If your RV needs service, you’re probably dreading the whole affair. It’s not uncommon to have a rig sitting on a dealer lot, waiting for service, for months. Service centers often blame the delays on a shortage of RV service technicians.
Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said there were 17,360 RV techs across the country. At the same time, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) said that represents a 20% shortfall of wrench-twisting techs. It’s an RV technician crisis. It may be a minuscule response, but now a Texas community college will start training more techs.
First community college to respond to RV technician crisis
It’s actually a first. Starting in 2025, Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, will become the first RV Technical Institute Authorized Learning Partner at a community college level. The technical institute is a supporting foundation of the RVIA, formed some years back when the industry recognized it needed to do something to prop up its image. Sell RVs, but then have them languish in shops waiting for repairs just wasn’t great public relations.
So how will the Navarro College coursework help? As an “authorized learning partner,” the college will recruit students for a two-week course. The obvious question is—with RVs becoming more and more complicated, what can students learn in two weeks?
The course will be a “Level 1” curriculum. The RV Technical Institute says the course will cover propane, electrical, plumbing, appliances, body, generator, and chassis. Instruction will also include proper repair order write-ups, forklift certification, and OSHA training.
Successful completion will mean students will have a proven skill set to prepare an RV for customer delivery by verifying the operation of all components.
Just how can these entry-level grads help with repair backlogs?
If your motorhome is sitting on the back lot, waiting for a slide-out repair, you might wonder how these “Level 1” graduates will be of much help. If the dealer hires Level 1 certified technicians, it means the hours RV techs with greater skill sets would have to spend on new RV prep could be better spent fixing your RV.
The RV industry is quick to point out that while the new class in Texas is decidedly “entry level” training, “Level 2 courses will eventually be added, as well as Level 3,” according to the industry’s promotion.
While Navarro Community College is the first community college to become an authorized learning partner, other educational institutions already meet that standard and offer training. Some of these educational partners include the J-Tech Institute, Northeast Technology Center, Erie County Technical School, and more. The RV Technical Institute also works with interested high schools to include their courses in their school curriculum.
Why move these RV technician classes to Texas? The Lone Star State also has the distinction of being the state where the largest number of new RVs are shipped by RV manufacturers.
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I guess the old farmer adage applies here: something is better than nothing.
Let’s hope this “something” will be worth our time and money.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 If the certifications are cumulative, then level 1 is the first of three steps to a fully-trained RV technician. Or, as Bob Walter already said, “something is better than nothing.” 🙂 Have a great day and safe travels! 🙂