A few week’s ago we asked you to tell us about your experiences with RV service centers. You came through with hundreds of responses. Thank you! My inbox is stuffed! I had expected a long list of complaints, exorbitant waiting times, and issues with low-quality work. But the number of comments about great service work and great service centers really surprised me.
In this new column, we’ll summarize some of your emails and comments. We’ll tell you all: the best, the good, the bad and the ugly. At the end of this article you’ll find a place to submit your own comments. I encourage you to do so.
Note: Any RV service centers and mobile techs mentioned here are the opinions of our readers and not RVtravel.com.
Here’s what you had to say:
The repair shop melted all my hoses
Kenneth K.’s repair shop made it all worse. He writes, “I took my 2022 Jay Flight 195RB STX to Camperland of Tulsa, OK, because it was recalled for cooktop leaking propane. Didn’t leak before service, but it did leak after the repair. I took it back to them and they used a torch to heat up the propane fittings under the trailer. While doing this, they melted all the ends of the hoses. They tried to get Jayco to warranty it but Jayco would not because they damaged it. I finally took my trailer back and fixed all the hoses myself.”
Went the extra mile
Sandra A.’s RV dealer and a Mercedes dealership went the extra mile for her. “Two good ones to report: RnR RV Center in Liberty Lake, WA. With a month-plus waiting list for scheduling repairs, they got me in immediately for a quick repair, rehung my curtains so I didn’t have to use black plastic garbage bags over the windows at night and went the extra mile of checking ALL of them. A couple of hours later I was back on the road. I had purchased the RV from them a month before and they made it a priority to get me in despite a hugely busy schedule.
“The second place was Bergstrom Mercedes-Benz in Appleton, WI. I had lost both headlights and could only drive during the day. Again, they had a three-week wait but managed to work me in. I was on my way in less than two hours, headlights fixed, 32-point computer check on all my systems AND an RV detail, all for under $75. I have a 2019 Roadtrek SS Agile with a Mercedes diesel, so this was not an RV repair shop but a Mercedes dealership. However, their service was quick and reasonably priced.”
Couldn’t be more pleased
Jesse C. is happy with their dealer and has been for twenty years! That’s a long time! They say, “We are on our 4th RV: two travel trailers and two motorhomes, all from the same dealer for over 20 years. Service has been timely and correct and the problem was fixed for a reasonable price. A family dealership that is now an ESOP [Employee Stock Ownership Plan] with a lot of the family members still there. I buy all of my repair parts from them for what I fix myself. Leave the more complex RV part issues to them. Could not be more pleased with the association with this dealership/repair facility.”
Kudos to Jeff’s Equipment Repair Service, LLC
Richard S. had the unfortunate experience of having a breakdown and needed towing. “We had a breakdown in our 2000 National Surfside just after, literally, leaving the first toll booth on I-44 heading west. Coach-Net had the unit towed to Jeff’s Equipment Repair Service, LLC, in Nowata, OK. The next morning, Jay, the technician, got right to work diagnosing the problem on the Chevy 454 engine. He had it up and running again in about three hours. Fortunately, Jay had been trained on the Workhorse chassis and the shop had a truck there with the same engine. The problem most likely would have stumped any other mechanic: burnt wiring behind the crankshaft sensor that disabled the fuel pump. Kudos to the shop and Jay.”
Another Camping World recommendation
AC Holt, despite the wave of public opinion, has had good experiences with his Camping World. “I have been to Camping World in Garner, NC, several times for repairs. They will tell you upfront what they can and cannot do and how much it will cost. A couple of times they even told me how I could make the repairs myself and save some money. I have found this service center to be honest and very easy to work with. I would recommend them to everyone.”
And here’s the flip side of Camping World…
John G. is NOT happy with this Camping World. “Camping World in Little Rock, Arkansas. Service is a complete joke. Check every repair you have performed. This dealership does a half-ass job. Bought a unit from them, and had a stackable washer and dryer installed. On the way home, it snapped making the dryer tear off the top of the washer.
“They replaced the parts 3 1/2 weeks later and apparently didn’t test everything to make sure all was okay. During those 3 1/2 weeks, I started calling 8 days after drop-off. The receptionist answered the phone each time and all I got was, ‘All lines are busy, can I have them call you back?’ That never ever happened. There were days I called up to four times a day. Never ever got a call back. There were a few times after I got a tad upset the receptionist got me someone.
Filed a complaint with the BBB
“After, I finally did a complaint with the BBB. This got the main office involved and not the Little Rock location. Finally received a call from Chicago, not the dealership (apparently it’s against store policy for customer service). Told the corporate office the story of what I’ve been going through. She then called the store and they told her they just got the parts in, they told me, the parts came in a week ago.
“I talked to the corporate office lady and told her the parts were there for almost a week. She checked the invoices and found that I was correct. The corporate office lady called me the next day, not the dealership because they cannot call people, I guess, and told me it was ready. I went to pick it up, they placed it out front to be picked up before I got there. I checked the repairs, they replaced the broken external parts, but put the broken strap back on.
Assumed washer and dryer were working
“WTF…?! I went in and got a supposed tech and they replaced it with a stronger strap that I supplied. So since this unit was out front in the parking lot, I couldn’t see that they were indeed working. So, I assumed it was tested and okay. I hooked it up, traveled 45 miles to the campsite to begin our retired full-time RV adventures.
“Soooooo… I started the washer. It worked. Started the dryer. Buzzing noises, smell of burning electronics, no spin, dead dryer. Called them and got the total runaround. Had me call a support line to verify my issues, and they said it needed to be replaced, apparently could cause a FIRE! So now I’m leaving for Florida for two months with a dead-weight dryer.
“So, buyer beware. These guys are only there for a paycheck, not customer service, no pride in their workmanship. Apparently they don’t test their repairs to make sure it is working and that you’ll be a satisfied customer. Run like hell away from these guys.”
“I was told there would be problems, but this is a lot!”
Diane V. has been disappointed in the things that break and also the wait times to get them fixed. “I purchased a 2017 Thor Motorcoach Four Winds Class C motorhome on June 1st, 2022, from Traveland RV in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada. The first thing that went was the ‘wall’ slide out would not retract fully. The TLRV service department had me move the slide in and out several times but to no avail. Luckily they sent out a mobile service that realized that the tracks were not set right by the manufacturer and had to center them. TLRV paid for that and it has been working ever since…yay. Great service.
Next was my fault …
“Next was my fault in forgetting to retract the stabilizers before driving off the levelers… ugh!! I’ve been waiting for over a month for the service dept. to get in touch with the manufacturer to get the part numbers to even order them. They just got them and I’m waiting for an appointment. Thank goodness I can still use the unit without the stabilizers.
“Now the gray water pipe has broken. The service dept. is too busy to help and sent me on a wild goose chase to find someone who can fix it. I was able to find an RV repair outside the city of Calgary, but not for another week.
“However, I did purchase a warranty and they contribute to the wait time of getting repairs fixed. I was told that there will be problems, but wow!! This is a lot!! The service dept. at TLRV is kind but I have to keep on top of them.”
Happy with mobile tech
John M. is very happy with the mobile tech he found. “Mobile RV Repair. I just had electrical work done on my motorhome by a recommended mobile repair shop. The tech was quick to respond to my home and went through a lengthy check of all of the electrical components and wiring. He found and fixed the problem, and the bill was very reasonable for the amount of time he spent. Would have had to wait almost a month for the repair shop to get the motorhome in the shop just to find out the problem.”
Editor’s note
Note from RVtravel.com: If hiring a mobile tech, a small or mega service center, make sure that they are experienced in the issue and have insurance in case something goes wrong. Also, check their warranty policy on the work they perform. Check reviews too and read between the lines—if the review sounds way too good to be true, it might be. Compare with several reviews and not just the ones on their website.
Questions for you about RV service
Over the next few weeks, we’ll share stories of your RV service experiences. We want to know:
- Have you had good luck with great service or not so much?
- Did you get good service from knowledgeable technicians?
- Are you waiting to get into a service center or have a mobile tech come out?
- What has been the average time to get an appointment?
- Has your RV been in a service center for a while?
- Are you able to get any mobile techs to come out?
- Are the service centers able to get parts?
- When you do get the repairs done, is the price reasonable?
Please fill out the form below and tell us what your experiences have been like. It can be a horror story, an opinion about what’s going on, a positive experience, or anything else related to the topic. We want to know the great, the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Check back next week for more on RV service centers. See you then.
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