Treated like family at Truck Centers, Inc., an amazing RV Freightliner service center

By Nanci Dixon
It is not often that I can write absolute rave reviews about an RV service center, but Truck Centers, Inc. in Morton, Illinois, is one of the few. We have been traveling for two months and have been hearing a popping noise under the front driver’s side for a lot longer than that. It was getting worse, so it was time to find an RV repair shop that could handle a Freightliner chassis and check it out.

Freightliner has a website that shows the locations of all the authorized dealers and service centers across the country. It also notes which ones are in the Oasis Service Network that work on RVs. We found Truck Centers, Inc. on our route and set up an appointment.

As we were talking with Gabe Kline, the RV service technician, he started asking questions about work we’ve had done in the past and I realized we may have been a little more lax on the RV maintenance than we probably should be. I know exactly what has been done to the coach but was fuzzy about the most important part—keeping our RV engine and chassis running smoothly! I kept saying, “I don’t know, I will check the paperwork.” So I pulled out the papers and found we were about 5,000 miles overdue for standard maintenance service.

Gabe was very patient as my husband described the clunk and pop sounds and feels. He rode with us so he could hear the noise himself and had a good idea where to start. We handed him the paperwork and waited. He went through the suggested maintenance papers, checked off the ones they did, and circled the ones he said we really didn’t need yet. We told him about the intermittent Allison transmission communication error and he showed my husband how to check the codes. I so appreciate that type of honesty and true dedication to the customer’s best interest.

Later that afternoon, Gabe texted and asked if we wanted to stay in their lot overnight. He found two cracks, one on the reservoir bracket and a much more concerning one—the Tiffin body mount. Of course, we stayed. If the mount had finally given way we would have had extensive damage. While it is a Tiffin part, they pointed out how thin the metal was and suggested that they fabricate a stronger piece rather than trying to order from Tiffin and hold up our trip.

As the team, Ashton and Tyler, were working on it, Gabe continued to send photos. They used a bottle jack to hold up the frame and proceeded to remove the mount and then reinforce and paint it. The other crack was easy to spot weld. A whole lot of stuff had to be removed and replaced to take it out and put back the mount.

I got the chance to talk with Cassandra (Cassie) Caccia, the General Manager, and Zac Anderson, the Service Manager. Cassie and Zac showed us around and explained more about the Freightliner Oasis designation and how they cater to RV customers. They are the Top Tier among Freightliner RV Oasis Service locations and are in the top five Oasis Service Networks in the nation.

This Truck Centers location has been servicing RVs for the last 30 years. Truck Centers has won FCCC Oasis Dealer of the Year every year since 2014. This award is given to the top five dealers based on several criteria established by the Freightliner Custom Chassis and the Oasis dealer council. They were named ATD dealer of the year for 2024, as well.  

Each year their RV facility is inspected to make sure they meet the criteria. They have an RV pet-friendly lounge, showers, free washer and dryer, TV, Wi-Fi, and most importantly, a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

Truck Centers, Inc. has been in operation since 1970 and this center has been open since 1994. There are 10 Truck Centers, Inc. dealers and all 10 are in the Oasis Service Network. This Morton location has 80 employees, 30 in service. There are 18 service bays in the truck center and the separate RV service building has four dedicated bays. While it is Freightliner-specific, they have worked on a number of different chassis. Diesel is their specialty, but a few gas models have come through with chassis issues.

They are full-service and also have a body and paint department. Cheryl Williams is the Body and Paint shop manager and has been with the company for 27 years. They have seven body techs and two trailer techs. All of the techs do both body and paintwork. The paint shop can mix their own paints from the RV and truck manufacturers’ codes. The Truck Centers, Inc. body shop is one of the few places that do heavy-duty framework and fabricating too.

I asked Cheryl what some of the typical damages are and she said for semis it is tractor-trailer rollovers and for RVs, it is usually rear-end damage from backing up and hitting something. (Just another reason to have a spotter when backing up!) They do a lot of clear coat work and she said the best thing an RV owner can do is keep it clean, waxed, and stored under a shelter or in a garage, if possible.

The longevity of their employees speaks to the quality of the company. I was impressed with the continual training, friendliness, quality, and careful work of Gabe, Ashton and Tyler. It has made this a very worthwhile stop. Seldom do you feel that you are more than a number and an hourly bill. These people made us feel like family. Truck Centers, Inc. in Morton, Illinois, will now be on our forever yearly maintenance stop as we travel. I can’t recommend them enough.

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