RVs and Motorhomes / In shop only
Custom Converted RV Repair in Yorba Linda
Custom converted RVs are vehicles turned into living space outside a factory, by a shop or by an owner. Construction quality varies enormously and documentation usually does not exist, so the first job on any repair is establishing what was actually built and how.
A custom conversion can be excellent. Some of the best built vehicles that come through this shop were built one at a time by people who cared more about the result than the schedule. Others were built with drywall screws and construction adhesive by someone learning as they went.
From a repair standpoint the distinction that matters is not quality, it is knowledge. On a factory coach we can look up how the wall was laminated and where the framing runs. On a conversion we cannot, and pretending otherwise is how a technician cuts into a lithium cable or a propane line.
Why does a conversion need assessment before repair?
Because nothing about the build is predictable. Framing may be steel tube, aluminum extrusion, wood studs or nothing at all. Insulation may be spray foam, rigid board, wool or fiberglass. Wiring may follow ABYC marine practice, residential practice, automotive practice or no practice. Water lines and propane may run anywhere.
We open and document before we cut. That means inspection panels, a wiring and plumbing trace, and a photographic record of what was found. It is billable time and we say so up front, but it is dramatically cheaper than the alternative, which is discovering a build detail with a cutting wheel.
Diagnostics run one hour minimum at $285 per hour, refundable as a credit against an authorized repair. An RV systems estimate covering slides, water, electrical, generator and similar systems is $150, also refundable as a credit.
What are the most common problems in owner built conversions?
Water management, first and worst. Penetrations for vents, solar mounts, cable glands and windows are the leading source of conversion failures, because a conversion has dozens of holes that a factory vehicle does not and each one is a hand made seal. Water damage restoration is published at $750 to $15,000 across 4 to 60 hours.
Second is electrical. Undersized cable on a lithium bank, missing fusing at the battery, inverter grounding that bonds the wrong point, and shore power wiring without a proper transfer arrangement are all common. These are safety issues rather than convenience issues, and we flag them in writing whether or not they were the reason for the visit.
Third is weight and load path. Heavy items mounted to panels rather than framing, water tanks placed behind the rear axle, and roof loads mounted through skin only. Those show up as cracking in places that make no sense until you find what is bolted to the other side.
- Roof and sidewall penetrations sealed by hand without proper bedding
- Undersized battery cable and missing overcurrent protection
- Inverter and shore power bonding errors
- Heavy equipment fastened to skin rather than to framing
- Propane routed without proper protection or a sealed locker
- Mixed construction with no drawings and no as built record
How do you insure and value a custom conversion?
This is the single most consequential thing an owner of a converted vehicle can get right, and most do not. A carrier that insured the vehicle as a cargo van, a bus or a truck will settle it as one, and the conversion value disappears at exactly the moment it matters.
The path forward is documentation and appraisal. Photographs of every stage if you have them, receipts, a system inventory, and where the build is substantial, a professional appraisal supporting an agreed value policy. Van and coach build outs are published at $5,000 to $80,000 and up across 40 to 400 hours, which is the order of magnitude at stake.
We produce that documentation package on any conversion that comes through this shop, whether the visit is for a collision or a systems repair, because the day you need it is not a day when you have time to assemble it.
What Is Included
- 01Pre repair build assessment with inspection panels and photographic record
- 02Wiring, plumbing and propane routing trace before any cutting
- 03Written safety findings on electrical, propane and structural mounting
- 04Water intrusion tracing and penetration resealing with proper bedding
- 05Structural reinforcement where equipment was mounted to skin
- 06Body and paint repair matched to the existing conversion finish
- 07System inventory and documentation package for insurance and appraisal
Common Problems and How We Solve Them
Water is entering somewhere and nobody can find it.
SolutionConversions have far more roof and wall penetrations than factory vehicles. We pressure test and trace to the actual entry point rather than resealing everything and hoping, then rebed the failed penetration properly.
The previous builder is gone and nobody knows what is behind the walls.
SolutionWe open inspection points and trace wiring, plumbing and propane before any cutting begins, and we hand you the photographic record so the next repair starts from knowledge rather than from scratch.
A wall is cracking around a mounted appliance.
SolutionThe item was fastened to skin rather than to framing. We add proper backing into the structure so load spreads, then repair the panel, which stops the crack from returning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will you work on a vehicle somebody else converted?
Yes, routinely. We do not require that a vehicle be factory built or professionally converted. We do require an assessment phase before repair so nobody cuts into a lithium cable or a propane run that no drawing shows.
What does a conversion assessment cost?
An RV systems estimate covering slides, water, electrical, generator and similar systems is $150, refundable as a credit against an authorized repair. In depth diagnostics run one hour minimum at $285 per hour, also refundable as a credit.
Can you correct unsafe wiring in a conversion?
Yes. Electrical work runs at the $260 mechanical and electrical rate with 12 volt and 110 volt diagnostics and repair published at $285 to $5,000 and up. We provide written findings on anything we consider a safety issue whether or not you authorize the correction.
Will my conversion be paid out properly if it is totaled?
Only if it was documented and insured as a conversion. A vehicle insured as a cargo van settles as a cargo van. We produce a system inventory and photographic package that supports an appraisal and an agreed value policy.
Can you finish a conversion somebody else started?
Yes. Custom build out work is published at $5,000 to $80,000 and up across 40 to 400 hours. We assess what exists first and quote the completion from that baseline rather than from the original plan.
Services We Perform on This Vehicle
Related Vehicles
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.