How To Remove Scratches And Fix Dents On Your Campervan

The old saying that bad things come in threes is never as true as when it comes to a dent in your campervan. Often, this can result in a repair, a paint job, and potentially a claim on your insurance, which can become a dent in your wallet.

As a specialist campervan insurance broker, we’ve put together this guide to help you keep your campervan in pristine condition so you can enjoy and admire it on the open road.

How To Remove A Scratch On Your Campervan

Providing that the scratch is small enough to rub your fingernail along it, you should be able to use a scratch remover such as T-Cut. 

Scratch remover is an abrasive liquid that cleans the top layer of lacquer, so you should ensure you use it sparingly. If the scratch requires a little more work, you may need to get yourself a scratch repair kit, which will require you to use a tiny brush to fill it in and build up layers to finally polish it. Some kits may require you to mix the paint provided to get the desired colour, while others will already have your colour.

How To Remove Scratches On My Campervan’s Acrylic Windows?

Scratches on your vehicle windows can quickly happen, especially if you’re driving through narrow country lanes. Fortunately, removing scratches from your windows is very easy to repair and simply requires a bit of elbow grease and a few products you can get from many vehicle dealerships.

Here’s the equipment that you’ll need:

• Three grades of wet and dry paper, ideally a 1500, 2000 and 2500 grit grade
• Specialist vehicle plastic and acrylic scratch remover fluid
• A bowl of soapy water
• Microfiber cloths

How to fix it:

Wet the scratched area and the small 1500 strip of wet and dry paper, then rub the paper up and down the scratch for a couple of minutes. 

Then dry the area and repeat, except rub the paper across the scratch instead. You should have noticed some improvement in the scratch.

Move on to the higher-graded paper and repeat the process, but this time, increase the surface area with broader strokes. You should notice a further improvement.

Repeat the process with the highest grade of paper, increasing the surface area even more. At this point, you will not be able to notice the scratch; you will simply have a dull area where you have applied the wet and dry paper.

Finally, apply the scratch remover fluid to the area and slightly beyond, rubbing in a circular motion. This may take a few attempts, but you will soon get a fully visible window without a scratch.

How To Remove A Dent In Your Campervan

If the dent is in an area that makes reaching the back of the panel easier, it’s a matter of lightly beating it out from this angle. You can use a regular hammer to do this, but you must ensure a cushioning layer between the panel and the hammer, with softwood a favourable option. Once you’re all equipped, try tapping the dent from the centre of the dent outwards.

What If You Can’t Reach The Back Of The Dented Panel?

If the dent is in a difficult-to-reach area inaccessible from the rear, you’ll need to get a dent puller. They come in various sizes and can be purchased from accessory shops, or you could hire one from a plant hire firm. The dent puller must be roughly the same size or slightly larger to work correctly.

Then you’ll need to ensure the area is cleaned to ensure good contact by the suckers, and then it’s all on you. It’s time to put your back into it and pull. If you’ve attempted this and cannot remove the dent, you may want to consider taking your campervan to see a specialist repair.

Campervan Insurance at Staveley Head

Of course, whether or not your camper has a dent, it still needs the right insurance.

That’s where we come in. As a campervan insurance broker, we also specialise in motorhome insurance and caravan policies – so whatever vehicle type you prefer, we can cover it.

Call us now on 0800 0815 024 to get expert advice and get on the road to getting insured today.