# Full Fiberglass Panel Replacement in Chino > When a fiberglass sidewall, cap, or compartment panel is too far gone to rebuild, OCRV Center removes the failed panel and bonds in a new one in our Yorba Linda shop, restoring the contour, the structure, and a weather-tight seal. Some fiberglass damage is past patching. A caved-in cap, a sidewall ruined by years of delamination, or a panel shattered in a collision is often faster and more reliable to replace than to rebuild piece by piece. At OCRV Center we remove the failed panel, repair the substrate behind it, and bond in a replacement that matches the original contour, all in shop so the structure and the seal are right before any finish goes on. ## When replacement beats repair Replacing a full panel is the right call when the damage is too widespread or the panel itself has lost its integrity. Large delaminated sidewalls, badly fractured caps, and panels with rotted luan or foam core behind them rarely come back to a flat, sound surface through spot repair. In those cases a new panel restores the contour and strength in one piece instead of a field of patches. We replace front and rear caps, full sidewall skins, slide-out faces, fender skirts, and storage compartment doors. On older or discontinued rigs where a factory panel is no longer available, our in-house fabrication team can mold or lay up a replacement to match, which is a real advantage of having body, fiberglass, and fabrication under one roof. - Front and rear caps too fractured or crushed to rebuild - Full sidewall skins ruined by widespread delamination - Slide-out faces, fender skirts, and compartment doors - Discontinued panels molded or fabricated in house to match - Collision-shattered panels replaced as one piece, not patched ## How we remove and bond the new panel We start by removing trim, lights, windows, and seals, then separate the damaged panel from the frame and substrate. With the old skin off we can inspect and repair what is behind it, replacing wet or rotted luan and foam core, treating the framing, and making sure the surface the new panel bonds to is clean, dry, and true. Skipping this step is why a panel bonded over a bad substrate fails again. The replacement panel is then fitted to the contour and bonded with structural adhesive and resin under pressure so the laminate sits flat with no voids. We reseal every seam and penetration, reinstall the windows, trim, and lights, and hand the panel to refinishing to be painted or gelcoated and blended into the surrounding body. - Trim, glass, lights, and seals removed before panel separation - Wet or rotted luan and foam core replaced behind the panel - Substrate and framing treated and trued before bonding - New panel bonded with structural adhesive and resin under pressure - Seams and penetrations resealed, then painted and blended ## Materials and finish We match the replacement to the original construction so the new panel behaves like the rest of the coach, filon over foam and luan on most laminated walls, or solid fiberglass and gelcoat on molded caps. Using the wrong panel type invites new flex cracks and bond failures, so we spec the material to the rig. Once bonded and sealed, the panel is faired, primed, and refinished to match, then color sanded so the new section reads as part of the original body. - Replacement spec matched to original wall or cap construction - Filon, laminated, or molded fiberglass as the rig requires - Panel faired, primed, and refinished to match the body - Final color sand so the new section blends with the coach ## Frequently asked questions ### Why replace a panel instead of just repairing it? Because some damage cannot be brought back to a sound, flat surface. A caved cap, a sidewall destroyed by delamination, or a panel with rotted core behind it is faster and more durable to replace than to rebuild through dozens of patches. We open and inspect the area in shop, then tell you honestly whether repair or replacement is the better path. ### My RV is old and the panel is discontinued. Can you still help? Yes. When a factory panel is no longer available, our in-house fabrication team can mold or lay up a replacement to match the original contour. Having body, fiberglass, and fabrication under one roof in Yorba Linda is exactly what makes discontinued and specialty panels workable. ### Do you fix what is behind the panel too? Always. Once the old skin is off, we inspect and repair the substrate, replacing wet or rotted luan and foam core and treating the framing before the new panel goes on. Bonding a new panel over a bad substrate is the most common reason a replacement fails, so we never skip it. --- Source: https://oc-rv.com/services/fiberglass-panel-replacement/ OCRV Center, 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. Phone (949) 799-3387. In shop only; insurance billed direct.