The REAL reason RV service sucks - insider secrets from a RV technician
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- Hi Folks, I'm still editing my next undercover RV review video. In the meantime, let's talk about RV service.... it's pretty bad. As a certified RV tech that's worked both independently and in shops, I share 3 dirty secrets of the RV service industry and my 3 tips for how you can protect yourself from having incompetent techs break your already broken RV!
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I am a reasonably handy guy with tools/repairs, having grown up on a farm, owned a couple of over-the-road tractor trailer rigs, etc., not a stranger to tools/fixing things. After six months as an RV technician, I can say unequivocally that what this guy says is true.
I have been about 85% on-my-own to try and learn how to repair many things. Throwing parts at the problem always wins vs actually diagnosing what the problem really is. There IS no standard in the RV repair industry. ☹
I used a RV dealer for service precisely once, and it was all the motivation I needed to learn how to do most stuff myself.
Word! Add the shortcomings in service to the terrible quality of most new RVs and it behooves you to do it yourself, if at all possible. Besides, who cares more about your stuff than you do? NOBODY!
And then there are 2 close friends, retired for a few years, who had a dream for 30 years to travel in RVs with their spouses in and journey together. I’m so sorry to say both spouses are now deceased. So instead of two RVs we’re now buying one jointly. We can both save lives all day long but neither of us have ever used a drill, for example. I would’ve loved to learn mechanical things but when my lovely Mom told my amazing Dad that he’d hung a picture 2” too high he’d fix the first hole by filling it with Colgate toothpaste. Yup. So despite, or perhaps because of, all of my research I am scared shitless. I don’t know what to do and I don’t want to give up on the dream. I’ll definitely take the NRVTA owner’s course in Texas to give me a little leg up. But the myriad problems with RVs have made it difficult to justify such a huge purchase without an experienced technician being one of the owners and that’s just sad.
I learn and do almost all repairs and maintenance.
Considering they make those things out of cardboard, plastic, sheet aluminum, it’s a wonder they all don’t fly apart going down the road.
Great video. As a certified level 3 Technician from RVTI, it is true what you say. I run as an independent business and will be honest it's challenging. My goal and objective is to provide honest and high quality service. As a new certified technician, experience is crucial and I have turn down jobs where if I cannot provide a better out come for the customer I will try to refer them which usually is a problem to to the lack of service from service departments dealerships or the lack of technicians in general. The only way to provide high quality competent service is for new RV Technicians is to continue to seek education and build their skill set. I am fortunate to have connected to a two senior Service Response Team (SRT) and to follow certain of web sites such as this one who offer real information to consumers and reminders of what going on in the industry. Thanks
Thank you for your honesty!
Of course!!
In Canada, RV Technician is a certified trade with government body oversight. So you need to do a four-year apprenticeship and three years of college, then you can write your Red Seal exam. Then, on top of that, each province has its own RV gas certification processes.
The above doesn’t necessarily mean we have better technicians, but there’s more oversight for training compared to the RVIA in the US.
What we still lack is trained technicians since there are only two colleges that teach it and a nearly two-year wait to get in.
Parts are our most significant issue being on the West Coast. Do you need a part for your RV specific to it or even just manufactured in Elkhart? That’ll be a 2-3 month wait because the warehouse is slow. Then, they probably shipped the wrong part, which will get held up at the border.
Service work, I believe, is an industry issue, starting from the top. Technicians are, for the most part, thrown into an environment where they have little chance of success, from seasoned ones to newbies, which is why most good techs leave shops to go out on their own when shops need to retain those techs to train the new incoming generation of technicians.
Keep up the great work! I enjoy your videos and perspectives. 🎉
Specific to Alberta, RV Technician is a three-year apprenticeship program (three 12-month periods) including a minimum of 1600 hours of on-the-job training and 8 weeks of classroom instruction each year.
tradesecrets.alberta.ca/trades-in-alberta/profiles/0452/
What? Since when in canada are rv techs governed???
Because in 2019, my dealer and another, here in calgary both big franchised dealers, both had ads for tech required, “no experience necessary will train on the job”, and no schooling certificates or anything listed as needed! Exactly what this video talks about. Secondly i personally dealt with techs working at these dealers who had zero training or experience and were learning on the job! And i know for fact techs that are currently employed have no school training as you say. So how is the government regulating and declaring a rv tech must be certified? were is this listed on the web that our government body regulates?
@@SpykersB
Hey, I think my point was missed when I said RV Tech is a certified trade via the “Red Seal” certification with government oversight.
That does not mean people cannot work in the area without certification. The apprenticeship model lends itself to allowing people to work in the area without any experience. It’s like this in any trade, from car mechanics to construction.
Just because someone does not know how to swing a hammer today does not mean they cannot learn from teaching and research how best to swing a hammer tomorrow. Everyone starts somewhere.
My concern and you witnessed this firsthand potentially, is that the RV tech trade does not have enough schools available to train all the techs. So, the backlog is enormous, and many techs go without training because they can either not afford it or feel too old to start now.
Took my MH to Discount Tire in Charlotte, NC. RV dealership & Ford dealership had a 3 month wait!! Discount Tire got me in & out in 1 hr.
Oh yeah, I've been doing business with Discount tire for over 25 years and it is a consistently good experience anywhere I go in the nation. I would totally reccomend them!
I know exactly what you're talking about. I took my RV to Camping World in Idaho Falls and they were going to consign it for me well after 2 months I get a phone call from the service manager and he says hey you have about 2500.00 worth of leaks and repairs on your motorhome that need to be repaired before you can get it sold. I almost blew a gasket when I dropped it off I had been living in it for 6 months full time and it was just fine. So I go to see what was the list and I find out that the idiots had put compressed air to the system in the parking lot in the middle of the winter. I told them give me my RV back and canceled the contract. It ended up costing me only 295.00 to fix all the broken pipes and faucets they broke and to change out an expired fire extinguisher. I found out later that they fired the guy that did the damage because he was costing them more than he was producing. Stay away from Camping World.
Camping World is OK if you need to purchase an accessory or part for your camper, but even Amazon is cheaper and faster for that too, now. I would never buy a unit from them or take one to them for service!
Ford is another issue. Motorhomes that are not vans are almost all For F-53 chassis, and these are having a LOT of safety recalls, most of them quite serious. In my case, dry differential, sway bar falls off (two recalls for the same issue), vehicle shipped without front end alignment (new 2 year old tire), misrouted and pinched cables (new harness and three month delay for a harness locally available for $18).
Add to this safety issues caused by the coach builder. In my case fire in the CPAP cabinet (I was right there, and damage was negligible because I was there - and conscious. Investigation showed 12 AWG wire filed down and forced into stab connection for 14 AWG wire - manufacturer actually tried to glue it back together!) I replaced all outlets because 12 AWG wire used by filing down the wire and forcing it into the stab connection. Then the overhead fold-down bed fell on my head while driving. It fell slowly and gently, but - terrible design! Black tank arrived from dealer with poop pyramid included. Radio disappeared into the dash while driving - investigation showed zero supports, held in place by a 1/16" plastic dash panel. I repaired with four inches of 1x1 from a local hardware store.
Then there's the things that are just crazy. I had to repair a dashboard panel because it drooped and got damaged by setting the parking brake. It needed a zip tie. For lack of a zip tie I had no headlights, turn signals, brake lights, wipers, etc.
All of these are potentially quite serious. Frankly, I'm appalled.
(Former manufacturing engineer and electrician.)
Yikes! What RV was this?
I have this dont break your rv course and it's an amazing help to newbies and experts alike !!!
My dealer was bish rv, on my PDI I found the drawer under the fridge was needed alignment to work right. They said the fixed it and I went on my way, the drawer was 10 times worse after the repair then it was when I reported it. I know I should have checked it before I left the dealership, but I was like its a simple drawer adjustment, any flunky can do that. I was wrong, lesson learned.
I have had a bad experience with Bish's also. I had to wait a month before I even got to it home because every time I came to inspect their work, it was mostly not done correctly.
I finally gave uo and took it home. What a mistake. I have been a squeaky wheel, and now they just pass me around to other people who don't take responsibility for it.
Def just based in USA, in Canada it is completely different and have to go to school for awhile before being able to work in the RV industry, it is a long process but worth it at the end.
As a fellow tech this was a great vid!!! Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've owned 2 RV's in the last 12 years one MH and now a TT. I've never had any major issues with either one. But like you said I've done the basic maintenance and I have taken care of them. When I sold the MH to a dealer ship the guy they sent to pick it up said it was probably the best maintained RV he had seen in quite a while. One big problem I see are people getting into RVing with no clue what their getting into with that rolling earthquake.
Full names of MH and TT?
Motorhome and travel trailer.
Would you please review this travel trailer: Keystone Bullet 253RDS. It has a fantastic rear dinette layout, and is relatively light weight. I believe that this is the mid-level model of three similar models, including the Cougar 25RD (higher level), and the Passport 252RD (base level). Really enjoy all of your reviews! Thanks.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five star review for this video.
I work at an rv dealership and this is all so totally correct. But another problem we have is some people are just so afraid to do their own maintenance on anything and something so simple they have to bring it in. And they dont realize how much movement it makes going down the road at 60-75 mph. Then they blame things that are wrong all on our store when we dont actually build the campers. I wish more people would watch people like you to learn how to fix things themselves before making a big deal about things. I want to ask what would you do if it was your house?
Very true! I think at one time, the people who purchased RV's were somewhat handy by nature and able to deal with most issues themselves. The pandemic caused many more people to get into this lifestyle or hobby with absolutely no clue how to deal with even the most minor issues. perhaps this is what caused the dealership service departments to be overloaded? I think it is still up to them that if they want the revenue from increased sales, they need to also address the training of both their service staff and their customers.
Not in an RV yet but planning to be. Your videos are EXTREMELY helpful in prep for that experience. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
So far for me, Fretz RV in PA and Maple Shade, NJ Mercedes Vans center has been fantastic for me. Great video. Thanks.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
This is so interesting 😊😊 I use to work in public water supply. We had to get a ( backflow certification) that means you look and TEST the ( RPs double check valve) these are devices that Prevent Backflow into water system. There MUST be a yearly test of all backflow systems in your water District. In the class there were plumbers that Failed the final Testing. The problem was the test you do at the time that U did it, you must memorize the testing process, and do it un front of a certificate instructor. Because so many plumbers where failing test. Thay changwd it so you can look at test process on paper, then do test in front of instructor. I thought this was a good xhange, because following along by the sheet of paper, gets the test done RIGHT.
I know this all too well. After inspecting our brand new travel trailer we noticed the door did not close properly. They had their tech come over to adjust it while we went inside. We came out to a bowed door that was not bowed when we went inside. Thanks Camping World for making us go through warranty rather than doing it in house and taking responsibility for your tech.
Sounds about right.
Camping World is the worst!
Great tips. Every new rv customer should watch this video. I have been full time for 6 years and your tips are right on. I use mobile techs when required but most of the time I do the work myself. When I was brand new I took my RV back to where I bought it and it was a nightmare. Kept my RV for 3 months, didn’t fix it and I called my manufacturer who said they had shipped the parts weeks ago. The dealership had lost the parts. We found the parts in an attic. The dealership tried to blame the manufacturer. I am going to watch all your videos.
I think that manufacturers need to start creating and leveraging a network of mobile techs to do warranty work. For the reasons you mentioned, dealers don't want to do it and do a terrible job at it and it is driving the RVs today are trash. This would allow dealerships to focus on what they do want to do and that is sell RVs and then maybe they could focus more on PDIs. It would also give consumers more direct control on the repairs being done. This would also probably result in a more informed consumer which is also a good thing.
Great video, but it just isn't that simple. Seniors just don't have the ability to do certain repairs.
I bought my TT two years ago. I did all the warranty myself: trim work, fix doors, plumbing, DC as will as AC. Enjoyed doing the work!!
I'm currently apprenticing as an RV technician in Canada and it's a 3 year course to become a certified journeyman with a red seal. And the repair shop I work at is no joke, if I sat around for an hour waiting for the shop foreman... the foreman and myself would be looking for a new job.
Canadian standards for rv technicians is much higher than in the U.S. I am currently working with RVTI to set up a standard and more schools across the country.
@AmberlyPatrick I'm apprenticing through SAIT ( Southern Alberta Institute of Technology ), the head instructor is Warren Thunstrom. I can't speak for him, but I would be surprised if he wouldn't be happy to help in any way he could. My understanding is that Sait has the best program in Canada at the moment. Although there are plans to help bring all the schools with an RV program to the same level or better.
They take advantage of senior citizens on fixed incomes and who have no other choices. The rv repair system needs regulation.
Unfortunately, some of the manufacturers require inspections at regular intervals by a “certified” RV maintenance facility in order to not void the warranty. The big boys like Camping World/Gander have a months long backlog of appointments. I had a serious electrical problem right at the opening of camping season, and ended up educating myself online and doing my own repair. Called a mobile RV tech just to come inspect my work, but saved myself loads of time and money.
This is exactly right. An important point that generally isn't discussed until AFTER the sale has been made. I do not know of a single RV dealership that will honor a so-called roof warranty without proof of yearly roof inspections/cleaning/maintenance documented by a dealer. Even then you will have a fight on your hands.
@@billz410being an advisor for almost 5 years I can say I’ve seen one manufacturer warranty roof replacement, and one roof was replaced by Dicor product warranty. Most insurances won’t even pay your posted rate for roof replacements. A local ins adj here is sending all roof replacements to a company that sprays it in essentially bed liner for about 12k less on average. What he doesn’t tell them that any roof maintenance from them on our is gonna be about 3-4 times more expensive after that.
Mobile Techs we have dealt with are just as bad as a dealer. 80 to a hundred show up fee when they are to spaces down from you. Not knowing what they are doing charging 150 an hour …. The entire industry seems to be a ripoff.
My mobile tech is Jacob, he is not cheap but it's cheaper then paying to get the issue fixed twice :)
I ended up dealing with my father's RF warranty repairs a few years ago. The core problem is that the manufacturer's reimbursement rate to the dealers (back in 2016) was $35 an hour paid to the shop under warranty. So no dealer could make any money at it, naturally they did not invest in adequate tools, space, and staff, and they tried to avoid doing warranty work unless it was an RV that they had sold. Wait times for warranty work in San Diego in the summertime were in the range of 3 months.
Some things I can't do myself, like replace a water heater, fix a generator, replace a refrigerator. What the RV industry needs is for all the manufacturers to for an RV technician certification standards including apprenticeship programs, seed fund technician training schools, encourage high school kids to pursue an RV tech career, and require their dealers hire certified techs. Yeah, probably never happen.
Wow! Great idea!
Love your videos. Thank you
Here in central Texas, I use lonestar RV repair services in Harker Heights, Texas. They have worked on my TT before I moved up to a class C. Usually out within a few days. Very knowledgeable mechanics.
Thanks for sharing! There are great techs out there and I appreciate you letting others know where to find them.
The best Rv techs work in the collision side of the industry. They have the most experience.
Anyone here have any recommendations for honest folks in the midwest? Specifically NE IL/SE WI? Camping World is a JOKE. I'd love to shop at an independent shop but they seem to be the next Amazon, sucking up all the mom and pops and then employing McDs rejects
Please try Markquart RV in Oregon/Fitchburg, WI. Small local shop that will work hard to help you with your issues.
Took my camper in to have a pleated shade replaced under warranty.
Picked it up and the shade worked fine.
Left, went home and parked it. Took it out a few months later to go camping. Set the camper up an went open a different shade.... Yup they moved the bad one there. Now I'm out of warranty...
Great video. I found a good repair shop through a bad experience at a dealer from my insurance agent processing claim for catalytic converter theft.
Wow an amazing and scary video. I do 95% of my own repairs but I’ve had good luck with shop repairs and mobile techs though it was before Covid.
Yes, learn to do it yourself or have a tech come to you and learn from him.
We use Road Trip Camping in Orange Va. They have great service
1 for 3 on rv dealer service. Getting good at fixing things myself.
Thanks, that is helpful. That is the highest compliment I have for anyone who is not my wife.
Lol, glad it was helpful!
I must have been one of the lucky ones. I brought my RV to the local dealer because my awning and siding was separating from the body. I was explained what they would do to fix it and given an estimate for the repair. I received a call 3 days later that it was ready. When I came to pick it up the service person told me "good news." The repair took less time than we thought and my bill was 1/2 of the original estimate. Because of that I have told others about the experience and they might consider the same shop when they need repairs.
Who, where and when? Are they out of business now?
100% publicize their name to the hilt!
Name and address?
It's sad dealers have to sell 'junk', or should I say, poorly engineered products. Also pity repair techs having to deal with the problems. Good Luck.....
Don’t go to Mike Thompson RV in Fountain Valley California. Your RV will be there 6 weeks and it will come back the same or worse.
I use to work on RVs but it was just the housing. I have a question if i got a HVAC ep 608 can that be useful in the RV trade??
Hi Jacob, I love the coffee cup, can't find any on line, help.
Simply ask about service before you buy. Is tech Redseal certified or a twit. I meet every Customer. We don't work by job anymore as parts are a nightmare holdup.
If you need work on the AC, call an HVAC vendor. If you need electrical, call an electrician; plumbing>plumber; auto service>mechanic; etc.................. Taking it to an RV shop is more expensive, more time consuming, and drastically MORE INCOMPETENT. The only reason to go to an RV shop is if it has a 5 star rating on google, with hundreds of satisfied customers. Do you honestly think that exists?
It does at our shop 😉😂
All his complaints can be fixed by having a great shop foreman to watch over and inspect every job during and after the repair.
A good foreman definitely helps, but that doesn’t scale in most situations. Especially when most RVs have 2-15 jobs, then multiply that by 10-20 technicians working on 2-5 trailers a day.
I was a fireman at Lazydays for 10 years and it worked but we were not a flat rate at the time. Flat rate killed all of that.
"Warranties" have become a scam. Companies just ignore you now and there are no re-percussions. People still buy their crap. I go into purchasing something like a new RV as a "project" with zero warranty.
So If you want to become an RV tech, how would you go about it? Go to a school of some sort or start out at a dealer get some experience then go on your own?
There’s an RV technical training school in Texas. National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) in Athens, TX, that has courses training and certifying RV techs. They also have a course in Solar installations as well as a beginners course in repair and maintenance if your RV. The latter can be done in person or online but the others are hands on in Athens, TX. They have an RV campground and it’s either free or nominal charge. From everything I’ve read the program is outstanding.
Looking at thinking about a Host Truck Camper, Cascade w/2 slides. Do you have any info about this Manufacturer. Thank you.
Have you attending the NRVTA?
I have a 2021 3100rg grand design I would like to re place the stove with an apartment size stove for a larger oven can this be done safely.
It could be but youre looking a a pretty big bill, first off there has to be space to fit said stove, so cabinets need to be modified. the gas connection will work but if the stove is electric, your service wont be adequate, electric stoves require a 50 amp service and you wouldnt be able to use many things while the stove is on. also residential stove exhaust alot of heat so its gonna make the rv hot and you cant turn on your ac at the same time. its doable but not practical with rv's
What's a "Al-lect-trician"?
Makes me want to out and buy a new RV, hmmmm.
The reason they suck is they pay low wages and attract people that have no mechanical, electrical, or plumbing knowledge.
People with any real skills will work somewhere where they make more. RV techs are very low skilled workers.
Wow, the RV industry is a flipping train wreck.
Wonder if the automotive service industry is any better?
Seriously doubt it 😢
I had a safety recall on my motorhome (replace rivet nuts with weld nuts for the rear stabilizer bar) on my Ford F-53 chassis-based MH. Because I was far from home, I called and called and called to find anyone who could do the work, finally finding Rush Truck Centers In Commerce City, a suburb of Denver. I was in Tucson, so I had to drive to Denver for this very important recall item. Reason: Ford reimburses dealers and repair centers almost nothing for work. This was a one-hour job (I paid out of pocket), and Ford would pay for 30 minutes.
Ford reimbursements for recalls is well documented all over social media.
The automotive service industry is light years ahead of the RV industry in every imaginable way. The build quality and the skill-set of an automobile and auto tech vs a travel trailer an RV tech could not be on more opposite ends of the spectrum as conceived by the human mind in any form or configuration.
@@billz410Plus RVs are made mostly on assembly lines! RVs don’t have near the volume to justify assembly line work.
I disagree with the one-star review advice, at least until you get the RV back. I've had a dealership harass me to remove the review before releasing the vehicle.
What about using mobile techs instead of waiting for the dealer?
Those the only ones I use if I can't get to an independent technician, I don't waste my time with the dealer. They don't care about you.
Some are good. Some are great. Others are scoundrels - as mentioned in this video. You probably have better odds of getting good service from a mobile tech, but as he says, check them out first. Get recommendations from friends if you can. I found our local chapter of our camping group to be very helpful. They steered me away from a truly awful dealership during my purchase process too.
Good advice! I made an appointment for a “under warranty replacement of driver side mirror “ on my 2021 gulfstream class C service boss set the date and I brought it in that morning and gave home the keys. I asked him what time today to pick it up. He looks at me and says about 5 days and I told him you will have it done today or I’ll put my foot on your neck and slap a law suit on you personally. You set the day for the job and it’ll take you 20 minutes at best to swap mirror assembly’s out. Yep he followed through and the mechanic still did it wrong. I had to correct his mistake and do it right. I also let the tyrant shop Forman know of the screw up as well. Yep I might use them again but that guy knows I’m not gonna take no crap and have worked on semi’s for 39 years. Just sayin.
Wow you must be a wonderful person to deal with in life, with your threats of violence over a 5 day waiting period. Let me guess, retired single male boomer living in your rv full-time?
dude, as master certified rv tech, you tell me youre gonna put your foot on my kneck is gonna get you shown the door followed by a visit from the local pd. i guarantee you your warranty issue will not get fixed at my service center. i dont give a crap how many petes or kenny's youve worked on. im a person and no a hole is gonna talk to me like that. btw, a lawyer costs more than what a weeks delay so go ahead and launch a lawsuit, your rv immediately becomes material evidence and you might get it back in 6 months if your lucky while the legal system sorts it out. treat people how you want to be treated.
Banger vid
Thanks!
Sad, sad state of affairs! On one hand, you have manufacturers turning out total junk quality. On the other hand, the dealerships can employ completely UN-qualified hack employees to make the situation worse. They take months and months to actually get around to working on your unit. i guess they hope you will just get tired and go away? God Bless America!
How do you feel about NRVIA? We are new to RVing and trying to locate a qualified tech for a pre-purchase inspection in the Phoenix area.
The issue with most RV associations like this is there’s no oversight or accountability. They all claim to be authorities, with their own code and inspection process.
The NRVIA exists for itself. It does not exist to improve standards or have influence to better the industry.
When you hire an NRVIA inspector, they come to do one thing: inspect for wear and tear, as a basic PDI the dealership does. No repair estimates and no RVIA code book understanding. They can’t even claim under any authority any state, provincial or government standard has been met.
This is my main issue with this organization. They’re like a home inspector who qualified themselves as the expert.
I know of NRVIA inspectors/technicians who operate like a fly-by-night ripoff tech, and others that are reliable. So I don't reccomend you use that certification as an indicator of whether you will receive good service. When possible get referrals from other satisfied customers.
Also keep in mind that "Inspector" is the lowest level of qualification. It does not mean they know how to fix anything, just that they can test and tell you what works. Some of the inspectors listed also are certified techs under their system, but most aren't last I looked.
Your best best is to find a reputable RV tech through reccomendations to do your inspection.
I really like this guy...
www.youtube.com/@AZExpert/about
The future of dealerships is specializing many aspects. They are extremely complicated.
If you own a RV learn how to fix it .
I worked in medicine for 35 years. Why don’t folks consider learning how to start their own IVs? Or even just inserting their own breathing tube if they have pneumonia or CoViD? Design your own building? Come on now, everybody can’t be a jack-of-all-trades repair person to buy an RV. You bet, it would be really, really helpful but these machines can’t just be for folks whose professions or hobbies are Electricians, Plumbers, Mechanics or Mechanical Engineers. Can they? Yikes! Help?
A1 Mobile RV services in Mission TX knows his stuff when it comes to appliances like ACs, heaters etc. Otherwise I just fix everything myself.
Do me favor and work on your audio. I have my laptop's volume turned up to 10 and still have a hard time hearing you.
The fallacy of your presentation is that "certification" is not synonymous with capability. This holds true for any trade in every state.
And unfortunately, there is no "certification" for honesty and integrity.
Rule of thumb these days, if you can't fix it, you probably shouldn't buy it...unless you just have deep pockets and like spending time in repair shops.
do not buy an rv!