores driver assistance systems after body or structural repair. Required on any vehicle with camer
10
More collision and structural work
Ready to move on collision repair? Bring it to Yorba Linda.