RVers should insist on watching the work done on their RV

In this column, we summarize some of your emails and comments regarding RV service centers and repairs (we asked you to submit your stories here). 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.

Keep in mind, we typically only present one side of the story in most of these. Also, any remarks about service centers and mobile techs mentioned are the opinions of our readers and not necessarily RVtravel.com. 

Here’s what you had to say:

Enjoy it or get rid of it—Life’s too short

BWO has learned a few helpful lessons to share with us:

“We have found RV service to be trying at best because most of us are reactive and impatient. Being patient and proactive in your RV purchase pays off in the long run. After many years/purchases, we learned a few lessons.

1. 1. Never, ever, believe anything anyone tells you about the rig if they have any vested interest.
   2. Research, research, research. Go to social media owners’ groups. Check the National Highway Safety Administration database for recalls and Better Business Bureau for local dealer complaints. Note the names that crop up most often and stay away from them.
   3. Don’t be afraid to buy used: warranty work is time-consuming and frustrating. Let the first owner work out the kinks.
   4. Brand does matter. Use the many resources available to check out the business/brand as if it was your teenage daughter’s first boyfriend!
   5. Buy what you can afford so you can also afford the repairs that inevitably will come along with ANY rig.
   6. Stick to basics. I worked for the sales manager of a farm supply company. His advice to me when purchasing anything mechanical was “the simpler the better.” The more bells and whistles, the more things to go wrong! He was right.
   7. YouTube. Best free education on the planet other than the school of hard knocks. Learn the mechanics. Learn the systems. Not only can you teach yourself to do basic repairs, but you can better tell when the repair shop is giving you a bunch of baloney.
   8. Enjoy it or get rid of it. Life is just too short.”

Coulda–woulda–shoulda

Vincent V. has certainly learned a few things regarding RV service, too. He writes, “I purchased a 2020 30’ Palomino Puma 5th wheel from Travel Camp RV in Jacksonville, FL, in the latter half of 2019. I also purchased the extended warranty. It wasn’t until after I got it home that I discovered that the fridge in the outdoor kitchen didn’t work properly and that there were a few things inside that were not installed properly when the unit was built. One of the overhead cabinet doors was installed crookedly, a piece of wood trim around the dinette wasn’t nailed down correctly, the hot and cold water for the kitchen faucet were connected backward from the water heater, and an interior wall was not secured properly to the outer wall. I could see daylight through the wall seam.

“I called the dealer to schedule an appointment to get those things repaired under warranty, but I had to wait for three weeks before I could drop it off at the dealership. The problem with the fridge was that it would get to temp and then shut off until the freezer completely defrosted, then it would turn back on and repeat those actions continuously. The dealership repair department told me that there was nothing wrong with the fridge and that they wouldn’t replace it.

“They didn’t do anything about the gap between the bathroom wall and the outside wall, they nailed the piece of trim, did nothing about the crooked cabinet door and simply swapped the hot and cold water lines on the kitchen faucet instead of correcting the backward water lines at the water heater. That took almost a month to accomplish.

I bought a new fridge myself

“Rather than fight with Forest River (Palomino’s parent company) to get a new fridge, I just went and bought a new one from Amazon and installed it myself. Problem solved.

“I also bought a hard-wired surge protector and took my unit to Camping World. They charged me $350 to install it and took a month to do the work. I should have brought tools, a good flashlight and a multimeter when I did the PDI that Travel Camp charged me $800 for.

“Since this is the second brand-new RV I’ve ever bought, I didn’t think about opening things up and doing a thorough check of everything in the unit, instead of letting the dealership’s employee just skim over the details so that the inspection only took 15 minutes at a cost to me of $53.33 a minute.

“I bought my first RV in 1978, an 18’ Fleetwood travel trailer, and there was absolutely nothing that needed to be repaired under warranty. The bottom line is: Check everything during your PDI and don’t let a dealership employee pull you around by the nose as quickly as they possibly can.”

What a great mobile tech

Marina B. wrote to tell us about a great mobile tech she found: “Mobile tech near Idaho Falls. We were camping at Juniper State Park when the water pump gave out! We Googled “mobile tech nearby” and Steve, 208-529-5325, came up. What a great guy. Told us to come on in, as it was an emergency. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to see us until the following week. He dropped what he was doing when we drove into his yard, a very clean yard, and set about replacing our water pump. We highly recommend Steve for his knowledge, workmanship and pricing. Oh. And he’s the bishop of the local church!”

Done with Camping World

Randal P. is not doing business with Camping World ever again. Here’s why: “On the first trip out with my camper, I had a tire blow out. I pulled over and changed the tire myself. I went to a tire place and got a new tire and had it put on. Afterward, I called the ‘warranty’ company that Camping World had sold to me and was informed that I should have called them first. They did not pay. Also, the first time I needed the heating system it did not work. Camping World had assured us everything had checked out on this 3-year-old unit, but I noticed there was not even a fuse in place for the heater. I had an independent RV guy fix this. I will never do any more business with Camping World. They can kiss where the sun don’t shine as far as I am concerned. NEVER AGAIN!!”

Good Sam… not to the rescue

DT sat for two days waiting for Good Sam. Yikes! They explain, “On a trip down to South Carolina, our RV had an issue with the right front caliper locking up. Left us stuck on the side of the interstate, two feet from the travel lane. Really fun having trucks and cars speed by you that close!

“We used Good Sam to try to get a tow and take us to the nearest repair shop. Five hours later we’re still on the phone trying to get Good Sam to figure out what they were doing. They couldn’t figure out their right hand from their left.

“Well, I got tired of waiting on the side of a busy interstate so I decided to try and get to the next exit. Fortunately, there was a heavy rain storm up ahead so I knew that would keep the caliper cool, and made it to a rest stop.

“Two days sitting in a rest stop still trying to deal with Good Sam until they finally found somebody to come and tow us. And that was a shop I had called and told Good Sam to call and sort it out. Good Sam needs to train their people better.”

Waiting for a part since May 2022

Kevin L. has spent a long time waiting for a part. And get this… the part is in stock! He shares, “Still waiting for a corner part from when I accidentally swung my tail into a tree. I’ve been waiting since May 2022. The part came in September but it was the wrong part. Still waiting for it as I heard that parts are in stock at the distribution center. I couldn’t order it online myself as it has to be ordered through the dealership.”

If service center works on his RV, he will be present!

Charles S. has a list of problems with his Newmar that’s just too long to post. Sigh. He writes, “We bought our Newmar Ventana LE new in May of 2017 and have lived in it full-time since then. We have no other home.

“I would like very much to tell you and your readers about all of the problems we have had with the dealer we bought from and Newmar’s and Freightliner’s responses to our problems. However, the problems have been so numerous that the time it would take to compose the email would probably leave me with no time to do anything else for 3 to 6 months.

“The conclusion I have come to is that: No one should ever trust any RV dealer or RV manufacturer unless they have had experience with them. And if at all possible, any work on your RV should be done by yourself. If you are not capable of doing the work, you should insist on being permitted to watch the work being done. Any work on my RV will only be done with me waiting until finished, on-premises and preferably in or at my RV while it is worked on.

“Have you had good luck with great service? NEVER.”

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 months, 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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