The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Chevy "Cameo" truck bed fiberglass dent repair?

Well thought I was Nolan Ryan and threw my dog his favorite rubber toy and it hit the BBQ glanced off that and hit my Cameo bed broadside just fwd. of the tire and now I have a dent in it. What would be the best way to pop it out. It was totally my fault. Thanks there Bolters.
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If you can get behind it, use a slapper on front and back. You may be able to get it out without messing up the paint. It's worth a try, anyway.

A slapper meaning your hand, I didn't think fiberglass would dent?

I've never seen fiberglass dent. Those Cameo bed side panels are hard to find and like any other fiberglass can be tough to repair. If it has a depression where they toy hit, it may mean there is structural failure of the fiberglass. It's been decades since I did any fiberglass work, so not sure how to suggest further inspection/evaluation to see what the damage is, other than to remove the panel entirely. Lots of work involved and makes me cringe, just thinking about it.

I think Kevin missed that you are talking about a "Cameo" truck with the fiberglass bed side panels. I tweaked your thread title to add that detail.

Maybe just let it sit in the sun to see if it finds its way back to shape .Another thought would be to clean the underside really good and maybe put a layer of cloth on the back and if it can be supported so it is straight until it dries to keep it in place .

It is difficult for me to imagine a rubber dog toy hitting the side of the truck with enough force to push the fiberglass out of shape. Did it chip the paint/gelcoat, are there fiberglass strands showing as in a crack or deep gouge? It just so happens that I am in the process of some fiberglass repair on our older jet ski, it's very similar to working any body panel, lot of labor and meticulous shaping, sanding, etc. I've done small glass repairs in the past, dually truck fenders, Corvette front air dam, etc., no rocket science involved.

Yep.

If it did crack the underlying fiberglass mat, what I'd do is scuff the back of the panel, apply some resin and embed a piece of fiberglass cloth to reinforce it. Then you're going to have to sand, fill and repaint the outside. Not a fun job, it'll be messy. If the panel is removable, do that so you can lay it flat so you don't have resin dripping on you. I crunched a fiberglass cab step on my '99 Ford, and managed to repair it. Had to farm out the painting and re-application of the bedliner tread material, so it wasn't cheap.

Can you reach the damaged area from behind the bed side? If so, deflate a beach ball, stuff the flattened ball behind the damaged area, and GENTLY inflate it to support the panel while you grind, lay up a cloth patch, and soak it with resin from the outside. Once it's well-cured, sand, shape, use a thin layer of filler if necessary, and prime and paint. Not an easy, or an inexpensive repair!
Jerry

A LITTLE heat may help you work with it.

Unfortunately heat won't help. Fiberglass is a thermosetting plastic. It doesn't soften with application of heat.