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:
Don’t make your expectations too high!
Captain G. has traveled all over and never taken his RVs in for service. He writes, “I have purchased three brand-new travel trailers since 2012 and have made dozens of trips all over the USA. Some are as long as five months and transcontinental in scope.
“For the most part, all three rigs have been great and trouble-free. The first was a Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite 25KS, then a Winnebago Micro Minnie, and now, a Forest River Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S. I’ve never once taken any of these rigs back to the dealer for repairs under warranty or otherwise. Yes, there has been a constant list of minor flaws noticed on nearly every trip, but I expected that and attend to them myself. I am a handyman.
“My expectations were not too high. After all, for the relatively small amount of money I paid for a completely equipped and furnished mobile ‘tiny home’, did I think it was going to be Lexus quality? Heck no. I’d MUCH rather have a somewhat imperfect RV at a price that I can afford than a flawless RV that is priced to the moon.
“Fact is, if you want to RV, you had better be handy or be prepared to accept the hassle and cost of third-party repairs. Also, I’ve noticed that RVs have more than doubled in price for the same exact rig in just the past few years. Inflation and greed are the reasons why.”
Made heavy modifications and still don’t know where everything is!
Lee C. did a lot of work on his RV. He writes, “I purchased a discontinued Forest River model in 2019 through Camping World of Ft. Myers, but I didn’t care because I was gonna be modifying it extensively anyway. Almost four years later everything still works. However, very heavy mods were done to this coach and I still don’t know where anything like the water pump is located. It has no need for an inverter but it definitely has a battery charger but I have NO idea where it is either. Please note, though, that due to prior experiences this model does NOT have any slides as those things are NOTHING but trouble. Look at Airstream—there’s a REASON why they don’t have them.”
Had a brake issue, got in right away and was very pleased with service
Jake J. had an issue with his brakes and was able to get in for service as he was passing through. He writes, “Had a brake issue and contacted NIRVC [National Indoor RV Centers] in Atlanta. They were able to get me in as we were passing by. They kept us informed of the diagnosis and service required. Very pleased with the service, both mechanical and customer. Would use them again if needed.”
Fourth trailer; all develop issues eventually
Randy G. writes about his experience and wonders if there are brands to avoid. He says, “We are on our fourth travel trailer. While they all eventually developed some issues, there was never anything major.
“We had two Sunline trailers. They were great and had great service. We lived about 25 miles from the factory and I could make an appointment and take the unit there for warranty work. It was a family-owned business but was sold right before 2008 to a holding company. They couldn’t sell the business and liquidated it.
“Now we have a 2015 Keystone Cougar that we bought new. We had some issues like cabinet doors coming loose or shelves falling down. Luckily, I could fix them all. I hear about a lot of issues with Forest River trailers. Our friends had one and it had problems too. Maybe there are certain brands to avoid.”
Cables magically appeared with shop “friend” where none were available before
Ralph R. has had a lot of trouble with slide cables, getting parts and getting the slide fixed correctly. He states, “On our 2017 Keystone Outback, the top front cable on the main slide has broken numerous times. No shop has ever adjusted the slide correctly, including in the factory. About every fourth or fifth move of 250 miles and the cable breaks. It is preceded by a loud pop or cracking sound as the slide is driven out a couple of times before the cable breaks. In Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, the top shop and certified manufacturer representative there stated that if the cable was broken and not visible on the outside the entire slide would need to be removed.
“I called Keystone to find the length of the various cables and they do not know the length of cable needed to replace any of the cables. Asking questions at Keystone is like talking to a fence post. No one appears to know anything about their product.
“In Angel Camp, California, I called a shop and asked if they had cables to replace a broken one. No cables were available, and no actual shop employees were available either, but the man on the phone said he had a friend that might be able to help us. Two cables magically appeared with this friend. He arrived without a ladder, minimal tools, and no invoice book. After his attempt to repair the slide, he stated that the rollers under the slide needed to be replaced. He promised to send an invoice by email once he got home. Still waiting for the email. The problem he caused was having the slide completely out and drooping when he adjusted the cable and crimped it to length.
Limited access to parts and limited knowledge
“Too many places have limited access to parts, or the distribution center they use appears to have limited knowledge of the parts in various campers. If the manufacturer will not give them information on the parts they use, how can they, the distribution center, stock the parts needed?
“Norco, BAL RV products group, appears to have excellent personnel in their shop and they are willing to help you. I have found a couple of shops that will help you over the years. However, many take weeks to do small, simple repairs. The appointment time to get into a shop is also long, up to three months. Is it the lack of training of the technicians, too much work because of the poor manufacturers’ quality, or a combination of the two? What type of reimbursement does the shop receive from the manufacturer? Do the repairs take longer than the labor guide states? Could be that the U.S. manufacturers need a wake-up call like the automotive industry had.”
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
We’ll continue to 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:
##RVT1115
Still waiting for replacement slide awning. Been 2 months so far. Mechanical parts have arrived, no awning fabric yet. Luckily, we can still use the RV, just a little tight.
RVs are not like automobiles, they are not considered essential and as such not given the attention the auto industry is by congress. If the public were to quit buying these poor quality units for 6 months the manufacturers would suddenly wake up, but with the caliber of Americans buying this junk that’s not likely to happen. Back in the 70’s when the auto industry was turning out junk and Japanese automakers were building quality it didn’t take long for American manufacturers to change. Before the RV industry changes the same thing has got to happen, quit buying their junk.
If eBay and Amazon don’t have a part, it doesn’t exist.
If the OEM only has one part on hand and must decide to sell it loose or bolt it to a unit under assembly, you can guess the choice.
Buying from a dealer is pretty much the same. They’ll steal parts from new inventory to “fix” sold units and yet we wonder why units look like they’re cobbled together. They are.
That pretty much sums it up from A to Z.