Insurance / In shop only
What To Do After an RV or Vehicle Accident
Make it safe, document it where it sits, exchange information, file promptly, and choose your own repair facility. The documentation step is the one that matters most and the one most often skipped, because several of its outputs cannot be recreated later.
Nobody thinks clearly after a collision, which is exactly why a short ordered list helps. This one is written for large vehicles specifically, because an RV or a box truck brings problems a car does not.
The single most valuable thing on this page is the documentation section. Everything else can be fixed later. That cannot.
What comes first with a large vehicle?
Safety, and it is a bigger problem than with a car. A disabled forty foot coach in a traffic lane is a genuine hazard, and a leaking LP system on a damaged RV is a different category of risk again.
Shut LP off at the tank if the vehicle is damaged and you can do so safely. Get people well clear and upstream of traffic. Reflective triangles go out much further than you would use for a car, because closing speeds on a large obstruction are unforgiving.
- Shut off LP at the tank if the vehicle is damaged
- Move people clear and upstream of traffic, not alongside the vehicle
- Set triangles well back, further than you would for a car
- Note whether anything is leaking, LP, fuel, coolant or refrigerant
- Call for police attendance, useful later even where not required
What exactly should I photograph?
More than you think, and from further back than feels natural. Wide shots establishing position and context matter more than close ups of damage, because a close up proves damage exists while a wide shot proves how it happened.
Then the parts nobody photographs: your own aftermarket work, the interior, the roof if you can safely see it, and the odometer. Aftermarket documentation taken now is the difference between a carrier paying for your solar and lithium install and a carrier having no record it existed.
- Wide shots from four sides establishing position and context
- Damage on both vehicles, then close ups
- The scene, road surface, debris field and any skid marks
- Your interior, cabinetry, appliances and anything that shifted
- Every aftermarket item, solar, batteries, racks, conversion work
- Odometer, VIN plate and licence plates
- The other party information and any witness contacts
Where should the vehicle be towed?
Somewhere that can actually assess it, which is not the same as the nearest yard. Storage fees at a facility that cannot evaluate the damage become their own dispute, and a coach sitting in an open lot with an opened roof takes on water.
You can direct the tow. Tow operators will offer a destination and you are not obliged to accept it. If the vehicle needs to come to Yorba Linda, say so at the scene.
Our Process and Timeline
Shop hours and calendar days are different things. These are the stages and the realistic duration of each.
- 01Immediately
Make it safe
LP off if damaged, people clear and upstream of traffic, triangles well back.
- 02Before it moves
Document where it sits
Wide context shots first, then damage, then interior and every aftermarket item. This cannot be recreated later.
- 03At the scene
Exchange and record
Other party details, insurance information, witnesses, and the police report number if one is taken.
- 04At the scene
Direct the tow
Send it somewhere that can assess it rather than the nearest yard. You choose the destination.
- 05Same day or next
File promptly
Report the loss, get the claim number in writing, and get the adjuster name once assigned.
- 06Within a few days
Choose your repair facility
In California that choice is yours. Request written teardown authorization early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I call the police for a minor RV collision?
Generally yes. A report is useful later even where attendance is not legally required, and on a large vehicle the damage is rarely as minor as it first appears.
Can I drive the RV after a collision?
Only if you are confident it is structurally sound and nothing is leaking. Bent frame geometry, a compromised slide or a damaged LP line make a coach genuinely unsafe to move.
Do I have to use the shop the tow operator recommends?
No. You choose the repair facility, and you can direct the tow destination at the scene.
How soon should I file the claim?
Promptly. Late notice is a coverage defence, and on water intrusion a delay lets a carrier argue the damage accumulated gradually rather than resulting from the loss.
What if the other driver was clearly at fault?
You can claim through your own carrier or theirs. Through your own is usually faster. On a not at fault claim, diminished value can also be a legitimate element worth raising.
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We Can Help. Contact Us Today.
Bring the vehicle to our Yorba Linda facility and we will document the damage properly, work directly with your carrier, and give you a written figure built from published rates and real labor hours.
All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside or fleet route service.