Little or no mechanical knowledge or capability

[Floridastorm]

This is for all of the folks out there who purchased a motor home but who do not have the capability to fix, repair, or work on that motor home themselves. I am wondering if that is a large or small percentage of those that buy a motor home? I figure that most people do not know how to do maintenance on their car or truck. As such, would this hold true for owners of motor homes?

If you are someone who purchased a motor home and don't have much of a capability to do the maintenance yourself I would like to hear what you have to say.

Does your motor home have a factory warranty? How has that worked out for you? How much of an inconvenience is it to take it in to the dealer for work to be done?

If not a factory warranty do you have an extended service agreement that you paid for? What does it cover? How has that worked out for you? Are you able to have the work done anywhere while on the road?

If no warranty or service agreement, where you have to pay for anything that goes wrong yourself, how has that worked out for you? Where do you take your motor home for maintenance/repair both at home and on the road.

Do you ever utilize a mobile repair outfit that comes to your home? How has that worked out for you?

Do you have a roadside assistance agreement on your motor home and is that covered by your your factory warranty, extended service agreement, or do you pay for it separately?

Awaiting some informative and possibly enlightening answers on a subject that may not have been discussed previously all in one place.

[Floridastorm]

Aridon wrote:
You'll get tired of watching some guy collect $150/hr to take out four screws, detatch 3 or 4 wires and attach them to the new thing.

One bolt, drain into pan, pour in new fluid.

Then you'll say, "jeez I can do that"

You'll find YouTube and watch some videos and realize this **** is so easy you have no idea why you kept paying people do such basic stuff.

Or you'll get used to paying it.

Is a Class C motor home much different than my SUV? How many people actually do work on their SUV's? I wouldn't know where to start. I did purchase an OBD II Scanner so that I can determine where a problem might be. Then I take the codes to my mechanic as sometimes the codes are intermittent and do not readily show up when my mechanic puts it on his scanner. I, of course, change wiper blades, battery, fuses, and some fluids. Nothing much else. So, it would be the same with a Class C which is really just a truck with various appliances.

[drsteve]

Servicing the chassis--drivetrain, brakes, shocks, etc. is left to the pros by many people. The RV box itself is a different matter. It is not too hard to work on if you have basic mechanical skills and some aptitude. Oh, and YouTube. You can find out how to fix nearly anything on YouTube.

[pnichols]

There's only one RV ownership thing that requires more skill than being able to repair the RV yourself when convenient ... and that is having the skill to hopefully plan ahead enough so as to keep at least some broken things altering trips too drastically.

We sometimes don't overnight in campgrounds close to help or places where we have phone or internet service in order to call for help. The real challenge is having enough Plans B and C along on RV trips so as to get by until either yourself or someone else can eventually repair things properly and permanently - no matter where your're camping or traveling.

For instance, in our 24 foot motorhome:

- We have five ways of recharging our RV batteries.
- We have fours ways of preparing hot food.
- We have four ways of heating our RV.
- We have two sources of stored fresh water.
- We have four ways of cooling our RV.
- We have a large place to store trash on board if the coach waste baskets become full.
- We have two ways of repairing a tire that is leaking, in addition to a compressor to re-inflate the repaired tire, and in addition to a spare tire.
- We have two full length sewer hoses on board.
- We have three fresh water fill hoses on board.
- We have two generators on board.
- We have access to the roof at all times.
- We have a caulking gun, two types of caulks, and a roll of EternaBond on board.
- We have a spare waste valve along.

I guess the motto of "Prepare for the Worst and Pray for the Best" might apply to keeping one's RV going while out and about.

[udidwht]

bigred1cav wrote:
I'll be in Pt Angeles soon. Wanna do some work on mine?

udidwht wrote:
Myself? Absolutely.

I spent 10 years in the US Navy rebuilding jet engines in F-14 Tomcats, A-7 Corsairs and F-18 Hornets. Working on my engine (454 TBI) is a cake walk.

Heading out soon myself (6/20) what work did you have planned?

[2gypsies1]

valhalla360 wrote:

janstey58 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
PS: someone suggested using a mobile tech for warranty work. Good luck with that. Most dealers don't offer mobile unless things have gotten really ugly first. The standard is you bring it to them and they work on it when they get around to it.

There are plenty of good independent mobile RV techs that have no association with dealers. In my area we have two.

No problem with mobile techs. The issue is since most aren't affiliated with a dealer, they likely won't be able to do warranty work.

If the manufacturer o.k's it, then a mobile tech can do warranty. We know it's been done. Mobile techs come regularly to some RV parks. Ask the office for a recommendation.

[bigred1cav]

I'll be in Pt Angeles soon. Wanna do some work on mine?

udidwht wrote:
Myself? Absolutely.

I spent 10 years in the US Navy rebuilding jet engines in F-14 Tomcats, A-7 Corsairs and F-18 Hornets. Working on my engine (454 TBI) is a cake walk.

[udidwht]

Myself? Absolutely.

I spent 10 years in the US Navy rebuilding jet engines in F-14 Tomcats, A-7 Corsairs and F-18 Hornets. Working on my engine (454 TBI) is a cake walk.

[D_E_Bishop]

Floridastorm said/ask:

What do you consider common maintenance items? Also, if one is not familiar with repair/maintenance could I not do more harm than good including possibly dangerous work? I'm 78 years old and doubt that I could start learning a maintenance trade at my age. Also, at 78 even in good shape, these old bones don't respond very well to what is required for various maintenance tasks.


MY ANSWERS:

I too am 78(or will be next month) and while I am pretty well versed in vehicle and appliance maintenance and repair. I no longer feel up to some stuff and my DW and DD's all say don't do that, you can afford to have it done.

So fall of last year the generator quit and flashed a code that meant Low Oil Pressure. Wasn't that, it was a bad bearing on the generator stator. Took it to a shop where the owner/tech was a factory trained, independent warranty repair tech. Here I am almost seven months after he first got his hands on it and it still doesn't run.

So far I have learned enough to repair it myself. While some of the stuff in the genny is beyond me, I now know enought to trouble shoot the darn thing and to be in control.

Service manuals from the NET, help from these forums and googling YouTube and other sources will yield a dozen years of experience in seconds. None of that will make you a tech, but, it will make you a competent owner.

Routine is what is listed in your owners manual for every oil change interval. Change oil, filter and filters. Some are beyond many of us but oil changes are $45 to $200. One change and a collecting pan and freezer ziploc bag for the filter. Opening the Dog House and just looking for anything that wasn't there when new. Oil stains, excessive dust, squirrel nesting materials and other weird stuff. You don't need to fix it, but it helps to know what a service adviser tells you that is needed.

And no you're not going to damage something.

My DOD taught us boys that we shouldn't buy anything we couldn't fix. I taught my girls and grandkids, don't buy stuff you can't reasonably get to understand how it operates. They know that Cell Phones are really just radios, no biggy, but knowing the systems, no, for most of us, in another life maybe.

[zcookiemonstar]

You are going to have to learn how to do some basic things for yourself. I can't imagine for example you will hire someone to drain and fill your tanks. Some RV's winterizing is just as easy. When you shop for a RV ask about basic maintenance and what is involved some are easier to work on then others. Find the one that works for you. I am not saying you need to do all your own work but something as simple as how the drains for your tanks are set up can make a difference in your ability to do it.

[valhalla360]

janstey58 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
PS: someone suggested using a mobile tech for warranty work. Good luck with that. Most dealers don't offer mobile unless things have gotten really ugly first. The standard is you bring it to them and they work on it when they get around to it.

There are plenty of good independent mobile RV techs that have no association with dealers. In my area we have two.

No problem with mobile techs. The issue is since most aren't affiliated with a dealer, they likely won't be able to do warranty work.

[Jayco-noslide]

For the posters who ask "do you do your own work at home" or " why can't you do the work?" Sometimes I think that people who are skilled in this regard don't realize how gifted they are and many are not. I'm 75 so it's not like I haven't tried. But I find that it often turns out badly and I've kind of learned what to attempt and when to call someone. Incidentally I've had good experiences with mobile repair people.

[bigred1cav]

Aridon wrote:
You'll get tired of watching some guy collect $150/hr to take out four screws, detatch 3 or 4 wires and attach them to the new thing.

One bolt, drain into pan, pour in new fluid.

Then you'll say, "jeez I can do that"

You'll find YouTube and watch some videos and realize this **** is so easy you have no idea why you kept paying people do such basic stuff.

Or you'll get used to paying it.

Got old can't bend.

[janstey58]

Mine is $90/hour, and only called when I have exhausted all DIY efforts.

[Aridon]

You'll get tired of watching some guy collect $150/hr to take out four screws, detatch 3 or 4 wires and attach them to the new thing.

One bolt, drain into pan, pour in new fluid.

Then you'll say, "jeez I can do that"

You'll find YouTube and watch some videos and realize this **** is so easy you have no idea why you kept paying people do such basic stuff.

Or you'll get used to paying it.