Collision and Structural
Bumper Repair and Replacement for RVs, Vans and Trucks
About 10 min left
OCRV Center repairs and replaces bumpers on motorhomes, trailers, vans and commercial trucks, including fabricating replacements for discontinued units. Bumper work runs $400 for a composite repair to $5,500 for a fabricated heavy duty steel bumper with mounting structure repair.
The bumper is the cheap part. The mounting structure behind it is the part that determines whether the repair is $600 or $4,000, and it is the part that gets skipped when someone quotes you from a photograph.
On a motorhome the rear bumper often carries the hitch receiver, which means an impact back there loaded the frame extension directly. On a commercial truck it may carry a lift gate mount. Either way the bumper is a symptom and the structure is the diagnosis.
Composite, Steel and Aluminum Bumpers
Composite bumper covers on Class B and Class C units are repairable when the damage is a tear or a crack, using plastic welding and structural adhesive rather than filler. Filler on a flexible substrate cracks out the first time the panel flexes over a driveway transition.
Steel bumpers on commercial trucks and older coaches are straightened, sectioned or replaced. Aluminum bumpers require the same staged approach as aluminum panels and cannot be heat straightened as aggressively.
Mounting Structure and Frame Extension Damage
We pull the bumper on every job, without exception, because the mounts are the thing that has to be right. Bent brackets, elongated bolt holes and cracked welds at the frame extension are all common and all invisible with the bumper installed.
A bumper reinstalled onto a bent mount sits crooked, loads unevenly and transmits every road input into a structure that is already compromised. Fixing the mount is the actual repair.
Hitch Receiver and Tow Rating
When a rear impact involves a hitch receiver, the tow rating of that assembly is in question until the structure is verified. We inspect welds, check the receiver tube for deformation and confirm the mounting to the frame extension.
If the assembly cannot be restored to its rated condition we say so, because a receiver that looks fine and is not is a genuine safety issue at highway speed with a trailer behind it.
Fabricating Replacements for Discontinued Bumpers
On coaches more than about twelve years old, the factory bumper is frequently unavailable. Rather than telling you the vehicle cannot be repaired, we fabricate.
We pattern from the original where enough survives, or from the opposite side and the mounting geometry where it does not, then cut, form and weld a replacement in the correct material with the correct mounting points. Fabricated units are finished to match the coach.
Custom Bumpers on Overland and Expedition Vehicles
Aftermarket steel bumpers on overland builds carry recovery points, winches and lighting, and an impact loads all of that through a mount the factory never engineered for it.
We repair these but we also verify the mount, because a bumper that survived the hit while cracking its frame mount is a much more expensive problem than it appears. Rebuilding those mounts properly is fabrication work, and we quote it as such.
What Is Included
- Bumper removal on every job so mounting structure can be inspected
- Bracket, bolt hole and weld inspection at the frame extension
- Plastic welding and structural adhesive repair on composite covers
- Fabrication of replacement bumpers where the original is discontinued
- Hitch receiver structural verification where the assembly was involved
- Corrosion protection on any welded or bare structure before reinstallation
- Color matched refinish on painted bumper assemblies
Our Process
- 1
Removal and Inspection
Bumper removed and mounting structure examined for bent brackets, elongated holes and cracked welds.
- 2
Repair Decision
Repair, replace or fabricate selected based on damage extent, material and parts availability.
- 3
Structure Repair
Mounts straightened or rebuilt, frame extension corrected, welds redone to specification.
- 4
Bumper Work
Composite welded and reinforced, steel straightened or sectioned, or a replacement fabricated and formed.
- 5
Protection and Fit
Bare metal coated, assembly test fitted and gaps verified against the opposite side.
- 6
Refinish and Install
Painted assemblies color matched and blended, then installed to torque specification.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you repair a damaged bumper on a fleet truck?
We start by removing it, because the mounting structure behind the bumper is where the real damage usually lives. Bent brackets, elongated bolt holes and cracked welds at the frame extension are common and completely invisible with the bumper installed. Once the mounts are corrected, the bumper itself is straightened, sectioned or replaced depending on material and damage extent, then coated and reinstalled to torque specification.
Can you make a bumper for my RV if the part is discontinued?
Yes. On coaches past about twelve years old the factory bumper is often unavailable at any price, so we fabricate. We pattern from whatever survives of the original, or from the opposite side plus the mounting geometry when nothing usable is left, then cut, form and weld a replacement in the correct material with correct mounting points and finish it to match the coach.
My hitch receiver was hit. Is it still safe to tow with?
Not until it is verified, and this is one place we will not guess. A rear impact loads the receiver tube and the frame extension it mounts to directly. We inspect the welds, check the tube for deformation and confirm the mounting to the frame. If the assembly cannot be restored to its rated condition we tell you plainly, because a receiver that looks intact and is not becomes a serious problem at highway speed with a trailer behind it.
How much does RV bumper replacement cost?
A composite bumper cover repair on a Class B or Class C runs $400 to $1,200. A steel bumper straightened and refinished with mount repair runs $1,000 to $2,800. A fabricated replacement on a discontinued unit, including mounting structure work, runs $2,500 to $5,500. The mounting structure condition drives the number far more than the bumper itself does.
Bumper Repair and Replacement is performed in shop at OCRV Center, 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887, serving Long Beach, California and the surrounding region. Call (949) 799-3387 to discuss your vehicle.
Get Your Vehicle Looked At Properly
Call the shop, describe what happened, and we will tell you what the realistic scope and timeline look like. All work is performed in shop at our 35,000 square foot facility.