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:
Too old for RV service center but the mechanic makes RVing possible
Wendy D. is grateful to the mechanic that makes RVing possible for her. She says, “I purchased a 1986 Class A motorhome. I did all the interior myself except the paint and plumbing. I’m extremely grateful to have a mechanic that was referred to me through a friend. I have only spent about $3,000 for all the engine work he did and $2,100 for six new tires. I’m not able to bring my rig to an RV place because it is too old. My trips wouldn’t be possible without him and his honesty.”
Hit or miss at Camping World
Bill and Margaret B. said RV service depends on which Camping World you deal with: “We purchased our 8th MH from Ocala Camping World in Florida; however, they cannot be counted on for anything except to take your money and lie lie lie. It’s a crying shame about this industry. On a nicer note, we took the RV purchased from Ocala to the Cocoa, Florida, Camping World outlet and they fixed everything that Ocala had lied about. It’s hit or miss.”
Won’t buy a new RV “cardboard box”
Pierre L. is in the eighth year of their RV and says they won’t be buying a new one anytime soon. He writes, “Our first RV was a 21-foot Fun Finder camper trailer bought new in Trois-Rivières, QC, in 2012. It was 50% on the road and 50% at the dealer for repairs in the first year. It was a nightmare dealing with them (A.S. Lévesque).
“Two years later, we traded it at another RV dealer for a brand-new Keystone Cougar 2015. Thanks to our extended 7-year guarantee we had most of our major factory-crapped items fixed. Slide out gave Roulottes Ste-Anne in Terrebonne, QC, service tech headaches. We are in our 8th year and with lots of self-maintenance work and a few service calls (power converter, shower drain leak, broken stair, cable wiring not connected) at RV resorts and at home, our mobile country home is still lovely! We won’t buy the new cardboard boxes dealers are making a fortune off of. Happy Snowbirds in Pensacola, FL.”
Need customer service training
Mark S. has a suggestion for the RV service centers: Provide customer service training! “Managers and service assistants need customer service training. Such as: being attentive to the customer at all times, providing updates often, and telling the truth. These are issues that I had during four trips to fix an AC/heat pump. Those four trips cost ME money for travel and time to unhook and re-hook utilities with no reimbursement.”
Wow! Major price difference. Watch for dealer rip-off
Mark C. says to watch for the dealer rip-offs. “I took my 40-foot Thor Aria to the dealer for repair of two rotten sheets of plywood in the bottom rear of the RV. They estimated it would cost $30,400. Took it to the Thor factory and got it fixed for $1,200. The dealer will rip you off.”
The fairest, most honest people to deal with
David S. tells us about their exceptional service center in Pennsylvania. He shares, “If you live in or near Western PA, you can’t beat Fame RV Center in Saegertown. They are the best, fairest, most honest people you’ll ever deal with. It’s a family-owned, good-sized dealer and service center. The service desk folks are the best. I hesitate to share, knowing it may delay my next service.”
The case of the missing washer
Clint O. relates how they were sold a washer that wasn’t even in the rig! “We bought a used Allegra Red Bus for $130,000. The salesman stepped into the bathroom to show us details and then on to the bedroom with a washer/dryer. I ask, ‘Is it an all-in-one?’ ‘Yes.’ It is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but when we picked it up and got home I said the bath floor was soft in a place. I called the salesperson and he told me had no idea.
“Then when we left on a trip, a fan didn’t work. We were 500 miles from home and went to do laundry and it was a dryer only. I, again, called the salesperson who said, ‘I have no idea.’ I made them get us a washer but it cost us $340 to ship it to us. Then I tried to get a new fan that was to be replaced at purchase. We still do not have it.
“Took forever to get help with the title. No one is ever available to talk. Love the rig, but hate cons and liars. I’ve learned to do your due diligence because they will con you.”
Had to call police to communicate with this repair shop
D Z. is between a rock and a hard place with their camper repairs and estimate. He tells us the saga: “Hi-Way Campers in Plainfield, CT. My camper sat there for four months. I lost communication with them for the last 1.5 months, after the last time they answered the phone was when I called, and told me my camper was next in line after 2.5 months of sitting there.
“Had to get the police involved just to get a call back after leaving tons of messages for three weeks straight. Then they were rude, tried to tell me my camper was ‘old’ rudely. All I was at that point needing was an estimate for repairs to give to my insurance company to determine if it was going to be fixed or totaled.
“Well, after contacting the police, and a 4-month wait, now they tell me they forgot about it, and now refuse to do the estimate, and to come get it myself and refuse to communicate with the insurance company.
“Then they tell me I should have been told they would not take it in because it’s over 10 years old. Well, sorry, but I don’t have money for a new camper, especially when they never even did an estimate for repairs to give to the insurance company.
“And they tell me I have to call insurance and get it out of there myself, even though insurance towed it in. They were rude as hell and slammed the phone on me when I called to file a complaint on the staff to the ‘family/supervisor’ and, needless to say, police have been contacted a second time, as they do not do as they say.
“They tell the public they are a repair shop, and clearly that is not what they do. I spoke to them five times regarding fixing my camper prior to BRINGING it there and never once was told that it was ‘too old’ until I called the police on them for not even communicating with me on updates, and it sat there for four months.
“I first drove there to make sure my camper was even still there. This place is a fraud. GO ANYWHERE BUT HERE for repairs. Campers do not have expiration dates. And it is rude and wrong to discriminate.
“I can’t speak on sales other than they were very rude and condescending, but I can assure you that if they refuse to fix your camper just so they can sell you a new camper, then I wouldn’t buy from them either.”
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.
Last week’s RV Service Centers and Repairs Report:
##RVT1110
I kind feel sorry for the newbies just getting in to RVing. They have no idea of what RVing used to be or should be.
They probably think it’s normal for their RV to sit in a repair shop for months at a time while being ignored.
They probably think it’s normal to pay $100 per night at a campground just for a grass site and electric.
They probably think it’s normal to buy a brand new RV that was never checked for QC issues before it left the factory.
They probably think it’s normal for dealerships to just rob them blind.
Yup, things have changed…
Corporate greed from the same companies which received the largest tax giveaway ever in 2016.
Ron, is this a “cut and paste” comment? You say this all the time and it’s word-for-word what you say each time.
So True, Tommy! Its Getting OLD…
Yep, the same dad joke over and over again
Might as well ignore it, Tommy. About the 100th time Ron posted his continual cut & paste comment, I responded with the facts that showed that those Corp Tax cuts merely brought U.S. tax rates inline, on average, with our European and Asian counterparts. Higher U.S. rates were an uncompetitive disadvantage for businesses prior to that. In addition, certain terms in the tax change COST international corporations more because it eliminated some shelters. The large international I worked for paid MORE in Federal tax after the change because of that. FACT.
But, when someone wants to just stay angry over something, facts do not matter.
You can kill every mosquito in your camp site but there is always one left that will buzz around your ear all night long.
I’m sitting in my shop right now and that is EXACTLY what’s going on. Ha.
Well, I happen to be sitting in my shop right now, but no mosquitos, at the moment anyway. Maybe our giant plant eating grasshoppers are eating mosquitos?
You have Morman Crickets near you?
I have no idea what religion they are, they are Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers, yellow/orange up to 4″ long and if eaten, small animals can get sick or die. It makes taking our small puppy outside rather difficult. I’m sure we have stomped on and picked up and killed a thousand of them this season.
“Cut and paste” maybe, but still the truth I think.
Relevant to the article though, when we do find a good RV repair place, whether a shop or mobile, we should let their name be known in ALL CAPS. Like “THAT TRAILER GUY” near McMinnville, OR.
Too funny, it has become a ‘gag’ joke… it’s not 2016 but back in the first days of mankind… buy low, sell high… snake oil salesman… PT Barnum…💲🤑💲🤑
FLASH! “This just in………Newton discovers gravity!!”
We sat across from a new $500,000 MH last week. To say we had a tad of rig envy would be accurate. UNTIL they got ready to leave and couldn’t get the slide in! Had to call repair shop and the campers who had arrived for that spot had to wait for the repairs before they could get in and set up!
If I had put half-a-mil in a new rig I would expect perfection. Our 14 year old Winnie just sat there with us and smiled!
I’m new to RV ing and need work done. How do you know who’s good(and reasonable) and will help maintain my camper.
See if there is a “mobile RV service” in area, and if they have any ratings on them……
We strongly agree with Mark S. We routinely go to the manufacturer service center. Often the service techs previously worked on the assembly line(s) and have a great understanding of the RVs they repair and service because of that. We found this true of our American Coach and have found it equally true of our Newmar. Thankfully, we also have competent and honest local techs who can handle most of our needs without having to travel to Indiana. However, we also know that the drive to Indiana is always worth the trouble.