The Shop
The RV Repair Process, Start to Finish
Short answer
Six stages: intake, teardown, plan and approval, parts, repair and refinish, delivery. You get a written date at authorization and an update every week it changes.
Every job at OCRV Center runs through six stages: intake and first look, teardown and diagnosis, written plan and approval, parts sourcing, repair and refinish, then quality control and delivery. Small jobs take days. Structural collision work takes weeks to months, driven by parts and carrier approval.
Updated 2026-07-29 by OCRV Center Editorial Team
The two questions every owner asks are what will it cost and how long will it take, and the honest answer to both is that it depends on what we find when the panel comes off. That is unsatisfying, so this page walks the whole sequence with realistic timelines attached, including the parts that are outside our control.
The most useful thing to understand up front is that labor is rarely what determines your calendar. On a typical structural collision job, actual technician hours might be six weeks of work spread across a sixteen week stay. The other ten weeks are carrier approval and parts. Knowing that changes what you should be asking about when you call for an update.
The second useful thing: communication cadence is a policy here, not a courtesy. You get a written completion date at authorization, and you hear from us when it moves. A date that slips and gets communicated is a manageable problem. A date that slips silently is how people end up furious at a shop that was doing good work.
Stages One and Two: Intake and Teardown
Intake is a conversation with the vehicle present, not a form. We look at it with you, tell you what we can see, and tell you plainly what we cannot see yet. On collision work we book that appointment so an estimator has real time with you. On systems work it is usually a drop-off, because pulling a slide and load testing a battery bank is a day, not a walkaround.
Teardown is where the job actually gets defined. Panels come off the impact zone. Structure is photographed under controlled light and measured against factory specification. On systems jobs this stage is diagnostic: rooms cycled and metered, circuits loaded, water pressurized, generator run up under load. Whatever we find in this stage is what the rest of the job is built on, which is why we do not skip it or shorten it.
- Stage 1, intake
- Vehicle present, estimator assigned, initial visual scope, paperwork and claim information collected. Same day.
- Stage 2, teardown
- Impact zone opened, structure measured and photographed, systems diagnosed under load. Two to five days.
- What you receive
- Photographs of everything found, plus a plain language explanation of what each finding means for cost and calendar.
- Estimate credit applied
- The $150 systems estimate or the $285 diagnostic hour comes off the invoice once you authorize the repair.
Stages Three and Four: Plan, Approval and Parts
The repair plan is line-item: every operation, its hours, its rate, the parts it consumes and their lead times. If a carrier is involved, that plan goes to your adjuster as a documented package with the teardown photographs attached. If it is customer-pay, it comes to you the same way, and we will walk it line by line if you want to challenge anything.
Parts sourcing is where the calendar is decided. Common chassis and hardware parts are days. Manufacturer-specific RV components are frequently weeks, and molded caps or discontinued panels can be months or unavailable entirely. We source in this stage rather than after approval, so the completion date we give you already accounts for the worst lead time in the job.
Special order parts require a 100 percent non-refundable deposit at order. Jobs over $2,000 take a 50 percent deposit at authorization, and jobs over $10,000 take an additional 25 percent when the parts physically arrive.
- Stage 3, written plan
- Line-item scope with hours, rates, parts and lead times, delivered to you and to your adjuster. One to three business days.
- Carrier approval
- Typically three to fifteen business days depending on carrier and scope. Structural supplements take longer than cosmetic.
- Stage 4, parts sourcing
- Ordered on authorization. Days for common hardware, weeks for RV-specific components, months for discontinued molded parts.
- When a part does not exist
- We fabricate rather than wait indefinitely on a salvage hunt. On discontinued caps and panels this is usually the faster path.
Stage Five: Repair, Refinish and Reassembly
Work runs in a fixed order because the order matters. Structure first, since everything else references it. Then panel, cap and lamination. Then systems verification, with slides re-timed, leveling recalibrated, circuits traced through the impact zone and LP pressure tested. Refinish is last, because paint is the only part of the job that cannot be corrected without starting over.
Reassembly includes a full reseal of every roof and sidewall penetration disturbed during the repair, followed by a water test. That step is not optional and it is not a line you can decline. More post-repair complaints in this industry trace back to a penetration that was reopened and never properly resealed than to any other single cause.
- Structural correction
- Rails, superstructure and openings pulled back into tolerance and re-measured before cosmetic work begins.
- Panel, cap and lamination
- Caps fitted, sidewall sections bonded, fiberglass repaired, all with substrate condition verified rather than assumed.
- Systems verification
- Slides re-timed, leveling recalibrated, 12V and 120V traced, LP pressure tested, ADAS scanned where equipped.
- Refinish
- Sprayed-out color verification, blend into adjacent panels as required, clear, decals or wrap, then cut and polish.
- Reseal and water test
- Every disturbed penetration resealed and the vehicle water tested before it moves to final inspection.
Stage Six: Quality Control and Delivery
Final inspection is done by somebody who did not perform the work. That is deliberate. A technician looking at his own repair sees what he intended; a second set of eyes sees what is actually there. The check covers panel gaps and alignment, finish quality under raking light, every system that was touched, and a second water test.
Delivery is a walkthrough, not a key handoff at the counter. We go around the vehicle with you, cycle the systems that were involved, show you the before and after photographs, and hand over the documentation package. Plan on about twenty minutes. Balance is due in full before the vehicle leaves the property.
- Independent final inspection
- Performed by someone other than the technician who did the work. Gaps, alignment, finish, systems and seal.
- Second water test
- Run after final assembly, independent of the test performed at reseal.
- Delivery walkthrough
- Roughly twenty minutes with you at the vehicle, cycling systems and reviewing photographs.
- Documentation package
- Line-item invoice, photographs, part numbers and structural procedures used. Worth keeping for resale.
How Often You Will Hear From Us
Weekly, minimum, on any job in the shop longer than five business days, plus a call any time the completion date moves or a supplement is needed. You pick the channel: phone, text or email. If you would rather not hear from us weekly, say so and we will only call on changes.
What an update actually contains matters more than its frequency. A useful update says what stage the vehicle is in, what the current blocker is if there is one, and whether the date has moved. An update that says everything is going fine is not an update. If a part is stuck at a manufacturer for another three weeks, we would rather tell you that on week two than have you find out on week five.
- Weekly minimum
- On any job in the shop more than five business days, by whichever channel you prefer.
- Immediate on date changes
- The completion date is given in writing at authorization and updated in writing whenever it moves.
- Immediate on supplements
- Hidden damage is photographed, priced and sent for approval before any additional labor happens.
- One point of contact
- Your estimator owns the file start to finish. You are not re-explaining the job to a different person each call.
What This Costs at Our Posted Rates
Body and paint labor is posted at $210 per hour. Mechanical and electrical is $260 per hour. Diagnostics run $285 per hour with a one hour minimum that is credited back against an authorized repair. Ranges below reflect jobs we have actually completed.
| Line item | Range | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Minor cosmetic repair, single panelTypically 1 to 2 weeks in the shop. | $1,000 to $6,500 | |
| Moderate collision, multi-panel with blendTypically 3 to 6 weeks. | $6,500 to $30,000 | |
| Major structural with cap replacementTypically 8 to 20 weeks, parts dependent. | $30,000 to $150,000+ | |
| RV systems estimate, credited on authorization | $150 to $150 | |
| Diagnostic hour, credited on authorization | $285 to $285 | |
| Annual maintenance serviceTypically 1 to 3 days. | $400 to $2,500 |
Ranges reflect real jobs we have run. Final figures come from a written estimate after we see the vehicle.
See the full rate card and estimate policy.
Our Process and What It Takes
Intake and first look
We look at the vehicle with you, collect claim information, and tell you what is visible and what is not yet knowable.
Day 1
Teardown and diagnosis
Panels come off, structure is measured and photographed, systems are cycled and load tested. Real scope appears here.
Days 2 to 5
Written plan and approval
Line-item scope with evidence goes to you and to your adjuster. Deposit collected on authorization.
Days 3 to 15
Parts sourcing
Ordered on authorization. Lead times are known before we give you a completion date, not after.
Days to months
Repair, systems and refinish
Structure, then panel and lamination, then systems verification, then booth. Reseal and water test at reassembly.
1 to 12 weeks
Quality control and delivery
Independent inspection, second water test, walkthrough with you, documentation package, balance settled, keys returned.
Final 2 to 5 days
What Is Included
- Intake appointment with an estimator and the vehicle present
- Full teardown of the impact zone before the plan is written
- Structure measured against factory specification and photographed
- Line-item written plan with hours, rates, parts and lead times
- Direct submission and negotiation with your carrier
- Parts sourced before the completion date is quoted
- Structural work completed and verified before cosmetic work begins
- Complete reseal and water test of every disturbed penetration
- Independent final inspection by someone who did not do the work
- Delivery walkthrough plus a documentation package you keep
Questions We Get Asked
How long will my RV be in the shop?
A single panel cosmetic repair is typically one to two weeks. Multi-panel collision with blending is three to six weeks. Major structural work with cap replacement runs eight to twenty weeks. Systems work is usually days. The variable is almost never labor, it is carrier approval and parts lead time.
Why does teardown happen before the estimate is finalized?
Because the visible damage on an RV is routinely ten to forty percent of the actual repair. Delamination spreads behind an intact-looking panel and slide openings rack without refusing to cycle. Writing the plan after teardown means the number is real, the completion date is real, and the supplement gets approved instead of argued.
How often will you update me?
At least weekly on any job in the shop more than five business days, plus immediately whenever the completion date moves or a supplement is required. You choose phone, text or email. Your estimator owns your file from intake to delivery, so you are not re-explaining the job to a new person on every call.
What is the most common cause of delay?
Parts, then carrier approval, in that order. Manufacturer-specific RV components run weeks, and discontinued molded caps and panels can run months or be unavailable. When a part does not exist we fabricate rather than chase a salvage unit indefinitely, which on discontinued caps is usually the faster of the two paths.
Can I visit my RV while it is being repaired?
Yes, during posted hours with a little notice so someone can walk you back. Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. A torn-down coach looks alarming, so it helps to have your estimator with you to explain what you are seeing rather than forming conclusions from a bay walk.
What happens at delivery?
A walkthrough of about twenty minutes. We go around the vehicle with you, cycle every system that was touched, review before and after photographs, and hand over the documentation package including the line-item invoice, part numbers and structural procedures used. The balance is settled before the vehicle leaves the property.