RV buyer heads elsewhere after notice of $2,500 dealer prep/walk-thru charge

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:

Treated her like she was their mom

Brenda S. is 81 and traveling alone. She wrote to us about the difference in two service centers when she ran into trouble. “The bad: Casita in Rice, TX, replaced the axle and brakes on my 1998 Casita, and my brakes burned up around 60 miles from their business. When I called them, stranded on the side of I-20, I was told first by the service manager that it was my 7-pin plug on my van, and that I should take it to an RV dealer and get it checked. Then, later in the conversation, I was told it was my brake controller. I called Casita again from DFW before they unloaded my camper from the flatbed trailer to see if they wanted it towed to them. They did not. I will add that in the past, my experiences with Casita were good.

“The good: I did get it towed to DFW RV Center in Alvarado, TX. I cannot find the words to explain how these people treated me. It was like I was their mother (I am 81 and was traveling alone). I was treated so nicely. Over the next two weeks, while they inspected my trailer and van to find out what caused the problem, they explained with pictures of what they found and explained how they would fix my camper. I could not move it because a lot of the wiring also burned up in the camper, with no brakes, and no lights. DFW found nothing wrong with my van.

“Everyone at DFW treated me like I was their only customer, from the manager (Luis) down to the newest employee. I was on my way to Arizona for the winter. Needless to say, I had to go back home to SC.

“God Bless people who treat others like DFW treated me.”

Charge for a walk-through?

Joseph W. was buying a Class C and the dealer was going to charge for a walk-through! He wrote, “We were looking for a Class C and were ready to spend over 100K. The Camping World salesperson told me that there was a $2,500 dealer prep charge. When I asked, she said it included the walk-through. I told her I was walking through the door right out of the store. I found a dealer who does not charge for a walk-through. Guess where we will buy?”

Lower expectations

Sue N. has lower expectations regarding service. “In our third year full-timing in a used Grand Design Solitude, we’ve generally had good luck with mobile techs and repair centers. I think we have lower expectations, though. We’ve had numerous mobile techs for many reasons, from a broken toilet to the A/C control board failing. Right now, one of the propane tanks won’t start the furnace. It’s expensive to get repairs! Usually, we wait 1-3 days for a mobile tech, but in Tucson, it seems to be more like two weeks. We like getting the Gold Package annual service at Lazydays (Minneapolis or Tucson). They do good work. We have an extended warranty from The RV Advisor (worth it overall). Most mobile techs have been knowledgeable and fixed the problem. One did not and we paid him, only to have to get another mobile tech later.”

High recommendation—They stepped up when made a mistake

Ken S. has a lot of respect for this service center. They really stepped up when he needed them. He wrote: “ATEL RV Bus & Truck Service Center in Beltsville, MD, works on motorhomes, too. Brian, the owner, has a motorhome, and he was great to work with. His mechanics replaced two solenoids for our front DS slide-out to solve the problem of that slide creeping out while in storage.

“They noted other issues while looking over the coach, and they were given the go-ahead to correct them: tires replaced (Toyo replaced Michelin), replaced all the airbags (dry-rotted), replaced leaking seal in rear drive wheel and the brake drum (numerous heat-related cracks) and brake pads (saturated with grease), investigated some seepage from PS steer wheel and the bearings fell on the floor, so that had to be addressed, dug deeper into blue smoke from the exhaust and that led to rebuilding fuel injectors. They used technology/equipment used by the U.S. Navy to test for leaks, and more. Throughout the process, photos of problems and long conversations were provided to document problems and educate me about the ramifications and options to move forward. ATEL’s (Brian’s) philosophy is to do it right and make sure customers are safe on the road and so they can enjoy their coach.

“Plus—and this is both the worst and best part of my ATEL story—when we suffered a failure in that front PS wheel just one day and 150 miles down I-81, Brian did all the legwork to locate a good outfit to tow the coach (2005 45-foot Country Coach) and repair it. He scoured the country for parts needed and had the 500-lb. part shipped cross-country at his expense.

“He was in constant touch with Trans Tech Towing and Repair in tiny Broadway, VA, to assure himself that everything would be done correctly, even asking that the DS after wheel be checked and the found seepage addressed. Trans Tech folks were awesome to work with, too! Brian covered all the repair costs WITHOUT even being asked!

“Stuff happens, and mistakes can be made by anyone. But jumping in and stepping up like Brian did is way too rare, as RVTravel.com readers know all too well. I highly recommend ATEL RV Bus and Truck in Beltsville, MD, if you need help in the D.C. area.”

Another strong mobile tech recommendation

Ardo H. recommends this mobile tech. He wrote, “If you are ever in the Raleigh, Garner, Smithfield area of North Carolina I-95, I-40, there is an excellent RV mobile tech that I have used several times and he does excellent work. (Alpine Mobile RV Repair. 919-946-8103. Owner is Jim Baker.) If there is something that he thinks you can do, he will tell you how to fix it.”

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.

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