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.
SEE A LIST OF OUR READERS’ RECOMMENDED SERVICE CENTERS AND MOBILE TECHS. CLICK HERE.
Here’s what you had to say:
$600 for 1/2-hour fix!
William R. writes to us about a $25 valve and $600 repair bill. “Early this month the temperature was in the low 20s for a week (during that time it also dropped into the teens and single digits). Long story short, even though I have heated hoses, the water froze anyway and caused the water filter to burst! I fixed that with the right replacement (Campers Inn said they had a replacement which was nowhere near a replacement!), had to go to the local Forest River to get the correct one.
“After I fixed that, the water still wouldn’t flow into the RV. Decided to call the local RV service techs and had them come out to fix the problem. I gave up trying to find the problem. Anyway, found out there is a flow-back valve where the line comes in that was stuck closed because of freezing. The tech replaced it after having to go back to the shop and get it!
“When I got the bill the part was $25 and change, and labor was $600 for three hours! I almost passed out, I asked why so much when it took him less than a 1/2 hour to fix. The lady told me it was that much because it was an off-site repair and that’s the charge per hour! I asked why I was getting charged for the tech to return to the shop and was told he was still on the job! Will never use them again.”
Great storage and repair facility
Ernest C. wrote to us about his storage and repair facility. “I store my 2018 DRV 5th wheel at Major’s RV Service Center in Bourne, MA. This facility only services and stores RVs (no sales). Whenever I need service on my rig, Major’s technicians can do the work promptly and efficiently. I have an extended warranty and, when necessary, Major’s handles the interaction with the warranty company. I have complete confidence in them to do any work that I need done, whether it’s electrical, sealant, or any other mechanical issue. They’re the best.”
Repairs first concern of RVers, then comes finding sites
Allen M. had problems getting warranty work done from the beginning and now is finding problems as they travel on a fixed income. He wrote, “We bought a 2022 Grand Design Transcend Xplor from Youngblood RV in Springfield, Missouri, in June. We have had problems with them fixing things under warranty from the first two weeks we owned it. This dealer doesn’t seem to want to do any warranty work because they don’t get paid enough.
“Now that my one year is up and no longer under the factory warranty, we are stuck with having to find someone to work on it while living on the road. We did find a nice RV tech (BJ) from ‘Wandering Bear RV’ that helped us in Florida. But since leaving Florida, we are going to have to do the work ourselves with YouTubers’ help when, or if, we can. We are on a fixed income and can’t afford to take it into a shop.
“We have noticed traveling all over the USA that this is a major, if not the main, concern of RVers. Next is finding campground spaces.”
DIY metal screw fixed what dealer couldn’t
Clifton M. had to take the matter into his own hands after the dealer couldn’t. He wrote, “We purchased a 2006 Hurricane 34BH from Patriot RV in Ashland, KY. When we went to pick it up in April 2023, the brake lights wouldn’t work. They professed to fix the problem, but on the way home my DW was following me. She informed me that the left-side brake lights were out again. They told me that they were done helping us.
“While camping a few months later, I took the rear left brake light assembly apart and found that the metal holder had plastic clips attached for the bulbs. They don’t sell that particular part anymore so I had to improvise. The lights now work. Funny how inserting a tiny screw into plastic did the job.”
Wouldn’t help him. Why? Tech didn’t want to!
Greg Q. needed his travel trailer worked on but had no luck at this service center. He wrote, “Javi’s RV in Lancaster, CA, refused to even look at my travel trailer. All I wanted was to get the wheel bearings repacked. I called and told them that I have a 2022 A-Frame folding trailer, and asked for a price estimate.
“She said she would ask the technician. She called back and told me that they would not be able to help me. When I asked ‘Why?’, I was told that the tech ‘Didn’t want to’. What kind of answer is that? This is terrible customer service and Javi needs to learn how to run a customer-driven business. I’ll bet if I had a half-million-dollar Class A motorhome they would have wanted my business. I will be taking my business to Bob Howle RV down the street.”
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 Service Centers and Repairs Report:
##RVT1143
Thank you, Nanci! The list of repair shops linked here is amazing. You did a huge amount of work to get it into such an easy-to-use format; thank you! Thank you, too, for all the work generating this weekly column is. Safe travels! 🙂
Great job!
Thank you, Herman! 🙂 Safe travels! 🙂
$600 for 1/2-hour fix! It is common to pay travel time including the time to travel to the job. The technician was still on the job therefore needs to be compensated for his time, if he wasn’t spending time running around he could have been on another job. In my opinion $600.00 for 3 hours does seems a little high however before scheduling on site repairs one should inquire on the rates, including travel time.
I’m curious why the OP didn’t offer to chase the part himself while the tech did tech work. Up and back twice only adds more time and mileage to the job. As for the $600, if it took half a day to thaw out all the pipes, I’m thinking he got off pretty cheap…..
This is a standard procedure by some plumbers. Although you have told 4 people on the phone that you need help with a hose bib leak, they then show up with a van full of lots of stuff, but not the small likely parts needed. They then have fun driving to town, making some calls, shooting the breeze at the shop, and then come back to work. It’s a way to put more slack and less actual work in their day.
Then these shops which bill all this extra time wonder why everyone is down at the hardware store trying to fix things themselves and repair calls are ‘not profitable’.
We never pay. Not once. We call them out and never use them again. Our guys, rv, plumber, electrician, etc. – all fair, honest and one’s we refer to all the time.
Yes, I would say this is reasonable. Our experience with mobile service has been a “dispatch fee” typically runs $150 to $250 which gets the tech to your site, then $150 to $250 per hour with a one hour minimum. It’s worth it if it gets your problem fixed. The OP probably wouldn’t have complained if it was a $600 part and $25 of labor, but the result is the same.
Beyond stupid. The tech was totally unprepared. That’s what we pay for. Not driving all over cause he forgot a part or couldn’t fix on site cause he didn’t bring simple equipment.
$600 is a rip off.
A little high? Bet it took him 10 minutes to fix the part.
Forget the part that he didn’t know was broken yet?? This makes sense to you somehow??
Our house is near Lake Superior. We winter in south-central Texas. It never ceases to amaze me the people who purchase a heated hose and then wonder why their water systems freeze. The hose only heats the water currently inside the hose, and when you sleep, that water does not leave the hose. That means you also have to protect ALL the rest of your water supply system from where it exits the ground to inside heated spaces of your RV. The heated hose, while important, is only part of the process.
Or, just run off your tanks and don’t have hoses out unless you are filling or dumping. Pretty simple.
‘Didn’t want to’ is a level you reach with experience and money, it is very refreshing.
It might be beneficial for all of us to take the time to submit an online review whether you receive good or poor service. I try to look at reviews on businesses I am considering. I know it takes time and is a real PITA, and I personally will endeavor to do more in the upcoming travel season. On a whim, I researched Javi’s RV in Lancaster, CA and they have great ratings (that is not an endorsement) but we don’t know if their service is crappy if no one tells us. Wish there was a central website/database of “not recommended” service centers.
After owning four different RVs over 15 years, I will never, ever, take an RV to a dealership for service. I’ve never had a good experience with a dealer. They hire people who have no clue what they are doing and charge a fortune. In my case, they return the RV with more problems than what it had when it went in. There are so many YouTube videos and forums online now, that if you are the least bit handy, you can fix things yourself. That’s what we do. If we can’t fix it, we get an independent mechanic to do the work. I think someone who is the least bit mechanical could go to school to be an RV mechanic and make a great living.
DITTO
Also goes for giant Camping World. Sad that the owner advertises to contact his office if their is a problem. Did it just once and had an argument from his office person. Waste of time and worse – $$$$$$$$$$$. No more.
I would appreciate knowing the names and locations of these poor service areas, especially the guy who charged $600 for 1/2 hour’s worth of work! That helps the rest of us not become victims.
It wasn’t for a 1/2 hour work, he spent 3 hours of time total going back and forth to get parts plus fuel and mileage. Can you imagine being on the clock working and only getting 1/2 hour pay for that time?
Did I miss something. Why was a new part needed. If the old one was frozen, wouldn’t removing, defrosting and reinstalling solve the issue. It’s a simple spring loaded valve. Seems to me the tech made a lot of money for what seems like an easy fix
Many parts break or crack when the freeze.
Yes you did. The temperature dropped below freezing for a couple days. Nothing was frozen anymore.
Why do people who can’t fix things themselves have such disregard and anger towards those who can? Seems that $325 to go from no water to having water is better than the alternative, right? By the way, while you were at work I’d guess you do (or did) get paid so why would a service tech not be eligible to be paid when they’re chasing after a part you need? No wonder nobody wants to be employed in the service industry when they’re seen as the enemy.
Are you kidding? Your response is part of the reason average folks quit ringing. $600 to replace a $25 part and the guy didn’t even have it with him?
Just an FYI, most techs aren’t psychic. The idea that they could carry around every conceivable part is ridiculous.
That’s why its important to carry a few spare parts with you. I just hand the tech my part and he reorders one and send it to my home address.
William R, who was the rv tech or company that gouged you??
None of us want to reward any crook with a dime of our legitimately hard earned funds. The RvV world is filled with crooks from manufacturers to techs to rv parks. So many long timers quitting. How many must quit before the business gains integrity. Watching giant Thor finally getting theirs in court for illegal warranty actions.
Gouged?? He was too lazy to bring the RV to the shop. Of course the tech is going to charge for the time back and forth. Why wouldn’t they?? If he’s getting parts, he’s on the clock whether he’s walking into the back room or driving all the way back to the shop.
RV techs aren’t psychic. They can’t diagnose your problem without looking at it. They won’t know what parts they need until they diagnose the problem. You’re paying them to get the part whether they’re walking into the back room or driving back to the shop. If you don’t want to pay them to drive back and forth, do it yourself. Bring your RV in.
I used to work in field service for an appliance repair company. I always got an ear beating from customers about how much a repair cost. Most of the time time they thought I made BIG money. When I tried to explain the that my $15 an hour was only a small part of the cost they did not understand.
I was driving a van that the company had to pay for, the cost of gas, the insurance cost on the vehicle and the cost of parts stocked either in the van or at the shop.
The building and staff and liability and health insurance for the entire staff. Plus the utilities and upkeep of the shop and vehicles.
These are the same people that scream about the cost of replacing the roof on their house.
I own a large mobile RV repair service. We have 8 technicians and vehicles on the road. When someone call our office we will tell them up front what our charges are. If they don’t want to pay that much they can find someone else. I will say the 600.00 and a 25.00 part may be a little much, because if we didn’t have the part we would have paused the job to get the part then return with the part and resume the job. Most likely with our company the job would have cost about $325.00. As for the comments about the technician not having the part, we carry about 250 different parts along with supplies, total per vehicle $10K