Are you handy? Can you fix just about anything that breaks? How about with your RV? Do you carry a well-supplied tool kit and lots of spare parts, so that if your RV needs repair you are equipped to handle about any problem that comes along?
Hey, maybe a trip to a parts store is in order, but once you have a replacement for what’s broken, you can do the repair. Is that you?
Or are you a bit more challenged when it comes to fixing things that go wrong? Most of us, we suspect, are somewhere in the middle.
But how about you? Are you Mr. or Ms. Handy Person, or Mr. or Ms. Klutz?
Inquiring minds would really like to know. So here’s your opportunity. And remember, it can take a few moments for the poll to load, especially if you have a slow Internet connection, so stand by.
I have only taken the MH to a shop when I could no longer physically do the job. I was not happy with the work, but I could not remove and re-install the tires, so i am stuck with shoddy work. I am waiting on parts right now to fix the air line to the Air Bag on the Left rear, Spot welds holding the Dump Valve Solenoid to the frame broke putting too much weight on the 1/4″ line and it broke. I will drill and re-mount the bracket to the sub-frame when the parts arrive. Don’t have to finish until the October trip.
Sorry, Ed. I just noticed our sometimes-overzealous spam filter put your comment into the Spam folder for no apparent reason.🤔 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
As they said in the movie-“A man has got to know his limitations”. I leave the chassis repairs to the experts= air brakes, engine repairs, gen set and the like. I am a Plumber; not a diesel mechanic.
Plus,with the advent of YouTube, a lot of people assume they can make all the repairs needed. Some of these home brew video repairs can be downright dangerous. And a lot require specialized tools and test equipment. Propane, electrical and even brakes are best left to the pros.
I worked in maintenance most of my life and I can do 90% of the repairs, but some are best left to the experts.
With today’s cheaply made rv’s you better have some capabilities of repairing things or you’re gonna go broke paying to have things fixed, and your rv will be tied up waiting at a shop to be fixed for weeks.
So far I have only had to use a suspension shop to weld in a replacement shackle hanger and one seized wet bolt. Everything else, and there has been a fair amount in 4 years with our Montana 5th wheel, I have done myself.
FYI, YouTube is an amazing resource for people who are handy, but just need a little direction. I personally use it frequently.
An RVer that can’t do many of their own repairs is in for a very expensive and frustrating ride.
Very capable. But as one grows older it takes longer which in turn makes one frustrated. I’ll give up my golden years to anyone that wants them and for free. Ha no takers.
In most cases, this depends on your generation. The senior men here most likely grew up working on their cars and had auto shop in school. We had to fix it ourselves because we couldn’t afford mechanics. We raised one of our grandsons and despite being around me all those years, he could barely change a tire. No interest and no auto shop. Just whip out the Visa.
Having said that, I don’t mess with the RV drive train.
I bought my daughter her first car when she was in high school. I would not hand her the keys before she learned how to change a tire. To get those keys, she learned real fast. One day after school one of her guy friends had a flat tire on his car. She asked if he had a spare and a jack and he did not even know. She found the spare and changed it for him. After that she was known around school as Miss Bob Villa.
Knowing what to do vs having the tools and maybe physical ability is another matter. I carry a small variety of tools to handle simple repairs; electric, mechanical, or structural, including routine maintenance. But the bigger stuff I hire. I’m comfortable that I can spot BS and shoddy practices.
I can fix most anything on the rv, but at this point in life, I don’t trust myself to crawl up on the roof. Also takes more and more energy to crawl under, and get back up from, underneath the rig.
Yep; Billy you are Right On!! Think I’m still good at Fixing things.2 Things have stopped me as I have got “Smarter”!! Old Age & HRH trying to tell me How to Live my Life. & both have “Ticked Me Off; Royally” So now it is 1.800. “RV Medic”!!
I have done 95% of my own maintenance & repairs on my DP motorhomes for 25 years. I won’t do air systems, though. Fortunately my SIL was a diesel mechanic/shop manager for an OTR trucking company for 20 years, so anything I don’t do, I have him do. Plus, he has specialty tools sometimes needed. But frankly, most repairs are “house” related vs chassis. Best website I ever joined is IRV2 because of all their brand-specific sub forums. The Newmar forum, my current brand MH, has quite a number of very knowledgable owners willing to share.
As previously mentioned, climbing under a rig isn’t as easy as it used to be. I’m sure I’ll be cutting back as time marches on.
Growing up on the poor side had it’s good and bad. Not enough money for a repair shop so we learned how to fix or at least try to fix everything. Makes for a good RV owner…
The only repair I could not handle was axle replacement. I had no way to get the entire trailer in the air to replace them. Other than that, it’s been me.
At 77, I’m not able to do repairs anymore. I rely on my mobile mechanic for them.
Depends on the repair.
Capable is conditional upon physical ability. I have the know how, but not the physical ability to do everything.
I gave up busting my knuckles years ago
When know how, ambition and skill collide with desire, agility and time.
Thank you, RV Travel! 🙂 I’m not much good beyond washing and waxing the rig, and treating the seals. DW tends to be more adventurous and thereby pulls me into learning how to fix something
So far, not much with RV #2. We did fix a few house things on RV #1. I am toying with taking an on-line RV tech course so I at least can distinguish what I have the skill and training (by then) to undertake and what I need to farm out. Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
If you do that Online course Neal, I sure would be interested to hear about your experience and subsequent opinion. Maybe even an article submission?
I will, Cancelproof. I held tools for Daddy, never really learned how to do much, so I need to do it. Just a matter of identifying when to do it. Safe travels! 🙂
Just what Cancel has said, Neal. I’d like to hear what your opinion is on the course, and would look forward to reading an article on it
I definitely have the skill set to fix most anything on our coach. Unfortunately, as I age, I find that it is physically much more difficult, if not impossible, to do things. It can be extremely frustrating, especially when I’ve hired someone to do a task and know that, if physically more capable, I could/would do a better, more professional job.
My husband can do a large amount of the repairs on our small TT, as well as doing the mods we’ve done. I understand quite a few, I just can’t do many. As it is, for example, to replace the water pump, my husband has to reach into its location up to his shoulder – not happening with short-armed me.
We take it to the tire place for anything related to that, to the dealer for some other things. If nothing else, our driveway isn’t a safe place to do tire changes or bearings. It’s at the shop now for some annual maintenance, and fabric replacement on the awning. We don’t have a good space to lay that out, we did watch the video on replacing it.
Hubby can fix just about anything. He installed solar last summer. He worked as a carpenter for a while when he was younger & has remodeled every home we have owned. I am a lucky woman!
40 years of twisting and turning wrenches. Retired 21 years ago. technology has changed a lot since I retired.
I had built out a couple of vans for camping and can repair or improve anything in the coach part of the vehicle. I could repair all of my other vans to at least limp home. My 2014 Class B van has computers that run other computers, which is nuts. One ‘starting’ problem it had, the Chevy dealer could not fix, until, AFTER the warranty ran out. It was one of the computers that the other computer ran. On the fourth tow to the dealer, I got to pay $600 for some stupid computer chip on the transmission. I want my ’63 VW camper van back with a Porsche engine in it.
Sometimes DIY is the only way to get something fixed. We had something get stuck in the filler of our propane tank (Class A, fixed tank). We had to let all the just-purchased propane bleed off so we could go home. Then it turned out, within our radius of service facilities – RV repair places don’t work on the propane system and propane companies won’t work on RVs. So, my husband bought a replacement valve and made the replacement. It was a tiny piece of wood that got stuck in the check valve.